The Banter - March 2011

the view

EMMAS IMAGINATION // KASSIDY // JON FRATELLI

PANIC AT THE DISCO // SARA BAREILLES GOOD CHARLOTTE // SPARK // RIVAL SCHOOLS Also : CD REVIEWS // GIG REVIEWS // Movies // TV // competitions

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Contents

20

inside

Issue 1 2011 â—? www.thebanter.co.uk

8 Scottish Music

A look at why Scotland appears to punch above its own weight in the music industry

12 CD Reviews

36

Tht We take a look at the best recent releases in the music world

10

20 Interview - Emmas Imagination

We talk to Must be the Music winner Emma Gillespie aka Emmas Imagination

26 T in the Park

Another year, another sell out and another amazing line up...

30 Gig Reviews

A round up of some the hottest gigs in Glasgow over the last few months.

36 Interview - The View

18

28

Editorial Team Editor

Ritchie Marshall

Photos

Daren Borzynski Kate Chambers

News Team Maxwell Lynas Louise Anne Geddes

Anna Gault Lisa Boyle

Daren Borzynski Jack McKenna

Sean David Chris Hay

Petra Raspel David Russell

Scott Purvis Kate Chambers

Simon Cassidy Alyce MacPherson

Jack Chambers Hamish Gibson

Mairiclare Shaw

Cover Photo Daren Borzynski

Photos taken in Slouch Bar & Restaurant

Maxwell Lynas talks to The Views lead singer Kyle Falconer 48 Television Look out Hollywood the Scots are taking over your TVs

50 Movies

A look at the upcoming movies to hit your screens over the upcoming weeks.

A loo

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Interview

KASSIDY W

interview by SARAH MOYES

ith their debut album on the verge of being released, Kassidy are one of the hottest bands in the Scottish music scene at the moment. And if you haven’t seen them live yet then they won’t be hard to miss. The band is made up of four guys with various long lengths of hair and various amounts of facial hair – to put it simply Barrie-James O’Neill, Hamish Fingland, Chris Potter and Lewis Andrew have a pretty distinctive look.

was a godsend because the studio we used had no work hours.

You can go in at 12 in the afternoon and not come out until 12 in the afternoon the next day. No sleeping, no eating and just recording music all the time.” The bands new record has come along way from their original one, in fact they have scrapped quite a few of the tracks, “We recorded 12 or 13 tracks on the original album and we’ve kept one of the original tracks and some of the songs have been re-recorded with Thomas.”

Kassidy have released three EP’s to date – Rubbergum EP 1, 2 and 3. All three have won them an army of fans and some great reviews. And this year the band is finally releasing their debut album ‘Hope St’. Kassidy actually recorded a full length album before, but Lewis explains why that one wasn’t released.

For anyone who is on the verge of releasing their debut album though, there will be some worry about how it will be received but Kassidy are optimistic most of their fans will like it, “We hope everyone loves the record, I wouldn’t think otherwise. The people who follow us on Facebook or Twitter are really lovely people and we have a great relationship with them all. And everyone seems to be really excited about it. There’s been like 1 negative comment from someone so far - we don’t really hold it to heart. But I reckon that people will enjoy the new record.” says Lewis.

“6 months after we were signed we got put into the studio and we recorded this album which we thought it was amazing. We did it really quickly and it all seemed to fall into place. But after a few months of listening to it we started writing and recording more music back at home with our friend Thomas. We decided the album we initially recorded may have been a bit premature and not kind of grown up enough fortunately we were allowed to record it again with Thomas with new tracks and there was just a different production and vibe about the whole thing. It

| THE BANTER

One thing that comes with releasing music is comparisons and everyone seems to have one to compare Kassidy to. Luckily for Kassidy, it’s something Lewis understands even if he doesn’t agree with the bands his one get compared too. “You can’t

Interview really listen to any band without comparing them to something. Unless you are like The Beatles and re-creating how music sounds in general then there’s no way you can sound completely original because you’re always going to sound like someone else. Oddly enough none of our main influences come from bands like Mumford and Sons. Some people say we look like Kings of Leon and some people say we sound like Fleet Foxes. It’s more bands from the past like The Mamas and The Papas, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and The Beach Boys that we listen to but are compared to a lot less. That’s just because we are living in the wrong era.”

DIAGRAM OF THE HEART

The band are heading out on tour soon to support the new record and Lewis says they can’t wait to get back out on the road, “It’ll be great to get out and play some live shows for people. We’re going on tour starting the middle of April and finishing at the end of the month – it’ll be amazing”. After spring tours comes the festival circuit and after last year’s T in the Park performance, Kassidy are hoping to get on this year’s line-up, “We hope we’ll get to play some festivals. Nothing has been confirmed yet, we’re just sitting and waiting and hoping we get on some bills.”

The band is at the front of the music scene in Scotland at the moment, and this new album is sure to cement their place with more sold out shows and facebook hits. But the scene itself its something Kassidy have never really felt right at home in, The Scottish music scene in Glasgow has such a huge and wide variety of music. When we started out and we played gigs they’d be us and a metal band and a rap artist and we’d be thinking ‘what on earth are we doing on this bill’. I think its cause such a huge vast music scene you can kind of slip in wherever you want. You can come up with some different music and you’ll find they’ll probably be a few other people that will be doing a similar thing, then you can get in a wee cliché with then you’ll be in your own scene. I can’t think of many other people like us but I think we definitely made a bunch of friends along the way that we wouldn’t have made if we didn’t have a band.”

The release of ‘Hope St’ makes the beginning of a new chapter for Kassidy, and if it can be as successful as their previous EP’s they may just be Scotland’s new favourite band.

Masters of epic sounding glorious pop music, Diagram Of The Heart spent 2010 winning over fans with stand out sets at the likes of Wireless Festival alongside JAY-Z, Ibiza Rocks in support of Calvin Harris, Bestival beside Roxy Music, Gay Pride with Kelis and an iTunes special. They were also singled out to support Scissor Sisters on tour.

Live they shine as they belt out big, bold Balearic inspired beats, fused with classic pop sounds and heartfelt upbeat lyrics. The songs are anthemic and their live set is addictive, this band has one foot in the warehouse and one foot in the charts.

Dance-pop masterpiece ‘If I Were You’ follows the limited edition singles ‘Dead Famous’ and ‘Did I?’ which set dancefloors on fire earlier this year. The three tracks are taken from their forthcoming debut album Vital Signs. Self produced and written by the band it pushes the boundaries of pop, delves headfirst into the world of dance and is set to propel Diagram Of The Heart to the forefront of modern UK pop in 2011.

Scottish Fans can experience the amazing live performance of Diagram of the Heart this month when they perform at Glasgow’s Nice n Sleazys on Tuesday 8th March.

To find out more on this and to check out their amazing sound visit their website at www.diagramoftheheart.co.uk

THE BANTER |

Music

2011 Tips for

BY JACK MCKENNA

I

t’s that time of year again when critics and fans alike conjoin to speculate and pontificate. When the hype machine is set into motion.

When careers are made and hopes are dashed. When one man’s Chipmunk is another man’s Chico.

We are, of course, talking about the hallowed ‘Ones to Watch’ lists. For some they represent a golden ticket to fame and fortune but, for so many, they are a poisoned chalice condemning those that don’t make the grade to a life in the bargain bins. While some swear by them, others remain convinced that they are nothing but an exercise in major label PR. Like them or not, they’re here to stay… and here’s ours. | THE BANTER

the vaccines > www.thevaccines.co.uk

Having only formed in the summer of 2010, The Vaccines’ have risen to prominence at break neck speed.

Featuring the younger sibling of one of The Horrors they are no doubt aware of the potential pitfalls of being ‘ones to watch’, but their penchant for infectious indie-rock suggests they needn’t worry.

With a debut album due for release in March this year, a slot on the NME awards tour and a string of festival appearances in the pipeline, 2011 is set to be a big year for this London based quartet.

< jessie j

Music

www.jessiejofficial.com With a Brit Award for Critics Choice already under her belt, it seems that 2011 is Jessie J’s oyster. The drama school girl, turned song writer to the stars, turned pop star has wasted no time in bagging her first number one single with ‘Price Tag’ and there’s plenty more where that came from. Tagged ‘the best singer in the world’ by none other than Justin Timberlake, Jessie J certainly has the confidence and attitude to match her undoubted talent.

james blake > www.jamesblakemusic.com A classically trained pianist, Blake shot into the limelight with a stripped down version of Feist’s “There’s a Limit to Your Love” and, since then, there’s been no looking back for the 22 yearold Londoner. While his influences are rooted firmly in Dubstep, Blake opts for a much more stripped back, traditional singer/songwriter style on record; an approach that is clearly paying dividend having been nominated for numerous high profile awards, including the BBC’s sound of 2011 and a BRIT award.

< jamie woon www.jamiewoon.com Continuing the producer turned popstar trend is Jamie Woon. An alumnus of the famous BRIT school, Woon looks certain to follow in the footsteps of his old schoolmates Adele and Amy Winehouse, having recently supported the latter on tour. Another purveyor of the rapidly expanding dubstep genre, Woon has more than enough soul to set himself apart from the crowd. If favourable comparisons to Jeff Buckley are anything to go by then Jamie Woon is certainly one to watch.

THE BANTER |

Feature

SCOTTISH MUSIC punching above its weight?

S

cotland. What is it about this little country of ours? Is it our culture? Our history? Our weather? Or is there simply something in the water?

Why is it that for decades, this relatively small nation has continually punched above its weight in producing some of the most talented, popular and genre defining music that this planet has to offer.

From the art-house indie chic of Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian and The Delgados to the polished stadium rock of The Simple Minds and Texas, as far as the singer song writer, chart friendly pop of KT Tunstall, Amy MacDonald and Paolo Nutini we have a mere cross section of a list the length of the Clyde and yet amongst them, this handful of artists have amassed millions upon millions of record sales the world over.

Is there a definitive reason for this? Probably not. Is down to just plain old luck? Definitely not.

Scotland’s love affair with musical composition is by no means a new phenomenon. Alex Kapranos and co. are no song writing pioneers; their ancestors had set the ball rolling long before the | THE BANTER

current lot could strum their first chord.

by jack mckenna

In the early 1900’s, the Bothy Ballads sung by Scottish farm workers were a perfect example of Scottish people composing songs which were directly influenced by both their surroundings and situation. Living conditions in the Bothies were far from ideal; often scores of tired, dirty labourers were crammed like sardines into a space no bigger than the average garden shed. It was little wonder they used music as means of escape from the drudgery of their everyday lives.

The songs they sang told tales of hope and positivity and were often extremely humorous and although these songs were a far cry from the bleak futures that each labourer faced, they were more than just meaningless ditties; they served a purpose.

They provided a tiny glimmer of light and joy in often miserable circumstances. It was this sense of creativity in adversity that would lay the foundations for generations of Scottish songwriter’s to follow.

From the hills and fields of the highlands that the Bothy’s would call home, down the A9 to the cityscapes of Dundee,

Feature Edinburgh and onto Glasgow, Scotland is blessed with an array of breathtaking scenery and landscapes as well as a smattering of not so aesthetically pleasing eyesores. Sure, the pretty scenery (or not so pretty as the case may be) can play a huge part in the musical process - look no further than Dougie MacLean’s “Caledonia” – but its what lies beneath the façade that counts the most. This is our next port of call in uncovering the muses and exasperations that inspired some of our country’s finest musical exploits.

“Destroying the ground where gruesome lays Sectarianism and the hurtful racist ways Bring back the glory days Active citizenship And pure community Freedom of faith There’s a storm on the horizon…”

One could be forgiven for mistaking Glasvegas’ debut album, ‘Glasvegas’, for a case study. In front-man James Allen, we have a prime example of an artist being directly influenced by society around him; he has written a harrowing social commentary detailing everything from knife crime, to broken families, to sectarian abuse.

Lines such as, “No cavalry could ever save me, I’m gonna get stabbed…” could hardly be classed as stock ‘hit-single’ material and yet this distressing cocktail of social observations seems to work very well indeed, in fact, this record has sold by the barrel load. And the reason? People can relate to it. James Allen may have written an album about Glasgow but Glasgow does not stand alone with its problems; it has company, and plenty of it.

No matter where you go, there will always be violence, poverty, and discrimination. A winning formula it would seem, if Mr Allen’s latest bank statement is anything to go by…

From the 50’s infused rock sounds of Glasvegas to the lighthearted jangly pop of Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura, the formula remains steadfast. The only thing that changes is the outlook. While Glasvegas portray a darker, edgier side to their city, Belle and Sebastian’s songs reflect a much more middle class ideal. Songs reminiscing of pleasant walks through Glasgow’s leafy, predominantly wealthy West End are in stark contrast with those of their leather clad, shade donning, East End counterparts and yet these songs were written only a few miles apart. Had James Allen grown up on the opposite end of the city my guess is that we would be listening to a completely unrecognisable Glasvegas album to the one that we hear now; no stabbings or abuse, just vintage clothes shops and afternoon tea. And vice versa. That pleasant afternoon stroll that Mr Murdoch of B+S was crooning about might have quickly escalated into a frantic sprint from the police by now.

Aside from inherent social aspects such as class and upbringing there are a number of smaller, more tangible factors that can play an equally important role in the formative stages of the

musical process. Seemingly trivial things such as the weather can be more influential than you might think. For example, here in Scotland we have become accustomed to having famously abysmal, wet weather. Hell, we’ve even invented our own word for it; driech. So, when its driech, we stay indoors and in a desperate attempt to entertain ourselves we pick up a guitar, learn a few chords and before we know it we’ve written our first song. If we repeat this process over an autumn, winter, spring (summer) of relentless rain, hail, sleet and snow then we have no excuse but to be dam good at it. Multiply this by the number of aspiring musicians nationwide and the laws of probability almost guarantee us at least a handful of chart toppers. And so, although we Scot’s have every right to curse our miserable weather, we also have a lot to be thankful for because of it; none more so than Travis’ Fran Healy who might not have got to where he is today had it not always rained on him.

Should one require a precise definition of the aforementioned ‘driech’ then look no further than Deacon Blue’s platinum selling debut, ‘Raintown’. With tracks such as “Born into a Storm” and title track “Raintown”, there’s no need to refer to a dictionary for your definition; these two tracks epitomise the word. While not specifically referencing its city, this album is undeniably Glaswegian - from the cover image of a rainy day over Glasgow’s west end to the rear image of the Kingston Bridge at night and everything in between. The album deals with a number of familiar issues; financial woes, unemployment, aspirations for something better and so on. Whereas James Allen of Glasvegas was extremely literal in dealing with such topics, Ricky Ross manages to remain a little more discreet with his message. A recurring theme which forms the backbone of the entire album is that undying want for something more, a desperate desire to escape from the dire norm and to ‘live the dream’. ‘Dignity’ is nothing more than a modern day Bothy Ballad, sung out every weekend in pubs and clubs across the country by Scots who, although a little worse for wear, share that very same dream of those weary farm workers a century before them. They too want to escape to something better, be it from their nine to five jobs, their relationships or their worries – however unattainable that may be. And somewhere amongst the hoard of drunken revellers is the next dreamer, the next Ricky Ross or James Allen, itching to have their songs of their Scotland heard and to inspire the next generation of Scots to dare to dream just like so many that have gone before them.

