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VENUE GUIDE GIG GUIDE MUSIC SOCIETIES NOTTS FESTIVALS NOTTS BANDS
FESTIVALS INTERVIEW, ALBUM REVIEW AND LIVE BESTIVAL REVIEW 25 LATITUDE
LONDON GRAMMAR Ahead of their appearance in Not-
27 GLASTONBURY 29 BESTIVAL
FEATURES tingham in October, we caught up with Nottingham alumni London 31 MUSIC FASHION Grammar. We got some advice from 35 THE JEBS Dot Major for your fresher’s week, 37 TRUBITE BANDS and found out which Nottingham +Much More! venues were his favourite... pg 19
Jess Salter, Co Advertising and Marketing Editor I'm one half of the Advertising and Marketing Editors this year. Give me a pint and some live music any day....oh and food. Hana Bayley, Co Advertising and Marketing Editor Jointly in charge of advertising. I love Yeasayer, Tame Impala and Purity Ring. Dan Hatton, Editor Were I a wittier man you would be laughing at this sentence.
Kamiah Overaa, Editor I'm one of the editors for The Mic and into alternative music. I have a massive soft spot for 80s cheese. Third year Classics student, serial tea drinker and never without boots.
Preyesh Champaneri, Treasurer I'm your treasurer for an exciting year ahead. As a big fan of House and UK Garage, I'll be making sure eclectic music is celebrated at The Mic. Let's take it back to the old school vibe!
Jennifer Yu, Art Director I'm heavy inclined towards art direction and not One Direction. When not watching Helvetica the documentary, I'm designing buildings with Vampire Weekend on repeat.
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We’ve made some big changes behind the scenes at The Mic this year, and we’ve reflected that with a face-lift and a brand new website. Nice timing Freshers. Written by students, for students; we are a platform for sharing and free speech. We are an all-you-can-eat buffet of music. Above all, we are the official music magazine of every single student at Nottingham University. With the recent rise of artists like Jake Bugg, Dog is Dead and London Grammar, Nottingham is a city where you can get in free to see someone, who next year will be on a sell out arena tour around the world. The choices of genre, venue and drink in Nottingham may seem practically endless. We receive news everyday of tours, releases and gigs from artists born and bred right here, as well as those that are just popping in to get a bit of the action. We want people who love music to come to gigs, meet their favourite artists and then spend the hangover day writing and reminiscing about the night before to get their name published. Sound good? Sign up. Not only are we the no.1 society for anything and everything to do with music journalism, but the only society that provides students with the opportunity to organise gigs alongside some of the biggest venues in Nottingham. If you’ve ever wanted to get involved with music events organisation, here’s your key to it. The Mic has been a Nottingham institution for a number of years, but the combination of the team we have this year and our City’s music scene right now makes us very excited, and you should get stuck in with us. The doors have opened; you’ve had a couple of drinks and seen the first band. So down that can, get another one and drag everyone in from the smoking area. This is when shit gets good.
Luke & Mel
Mel Wade President
Luke Gallimore Editor-In-Chief
I think I probably should have been born in the 60s. Peace and Love would've been good, but Dollops and Detonates are not a bad consolation.
I'm the Editor-In-Chief at the Mic this year, which finally puts me in a position to shamelessly plug my own band. I love live music and San Miguel.
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Venue Guide
ELD SFI MAN
Golden Fleece
rock city
Stealth rescue rooms Spanky Van Dyke’s
Chameleon Arts cafe Malt Cross
The Glee Club
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Bodega Old Angel inn
Capital fm arena
The Living Room
Turn over for venue descriptions and if you ’ re out and about, check out our interactive venue guide to help you get to where you ’ re going
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Venues The Bodega Universally regarded by locals and students alike as one of the best places to hang out, party and listen to live music in Nottingham – the Bodega is a must visit venue that has been at the very forefront of the midlands music scene over the past two decades. With a multitude of awards under it’s belt including Best Medium Bar at the Best Bar None awards 2011, the Bodega holds it’s own as a great all rounder whilst having cemented itself a reputation for bringing world class stadium and festival-headlining talent to Nottingham audiences before they made it big.
Capital FM Arena Nottingham’s Biggest Live Music Venue “Capital FM Arena Nottingham is the East Midlands’ premier entertainment venue based in the heart of the vibrant city centre. With a 10,000 crowd capacity, the Arena showcases the biggest names in music, comedy and sport.”
The Chameleon Arts Cafe The number one underground arts and music venue in Nottingham. Chameleon is quite literally the place where “everybody knows your name”. Like “Cheers”-Why not while away the wee hours with stimulating conversation, a glass of vino or perhaps vintage cider or take your pick from a vast array of high quality beers from around the world.
The Glee Club Nottingham’s premier live comedy and music venue. The Glee Club is located in the beautiful old British Waterways Building on Canalside, Nottingham.Music shows at Glee Club Nottingham offer a diverse variety of performers from around the world, in a listening environment. We support local and acclaimed international touring artists, from young upcoming talent to well-established artists. Some of the artists to have played in the last two years include Gruff Rhys, Willy Mason, John Grant, Roachford, Martin Simpson, Paul Carrack, Eddi Reader, The Staves, Jake Bugg (our first artist-in-residence throughout 2011) and many more.
The Golden Fleece Nottingham’s best kept secret, the home of the best live music around, along with great food, awesome real ales and cocktails and a roof terrace to die for ‘The Golden Fleece has staked a claim as a superb venue for music, excellent food and an atmosphere which retains pub charm.’
The Living Room Cool & contemporary restaurant and piano bar in the city. Offering a capacity of 250 in our bar and 120 in the restaurant, we are available for private hire Situated in Nottingham’s popular Lace Market, The Living Room has been an integral part of the city’s dining experience since August 2002. The historic Lace Market was once at the heart of the world’s lace industry, The Living Room itself functioning as a showroom for lace manufacturers to parade and sell their designs. Today, it is a sophisticated, stylish piano bar and restaurant cultivating a chic, upbeat atmosphere.
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Malt Cross A Victorian Music Hall at the heart of Nottingham. Featuring live music every week, serving food and drinks everyday. The Malt Cross is an exciting and vibrant Christian Charity and Café-Bar on St. James’s Street, just off Market Square in the heart of Nottingham. We aim to support and serve the people of Nottingham through the charitable outreach work of Street Pastors, Safe Space & historic preservation. The much loved café-bar is a place where relationships and community are built as we host a diverse and vibrant programme of Arts, Events, Artistic Communities & Live Music.
The Old Angel Inn The Old Angel is one of the oldest pubs in Nottingham. We are an oasis in a sea of shiny bars and bullshit watering holes, that are situated in Lace Market area of Nottingham. This is Nottingham’s premiere dive / alternative in style and attitude, a real pub! With an array of colorful characters, amazing food and awesome music, either on the jukebox (RIP) and upstairs at one of Nottingham’s best “small venue” for loud, in-your-face, live music (don’t forget to check the gig guide to see what’s coming up).There’s regular fun for all the family karaoke session every Thursday Night, which starts at 8pm and go until late.
Rescue Rooms “BEST LARGE BAR” – Nottingham Best Bar None Awards 2011 For a music venue that hasn’t yet been open ten years The Rescue Rooms has already developed some rich history. Everyone from The Killers, Calvin Harris, La Roux, Four Tet, Chase & Status, Bloc Party, Magnetic Man, Simian Mobile Disco, Ellie Goulding, Animal Collective and The Libertines have played our 450 capacity venue since it’s inauguration onto the fertile Nottingham scene nine years ago. It’s an essential destination for those in tune with the movements of today’s captivating band-led scene.
Rock City Rock City erupted in Nottingham back in 1980. Since then it has been the flagship venue in the UK for Live Music and Club Nights. Rock City is one of the biggest names on the UK club and live music circuit and has been since it first opened its doors three decades ago. On Thursday 11 December 1980, the day Rock City first opened its doors, Abba were at number one with Super Trooper, John Lennon had just been shot, The Empire Strikes Back was still on its initial cinema run, Margaret Thatcher was just a year into her reign as Prime Minister and a packet of 20 cigarettes cost less than 40p.
Spanky Van Dykes
“Spanky Van Dykes home to the famous Ruby Jeans Diner and the Funhouse!”