So what is it exactly that makes us Scot’s stand out from the crowd? Is there just something in our water after all or is there more to it than that? The answer is a resounding yes. Scotland is a country rich in culture, tradition, talent and work ethic.

Couple this with the violence, social division, discrimination, poverty and downright atrocious weather that often blights it and there you have it; somewhere in the midst of this mess of contradictions lies the winning formula and, with a bit of good fortune and hard work, some truly astounding, truly Scottish results can be produced.

THE BANTER |

Interview

PANIC AT THE DISCO Having lost two members of the original line up Panic At The Disco, Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith are back interview by sarah Moyes

10 | THE BANTER

Interview

I

t’s been three years since Panic! At The Disco released a record and a lot has happened since then. The band, which formed in 2004 in Las Vegas started life as a four piece. They released two records ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’ in 2005 and followed it up with ‘Pretty. Odd’ in 2008 before the band split in half. Guitarist Ryan Ross and bass player Jon Walker left the band in July 2009 for creative differences leaving lead singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith to make album number three ‘Vices and Virtues’.

For a band who previously released two albums in three years, it then took them the same amount of time to release just one. So why has their latest album taken so long to finish? “We didn’t know it would take that amount of time, but it’s been worth it and we are very happy with how it sounds now” explains Brendon, “About a year ago we thought we had it done, but we’re glad that we just kept working and writing better and better songs. We’re definitely in a better position now.”

But following up two hugely successful albums is a big thing.

The band’s debut record sold over 2 million copies worldwide and their second album was just as successful - but sometimes it can be a risk to try something new. “I guess some of the songs are influenced by the first and second record – that’s inevitable because they were so important to us and so personal” says Brendon, “There are a couple of songs i think that are from a similar vein – they couldn’t have sat on those records but are definitely new.

There are some songs that sound new sonically and they don’t sound like anything we have done before. That was really exciting for us to do.”

Vices and Virtues was produced by Butch Walker who has worked with Weezer and Pink, and John Feldmann who has worked with everyone from The Used to Lostprophets to All Time Low. “They are definitely amazing and talented people. For us it was important to work with producers who are about the artist vision and the artists ideas” continues Brendan, “We didn’t want to compromise on anything. It was definitely a little bit easier to work with them because they were so all about our own ideas.”

The first single to be released from the record is ‘The Ballad Of Mona Lisa’ it sounds like P!ATD at their finest. The song is

lined with a catchy chorus with lyrics which have matured yet kept the bands signature sense of identity. The only thing that has changed is the bands choice for a less complicated song names favouring one which is more related to the lyrics of the song. When they first started releasing music they chose names like ‘Lying Is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off’ and the even longer (I bet you didn’t think they could get any longer) ‘There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought of It Yet’, both of which were featured on their first album. But the band slowly started phasing out the long names through their second record and now new single ‘The Ballad Of Mona Lisa’ has a much shorter name than their previous singles. Brendan explains why they are now favouring less complicated names “I think it just got easier every time to pick words from a chorus because we kept forgetting song titles so it’s a little easier now we have opted for something simple.”

One thing that has changed since the band last released music is the wave of new bands that have emerged. And while there’s always a chance these new acts will steal your limelight, it isn’t something that worries Brendan, “I guess when we hear good music or what we find what we believe to be great song writing, it kind of encourages us to do the same and to push ourselves harder to be good song writers.

Like Arcade Fire’s new record was one of those records. It was a really important to us and as a songwriter you listen to it and you want to write songs as good as that. So that helps and it’s very inspiring.”

For anyone who has ever seen Panic! At The Disco before, it is all about their live shows. And it’s something the band is planning to do again over the next twelve months, “Right now we have planned a couple of weeks in the Europe and the UK but we are still in the works about planning a tour for America. That will probably start in May. We are just dedicated to touring right now and touring this record.

And it seems the Scottish fans have also caught the eye of Brendan, “There are definitely places outside the US that are a little more fun to play and Glasgow is one of them. I remember going there for the first time and it was crazy just being in a new place and the fans seemed so dedicated and so passionate at the shows. It was really rowdy which we love and really high energy. It’s something you can find in the US but it’s just a little harder to find.”

THE BANTER | 11

Music

cd reviews james blake James Blake atlas/a&m  James Blake’s debut self -titled album is fast becoming one of the most anticipated records to be released this year.

It probably has something to do with him being announced as BBC’s sound of 2011 runner up – a title which pretty much brings a flock of music fans and critics as soon as it’s announced.

James is currently at the front of the club scene in a post dubstep genre – his music is fresh, exciting and infectious so it’s no real surprise people can’t wait to get their hands on this record. Singles ‘Limit To Your Love’ which is a Feist cover and ‘The Wilhelm Scream ‘ have brought him a new army of fans who may not usually join the dubstep fan club and they ease you into a record which is exciting from start to finish.

The more upbeat ‘I Never Learnt To Share’ pulls you in on one listen, while ‘Give Me My Mouth’ is one of beautiful sadness wrapped around piano keys which will make you shed a tear.

It might not be to everyone’s taste, and if you haven’t listened to music like this before it will take some getting used to.

But if you discover a debut by any artist this year it should be James Blake

SARAH MOYES

12 | THE BANTER

pearl jam Live On Ten Legs island  Alternative Rock legends Pearl Jam celebrate their 20th anniversary with the release of ‘LIVE on Ten Legs,’ a live compilation that devout Jam fans will snap up in seconds. The album is completed with 18 seamless tracks recorded throughout the bands 2003 -2010 tours and not knowing this, you’d be easily fooled to think the album was recorded at the one concert. This is as hardcore as expected, with continuous energy and emotion injected throughout each performance. Although not the best of live singing, it seems incredible that singer Eddie Vedder could even manage survive halfway through his exhaustive performance, which even makes you feel knackered even just listening.

The album opens with ‘Arms Aloft’ a heavy metal track that has the crowds roaring with excitement. ‘Got some’ is one of the main highlights of the album, with its sensational instrumentals and crowd-gathering performance. The album contains some serious guitar workouts which are perfect if you love musical extremity. However if you’re looking for something a bit more subtle this may not be for you. A raw, greatly performed live album that will appeal to mostly to Pearl Jam rockers.

LISA BOYLE

Music sara bareilles Kaleidoscope Heart columbia  The acapella intro track on the album, also named Kaledioscope Heart, is one of those special times where every hair on your body stands up. Sara’s voice makes you sit up and listen despite her dreamy tone and it most certainly puts you in the right mindset for the rest of the album.

The second song on the album opens with that signature vamp style piano that Sara has made her own in her previous songs. Although Sara sounds the same, it’s not in the way that you felt you’ve heard this song before. In short, it’s not boring, it’s a fully engaging sound whether you’re already a fan of this talented lady or not.

The song “Gonna Get Over You” starts with a retro tune that catches you off guard and then follows into an upbeat melody with lyrics that don’t quite suit but as usual, Miss Bareilles makes this work. The chorus is one that I can guarantee you will be humming all day.

The first single off this album “King Of Anything” is a sarcastically cheery song that makes you smile. It’s like you say a big “FU!” while you sing along and imagine who you’d be relaying the message to. It’s a satisfying song that just makes you feel to righteous and uplifted.

In “Basket Case” Sara’s voice is packed with emotion and the simple guitar accompaniment with minimal percussion is perfect. It’s by no means a simple song though it’s conveying a simple message and despite it just featuring a guitar track, some percussion and vocals, it showcases Sara’s voice beautifully.

Despite its name, the track “Machine Gun” actually has a dainty little melody that you’d expect to find in a music box. Sara’s talent of mixing darker lyrics with an upbeat melody is yet again flawless. The chorus for this song creeps up on you and you’re just not sure where all that power came from. Sara’s vocals give you a punch to the chest, in the nicest possible way.

The deliciously dark side to Sara creeps out into the track “Not Alone” which we’ve only really previously seen on “Come Round Soon” from Little Voice. The track even features a sample from an interview conducted by the BBC with King of creepy himself, Alfred Hitchcock, in 1964. It’s a new dimension to Sara’s work.

A live version of Love Song is the last track on the album and unlike most live tracks featured on albums it doesn’t feel stuck on to make up numbers. It’s not a carbon copy of the original song, there’s little melodic differences in Sara’s voice and so it’s like a whole new version of the original song.

As with Little Voice, there’s a sincere honesty with this album and the songs truly are biographical. The lyrics are so relatable and you can’t help but be drawn in by Sara’s beautifully soft but strong voice. With Kaleidoscope Heart Sara has created a bubble in which you lose yourself; and it’s a beautiful thing.

ALYCE MACPHERSON

photo- daren borzynski

bruno mars Doo Wops and Hooligans elektra/ASYLUM  It seems as if Bruno Mars effortlessly moved from producing and songwriting (having worked with Paramore’s Hayley Williams, B.o.B., Travie McCoy and Cee Lo Green just to name a few) to being a successful solo artist in his own right. No wonder then everyone has been waiting for his debut album “Doo-wops And Hooligans” in anticipation. However, I have to admit I was slightly disappointed when I listened to it.

The first let-down is that it is only 35 minutes long, and if an album is so short, you really need to make every minute count. And yes, the album starts off strong with his massive No. 1 hits “Grenade” and “Just The Way You Are”. Everything that follows though seems very generic, as if someone is out to have a quick run through every musical style imaginable to tick all the boxes. Maybe it is Bruno’s acclaimed goal to create an album equally appealing to both girls and boys (supposedly mirrored in the very naming of the album, but seriously: Who calls his girlfriend a “Doo-wop”?), but I think all it did was creating something a bit lukewarm in the middle.

Don’t get me wrong: It’s not a bad album, the tunes are mostly catchy, although I am not so sure about the lyrics if I am totally honest - some of them are actually the worst I have heard in a while. For a taster of what I mean, have a listen to “Runaway Baby”, “The Lazy Song” and “Count On Me”.

It is a shame that an album starting off so strong and also ending on a high (“The Other Side”, featuring both Cee Lo Green and B.o.B., is certainly one of the strongest tracks of the album) slightly underwhelms in the middle. Still, a decent effort for a debut.

PETRA RASPEL

THE BANTER | 13

Music ke$ha Animal + Cannibal columbia  Ke$ha has followed suit of our Lady of pop and released an extended album instead of a full new one; the second CD is actually 10 tracks long which is good enough to be a full album in the case of some musicians or bands. So in reality you’re actually getting two albums out of the lovely Ke$ha for a fraction of the price. What a sporting young lady she is But how does it sound? I’m glad to report that she’s still dishing out the dirty electro pop that we’ve come to expect unlike a certain Lady. Ke$ha is rude, offensive, outrageous. But let’s face it, that’s what we love her for. I can certainly say with certainty that most of the songs will need to have bleeps put in them at strategic points.

On Animal it’s pretty much what you had before but now you’re getting two extra tracks, “VIP” and “Dirty Picture Pt.2 feat Taio Cruz”. VIP is 70’s inspired, expletive laden and sexy. If you’re having trouble imagining this try putting together the standard sexiness you expect and add the soundtrack of a 70’s TV program, something like “Shaft”.

There’s a huge dub-step influence creeping into Cannibal and it complements Ke$ha’s style perfectly, as thought it was a natural progression for her.

the boxer rebellion The Cold Still Absentee Recordings  First impressions of “The Cold Still” by The Boxer Rebellion is that the band has lost some of their raw sound that first attracted me to them. Soon after giving “The Cold Still” a few listens, I have come to the conclusion that the band has aged like a fine wine over their ten year journey and their sound has only become more refined. This can only open the doors for The Boxer Rebellion to a wider audience and the credit they deserve.

Mixed and produced by Ethan Johns (producer of Paolo Nutini’s “Sunny Side Up”, several Kings of Leon albums) and released on their own label Absentee Records, “The Cold Still” holds onto The Boxer Rebellions recognisable haunting melodies & vocals: In stand-out songs “Locked In The Basement”, “Caught by the Light”, “Organ Song and Doubt”, they can clearly be heard.

There is no doubt that this album is a grower and has to be listened to again and again.

DAREN BORZYNSKI

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Cannibal, the first track on the album features boasts the chorus “I am cannibal, cannibal, I’ll eat you up” and the track does just that, it eats you up. Remember the first time you heard Tik Tok? Well prepare to feel that feeling all over again but it’ll be amplified by at least ten thousand. (Not an actual guarantee.)

The track “Blow” starts with Ke$ha laughing, again reminiscent of Gaga, then demands that you dance. And dance you will.

This is one of the songs that the techno/electro influence is huge in.

There is still the soft side to Ke$ha too, she brings it down a notch in The Harold Song but it as usual she manages to keep it catchy and it’s one of the times were you actually appreciate how beautiful Ke$ha’s voice can really be.

Both remixes at the end of Cannibal aren’t just terrible mashes that you’d expect to receive, with a new decade a new style of mix is here, the sophisticated one. Undoubtedly it’s been given the dub-step once over as well but it’s not over kill, it’s subtle and it’s quite frankly brilliant. You can also expect to see the name of the busy bee that is Andre 3000 on one of the mixes.

Ke$ha is unashamedly fun and though her songs are sometimes humorous you can also tell there’s a lot of honesty to them. She genuinely sings what she feels and it’s refreshing, she’s Ke$ha and she’d rather you just took her or left her. If you’re looking for the soundtrack to your summer and you’re already in love with the Prince Harry of pop then, look no further, the search is over.

ALYCE MACPHERSON

Music

men Talk About Body

sony music  In a modern day pop culture filled with synthesizers and repetitive drum and base beats, it extremely difficult for a new up and coming dance group to clock the attention of main stream audiences. However that is exactly what Brooklyn-based, political-pop ensemble MEN, are attempting with their debut album “Talk About Body”.

The record kicks of with “Life’s Half Price” and I am instantly consumed by a foot-tapping bass-line. The smooth guitar and rattling rhythm kick in and I begin to imagine this intro blasting from the speakers in some popular nightclub. As the opening line: “Life’s half price, for suckers in love” hits my ears, I begin to question whether I’m listening to “Life’s Half Price”

by MEN or “Hands” by The Ting Tings. As the song jigs its way through five minutes and twenty-six seconds it becomes clear that this is a band with something to say: The released single “Off Our Backs” is a decent floor filler as a stand-alone song, though it is lost in a record that repeats itself for just under an hour.

Overall, I believe MEN need variety. All their songs are just too similar, which mean that you’ll forget this album as soon as you have stopped listening to it, which shouldn’t be the case.

It is extremely frustrating because it is obvious that MEN are talented lyricists, but talented musicians? I’m not so sure.

JACK CHAMBERS

amos lee Mission Bell

blue Note  Lee who gave up a career as teacher in the 90s to pursue a career in music and has supported the likes of Norah Jones and Bob Dylan returns with his fourth album. He has since toured supporting Norah Jones and Bob Dylan. Mission Bell shows off Lees amazingly soulful voice and following topping the US Billboard Top 200 number 1 slot bringing his music and songwriting to a wider audience.

Showing much growth from his earlier albums Mission Bell returns to a more rootsy, country influenced sounds with “El Camino” and “Jesus” among the standout tracks.

i am kloot Sky At Night shepherd moon  I am Kloots new album, Sky at Night, is a relaxing, down tempo album that would be perfectly at home in a sophisticated West End coffee shop or wine bar. The album overall sounds strangely familiar, incorporating classic elements of the Beatles and in some instances Oasis.

Sadly, there is a downside to this easy going, classic sounding album: it is really quite boring.

On paper, it has all the elements of a good album. The songs are well written, and does create a unique sound, however something doesn’t gel with the finished product. The band have clearly drawn on inspiration from classic Brit rock, however seem to lack the charisma of their predecessors.

Overall, a relaxing easy listen, but it will very quickly become dreary and monotonous if listened to in one go.

SIMON CASSIDY

jessie j Who You Are island  This time last year Jessie J was still an unknown name still writing music for other artists including Miley Cyrus. But in the space of a few months she has exploded onto the British music scene.

Crowned Critics Choice at the Brit Awards in February, she is now following in the footsteps of Ellie Goulding and Florence and The Machine destined for great things. But even without the award, the album gives you just enough of a taste of a girl who is destined for great things.

Hit singles ‘Do It Like A Dude’ and ‘Price Tag’ will be enough to carry this album, but sometimes the best gems of a record are found in the unreleased tracks.

‘Who Are You’ is a song to perfect for words, hearing Jessie J sing a ballad is something new, and something we will hopefully get to see a lot more of. It gives a more vulnerable site to girl you wouldn’t mess with on the other tracks.

There’s every chance it could become one of the best selling records of the year.

SARAH MOYES

THE BANTER | 15

Music

the view Bread and Circuses columbia  The View make an amazing comeback with new album ‘Bread and Circuses,’ opening with the fast-paced, upbeat song ‘Grace,’ which is filled with guitar-riffs and funky drumbeats, letting fans know right away that they’re in for some musical mayhem. It’s one of those songs you just know will be played at the end of the night in some rock bar, with everyone jumping around to it, arms draped over one another. Produced by Youth, the band’s third album is bound to be a huge success, with songs proving even catchier than the groups highly successful ‘Same Jeans.’ The band manages to incorporate feel-good indie rock tracks with a good addition of darker, more personal ones that prove lyrically genius. Lead singer Kyle Falconer adds a touch of welcoming cynicism to plenty of the tracks and ‘Tragic Magic’ is one of them. ‘Girl’ is one of the best songs of the album, with Falconer singing about a girl he spots in a bar and decides he wants to take her home, but senses right away she’s bad news. It opens deceivingly slowly but quickly picks up with a folk rock beat, with Falconer singing along softly in his clear Scottish accent “Don’t let the girl come in / she’ll put you in a spin, take everythin’ / just don’t let her in.” This new album enlists some of the The View’s best works and is a step up to the previous albums, helping them climb the ladder from small-town band to superstars.

LISA BOYLE

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DIARY DATE Katy B The Arches, Glasgow Thursday 5th May 2011 katy b On A Mission sony music  Katy B is most certainly on a mission - to change the sound of the music charts.

Those on the lookout for something new with a little more sass, will devour this super-funky album. Laden with funky house, dubstep and R&B tracks, Katy B’s album is strangely addictive. Dubstep is often a tricky sound to add vocals to, however Katy’s great voice easily overcomes it and co-ordinate smooth pop vocals -without the cheese. Track ‘on a mission’ is perfect for grooving to and wins hands down as the track most likely to get stuck in your head, annoyingly stuck. Track ‘easy please me’ is another winner on this short but sweet album, with Katy singing about her difficulty in finding a man to please her. A song filled with attitude that the ladies will love. Miss Dynamite also makes an appearance on the album on track ‘lights on,’ a slightly repetitive, summery number. A brilliantly produced album that gets better every time you listen.

LISA BOYLE

Interview

SPARK

Spark, known to her family as Jess Morgan, was “An Artist to Watch” and featured in our “Black Cards” review in our last issue, so for this issue we decided to catch up with Jess and ask her a few questions ranging from her music, her live plans and some random fun ones too!

Interview - Maxwell Lynas Photography - Daren Borzynski

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Interview Can you tell us a little about how you broke into the business?

It’s hard to say really. I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, I wrote my first song at 12, met my manager at 16, went on tour with Marina & The Diamonds when I was 18, got back and signed a record deal and am currently recording my first album. That’s it in a very small nutshell! Obviously there are loads of things that happened around and in between too but that’s the basic story. Serendipity, hard work and fate. That’s what I think!

Can you tell us about your creative process...

It happens quite quickly, melody and lyrics tend to come at the same time. I write about things that mean something to me which is why it happens quickly I think, because it’s just truthful.

What are your live plans for the year?

I have a Get Loud In Libraries tour at the very beginning of March with The Good Natured which is going to be biiiiig! Very excited. And then I have my first London headline gig at Hoxton Bar & Kitchen on the 15th March, which is the day after the release of my next single Crave so that’s going to be partaaay times! I’ll be hitting up some festivals in the summer and that’s as far as I’ve got. It’s all good and very exciting times.

Tell us about your new single ‘Crave’ It’s basically a metaphor for anything in life that people crave.

It’s about that desire and want for something, anything. It’s also about attention and the want and need for it. In life, being called an ‘attention seeker’ is a negative and people use it as an insult, when really if you’re watching an artist on stage, they want your attention, they demand your attention - and it’s not a negative act all. I was just fascinated with the idea of ‘ attention seeking’ and what society sees that as and how people judge it. So I wrote a song about it!

Can we expect a debut album soon?

Yes sir you can! It’ll be around summer time. I’m in the process of recording it right now, layering up the vocals in the hundreds! I’m really enjoying the whole process, so much. I’m working with a producer called Amir Amor and am loving it all. I have really great, amazing people around me - so what’s not to love?

As a kid, what was your favourite film?

Quite a random one, but it was All Dogs Go To Heaven. I had that ON REPEAT. Hah! What superpower would you have?

Ahhh! That’s such a tough one. I would say invisibility - like being a fly on the wall, hearing those conversations about yourself that you’ve always wanted to hear. BUT I think that would be a bad idea. I’d like to be a general super hero, like Superman but SuperSpark instead. But I’d like a catwoman costume. Mixing it up! Messing with the system there a bit but whatever.

What makes a great night out?

Music that I can drop down and get my eagle on to. HAH! Just

being honest. I like to break it down.

First album you ever bought?

I can’t actually remember the first album that I bought - which is quite rubbish of me. But I do remember that the first tape I ever bought was Ja Rule. Cos I’m cool like that.

Have you any phobias?

I can’t stand fast rides. I don’t go on rollercoasters or any of that.

When I was younger I couldn’t even get on a merry-go-round or a swing. I’m a big fat scardy cat. Oh, and cats. I’m quite scared of cats too. But spiders and all of that, they’re fineeee!

Do you do the whole social networking thing?

I do. We’re in a different time right now where fans can tweet and message artists and have some sort of direct contact with them, or at least the knowledge that their idol could read their tweet or even reply etc and that’s pretty amazing. It has its pros and its cons. You can build relationships with your fans, I have done that already and it’s special. It’s also just so quick, news of a new gig/single etc you can post and let people know literally straight away.

I write a blog and talk rubbish sometimes. I tweet/blog/post etc about music things, obviously, but I also do the same about things that just go on in everyday life like someone staring at me on the tube or about being pissed off at something or really happy at something else. This is where we are right now in society and in technology - why fight it? Just embrace it.

If you weren’t doing this for a living, what would you be doing?

I’d be in music in some way, for sure, or at least in the arts of some kind. I’m not sure exactly what, maybe getting into the business side of music more with management or something.

It’s hard to say because I can’t imagine doing anything else, and obviously wouldn’t want to.

I kind of feel like this chose me more than me choosing it, which is quite weird and probably doesn’t make a lot of sense but I think it’s true. It’s amazing though being in the industry and working so closely with people you get to see how all of these different jobs work and it’s all very inspiring and interesting. Or maybe I’d just leave it all and open up a little shop somewhere and sell vintage clothes or something. ...but probably not.

What’s your ring-tone?

Jump Around - House of Pain, I always have a little dance when I’m answering. It’s the little things in life, eh...

Why should people get your new single ‘Crave’?

If they like it! That’s the only reason I would ever buy someone’s music, so that should be the only reason people buy mine.

Who is your dream artist to collaborate with or perform with?

Eminem. For sure. Which I’m sure is a surprise to some people but that would be the one. He literally is the one. I’d also love if it was Nicki Minaj or Drake though. I think we could make some magic. And it’s all about making some magic!

THE BANTER | 19

Interview by Ritchie Marshall & Alyce MacPherson Photos by Daren Borzynski Location - Sloans Bar and Restaurant, Glasgow

Interview

T

he girl behind the music, Emma Gillespe, won the first and only Must Be The Music on Sky and now she’s signed to Gary Barlow’s record label. She’s admitted that she’s gone backwards in the whole process and she now goes round Sharleen Spiteri’s for a cuppa. At The Banter we got the chance to poke around Emma’s Imagination and see what’s in there.

Emma described what’s inside her imagination as “a tiny little version of me going “Argghhh what’s going on, what’s going on!” She says she’s still “just trying to really get to grips with everything just to take stock of everything because it’s all been so fast.” and she’s not kidding.

Not so long ago Emma was a busker on Buchanan Street in Glasgow and that’s actually what she was doing before she went for her audition for Must Be The Music. She saw the queue of people with guitars and just joined the queue, like she says, it was just pretty random.

Before she’d joined Must Be The Music, Emma admits that she’d considered other similar shows but she says that “I did another thing but it ended up being about them making money off people. You had to pay money to register and the votes were done by an audience vote so you had to bring your own audience and they all had to pay to get in and I just thought it was a total rip off. I did that and then I thought I am never going to do anything like that again.” She added that Must Be The Music “was great in the fact that it was encouraging artists to be themselves, encouraging them to sing their own songs and style, it was really refreshing and nice”.

The final for Must Be The Music was in Wembley which isn’t really the Buchanan Street spot that Emma was used to, “I think I came across a lot more vulnerable and nervous than I actually was so I think a lot of people kind of went “awwww”.

My knees were shaking, I think it was actually standing there alone in front of so many people, there was like 12,000 people, it was just kind of coming right at you and the energy coming it really catches your breath when you are trying to sing and remember it, it was very surreal what with Dizzee Rascal up on the stage.”

After her success with Must Be The Music she was pretty surprised to hear the show had been cancelled, “I was quite sad about it. It’s such a lovely format for a show and it was only the first one. I would love to have seen it go again, I think it would have exploded. Through the success of this show and where I am at just now it would have brought forward some really special musicians.”

Fellow Scot, Sharleen Spiteri, was her mentor in the show and Emma said that she was absolutely amazing to work with, “I went for a cup of tea round at her house the other day and she’s just so down to earth effing and blinding.

She’s great, she’s been very supportive all the judges have been but I am quite close with Sharleen.”

But it’s not just Sharleen that Emma’s become close to; she says she’s also quite good friends with another Scottish singer songwriter, KT Tunstall. “Its funny myself and KT are very similar personalities so the first time we met it was just like we had known each other for years. Then I was rehearsing for my tour and she was rehearsing in the room

THE BANTER | 21

Interview

next to me and we all went for lunch together. Its just lovely to meet other people who are normal. Its not like she is some celebrity who is up herself she just says it how it is and is really, really lovely and very funny as well so we got on very well.”

Similarities have been drawn between Emma and KT but she doesn’t feel their justified in any way whatsoever, “we are very different in the way that we write and she’s more experienced than me and I feel that I am very much still developing as an artist and a songwriter.”

Obviously, Emma’s life has changed completely now. She lives in London, she’s released an album, had two songs in the top ten and regularly rubs shoulders with celebs but she’s still down to earth, “I am very fortunate to have friends

22 | THE BANTER

and family that are very supportive and they do understand that I am not being ignorant and that I don’t think I cant speak to them anymore because I’m having tea with Gary Barlow”.

Even though she won Must Be The Music, Emma still considers growing her fan base pretty important, “My profile is raised but as far as I am concerned I am still a new artist that’s just trying to move forward and develop and for me that’s through making a solid fan base, being genuine with people and through word of mouth and slowly, slowly and solidly building it up. So it is important for me to stay in contact with fans and just try and make the effort to answer peoples questions and stuff as much as I can, it is important.”

Nothing’s confirmed festival wise for Emma this summer

Interview

but she says that she’s pretty sure she’ll be playing at a few but she’s no stranger to the scene, “I used to go to a lot of festivals because I used to have my own business doing fire performances and circus skills so I would usually be at them doing Circus Skills workshops or be choreographing a fireworks display.”

that is what its about for me.” She says the photo shoots and the parties all go hand in hand with her music but she does worry that she’ll get swept away with it all sometimes,

Emma got to ring in the new year on the BBC’s Hogmanay Show and she says “it was a great laugh and yes the support I have been getting in Scotland has been phenomenal, just a massive, massive thank you to everyone who has been supporting me”.

“I always wonder how I am going to fare when I go to these things if its going to be like ‘Wow this is amazing, this is what I want to do. I really want to go to parties and wear designer dresses’, but I am not sort of seduced by it. If I want to be a serious musician and a serious songwriter performing at really great gigs I can’t be sidetracked by glitzy parties and getting off my face I need to be concentrating on what I am doing.”

Next on the agenda for Emma is more touring and playing live because quite simply, she loves it, “I just want to get out there and show people that I really am a musician and

We’ve already heard great things from this home grown girl so as she continues to grow we’ll no doubt have our minds blown.

THE BANTER | 23

Interview

JON

FRATELLI W

ith new debut album Psycho Jukebox about to be released and several successful albums in the back burner, you’d think that Jon Fratelli would be ever so slightly smug about the way his career has gone up until this point. “I’m not sure if I’m really in the limelight. Glasgow is such a small village it’s not been too big a deal for me” he says in his softly spoken but clear Glaswegian accent.

Born and bred in Glasgow, Jon first formed The Fratelli’s when he teamed up with fellow Scot’s bassist Barry Fratelli (Barry Wallace) and drummer Mince (Gordon McRory). The band played their first ever gig in a small pub in Glasgow named O’Henry’s in 2005, which Jon later recalls as his favourite gig to have ever played. “It was complete chaos and excitement that it’s your first gig and knowing it was your first gig. The pub held 60 people and 120 showed up. So did the police!” he laughs, clearly fond of the memory.

Soon enough The Fratelli’s were making their first album Costello Music in LA, which shot to the top of the UK charts soon after. The group began headlining tours across the world thanks to their unique sound and catchy lyrics. Chelsea Dagger is probably one of

24 | THE BANTER

interview by Lisa Boyle

their most memorable tracks loved by the nation.

It’s one of those songs that you just can’t seem to shake from your head, which ensures that it will probably be around for a long, long time. Funnily enough Jon’s music inspirations include icons such as the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen who have also been around for generations. He says “Usually the people that have survived to be are the people that I’ve drifted towards and those continually making interesting music.”

When touring with the band for second album Here we Stand, The Fratelli’s decided to take a much needed break. Soon after, Jon teamed up with singer/songwriter Lou Hickey to form Codeine Velvet Club, which showed a completely different side to Jon’s previous music.