Stealth Stealth is a Midlands clubbing institution and Nottingham’s number one club. Since opening its doors in April 2004, Stealth’s Funktion One soundsystem has been rocked by the world’s best djs & live bands. The A-Z of our previous guests reads like a who’s who of dance music – from Annie Mac to Dizzee Rascal, Jamie xx to David Guetta, Chase & Status to Lily Allen, Tinie Tempah to Skream.
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RockSoc
This is easily one of the the SU’s most active societies, reeling in a huge amount of rock and metal fans for tons of both music related and non-music related socials. RockSoc holds a weekly social called Piracy at The Salutation Inn and will help you track down gig buddies, know where to go for all the best music, get discounts at rock clubs and meet likeminded people from around the uni.
PunkSoc
HighSoc
The Mic itself was born from members in HighSoc! HighSoc is the place to go for your fix of alternative and indie music, fashion and culture. Brimming with socials and gatherings at music events, membership also includes a bunch of discounts at nights out across the city and vintage clothing shop Wild & Wilder.
BandSoc
BandSoc is a need –to-join society if you’re thinking about being in a band while at uni. They offer you the cheapest practice room in Notts, fully kitted out for all your needs. They also host gigs, open mics and jam nights so you can network, practice and perform and hold sponsorships with two of the most popular venues in Nottingham, Rock City and The Bodega.
Bass Soc
Bass Society is perfect for fans of D&B, house, dubstep, reggae, trance, garage and everything inbetween. It’s got links with a huge amount of clubs and nights out in Nottingham and around the UK, offers discounted tickets, a platform for DJs and it’s very own radio show.
Don’t forget there’s also us, The Mic. We’re looking for members of all musical tastes to write features, reviews and articles for print and our website. Get involved, get gig tickets and get yourself published with us. By Kamiah Overaa
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PunkSoc is a society for fans of the punk, ska, alternative and hardcore scenes, with weekly socials and regular events. They’re a super friendly bunch who love putting on gigs as much as they like going to them, and so you’re bound to find new people to hang out with and new people to head out to gigs with. This year they’re offering you some discounts with membership and have already organised their first gig of the year on Friday 4th October, 7pm at The Ropewalk. Be there for some great local bands and to meet the society.
FolkSoc
This is the go to place for fans of folk music and dance, with lessons, ceilidhs, information on gigs and events and regular socials to chat and meet people passionate about folk.
WHack ‘em in your DIARY So, we’re already well aware that here in Nottingham we’ve got a shed load of venues that provide us with a constant stream of bangin’ club nights and gigs on pretty much every night of the week – pretty good, yeah? However, the city is also home to a few annual events, all of which are little gems, and help to make Nottingham the great city that it is for live music. Here’s a little taste of what you can find.
Dot to Dot Festival When? May Bank Holiday Where? Pretty much everywhere If ever an excuse was needed to go out on a bank holiday Sunday then Dot to Dot is a pretty good one. Since it all started in 2005, the festival has churned out kick ass line ups, which have included acts such as Mystery Jets, Ellie Goulding, The Cribs, Kate Nash and far too many others to name! Practically every venue in town from Rock City to Stealth plays host to bands, and various stalls line Talbot Street, giving Nottingham a proper festival feel. Whilst living in Nottingham, Dot to Dot is something you just shouldn’t miss. www.dottodotfestival.co.uk
Branch Out When? October Where? Again, pretty much everywhere The baby of Nottingham’s festivals, Branch Out was created last year, and focuses solely on local music. The first and only Branch Out to date featured around 50 bands, playing in some of the city’s smaller venues including Broadway and Malt Cross. Kappa Gamma, injured Birds and Boots Booklovers made appearances last time around, and considering some of the acts which have emerged from Nottingham’s music scenes in recent years, you never know what you might stumble across this year. www.branchoutfestival.com
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Nottingham Carribean Carnival When? August Where? Forest Recreation Ground Not to be confused with Notting Hill, the Carribean Carnival is certainly Nottingham’s most colourful offering, and even better – it’s free! On top of the usual carnival festivities – a parade and great food and drink – there are two music stages. This year’s line-up featured jungle DJ Congo Natty and house artist T Williams, as well as Nottingham dub/minimal dubstep collective, Rubberdub and reggae from Highness Sound System. If you like bass music, then this is the one for you. www.emccan.org/nottingham-caribbean-carnival
Splendour When? July Where? Wollaton Hall Held just a stone’s throw away from campus in beautiful the grounds of Wollaton Hall, Splendour is a family friendly, pretty relaxed festival. The line-up tends to be a delightful blend of the old and new, with past ones featuring the likes of Madness, The Pogues and Blondie, as well as Katy B and Maximo Park. Splendour also does its bit to promote local music - Jake Bugg and Dog is Dead have worked their way up the bill in recent years. Ticket prices are reduced for local residents, so why not take a chance on Splendour? By Katie Harrison
www.splendourfestival.com
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The Creme de la creme of Notts Some of the best artists from around Nottingham for you to get stuck into ...