When the project was completed, Jon was on to something new and began busying himself with writing songs for solo album Psycho Jukebox. So what made him decide to go solo? “In a strange way in my own head I don’t like the word solo. It’s a bit of a cliché. In the least possible words it’s a lot easier and it’s the quickest way to get to where I

Interview want to, but at the same time it’s not in a control way. The way I’d tried it out I continued on writing songs but I let Tony (Hoffer) produce. It was nice to concentrate on writing.”

The album was produced in Los Angeles alongside producer Tony Hoffer and fellow Codeine Velvet Club musician’s drummer Ross McFarlane, keyboardist Will Foster and bassist Lewis Gordon. The team began their magic at The Sound Factory, an old 60s and 70s place used by the likes of The Righteous Brothers and The Jackson 5. Hoffer had previously worked with Jon on Fratelli’s debut album Costello Music, which helped to establish the band as a dynamic, musically talented rock group.

Jon doesn’t give away too much information on his new album, one thing learned from chatting with him is that he is very mysterious and seems ever so slightly shy. “Well what can I tell you about it... other than the fact that it’s finished! It was recorded back in October and I am very proud of it and more than happy with how it turned out. It’s a good representation of where I am now. It fits a lot of things into a small space and that’s always been my philosophy musically. It’s a million miles from Codeine Velvet Club. I think people who like our Fratelli’s albums this will make sense to them.”

Psycho Jukebox is a fascinating mixture of rock and 60s-tinged pop and a bit like Jon himself, provides a glimpse of a mysterious world of fascinating characters. Jon’s personal favourite song on the album is a track called Daddy won’t pay your bills, a track no doub that many can all relate to.

The album is as psychedelic as it sounds, and Jon soon realised that the title was more familiar than he thought. He said “I thought I dreamt it up one night and realised it was actually some phrase in a song I’d written out years ago. I’ve always liked odd combinations of words and for a jukebox a psycho one was really the best one you could get.”

Now for the question that millions will probably be wondering, will Jon eventually go back to The Fratelli’s to make at least one more album? “It is surprising if we did it’s a difficult time to say. I’m quite a big believer in time moving on and trusting that some things have a certain time to live and that’s what this feels like. I feel like both ways have got their good sides like sharing the load in the band and there’s also something about being alone that way you can get to where you want. I have a feeling that it’s the way that suits me the most, it’s not about a control thing but I’m sure i will learn something. ” With Jon’s gentle, soothing voice it is inevitable that the new album will fly off the shelves. Perhaps that’s the secret to this modest, Scottish man’s success.

You can download the free track ‘Rhythm doesn’t make you a dancer’ at www.jonfratelli.co.uk.

Bruno Mars O2 ABC, Glasgow

Fri 11th March

Jamie Woon O2 ABC, Glasgow

Thur 26th May

Adele O2 ABC, Glasgow

Fri 15th April

The Overtones Classic Grand, Glasgow

Mon 4th April

Toploader King Tuts, Glasgow

Wed 16th March

Emmas Imagination O2 ABC2, Glasgow

Wed 23rd March

Jessie J O2 Academy, Glasgow

Thur 31st March

Twin Atlantic Barrowlands, Glasgow

Fri 6th May

THE BANTER | 25

Feature

E

ntering its 18th year, from its humbled beginnings in 1994 where 17,000 music fans (including a 7-year old me) descended on Strathclyde Park, T in the Park has become one of the biggest music festivals in the world.

At the heart of T in the Park is the music and atmosphere that continually unites the crowd and creates a weekend of memorable moments that will last a lifetime. Brit Award and Grammy winners, multi-million selling artists, music icons and legends….T in the Park 2011 has them all. Bring it on Balado.

T in the Park is Balado-bound again and will deliver another unrivalled and unmissable music feast to the festival’s 85,000 strong crowd.

A trio of the world’s most loved festival headliners have been announced: The Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and The Foo Fighters will headline the main stage and will be joined by an ultraimpressive bill of ‘must see’ acts across the weekend of 8-10th July 2011.

Arctic Monkeys released their debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ in 2006, that same year, the phenomenal four-piece made another stunning debut on the Main Stage at TITP and they followed this with a headline slot 26 | THE BANTER

in 2007.Arctic Monkeys are a band of the people, totally in tune with a new generation of live music lovers and top of festival fans’ wish lists for favourite festival headliners.

Coldplay are TITP veterans, they debut in the King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent in 2000 and returned to headline in 2003, and 8 years later they are back as one of the biggest bands in the world.

Having sold over 50 million records worldwide, Coldplay have been packing stadiums the world over, treating their army of fans to powerful performances and there’s another spine-tingling set instore when they take centre stage in Scotland.

Foo Fighters are set to release their highly anticipated seventh studio album and frontman Dave Grohl recently revealed he wants to play it live at night in front of tens of thousands of people – “It’s a festival album because it f**king rocks!.”

Grohl will do exactly that as the Foo Fighters put in yet another stadium calibre performance at this year’s T in the Park, debuting new material from their forthcoming album alongside anthems from their multi-platinum, multiple Grammy-winning catalogue.

The TITP crowd is sure to go home satisfied and exhausted, and nursing throats sore from singing along with the likes of

Feature The Pretender, Best of You, All My Life, Learn To Fly, Everlong and more.

Hailing from Southern California, pop punk trio blink-182 have notched up over 25 million worldwide album sales since forming in 1992. They released five studio albums including multi-platinum selling breakthrough album ‘Enema of the State (1999) between 1994 and 2005, before breaking away from the music scene. The 51st Grammy Awards in 2009 brought the band back together and with a new album planned for release in 2011, blink-182 will be at Balado for an unforgettable T in the Park 2011.

Pulp make a return to this year’s TITP for what is sure to be one of the musical events of the summer. The show will involve all the original members of the band (Nick Banks, Jarvis Cocker, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior and Mark Webber) and they will be playing songs from all periods of their career.

They previously headlined TITP’s Main Stage in both 1996 and 1998 and played King Tut’s Wah Wah Tent at the inaugural TITP in 1994.

BRIT award winner for British Solo Male Plan B and winner of British Single and British Breakthrough Artist Tinie Tempah are two of the UK’s biggest success stories and their respective performances at TITP are sure to show why. With the release of his multi-platinum selling second album ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’, dapper lyrical genius Plan B proved he is the ultimate package and one of the most talented and versatile artists in UK music.

Tinie Tempah is breaking records and boundaries in British music and hit single ‘Pass Out’ was the smash hit of 2010, recently resulting in the BRIT award for British Single. He has also worked with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Ellie Goulding and Kelly Rowland and will undoubtedly be one of the biggest hits at T in the Park 2011.

The legend that is Tom Jones will also grace the green, green grass of Balado. During his 40 year career, Jones has sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide and collaborated with the likes of Chicane, Wyclef Jean, Stereophonics and Robbie Williams as well as unreleased material with Elvis Presley. His powerful voice and smooth moves are sure to deliver a performance that will go down in T in the Park history.

Fans can expect more T in the Park 2011 highlights from an array of festival favourites including My Chemical Romance, Deadmau5, Pendulum, Brandon Flowers, Weezer, Manic Street Preachers, Jimmy Eat World, Chase and Status, All Time Low, White Lies, The View, Jessie J, KT Tunstall, Blondie, Ke$ha, Cast, You Me At Six, Crystal Castles, Ocean Colour Scene, The Saturdays, Eels, Hurts, Bright Eyes, The Streets, The Vaccines, Noah and the Whale, House of Pain, Slam, Imelda May, Josh Wink, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, Miles Kane, Vitalic, Eliza Doolittle, Diplo and Stornoway The Slam Tent is also back to celebrate 15 successful years at TITP.

maxwell lynas

TOY

HORSES A

nother year and another new band emerge from Wales, and like Lostprophets, Duffy, Feeder and Stereophonics before them big things are expected.

Toy Horses are set to take their rightful place alongside the almighty preceding talent spawned from Wales, but Toy Horses have a unique twist as the band consists of a step-father/step-son duo.

Toy Horses released their debut single, ‘And It Was You’, on February 14 2011, supported by live shows at London’s renowned Water Rats and Cardiff’s Millennium Hall, ‘And It Was You’ introduces a band which spans the spectrum of knock-out live performance to perfectly packaged radio play in equal dimensions.

Hotly tipped by critics to break into the mainstream with their inventive, instant indie gems, the singer/song writing/multi-instrumentalist Toy Horses are serious ‘ones to watch’ for the new decade.

The Toy Horses story is a fantastical whirlwind indie-tale quite literally based on chance happenings, lucky coincidences and internet ‘word-of-mouth’.

Toy Horses are Adam D Franklin (21) and his step-dad, Tom Williams (40) – an unconventional indie duo that blur the normal family generation gap and jigsaw perfectly together to create an inspired musical partnership.

They forged an unusual bond through their shared passion for songwriting, which flourished as they spent time perfecting their lyrics and harmonies. Their affinity for 60s sounds is evident in their melodic, playful tunes, which hide the melancholy of Adam’s often tragic, poetic lyrics.

As Adam explains, “There’s never been a generational ‘gap’ to bridge. We’re mates and we’ve started a band”.

The debut album ‘Toy Horses’ is released on Albino Sparrow Records in April 2011

maxwell lynas

THE BANTER | 27

Interview

SARA BAREILLES

Photo // Daren Borzynski

INTERVIEW BY ALYCE MACPHERSON

Photo // Daren Borzynski

28 | THE BANTER

Interview

S

ara Bareilles has been in the mainstream since 2007 and now after 4 years she’s releasing a new album, Kaleidoscope Heart. If her debut album is anything to go by then she’s about to wow everyone all over again. Love Song went platinum last year yet she’s still so down to earth as I found out when I got the chance to talk to her.

It’d been a while since I’d done an interview so I started with a question to ease me in which she laughed at when I told her. I asked her if she were a crayon what colour would she be and why, apparently you can tell a lot about a person by this question, Sara answered “periwinkle because I love the name of that colour and for some reason I always remember choosing that crayon out the box”. Straight off my thoughts that she’s just a sweetheart are justified. Only sweet people pick pastel colours.

I go way back to when Sara was in college, she studied communications and got a minor in Italian. She’s not like most singer songwriters I’ve talked to who always answer the same thing, they’ve always wanted to be a singer and they couldn’t imagine doing anything else. She had a back-up plan, not only is she a sweetheart, she’s realistic and pretty smart too!

She explains to me that she always wanted music as a career but she couldn’t study it, she took a couple of lessons but she never enjoyed it and so it just remained her hobby. I laugh when she tells me about her first jobs; she worked in her dad’s office block, in a petting zoo “picking up poop”, in a pizza place and as a waitress for “forever”. It’s hard to believe she’s a platinum selling artist, her award is hanging up on the wall in her house, and that Michelle Obama is a fan.

I asked her about the Obama’s and she says “I just lucky Michelle Obama heard my music and became a fan. It’s been very surreal and a huge honour for me.” It wasn’t luck that Michelle Obama became a fan, it was because Sara is a very good musician.

I read on the internet one day that Sara was actually good friends with the Maroon 5 guys and had been since before they’d toured together so I ask her if it’s true and she tells me they actually met back in college, “I met them before they were maroon 5 back when they were Kara’s Flowers, so I kinda saw them from the beginning and I was always a big fan of them and we all kind of had the same friend group in Los Angeles and they brought me out on my very first tour and then I met my manager, they’ve been very instrumental in my career.” She adds “They’re good boys.” After a pause which makes me smile.

On Sara’s new album she worked with Neal Avron who’s produced albums for people like Yellowcard, Fallout Boy and New Found Glory I ask her what it was like working with him. “I loved the idea of us working together,” she gushes “In the sense that he was coming from kind of a rock background. It was

really cool and interesting for me to think about what that would be like. A girl on piano, singer, songwriter with someone who has black fingernail polish, it was cool.”

I apologise as I’m about to ask the question she’ll be asked a million times, whether she thinks that Kaleidoscope Heart is very different to Little Voice she laughs, “I feel like I tried to stay really true to the essence of where my music sort of comes from in the first place in the sense that it’s really autobiographical and basically these songs are like diary entries but in a lot of ways I tried to take risks with this record. I really tried to make strides as a writer, as a vocalist and as a piano player; I really tried to push myself so I hope that people can hear that on the record.” Again, I’m surprised, I expected her to tell me what most artists say, ‘Yes, this album was a whole new fresh direction’ or words to that effect.

While recording her album Sara also found time to make webisodes , she tells me that she always watches the behind the scenes footage of people that she’s a fan of and she wanted to give her fans that kind of access to the process because she finds it so interesting. She adds “Also I guess it was for selfish reasons, I wanted to document it in some way so I would have it there for the rest of my life.” which I thought was very honest of her but I also don’t think it’s selfish.

Talk turns back to her upcoming tour, Sara tells me “I’m really excited, I’m really, really excited. Especially to come to Europe and tour over here, it’s been several years since we’ve played any shows here. I’m really, really excited to get to see the fans again!” When I ask her what she does to unwind on tour she laughs, “You mean like drinking?” I laugh too, “drinking is probably my favourite past time on tour. You know I’m really lucky that my family is my crew and we’re all really, really close together and sort of like a little family unit and yeah we’ll have a drink and hang out after the show and unwind and talk about what went right and what went wrong.”

Sara just comes across as really honest and her songs would definitely suggest that and I tell her so, she says that she tries to be as honest as possible in her day to day life but she finds it much easier to be “brutally honest” in her songs because there’s a feeling of anonymity.

I ask the other inevitable question, does she feel she’s changed since her whole career kicked off in 2007, she genuinely thinks about this and says she’s sure she’s changed in some ways because she’s had so many experiences that have affected her life in that time but at the heart of her, she still feels the same.

She pauses and adds, “I have the same group of friends so I think that’s a good test on that.”

As we wrap things up and tell her thanks for her time she says “thanks for talking to me...”, something that a band or artists has never said before, it’s official, I have a certified girl crush.

THE BANTER | 29

Music

gig reviews

photo- kate chambers

THE JOLLY BOYS ORAN MOR, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

With the coldest winter in over 20 years hitting Britain, everyone has been advised to stay indoors and wait it out.

Especially pensioners! However, it seems that not even teeth-chattering weather can deter The Jolly Boys from bring their sunshine sound to our shores. This Jamaican band has been playing traditional mento music (otherwise known as the father of reggae, ska and dancehall) around the world since the 1950s and with a combined age of 342, The Jolly Boys have a wealth of experience behind them.

They were once regarded as Port Antonio’s main attraction, playing to packed venues and even becoming house band at Errol Flynn’s decadent parties. In those days, it was clear that the boys had plenty to be jolly about. However, as young Jamaicans began to discover Bob Marley’s reggae sound, mento music became a thing of the past. Reggae was speaking about the struggles of modern life whilst mento was simply a bunch of granddads singing bawdy folk tales. The Jolly Boys struggled on, reduced to entertaining tourists at small time hotels and bars with measured success. It wasn’t until 2008, when GeeJam’s Jon Baker decided to take a chance and produce a new album, that The Jolly Boys had another shot at fame.

Since the release of Great Expectation, the band has seen their popularity sky rocket. The album takes fashionable songs (such as Lou Reed’s Perfect Day and Amy Winehouse’s Rehab) and 30 | THE BANTER

puts an incredibly refreshing mento spin on them. The result is something really different. This new sound combines all the cheekiness of traditional mento whilst giving it a modern edge that draws in the younger crowd.

Currently enjoying a whirlwind European tour, The Jolly Boys burst on stage with their rendition of Golden Brown. At the tender age of 74, lead singer Albert Minott sways rhythmically.

His hips and fingers snap in time. He holds himself with such confidence and unfaltering poise that I find myself blinking a few times, my mouth ajar. He has the stage presence of someone a quarter of his age. I wish for a quarter of his energy when I’m collecting my pension! The band combines Minott’s harsh, gravelly vocals with the twang of the banjo and the beat of the rumba box. As they launch into a maraca-driven version of Blue Monday, a young voice from the crowd exclaims, “These guys are just too cool!” The whole set flows effortlessly but with every song, comes a joyous gasp from the audience. Constant surprise and respect fills the venue.

These men are the definition of unwavering talent. There is a raw passion from every member that is so astounding. They live for this. Mento is what keeps their hearts beating, their feet tapping. Mento has kept them young. It seems that The Jolly Boys have found the fountain of youth and intend to drink from it for a while longer. kate chambers

Music

DIANA VICKERS O2 ABC, Glasgow gig review

With several critically acclaimed club shows behind her, as well as a summer full of festival performances, Diana Vickers got her live career off to a flying start in the O2 ABC towards the end of the year.

With support act Spark (who is interviewed within this edition) getting the night off to a great start and had the crowd up for a fantastic night ahead with “Little Diana from Bolton” But as soon as Miss Vickers took the stage, the atmosphere turned electric belting our the wonderful, catchy and amazing ‘The Boy Who Murdered Love’, as well as recent chart hit “My WIcked Hart” the Scottish audience had a fantastic night in which Diana Vickers showed that this former X-Factor contestant, unlike many others, could be around for a long while yetand given this performance we certainly hope so. photo- daren borzynski

BAND OF HORSES O2 ACADEMY , Glasgow GIG REVIEW

Walking on stage to a Bruce Springsteen number is a bold statement for any band to make never mind Band of Horses who, in their relative infancy, have just released their third album. That they can be mentioned in the same breath as our beloved Boss is testament to just how far these rockers from Seattle have come. A quick glance around the O2 Academy reveals a fan base as diverse as Springsteen’s; their universal appeal suggesting that this is a band on the cusp of something big.

Adorned in chequered shirts and baseball caps, their country infused, Deep South brand of rock ‘n roll betrays their northern roots. If looks are anything to go by, these ‘rock stars’ could be easily mistaken for farm boys. Thankfully, all agricultural comparisons are quickly blown out of the pigsty as their trio of guitars combine to produce a sound of epic proportions.

Behind them, a montage of earthy scenes perfectly complements their expansive sound, switching from vast mountain ranges to glorious moonlit nights with every change of dynamic. Front man Ben Bridwell‘s voice positively soars above his band mates’ impeccable harmonies as they create a live sound that dwarfs any of their recordings to date.

A good night gets even better as the broken chords of the intro to “Is There A Ghost?” sends the crowd into a frenzy. From 2007’s “Cease To Begin”, this rip-roaring anthem of thundering guitars has clearly not lost any of its appeal as the audience lap up every word.

There then follows a slight lull in proceedings. Band of Horses, it seems, have fallen victim to their own explosive start. The next few songs blur into one big mesh of samey sounding Americana, punctuated only by a cover of a little known Silver Jews song which, while impressively tight, was nothing special.

A quick fire series of upbeat stompers quickly restores momentum. “The Funeral” is the pick of the bunch, utilising BOH’s trusty quiet/loud formula to glorious effect and ends the set on a resounding high.

Judging by tonight’s performance, Band of Horses certainly have mainstream appeal. Perhaps what’s lacking are a few more hit songs to prove that they’re worthy contenders to the Boss’ throne. jack mckenna

THE BANTER | 31

Music THE VIEW KING TUTS, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

YOU know you’ve been to an eventful gig when you leave with sticky beer in your ear.

Yes, that’s right, The View are back with a vengeance and took to the legendary King Tuts stage to showcase songs from their forthcoming third album ‘Bread and Circuses’ which is due out March 14.

Dundee’s finest indie export instantly sent the testosterone charged venue into over drive as they tore into ‘Clouds’ a distinctively sharp track which reverberated throughout the tiny venue Flanked by an eye catching red guitar, infamous lead singer Kyle Falconer brushed his thick hair from his eyes as he told the crowd they were honoured to be back playing in world class venues such as Tuts which in return received chants of “The View are on fire”.

Keeping the distinctively riotous atmosphere alive, the band whipped up the sold out gig by performing more never been heard before tracks from the new album including ‘Grace’ a raucous and anthemic song which judging by the crowd’s reaction is sure to be a hit.

As well as keeping the edginess that catapulted them into the spotlight back in 2007, the band also performed a few rather more mature songs including ‘Beautiful’ where Falconer’s incredibly soulful vocals resonated throughout the increasingly sweaty Tuts.

JANELLE MONAE O2 ABC, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

Janelle Monae’s performance begins with the disembodied head of her fictional alter-ego Cindy Mayweather aka The ArchAndroid appearing to describe the plight of the Androids and beam Monae down from the year 2719 to 2011.

However, behind the Sci-Fi metaphors, Monae is more James Brown than Philip K. Dick. She references Brown’s unique style of dancing in the video for Tightrope and continues to invoke The Hardest Working Man In Show Business live with her tireless energy and love for performing.

She effortlessly moves through practically every genre in popular music from the last century from the hip hop of Dance Or Die to the folk of Oh, Maker to a slightly show boating cover of Charlie Chaplin’s Smile. Her one small misstep is some woefully misjudged audience participation during Come Alive.

Monae’s live shows are a dizzying tickertape celebration of boundless creativity and imagination and the joy of performing.

Mairiclare Shaw

32 | THE BANTER

Although the gig was predominantly a platform for their new album, the lads thrilled fans by getting stuck into the songs which first got the record company’s attention such as the eponymous ‘Skag Trendy’ and their first single‘Wasted Little DJs’.

Edging closer to the end of the gig, Tuts continued to bounce like never before as Mr Falconer and co set about ‘Shock Horror’ a track from their second album which seen the crowd scream the lyrics: “Tell you the same thing that they told me, worth your weight in gold, Should I practice what I preach man? Should I just do what I’m told?”

Coming back on stage for their encore which is something the lads said is not in their nature, the crowd went nuts as they launched into ‘Face for the Radio’, sending vibrations through the roof.

If the amount of sweat released during a gig was a measure of how well a gig has gone then The View need not worry as most guys heading for the Tut’s exit looked like they’d had a show The View are certainly one of Scotland’s finest exports and judging by the quality of their new material they’re not going anywhere.

rosemary lowne

Music

WE THE KINGS THE GARAGE, Glasgow

VERSAEMERGE THE GARAGE, Glasgow

I had the pleasure of interviewing We The Kings last year when they supported You Me at Six at the Carling Academy... Sorry the o2 Academy, that’s me showing my age there... Anyway We The Kings had just released their second album Smile Kid when I interviewed them, since then the band have seen their second album enter the US Indie Chart’s top 5 as well as securing a place on the Warped Tour, America’s travelling punk festival, as well as being nominated for a Teen Choice Award and headlining several US tours Judging by the screams that meet the bands arrival on stage, the majority of the crowd is of the female variety.

Opening track, “Skylight Avenue”, is met with a massive sing along and flashbulbs.

We The Kings follow their opening track with the uplifting “She Takes me High”, the bouncy “What You Do to Me” and “Stay Young”, in which Travis Clark tells the young crowd to stay that way.

After the four opening tracks have the band have the crowd in the palm of their hand, with drummer Danny Duncan even partaking in a little drum solo, showing the sold-out crowd that drum solos aren’t just for the big arenas and stadiums show.

The US top 20 single “Heaven Can Wait” is up next and is met with some more screams, singing and flashes from cameras and mobile phones.

Lead singer Travis Clark decides to slow it down and breaks out the acoustic guitar and the solo spotlight for renditions of “All Again for You” and “We’ll be a Dream”, which the crowd absolutely adores and sings back every word to Clark.

The rest of the band rejoins Clark on stage to give “Rain Falls Down” its first live play on Scottish soil.

Up next is a cover of one of my favourite ever songs “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World, and We The Kings do the song justice and once again the sold-out crowd loves it.

We The Kings finish off their set with rocking renditions of what are perhaps their two biggest songs “Secret Valentine” and “Check Yes Juliet” to send the crowd home happy.

It must be difficult for female fronted punk or alternative bands to avoid the inventible Paramore comparisons and the “next Paramore” labels, whether they are positive or negative, and so on.

To the casual observer VersaEmerge would be most deserving of all those comparisons and labels, such as an attractive singer, male members that also appear to be just out of focus in publicity shots and they are share the same record label as the Hayley Williams fronted band.

Those are just some comparisons to be made to Paramore, beyond the obvious double X chromosome in the band’s DNA make-up, as well as those both bands are lively and energetic live acts and both possess some rather catchy tunes.

VersaEmerge perhaps don’t possess the required “ commercial-ness” of a “Misery Business” or a “Decode” to become “Paramore big” but very few bands do.

What VersaEmerge do possess is a touch darker and perhaps a more experimental and heavier side than the light and poppy Paramore.

VersaEmerge have three solid EPs and a very good debut album behind them and it seems a strong set of fans affectionately (I think) known as “Vultures”.

They are also a tight live act, with the rhythm section of Blake Harnage, Devin Ingelido and Chris Pollack providing a strong backing to Sierra Kusterbeck’s first-class vocals and her strutting and posing.

“Stranger” gets a big reaction from tonight’s crowd, who as a whole respond well to the band’s older songs and the songs off of new album “Fixed to Zero” which was recently released here in The UK, so it looks like there is perhaps a bright future for the Florida band.

GIG REVIEW

gig review

maxwell lynas

maxwell lynas

THE BANTER | 33

Music

MAROON 5 O2 ACADEMY, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

photo- daren borzynski

Maroon 5 knows what the fans want: their favorite songs performed live and that is what Glasgow got.

With Adam Levine and Co belting out hits “Makes Me Wonder” “Sunday Morning,” and “She Will Be Loved” this was a night that proved within Scotland Maroon 5 are without a doubt loved!

SARA BAREILLES O2 ACADEMY, Glasgow GIG REVIEW

Upon arriving at Glasgow’s O2 Academy I incurred the wrath of the ever helpful staff but thankfully it didn’t ruin the evening.

Needless to say, unfortunately, not a lot of people in the UK are actually aware about who Sara actually is so the massive crowd were for Maroon 5. Although, in fairness this was Sara’s first time in Scotland and the crowd seemed to react well to her.

Sara arrived on stage and she just gave off this huge optimism and friendly feeling that you rarely see with support acts. It wasn’t as though she had an ego though; she was just comfortable and made everyone feel comfortable around her.

The lady never ceases to amaze me.

She opened with Uncharted, the second track off her new album Kaleidoscope Heart, it’s not her best known or the most catchy off her album but she still grabs your attention with her huge voice. She then jumped right into Love Song, her first big hit from her previous album and undoubtedly her best known song, there were screams when she started playing the first few bars of the song.

Sara said she loves it more when people sing along because it makes it ‘more fun’ for her and it’s brilliant to see that she loves people joining in and doesn’t just want them to shut up and listen. She’s got such a different approach to playing a show and it was just great to see it.

She borrowed Cee-Lo Greens hit ‘F*** You’ for a crowd 34 | THE BANTER

sing-a-long which went down incredibly well and she followed that up straight away with Gonna Get Over You which has to be her next big hit if King of Anything isn’t.

She slowed the set down with Hold my Heart and followed that up with Let The Rain which she said was a song really about when she was trying to find her way and way back when she used to carry her keyboard to different venues wrapped in her duvet.

Before she kicked into her next song Sara asked the crowd to help out with a clapping part in the chorus, this was her first single from her new album, King of Anything. She described it as being about people who always want to tell you what’s best for you.

Again she brought the show back down again with a favourite song of hers, Yellow by Coldplay which the rest of the band left her on stage by herself for. I’ve never been a huge fan of that song but her version was so beautiful I may have found a new love for it.

She finished up the show with her oldest song, Gravity and I’m hoping that by the end of the set more of the crowd were Sara converts.

The only thing I could think as she went off stage was that I couldn’t wait for her to be back again.

alyce macpherson

It’s OK to talk about feeling suicidal.

There’s no good time.

No easy way.

If you feel you can’t go on, tell someone you trust.

Or pick up the phone and call one of these numbers below.

Samaritans

08457 90 90 90 Breathing Space

0800 83 85 87

© NHS Health Scotland, 2011

Suicide. Don’t hide it. Talk about it.

THE

V I EW Interview by Maxwell Lynas Photo by Daren Borzynski Location - Slouch Bar and Restaurant, Glasgow

Interview

J

anuary 22nd 2007, this is the release date of The View’s first album “Hats Off to the Buskers” and on January 28th in entered the UK album chart at number one.

It may have seemed an overnight success for The View but it took a long two years of cover songs, school talent shows, small pubs and even a gig in a caravan park.

Following the school talent shows, the band set up base to write their own material in a back room of The Bayview Pub, a pub owned by Lead singer Kyle Falconer’s cousin.

The band then progressed to play more cover gigs and weddings around the Dundee area and the aforementioned caravan park in Arbroath.

The band were later kicked out of The Bayview Pub due to the infamous story of Kyle riding a scooter along the bar, a story according to Kyle that was blown out of proportion: “It was a micro scooter, we use to try and do jumps in our rehearsal room down the stairs, we never rode it along the bar

but people still believed it and we got kind of bored of it so we just said we did and it was a moped then a Harley Davidson and we were causing havoc in the bar.”

The band continued to tour Dundee’s small venues around their hometown, and shortly after their second billed gig at the city’s The Doghouse venue, they band were signed to the Two Thumbs label, a local independent Dundee record label.

The self-titled The View EP followed in early 2006, as well as the EP, the band recorded a complete demo album at a local recording studio and this was made available for download from the band’s Two Thumbs management website.

It wasn’t long after this that the band started to creep into the mainstream, receiving national airplay from such radio presenters as Zane Lowe, Edith Bowman, Jo Whiley and Jim Gellatly featured them regularly on his X-posure Scotland show, including a live acoustic session exclusively recording for the show.

January 22nd 2007 saw the release of “Hats Off to the Buskers” to critical acclaim and commercial success, the album is now certified platinum and has two top fifteen hits, “Wasted Little DJs” and “Superstar Tradesman” and one top five hit on it, “Same Jeans”.

The success of “Hats Off to the Buskers” landed The View a nomination for the 2007 Mercury Music Prize and a spot on the NME Awards Tour, a NME Award, a UK tour, which sold out in an hour and spots on the festival circuit including headlining the NME/Radio 1 stage at the Carling: Reading and Leeds festival.