Ady Suleiman Blessed with a soulful voice and a knack for writing lyrics comparable in frankness of feeling to
those of Amy Winehouse, emerging Nottingham talent Ady Suleiman is a name to watch in the coming months. After a long stint of marching up and down the country with his supremely talented guitarist, Ed Black, to play various gigs and gain exposure, and having played slots at both Glastonbury and Bestival this year, it is inevitable that Suleiman will soon be receiving the recognition he deserves on a national scale. Log onto his SoundCloud at soundcloud.com/adysuleiman and give him a listen, it’s well worth it. As other reviewers have noted, it is incredibly difficult to define Suleiman’s music as falling into a certain genre because of the large number of influences that are all clearly vying with each other within his music; ‘Why are you running away’ contains clear reggae influences, whereas ‘Serious’ has much more of an Ed Sheeran- feel to it. Perhaps that is why his music is so refreshing to listen to- it is not trying to conform or ‘be’ anything, but is content to exist purely as a manifestation of the singer-songwriter’s musical interests. Having played at several Nottingham establishments before, it is likely that Ady Suleiman will be once more returning to our hallowed town at some point over the coming year. When he does, make sure you buy your tickets immediately!
Fists Having just released their debut album Phantasm, Nottingham
band Fists are something to look out for. They're a noisy and electric group with their own spin on alternative rock, dancing with harmonies and mixing tight, clean elements with the rough and ready sound of a raw bedroom rehearsal. With twangs of an emotive, country-inspired rockabilly style, Fists create something unique, blending soft vocals with jagged sounds. Songs such as ‘Yr Glove’ creep into the realms of mystery-rock, feeling almost surreal, a little adrift even, with a solemn country beat keeping feet on the ground. Other songs, like ‘Flaneur’ call much more to rock-n-roll, deep bass lines and crashing symbols flirting with drowning the yells of the vocals. ‘Gasp’ takes that country influence and makes something of a Western out of it, contrasting beats and speeds together and again with seductive girlish vocals. Fists are talented writers and musicians that know exactly how to mix up what they play, through their instruments and their use of both male and female vocals, to always create something fantastically atmospheric.
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Jake Bugg Catchy, insightful and as quotable as Oscar Wilde, it is hard to dislike Jake Bugg and his music. The
boy needs no introductions. But, if his music has somehow eluded you to this point (and if indeed this is the case, I envy you, because listening to him for the first time really is an eye-opening experience), allow me to give you a quick rundown. Perhaps Nottingham’s finest export since the collapse of the mining industry, Jake’s indie-folk inspired debut album took the country by storm late last year, reaching Number One in the charts. Born and bred in the Clifton housing estates (not too far from University Park Campus) in February 1994, he started playing guitar at 12, which after several years of graft culminated in a slot on the BBC’s ‘Introducing’ stage at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, and as a result of this performance he was signed by Mercury. From then on, aside from having a chart-topping album, he has since played Glastonbury and the Reading + Leeds Festivals, and made multiple appearances on various TV shows and radio stations, ranging from ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ to ‘Later… with Jools Holland’. Boasting amongst his fans the likes of The Stone Roses and Noel Gallagher- make no mistake, Jake Bugg is a force to be reckoned with. His music has often drawn comparisons with Bob Dylan, and although the young man denies these associations, the way in which both artists are able to tell a story in their songs whilst simultaneously capturing the underlying feeling of being a youth in the era and situation in which they are writing is an uncanny similarity. ‘Seen it All’ is one such song, Jake sings:‘One Friday night I took a pill or maybe two/ Down at the car park I saw everyone I knew/ And before the night had started we had planned to crash a party’ It is clear that Jake’s urban upbringing is inextricably linked with his music; to the point that a picture of youth is effortlessly portrayed in his lyrics; anyone who has been a teenager can’t help but crack a smile at the nonchalant way in which Jake