It wasn’t just Dundee and the UK that were being treated to The View and their live shows, in December 2006, the band played gigs in Tokyo, Japan and made their first trip to the USA, in January 2007, playing dates in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

A follow-up U.S. tour was planned for March 2007 was postponed because of the band suffering visa problems; this was reportedly due to Falconer’s arrest. The tour was rescheduled for May 2007 and was then ultimately cancelled.

At the time, the band saw this as a chance for a “wee break” but now Kyle regrets it and the band have plans to visit the States again. “At the time we were like “aww f*ck” but we thought we’d get a wee break like, we didn’t realise how serious it was.

“I’ve just done the interviews and visa stuff, so hopefully we’ll get to go across the sea now. We’ve still got to release “Which B*tch?” over there, so we’ve got two albums to release over there, so it should be a pretty decent sized tour.”

“Which B*tch?” is of course the second album from The View, which was released 2 February 2009 to mostly

38 | THE BANTER

Interview critical acclaim, although it received some bad reviews, and an initial commercial success entering at number 4 on the UK album charts.

“Which B*tch” didn’t seem to have the staying power of “Hats Off to the Buskers” and quickly dropped out of the charts and the album’s three singles did poorly 5Rebbeccas and Shock Horror both failed to make the UK top 40, though the latter received strong radio airplay.

The album’s third single Temptation Dice missed the top 100 altogether, and is the band’s lowest charting single to date.

Although the album could be viewed as a failure Kyle is still happy with the results. “I still believe we couldn’t have made a better album at that point in our career, it would have been a bonus if it sold more but we aren’t worried about that.”

The View will release their third album “Bread And Circuses” on Monday 14th March, with single “Grace” released the week before.

Even with the reported demise of rock and indie music due to the lack of support and airplay from radio stations, “Grace” is doing well in terms of airplay.

“The new single is playing well on XFM but you would be lucky to hear any indie bands on Radio 1.”

Kyle hopes that “Bread and Circuses” will put the band’s party reputation behind them and see them established as artists in their own right: “Most of it [the party rumours] is complete and utter bullsh*t, I just did an interview with someone one from NME. The guy asked all the usual stuff, the album, the tour and then we went out for a drink afterwards, off the record.

“When the interview was published, the writer never mentioned any of the stuff at the start; he just talked about being out drinking with us. “It gets annoying when you have a lot to speak about as an artist and that happens.”

“Bread And Circuses” was overseen by The Verve and Primal Scream’s former producer Youth, a man Kyle believes can take them to the next level.

This album saw The View decamp to London’s Britannia Studios for the first time with a number of songs ready to go.

“The album started about a year and a half ago we started doing demos and went down to Liverpool and rented a house for fourth months.

“We churned out as many songs as we could in the fourth months then looked for a producer; we felt Youth was a good

option for us as he’s taken a lot of bands to the next level.”

“Youth had us recording strictly 11am-11pm.

“With Owen Morris [producer of the band’s first two albums] we created the album in the studio.

“This time we went in with 30 tracks to work with. We’ve also got an addition to our band in Darren Rennie who’s a childhood friend of ours; he plays keyboards and sings which has enabled us to work with 5 part harmonies on the record.

“We’ve dreamt of being able to do that.”

In support of the new album, The View have lined up a UK tour, which an extra date for Glasgow was just announced after the original one sold out, Kyle is looking forward to playing the new songs, some of which are challenging to play live: “There are a few new tracks on the new album that are pretty challenging, harmony-wise and some with strings, some of the tracks you can’t really deliver without the strings on the go.

“We’ve never tried anything like that before so we’ll have to see how it goes and hopefully we’ll get some good visuals on the go as well.”

Kyle also revealed the band was weighing up an offer to play T in the Park this year, which obviously the band have accepted since they’ve been announced for the festival: “We’ve got offers in for T in the Park but just trying to decide what is the best slot for us to take.

“We are hoping to do a lot of the festivals this year because we never done many last year, you miss them when you don’t play them and you get jealous of the other bands.”

The View will release their third album “Bread And Circuses” on March 14th. Single “Grace” is released on March 6th whilst their UK tour kicks-off April 4th at the Dundee Caird Hall THE BANTER | 39

Feature

One Creative Scotland

R

ockNess, dubbed “the most beautiful festival in the world”, has just announced this year’s stunning list of acts lined up for this summer’s monster party.

The mighty Kasabian will headline the Main Stage on the Friday, with work on a new album under way the Leicestershire boys will no doubt look to debut some new tracks to a rabid crowd.

Joining Kasabian on the Friday night is Northern Ireland’s music-mad trio and band of the moment Two Door Cinema, who garnered critical acclaim across media and fans alike in 2010. With a plethora of sparkling tunes their set is guaranteed to have one and all singing and dancing.

Next up, in a very special treat, the masters of reinvention Groove Armada bring a brand new and exciting performance concept to the glorious backdrop of Loch Ness. Following the Grammy nominated Black Light; and White Light, RockNess 2011 will see Red Light. The Red Light shows open a new chapter and accompany a series of dance-floor EPs to be released throughout the summer.

Saturday sees The Chemical Brothers headline the main stage and joining them will be one of the country’s biggest cult indie bands THE CRIBS. With stinging guitars, jabbing hooks and catch-laden anthems, fans should prepare for an electrifying performance. Armed with an abundance of shimmering tunes, the downright fantastic Frightened Rabbit – creators of such glorious swirling anthems that deserve to reverberate the length of the Great Glen are also announced.

Ripping up the Saturday of RockNess 2011 with their ground breaking live show are dubstep pioneers, ground-breakers, scene-changers and move-makers Magnetic Man Expect an 40 | THE BANTER

arresting frisson of big bass beats from Artwork, Benga and Skream as they unleash their colossal show at ‘Ness that has been pushing the boundaries of electronic LIVE performances across the UK. With a certified gold selling album ‘Won’t Go Quietly’, a host of killer festival performances in the UK and Europe, a sell-out UK tour and gold sales of this year’s summer anthem ‘Kickstarts’, The Banter favourite Example is well and truly on a roll and is set to blow things up at RockNess.

Staying true to the eclectic RockNess music policy, Sunday’s Main Stage headliner and Scotland’s finest; Paolo Nutini will be joined by Scotland’s outstanding Glasvegas whose iconic sound and powerful, uplifting anthems looks set to be a major highlight of RockNess 2011. Glasvegas at RockNess…prepare for another epic moment in Scottish festival history!

The Wombats and We Are Scientists will provide the ideal soundtrack for RockNess as the monster party heads into day three. After absolutely blowing the proverbial roof off in 2010 the incredible Boys Noize makes a welcome return to satisfy even the most addicted-to-electro fiends.

Another The Banter favourite Lissie is representating on the final day of the festival And RockNess simply wouldn’t be complete without THE CUBAN BROTHERS. Finally, cue trumpet fanfare, Glasgow’s purveyors of all things big, brilliant and electronic, OPTIMO, will be delivering a feast of superlative sounds to excite your ears, and shake things up with no genre, no dogma, just music they love and want to share.

RockNess 2011 takes place 10-12 June, 2011 in the village of Dores, close to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Full Details and more acts at WWW.ROCKNESS.CO.UK

Interview

Best Destination On stage (soon to be supporting Ms Minogue!!!)

Best Pick-Me-Up Playing practical jokes on each other :) (Laura likes to scare the s*** out of us)

Best Mood Booster Amy: a new hairdo or watching a rom com in your pjs (geek! ) Laura: redbull!!! That’s another story though...

Best Role Models As a group, The Spice Girls (but Amy said her mum)

Best Bargain Lauren and Amy don’t know what a bargain is!!!

Amy: It’s a vicious world amongst those sale racks!

Lauren and Lucy got a free lightsabre in their happy meal the other day...

Best Anthem Girls will be Girls!!!

Amy: eye of the tiger??

Best Meal Nando’s!!! (nandos, if you’re reading... Free chicken please!)

Best Bribe Lucy: hopefully I’m going to bribe my Examiner to pass me on my driving test....

Best Way to Combat Nerves Always be prepared! And do chest bumps!

Amy: go for a wee Best Night Out Lucy to Laura: when you’re not out.

Amy: when the musics good and and you can have a dance!

Lauren: kerrang awards !!

Laura: when we went out on holiday and drank mojitos!

Best Sunday Morning all: a long lie in! Bacon sarnies :) recalling the night before!!

Best Decision : obviously forming the group :) Lauren: becoming a redhead!

Best Gig: we’ve had some awesome school shows, the kids really got into it and got up dancing! And Kylie will be after the 22nd march!!

Best Outfit Amy: a skirt and a belt Lauren: a belt as a skirt! Joking... Dr martens!!! Laura: what’s it called when there’s no sleeves?

Amy: sleeveless! Laura: oh yeah.. My sleeveless leather jacket!

Lucy: my bunny outfit!

The Ultra Girls will be supporting Kylie at her upcoming SECCC tour dates 29th and 30th March THE BANTER | 41

Interview

rival schools Interview by Chris Hay

A

lmost a decade has passed since Rival Schools released the seminal album, United By Fate. As the years drew on the level of love for the band and its sole album grew and reached cult status, meaning that when a reunion was announced in 2008 the New York product would be returning to a greater fan-base than they had ever known.

Front-man Walter Shreifels recently took some time to talk to The Banter about the reunion, the new album, and future plans A lot has happened since that classic debut album hit the shelves in 2001, both to all the musical elements of Rival Schools and in the music industry itself. Walter explained that it was the right time to revisit some unfinished business. He said, “We kind of slept on it a while, we all did other things that were important to us and had to get done. Two years ago we said if we’re going to do this we should get it going.”

The four piece are no longer on a major label, and things have been very different this time round, as Walter explained, “We 42 | THE BANTER

had to put it together on our own, the motivation all had to come from us, not someone calling up to say do this or do that.

It’s something to me that’s more valuable and more real. It’s something that’s futuristic. ” Pedals will be released March 8th, and work on this second offering depicts the timeline of the band from before their split to the present as the songs were developed all across that period. Walter gave more detail, saying, “In a sense the album really tells that story. There are aspects of where we left off, where the plot was left -it’s like The Empire Strikes back basically – there’s some new shit, there’s stuff that relates back to what we did and there’s stuff that points to the future.”

Following up United By Fate is a massive task as it has grown into something that not even the band expected. This is not lost on the Rival Schools chief writer who said, “It’s taken on some other meaning for people. It’s taken on a different meaning for us, so how do you write the next chapter of that?

Interview You can’t top it, so where do you go? That’s been the bag to carry.”

The anticipation surrounding the release of Pedals is something shared by fans and band members alike. Can they produce something of the quality of the first record after such a long time away? The first single from the album, Shot After Shot, certainly suggests they can, and Walter looks at it very philosophically. He said, “I don’t know what this album will be, I think it’s really good. We’re trying to live up to something and write the next chapter and that’s very daunting.”

If this album goes well Rival Schools fans can expect to have less of a wait to get their fix. Walter talked about the prospect of another ten year wait, joking, “It’s either going to be a couple of years or it’ll be a decade. If it gets to four years we might aswell wait for the decade, it’ll be a better press story!” Before adding on a series note, “I would like to do an album sooner. Making this album felt very easy.”

While it has been a decade waiting for an official release, internet savvy (and copyright law neglecting) fans managed to get hold of what was originally touted as the ‘secret unreleased’ Rival Schools second album.

In reality a series of early demos put together by the band before their 2003 split was packaged and released on the internet, and this soon became widely available. As a man who labours over his work and lives music, Walter was disappointed about this, and lamented, “I’m not crazy about stuff getting on the internet if it’s not ready to be released.” He did acknowledge that it could have played a part in the growing legend of Rival Schools, mentioning “It gave people who love the band a place holder; it gave them a feeling of intimacy with what went on with this band and what the story is.”

Now thankfully the story continues, and not only do we have a new album to look forward to we can also eagerly await a live return to Scotland when Rival Schools play the Garage in Glasgow on April 17th.

Time is often short on visits to Scotland, but it is a place that Mr Schreifels loves to visit. As he is a vegetarian he is unable to sample our national dish, haggis, but another culinary treat caught his attention on his last trip. He laughed recalling what he saw. “I went to a place when I was in Edinburgh and finally saw the legendary fried mars bar. I didn’t try it. They were frying anything – fried pizza?”

Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of Rival Schools in the summer too. My first taste of the band was at T in the Park many years ago, a gig which Walter remembers fondly. When asked if we can expect to see them playing one of our rain soaked outdoor events this year he enthused, “I’m hopeful, we’re looking to play a lot of festivals this summer. I’m hopeful we’ll get up to T in the Park or one of the other festivals up there.”

Here’s hoping.

W

e here, at The Banter HQ love new music and discovering new artist whether they be rock, pop, emo, indie, metal or even folk!

Emily and The Woods is set to be a big thing in the world of folk music.

Emily and The Woods is fronted by the 22 year old London based signer-songwriter and guitarist Emily Wood.

Emily first appeared on the nu-folk landscape with three beautifully written and delicately performed tracks, recorded with the assistance of The 2011 Brit Award Winner and Mercury Music Prize nominee Laura Marling (Alas I Cannont Swim, I Speak Because I Can), in April 2009 featuring Laura on percussion and backing vocals.

The debut EP featured her father Partrick Wood, brother Benedict Wood and reknowned folk drummer Roy Dodds (Fairground Attraction, Eddie Reader) who all helped conjure a seductive folk and blues influenced sound, the EP demonstrates a lyrical maturity and singing ability that belies Emily’s years.

Since its release in Spring 2010 the EP has received glowing praise from as tring of online blogs and feature articles and the band have recorded some live sessions with All Bands on Deck, We Wrire Lists and Timber and Steel, as well as continued support from the UK’s leading unsigned radio station Amazing Radio and Bitter Fingers radio.

A charismatic and charming performer, Emily has been wooing crowds across the live circuit since early 2010.

Presently Emily is putting the finishing touches to her new EP ‘Eye to Eye’ that is scheduled for release in Early April and will feature Ted Dwane of Mumford & Sons and Marcus Hamblett of The Wilkommen Collective. maxwell lynas

THE BANTER | 43

Feature

where did indie go?

by Sarah Moyes

R

emember the days when Pete Doherty appeared on the front of magazines for his musical talents rather than his court appearances? It wasn’t too long ago that he was hailed a musical genius. And thousands of young people poured into vintage shops to fight over the last red military jacket after The Libertines wore them in their video for ‘Don’t Look Back into the Sun’. Well those were the days when Indie music was at its highest and The Libertines were the founders of the most recent generation of indie bands.

Their music led the way for a whole army of indie Brit bands who soon followed in their footsteps. Bands like The Cribs, Kaiser Chiefs and Razorlight all came in the wake of the Libertines success and all went onto to become just as successful selling out venues up and down the UK off the back of massively successful debut records. But for most, the hype that had once seen them grace the front of magazines had died down by the time they came to releasing album number two.

Take the Kaiser Chiefs for example. They released their first album ‘Employment’ back in 2005 and it went on to be shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize in the same year alongside other indie bands of the moment like Maximo Park and Hard-Fi. The record stormed the charts and became the fourth best-selling album in the UK that year. Then the music 44 | THE BANTER

scene seemed to shift and their last album ‘Off with Their Heads’ didn’t exactly make the same impact. It went in the charts at a reasonable number 16 but there were no awards and it certainly wasn’t on any best-selling lists come the end of 2008.

But the story wasn’t one just concerning Kaiser Chiefs. When was the last time you heard from Hard-Fi, Magic Numbers, The Zutons, The Others, Ordinary Boys or The Kooks. They were all big around 2005 but have seemed to fade into obscurity since maybe releasing the odd song or appearing in a reality TV show.

The music scene in the UK has always been one that has been involving and changing. You just have to think back to the early 90’s when we were taken over my American grunge bands like Nirvana before Britpop set in and we were all singing ‘Parklife’ and ‘Girls and Boys’. After that there was a huge flurry of pop bands before they started picking up musical instruments and trying to fit in with the alternative scene. But what happened to the lost indie bands who a few years ago could tour the UK and play to a sell-out crowd every night.

At last year’s T in the Park, there was a noticeable absence of indie music – Jay Z and Dizzee Rascal both pulled in some of the biggest crowds of the weekend while 30 Seconds

Feature

A

s the mighty Indie earthquake finally begins to calm, tremors of up and coming Hip Hop and R’n’B acts are forcefully powering their way throughout Britain. The noughties was an era in which the independent music scene had engulfed the nation, with bands like Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight and Kings of Leon on the tip of everyone’s tongue. However, recently those happy-guitar-slapping groups are beginning to disband from the frontline, allowing acts like Jessie J, Tinie Tempah and Dizzie Rascal to take up position. Music fans are once again falling for the Hip Hop dance floor anthems and the catchy R’n’B head bobbing beats.

Though it was less than three years ago that Jay-Z’s presence on the main stage at Glastonbury caused uproar within the indie community. Oasis front man Noel Gallagher said to BBC News, “Jay-Z? No Chance… I’m not having Hip-Hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong”. Two years down the line you not only have Jay-Z but Eminem, Chipmunk and Dizzie Rascal all performing on the main stage at T in The Park. No Oasis in sight. Now as we settle into 2011 there is a whole host of Hip Hop and R’n”B artists buzzing around the charts. The most recent is Jessie J who soared to fame with her booty-shaking floor filler “Do It Like A Dude”. She has been widely tipped for success and even won the prestigious “BBC Sound of 2011”.

However, what caused the nation to once again snuggle up beside Hip Hop and R’n’B? Dizzie Rascal was one of the leading by jack chambers figures that helped to fire the genres back into the limelight.

After washing away his grime past, Rascal began to dabble in new musical territories. He combined his renowned rapping format with repetitive electronic dance beats and the result?

Total chart domination. Rascal produced popular tunes such as “Holiday”, “Dirtee Cash” and “Bonkers”, songs that sat in the top 40 for many weeks. His success opened the floodgates for a cascade of similar artists such as Chipmunk, Tinchy Stryder and N’Dubz.

One of the most noticeable successes has been Tinie Tempah, who went from unknown British rapper to a household name within months. All of his released singles have been in the top five with “Frisky” and “Written In The Stars” both reaching number one. Also Tinie Tempah was the most nominated artist for the Brit to Mars and The Prodigy were on high up on the second Awards, beating acts like Cheryl Cole and Take That. biggest stage. There were a few indie bands on the bill with So whilst Hip Hop and R’n’B begin control the British music The View pulling in a decent crowd during their Sunday scene, the bandwagon is starting to be boarded. McFly, once a afternoon set. But it was hardly the same line up that had merry (perhaps a tad cheesy) indie group, recently collaborated graced the festival in 2006 when Keane, Razorlight, Athlete, with Taio Cruz on the song “Shine A Light”. Plus you have the likes Thirteen Senses, The Coral and The Futureheads were all on of Lily Allen joining forces with Professor Green and Ellie the line-up.

Goulding teaming up with Tinie Tempah.

Nonetheless, as the success of Hip Hop and R’n’B becomes But what about the indie stars of the 2011? Are they going to greater and greater, it begs the question; when will it end? The fall into the same trap that has faced band and band before public are bound to become tired of the same refurbished tunes them? The biggest indie band of the moment is Mumford and the same repetitive artists. It happened with indie so it’s and Sons, their album ‘Sigh No More’ won over all the critics bound to happen with Hip Hop and R’n’B. However what’s next and they even had a headline slot at last year’s TITP festival. on the agenda? Will we have another surge of indie with bands At this year’s Brits the band got 3 nominations but the like The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys releasing new albums in the majority of other acts to get recognised in the nominations spring? Or are we slowly slipping into a new punk age with The were far from indie – Tinie Tempah, Take That, Plan B even Vaccines and Mona? What ever happens one thing’s for certain, the cast of Glee got a look in. the artists that we see today, Tinie Tempah, Dizzie Rascal etc, they are able to adapt. What ever takes over these artists will be able So while the indie bands of the moment enjoy their time in to acclimatize themselves to suit any genre without losing their the limelight, it’s really just a waiting game to see what kind Hip Hop/R’n’B roots. Hip Hop and R’n’B will always be around but of musical style come round to beat them to the bargin bin just in different formats. In the words of Mr. Tempah himself, “I’ve in the nearest music store. gone pop and I won’t stop”.

the rise of hip-hop!

maxwell lynas

THE BANTER | 45

Interview

V

alentine’s Day is a day for those in a relationship to bask in each others’ love and for those not, to scathe at those who are. But for Good Charlotte, it was a day to play Glasgow’s O2 Academy to a crowd most probably made up of those from the latter. The five piece band from Maryland, USA have been together for 15 years now and have experimented with various sounds throughout that time but have always remained a pop punk favourite. And although several of the members of the band are now married with children, lead guitarist Benji Madden can be relied upon to maintain their rock star image. Although not interviewed for this article he did manage to saunter onto the tour bus with a bottle of whiskey in his hand and cement any preconceived notions of what it is like to be a world famous guitarist.

Good Charlotte’s career has spanned five albums, from

46 | THE BANTER

interview by anna gault 2000’s self titled debut to 2010’s Cardiology. When listened to altogether there is a definite transition from simplistic, straightforward, contemptuous pop punk to more upbeat, up tempo, electro dance rock. But the transition has not been so drastic as to alienate fans as their crowds remain made up of older and new fans.

Their most recent incarnation has seen them join the UK’S Kerrang Tour and play with bands like Framing Hanley, Four Year Strong and Wonder Years who are decidedly more towards the pop punk end of the musical spectrum. Lead singer Joel Madden explains that the band have become rather malleable over the years, adapting their live sound to suit where and who they are playing to.

He says: “We change the set depending on the country. Every country is different so we definitely write different set lists for

Interview

different shows. We change it up a lot.”

Bassist Paul Thomas adds: “It’s really nice that our music is so versatile that we can change the set list up. It’s like if we are going to be on tour with more punk bands then we’ll play more of our punk stuff or ‘Oh we are on tour with Justin Timberlake, let’s play more of our dancier stuff’.”

After enduring 15 years of touring it would be safe to speculate that Good Charlotte may not be as fast on their feet as they once were or that they may even be getting sick of leaving their families and living on a bus for months on end but Madden believes they are now hitting their stride.

“It’s never easy to leave our families but it’s our job and we just do it,” he says. “And I think that right now, live, we are at our best. We have just gotten better live over the years.

We’ve been in the band for about 15 years so right now on this tour we are definitely at our best.”

Playing live is evidently an extremely important part of being in a band but so is making records and despite the extensive experience the band has gained from recording five in the last ten years, Good Charlotte still had some troubles on their latest album, Cardiology. According to reports the album, then produced by My Chemical Romance and All American Rejects alum, Howard Benson, was in the bag by January 2010 however the band decided to scrap the entire thing and record with a new producer, which meant the album was not released until November 2010.

Yet Madden downplays the drama surrounding Cardiology’s recording. “It wasn’t that crazy,” Madden explains. “We started making it and we got about halfway and it wasn’t really going that well, it wasn’t really becoming what we wanted so we stopped and we started over but it wasn’t so dramatic.”

Thomas adds: “Nothing detrimental happened. We just weren’t satisfied and just kept going until we were and I think it’s the greatest album we’ve made.”

Regardless of how they get there, Good Charlotte’s albums have led them to become one of the biggest bands around and have thrust twin brothers Joel and Benji Madden into celebrity even outside of their band. However for a lot of fans the band means a lot more than just their celebrity. Having a career as long as Good Charlotte’s means that their songs have become part of a fan’s personal history. Listening to

a certain Good Charlotte album can take older fans back to being a certain age and remind them of who they were then, who they hung out with and the clothes they liked to wear. There a lot of bands who have had hits but failed to maintain longevity and become a part of a fan’s soundtrack to their lives.

“We have two kinds of fans on this tour,” Madden explains.

“We have older fans who we are a part of their past for and we have new fans who have never seen us before because they were too young to see us back then. It’s pretty interesting to see.”

Being a fan nowadays however is a lot different from how it was even five years ago. With the wonder that is twitter, fans now get an insight into an artist’s life like never before. Both Maddens and Thomas have twitter accounts but Madden has conflicting views on the website.

“Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t. It’s like a doubled edged sword because you have a direct link to people who you really want to talk to but then the people you don’t want to talk to take all your tweets, your words, and they twist them up and make them fit into some dumb news story.”

“But you really can’t complain about it and in my mind, at the end of the day, if someone takes something I’ve said and twists it or misconstrues it it’s like, ‘who cares?’.”

Madden further comments that websites like twitter have led to a growing frustration among those involved in creating various different art forms and indeed, ever put upon journalists.

“I’m sure that the state of entertainment these days is really frustrating for real journalists because literally anyone can call themselves a journalist now and it’s frustrating for anyone who is actually creating because the only thing people care about is not art or creation or songs, it’s all gossip.”

As they move through the 21st century together, Good Charlotte are taking everything in their stride and believe their latest album and tour has reignited the fire in their bellies. “By the end of this record we hit a stride that is really going to show on the next record,” reveals Madden. “The band is in a place where we are all excited again and we are feeling it again so the momentum is really picking up for us and a lot of times that’s all that it takes.”

THE BANTER | 47

Television

the scottish invasion

A

s a nation, Scotland has but a few actors who have made it in Hollywood. From Sean Connery to Ewan Macgregor, the number of successful Scots actors can probably be counted on a pair of hands. However it looks like that is changing with the recent Scottish invasion on the small screen.

There have only been a few Scots win an Academy Award since its inception in 1929. Donald Crisp, who always claimed to be of Scottish heritage but was actually English won a best supporting actor Oscar in 1942 for How Green Was My Valley, Sean Connery won for best supporting actor in 1987 for The Untouchables and most recently Tilda Swinton, who has a Scottish father, won the Oscar for best supporting actress for Michael Clayton in 2007. Yet a new generation of Scots are starting to push their way onto screens across the pond, especially TV screens.

HBO is widely regarded as one of the best television networks in the Western world. After launching in 1972 it set a standard for producing hard hitting, though provoking and all around brilliant TV programmes and mini-series’. From Michael J Fox’s Spin City to The Sopranos, Six Feet Under to Sex and the City, Band of Brothers to True Blood, HBO has consistently produced stellar shows and its newest addition, Boardwalk Empire, is set to continue that high standard. And it just so happens there is a Scot starring in the acclaimed drama.

48 | THE BANTER

By anna gault

Kelly Macdonald plays abused mother Margaret Schroeder in the drama set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during America’s prohibition period in 1920’s and 1930’s. The 35-year-old from Glasgow’s career has gone from strength to strength since starring with fellow U.S breakthrough stars, Ewan Macgregor and Robert Carlyle in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting in 1996. She starred in the Oscar winning No Country for Old Men in 2007, earning her a BAFTA nomination and has recently secured the role of Helena Ravenclaw in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. But it is her role in Boardwalk Empire that is bringing her to the attention of her peers and propelling her through the acting ranks. The series has already given her a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress in a TV drama. Although Macdonald lost out on that accolade the series went on to win the Golden Globe for best drama series and best ensemble cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Steve Buscemi who plays main character Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, won best actor in a drama series at both the Golden Globes and the SAG awards.

So it certainly seems as though Kelly Macdonald has hit a home run with her latest job. It’s not surprising really considering the series is produced and its pilot episode was directed by Martin Scorsese. Although only in its first season, the show is set to become one of the biggest on HBO yet and with a Scot in the cast that can only mean great things for Scottish acting.

Television

COMPETITION win on of three copies of nurse jackie season two on DVD Get Addicted! Jackie’s back for a second season of the darkly comedic show set in a US hospital. The highly-acclaimed NURSE JACKIE Season Two, stars Edie Falco (The Sopranos, 30 Rock) is currently airing on BBC 2 and will be out on DVD and Blu-ray from the 11th April 2011.

To be in with a chance of winning 1 of 3 season 2 boxsets just answer the following simple question.

What character did Nurse Betty star Edie Falco play in the hit HBO drama The Sopranos?.

Send your answers by e-mail to info@thebanter.co.uk with the heading Competition: Nurse Jackie along with telling us your name, age, address and e-mail address.

Winners will then be chosen at random! Good luck, competition closes March 31st 2011

Yet Kelly Macdonald is not the only Scottish thespian make a splash in the acting world. Macdonald’s Trainspotting cast mate, Kevin McKidd’s role as Dr. Owen Hunt on Grey’s Anatomy has seen the 37-year-old profile rise and has even led to a directing credit of an episode of the medical drama.

Not bad for a guy from Elgin.

It’s not only in straight drama that Scot’s are cropping up.

Henry Ian Cusick starred as the distinctively Scottish Desmond in the hugely successful and hugely confusing Lost, John Hannah stars in the historical mini series’ Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Gods of the Arena and Robert Carlyle plays scientist Dr. Nicholas Rush in sci-fi drama Stargate Universe. Both Hannah and Carlyle’s roles are far cry from the ones that made them famous in the UK but have proved more fruitful in the States. Similarly actress Ashley Jensen was brought to viewer’s attention as Maggiein Ricky Gervais’s Extras but has waved the flag for Scotland in the Golden Globe award winning Ugly Betty and now in sitcom Accidentally on Purpose. And she has somehow been able to keep her Scottish accent in both roles.

Although Scots actors are flourishing in TV, they are also making waves in film as Golden Globe nominated James McAvoy is about to star in the new X-Men reboot as the prolific Professor Charles Xavier. Who knows? There may be an Oscar win in there somewhere.

BOARDWALK EMPIRE

I

magine you are Sky TV “big wig”, and you’ve decided to launch a new TV channel, which will boast the best of the premium US cable channel HBO, an assortment of other US hit shows and some classic shows and you’ve just spent £150 million acquiring all these programmes.

You then decide to spend a fortune advertising this new channel, with billboards all across the land, double page spread in numerous national newspapers and magazine and finally you recruit two-time Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman to star in your ad campaign.

Now to the easy part, what new show do you launch your channel with?

Well that is obvious; it would have to be Boardwalk Empire.

During the launch of the show in America, Sue Naegle, President of HBO Entertainment, had this to say about the show: “Well, when it comes to gambling, the only sure thing is that there is no such thing as a sure thing. But when Terence Winter, the Emmy award-winning writer of “The Sopranos,” teamed up with Academy award winner Martin Scorsese, odds are the result is something you can bet the house on.

Combining these creative forces along with veteran producers Mark Wahlberg and Steve Levinson was indeed a perfect storm of innovative and exciting filmmaking.”

Really what could go wrong when you bring together the people who helped bring you such TV classics as “The Sopranos”, “Entourage” and of course arguably the greatest director of this generation and the man behind classic such as “Goodfellas”, “Raging Bull” and “ Taxi Driver”.

Throw in Steve Buscemi, gangsters including a young Al Capone, politics, the infamous Atlantic City, the gorgeous Kelly Macdonald, Prohibition, a “Wire” alumnus and Academy Award nominees and you have your launch show.

“Boardwalk Empire” takes place in Atlantic City in the 1920s and starts on the eve of Prohibition. It tells the story of the people who make up the political and criminal machinery that’s behind the glitz and glamour of what was referred to at that time as the world’s playground.

Boardwalk Empire is currently airing on Sky Atlantic maxwell lynas

THE BANTER | 49

Movies

cars 2 12A from 22nd july Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in Cars 2 when they head overseas to compete in the first–ever World Grand Prix to determine the world‘s fastest car.

But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.

Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high–profile race and towing the line in a top–secret spy mission, Mater‘s action–packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.

Adding to the fast–paced fun is a colorful new all–car cast that includes secret agents, menacing villains and international racing competitors.

50 | THE BANTER

chalet girl 12A FROM 18th march In Assigned to live and work in the luxury chalet of successful businessman Richard Masden (Bill Nighy), she spends her days cooking, cleaning and catering for his family. Propelled into a world of wealth, fun and endless parties, Kim is utterly baffled by this new way of life. Finding it hard to grasp all the rules and be accepted by her uber–posh co–worker Georgie (Tamsin Egerton) she quickly finds herself way out of her depth. To make matters worse, she finds herself falling for her boss‘s son Jonny (Ed Westwick.)

Gorgeous, charming and talented there‘s just two problems – Jonny‘s ice–princess girlfriend Chloe (Sophia Bush) and his scheming mother (Brooke Shields.) With few friends to turn to Kim takes to the slopes where she discovers the thrills of snow–boarding and a natural talent. Filled with a new found confidence she enters the resort‘s biggest Pro–boarding event of the year. As the competition draws nearer and Jonny and Kim grow closer it looks like her luck is finally changing. But Jonny‘s family have other plans for his future and they could turn Kim‘s world upside down. Packed with breathtaking snowboarding action and stunning locations, CHALET GIRL is a hilarious and touching story about finding a talent, staying true to yourself and achieving your dreams.

Movies

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES 12A FROM 18TH MAY

FAIR GAME

12A FROM 11TH mARCH

As a covert officer in the CIA‘s Counter–Proliferation Division, Valerie (Watts) leads an investigation into the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Valerie‘s husband, diplomat Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), is drawn into the investigation to substantiate an alleged sale of enriched uranium from Niger.

But when the administration ignores his findings and uses the issue to support the call to war, Joe writes a New York Times editorial outlining his conclusions and igniting a firestorm of controversy.

Soon after, Valerie‘s covert status is reported by a high–profile Washington journalist. With her cover blown and her overseas contacts placed in mortal danger, Valerie is pushed to the breaking point as her career and private life collapse.

When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past (Penelope Cruz), he‘s not sure if it‘s love or if she‘s a ruthless con artist who‘s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth.

When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne‘s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn‘t know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.

The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the vengeful Captain Hector Barbossa, and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack‘s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Berges–Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

RIO

U FROM 8th april

Set in the magnificent city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforest of Brazil, the comedy-adventure centers on Blu, a rare macaw who thinks he is the last of his kind. When Blu discovers there’s another – and that it’s a “she” – he leaves the comforts of his cage in small town Minnesota and heads to Rio. But it’s far from love at first sight between the domesticated, flightchallenged Blu and the fiercely independent, high-flying female, Jewel. Unexpectedly thrown together, they embark on an adventure of a lifetime, where they learn about

friendship, love, courage and being open to life’s many wonders. RIO brings together a menagerie of vivid characters, a heart-warming story, colorful backdrops, energizing Latin and contemporary music, and familyfriendly song and dance.

THE BANTER | 51

Movies

Photo copyright of GYFF/Stuart Crawford.

GLASGOW YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL 2011

M tron legacy PG Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment  The Disney sci-fi film is a sequel to the original movie which was released in 1982.

The latest film sees Jeff Bridges reprise his role as Kevin Flynn, a games engineer who disappears one night without a trace. 20 years later and his son Sam comes across a hidden computer lab in his dad’s office and is transported into the virtual world inside the computer called the Grid.

The movie was released in 3D and the visuals are spectacular showing that 3D movies at their finest. And with music from the electronic duo Daft Punk, the soundtrack alone will have you hooked. It might not be the same movie that fans of the original remember but it’s brought a new lease of life and a new wave of fans to a great story. sarah moyes

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 12

warner home video  The first part of the last book (the second part is out in cinemas later this year) ends a big chapter in the lives of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Set away from the familiar back drop of Hogwarts, it’s the darkest of the films to be released. The film sees the trio set out on a mission to destroy Voldermort’s immortality encountering many obstacles along the way including some jealously on Ron’s part over Hermione and Harry getting along a little too well (or so he thinks). For any Harry fan it’s a must have DVD, but for those new to the boy wizard it’s more grown up story which may just make a fan of you yet.

sarah moyes

52 | THE BANTER

ost people know the Glasgow Film Festival. It’s the third biggest film festival in the UK and renowned worldwide, last year was its most successful year yet and it achieved a well earned spot in The List’s Hot 100. But something which is building more and more of a reputable name for itself is GFF’s child, the Glasgow Youth Film Festival.

Organised and promoted by a group of 15-18 year olds from the Glasgow area, GYFF puts on films from the world over, hosts Q+As with the stars, and also puts on film making workshops across the city.

GYFF 2011 finished this month, taking place directly before the big festival, mainly at Glasgow landmark the GFT. It boasted a variety of films, from the Iraqi award winning Son of Babylon, to anime films, to the Scottish premiere of the new Simon Pegg and Nick Frost sci-fi comedy Paul.

I was one of the volunteers in the youth group, and after months of working towards this continually growing festival (2011 was its third year), our plans came to light in the most welcoming of fashions. Thousands of tickets were sold over the whole six days, as people flocked to enjoy the likes of the Italian ‘Days of Harvest’ (including a Q+A with lead actor Marco D’Agostin), the French ‘Heartbeats’, and Liverpudlian drama ‘The Be All and End All’, also including a Q+A with the cast and director Bruce Webb.

This festival is a perfect example of the true power of volunteering, and the great results it can throw up. This was a festival worthy of the world circuit, given its focus on bringing a new variety of arthouse, foreign and indie films to a young audience, further encouraging a new generation of film fans (who otherwise have nothing but the biggest budget 3D films to look up to).

GYFF will be back next year, and after how much it grew this year, Scottish film fans young and old should hopefully have yet another fine festival to look forward to, as one of the festival’s greatest traits was its welcoming nature, and its ability not to alienate anyone, despite its youth orientation. http://www.facebook.com/glasgowyouth hamish gibson

Theatre & Arts

S

ome of the most exciting Broadway shows of the last few years are propelling themselves across the Atlantic to our biggest theatres, clashing nuns with notoriety and puppets with Peronists. The Edinburgh Playhouse and Glasgow’s King’s Theatre take centre stage in the early summer months, throwing open their doors to some of the most exciting productions in touring theatre and bringing the West End to the West of Scotland. Here is a few of the season’s greatest showstoppers: The Sound of Music Few musicals have attracted such a faithful a congregation as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s perennially popular nun story, The Sound of Music. Lavishly brought to life in this multi-million production, choreographed by Arlene Phillips and expanded with several new Andrew Lloyd Webber songs, the problem of Maria has seldom been solved as happily as in this fresh West End production. It runs at The King’s Theatre, Glasgow, from the 10th of May until the 4th of June.

Evita Fascism and show tunes sit surprisingly well together. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita has had a long and varied life, taking her from the 1976 Broadway stage to the 1996 Academy Awards, wrapping its long and sublime notes around the vocal chords of such icons as Patti Lu Pone, Elaine Paige and Madonna. A masterpiece of a book musical, the Argentine Rainbow Tour has performances at Edinburgh’s Playhouse between 30th of May and the 4th of June before tangoing to Glasgow on the 6th.

Jekyll & Hyde Frank Wildhorn’s gothic horror is a thousand miles away from Stevenson’s classic novel (namely, Broadway). Despite its often rickety lyrics, Jekyll & Hyde’s rousing score captures the squalor of London’s east end and the tragic consequences of the doctor’s doomed experiment. The tour splits itself between two cities, playing eight performances at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre from the 13th of June before heading to the capital’s Playhouse on the 20th.

Avenue Q If the Cookie Monster checked into an addictions clinic and Big Bird started educating preschoolers on the birds and the bees and not ABCs, the bright felt puppets of Avenue Q would find themselves out of a job. Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx’s refreshing parody of all things Jim Henson took the 2004 Tony Award for Best Musical, snatching the top spot from Wicked and earning itself a six year run on Broadway. It plays at the Glasgow’s King’s Theatre from 28th June until the 2nd of July.

Sister Act Following its early closure at London’s Palladium, Alan Menken’s adaptation of Whoopi Goldberg’s 1992 comedy is throwing on its wimple and taking to the road in the autumn. Written by the composer of The Little Mermaid and the lyricist of Love Never Dies, this witty and heartfelt original musical bounces with all of the pep of a Disney musical and the soul of a Motown LP and will be testifying at the Edinburgh Playhouse between the 1st and the 12th of November.

BY SCOTT PURVIS

54 | THE BANTER

Model Behaviour

Volunteering - A fashion trend everyone can follow View the complete collection at www.volunteerscotland.org.uk Contact us on 0141 941 0886 or text Volunteer to 80800

Feature

One Creative

SCOTLAND H aving been attending the bi-annual ‘One Creative Scotland’ events since January 2009 (with which I’m sure you’re all well acquainted by now), they are always something I look forward to.

The events of July 2010 and January 2011 have been somewhat different to those which have gone before.

Diverse and eclectic fusions of musical, artistic and film making talent, these two events have been filmed for a TV pilot. Founder and pioneer of the event, indie band Suspire drummer Clare Kelly is enthusiastic about the latest development of an already established and thriving cultural event:

“I came up with this idea having previously operated three ‘One Creative Scotland’ events beforehand. I love shows like ‘Later...with Jools Holland’, ‘The Culture Show’, and the likes of Top of the Pops when it used to air. I guess a lot of inspiration came from those programmes.

I’m a musician myself, and love the idea of bringing a lot of like-minded musos and creative folk together in such a bohemian space”.

Kelly is certainly not wrong in her description of the Tollhouse Studios, which is an overhauled flat up a close in Possil Road. Within this small space, the Tollhouse boasts threemultipurpose studios, and a foyer area 56 | THE BANTER

which was put to good use in displaying the visual artwork of Scotland’s talented. Artists included Sarah Collie, Mark Getty, Milly Molloco, Nicola Spencer (whose sculpture of a tap, imaginatively named ‘Sculpture’ was proving something of a discussion point and wouldn’t have been out of place at a London installation) and Darren Duddy, whose cityscape paintings were most thought provoking. He described them as ‘mundane scenes that most people consider to be ugly or eyesores’. I’m not someone who knows very much about art, but I could certainly relate to his images of city buildings. The artist, in his explanatory notes says that he ‘makes them reconsider why someone would take the time to make a painting’.

Out of all the abstract, mixed media artwork, these images spoke the loudest.

Freelance film makers were filming for the pilot throughout the evening, both in the studios and the foyer area. At just a fiver a ticket to get into the event, Kelly explains how the team came together, despite an impossibly tiny working budget:

“I had no funding to put a production team together. But this is Glasgow! Creative folk are

Interview everywhere! Luckily I have some very talented friends. These people made up the camera crew and production team. They didn’t know each other at the start of this. They certainly do now!”

As well as the visual art, and short films (showing in the brand new Studio A) on offer, One Creative Scotland did not disappoint in terms of music! An electro indie band, a socially concerned rapper and a party band were just a few of the genres on offer at the event, which kicked off in the larger studio B (equipped for the larger, louder bands!) with A Band Called Quinn and Louie, before moving into the more comfortable acoustic studio B for Jo Mango, Skosha and Chris Gorman. Rounding off the night back in Studio B were Gordon’s Alive, W.E.F.U.N.K and the Fiction, so definitely a broad representation of almost every musical genre! The enthusiasm of the artists involved has made Kelly’s mammoth task somewhat easier:

“The artists we’ve had involved have responded in a heart-warming manner. They seem genuinely enthused about being part of the programme. Emma’s Imagination performed in Part 1 – she’s now signed to Polydor. Jo Mango performed for us in Part 2 – she’s just done a cameo in David MacKenzie’s new feature film ‘ You Instead’. I feel privileged to have the support of such artists”.

So now that both parts of the TV pilot have been filmed, when can we expect to see it on our screens? Kelly explains that the creative process will be a long one: “The plan now is to polish the edit and make a pitch to a TV network in the UK. I don’t deny that it will be difficult. The MA (Music Innovation and Entrepreneurship) I am currently studying at the University of the West of Scotland has helped me formalise aspects of my plan. Of course, all is not lost if such networks do not commission the programme. There are so many options for broadcasting via online-only channels, and TV’s may well be overtaken by net books and laptops in out lounges soon anyway! It’s a big edit job, but it’s progress nonetheless and positivity is key”.

The next One Creative Scotland event is anticipated to take place in July 2011, so to find out more about artists as they are announced or the progress of the TV pilot, search ‘One Creative Scotland’ on Facebook.

BY LOUISE ANNE GEDDES

THE BANTER | 57

Feature

SARAH MILLICAN: Chatterbox

5/04/11 Old Fruitmarket Emerging as one of the brighest and funniest females comics Britian has to offer. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already love her you will after Chatterbox.

CAROLINE RHEA

JOHN BISHOP

22/03/11 SECC One of Liverpools finest John Bishop shot to fame on shows like Skins and Mock The Week.

And he was recently crowned breakthough male at the British Comedy Awards.

Stand Up For Palestine

26/03/11 Kings Theatre Leaving the magic of Sabrina The Teenage Witch behind, Caroline Rhea has since established herself as a stand up comic, and a funny one at that.

21/03/11 The Kings Frankie Boyle leads an all star cast including Fred MacAuley and Gary Tank Commander to raise money for The Palestine Legal Aid Fund.

Greg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog

Jenny Eclair: Old Dogs New Tricks

28/03/11 Garage The Inbetweeners Mr Gilbert brings his sell out debut show from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival west for one night.

Russel Kane: Smoke Screens and Castle

18/03/11 The Garage The award winning comedian explores life and family in a hilarious way which could see him pick up yet another award.

31/03/11 Citizens Theatre Jenny Eclair is now 50 years old and trying not to mind as she shows us even old dogs can learn new tricks in this hilarious new show.

Miles Jupp: Fibber in the Heat

20/03/11 The Stand This new show is the story of how Miles Jupp travelled to India to become a cricket journalist, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not exactly the career choice you would expect.

BY SARAH MOYES

58 | THE BANTER

louise anne geddes

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