describes his various antics. However, perhaps more important than the celebration of youthful exuberance is the frank insight that his lyrics offer into the mindset of those brought up, as Jake was, in housing estates up and down the country. As he writes in ‘Trouble Town’, people there are ‘stuck in speed bump city/ where the only thing that’s pretty/ is the thought of getting out’, or in ‘Two Fingers’ where the only way of escaping boredom is to ‘Skin up a fat one and hide from the Feds’. Such an awareness of these issues has branded him a ‘street-raised observer’ in the eyes of the Rolling Stone. And I would agree with this. Although as he further admits in ‘Two Fingers’, he has ‘got out’ of the housing projects, he assures his old friends that, telling them that he is ‘here to stay’, essentially, in spite of the fame, he is still Jenny from the block. Equally as impressive as Jake’s music though is his artistic integrity. What perhaps sums his attitude up best is the oft-quoted statement that he made during an interview with Newsbeat at the Brit Awards (in which he was nominated for ‘British Breakthrough Act’): ‘I don’t really need an award to inspire me to keep writing music and playing my songs’. Add this to the digs he repeatedly throws at One Direction and other manufactured boy-bands that produce ‘meaningless’ music, and it is clear that Jake really, well, just does not give a damn about the machinations of Celebrity Culture, and is content to focus on creating quality music. Such a level-headed approach is admirable in one so young; already he has expertly avoided both spiralling down the sinkhole that so many boys from housing projects unfortunately become a victim of, and has astutely realised the contrived and unrewarding life offered by the Simon Cowells of this world in return for fame. And this is before we take into account his musical accomplishments. Jake Bugg is destined for great things. With a second-album release projected by the end of 2013, his musical odyssey is one that is definitely worth following.
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We Show Up On RadaR The music of We Show Up On RadaR is something beautifully put together, with the quirky
clinks of a keyboard and an uplifting poppy charm that won't struggle to make you smile. The debut album Sadness Defeated, written and performed by the man behind the name Andy Wright, is a collection of gorgeous glistening tracks with the feel of childlike innocence, often contrasted with more the melancholic topics of heartache and death. They feel like fairy-tales and fables for grown-ups, full of emotion, hope and comfort. Songs such as ‘The Anchors in Your Heart’ are a shoulder to burrow into, others like Thank You Mr Johnston are full of reflection and sadness. A single from the album Hands Up If You Are Lost is accompanied by a video in keeping with the feel of the album, puppets in a woodland setting, toadstools, fairy lights and with the moon shining down. The song has gentle verses and a powerful wave of a chorus. Sadness Defeated is an album full of sugary delights, stunning melodies and a bespoke outlook on life. Through this gorgeous album WSUOR explores the delicate fragility of love and emotion through the innocence of child-like imagination.
Georgie Rose A talented footballer (apparently scoring 137 goals during her stint in the Notts Junior
Leagues), it is fortunate for us that Georgie Rose turned her full attention to music, a change that she claimed happened as soon as she ‘turned into a girl’. Boasting a voice that is at times reminiscent of Adele (were she to have a country-drawl) and named as one of Rescue Room’s ‘Ones to Watch 2013’, Georgie Rose’s folk and country inspired acoustic music is incredibly assured for one as young as Eighteen. It really seems as if Georgie Rose is yet another artist that is destined to put the Nottingham Music scene firmly on the map. Only two songs are available on her official SoundCloud, ‘Trembling Heart’ and ‘Stranger’, but both are more than enough to be made immediately aware of her tremendous talent. Delving a little deeper on YouTube will uncover many, many more live songs, all of which are worth tuning in to. Citing Johnny Cash as one of her major influences in a BBC interview, it is possible to see this influence most evidently in both her lyrical mastery, and the blues scales incorporated firmly into her work. Spending a lot of time playing at venues around Nottingham, most prominently the Jam Café (a great place for live music), it is highly likely that Georgie Rose will be around and about over the coming year. Keep an eye out for her, her live performances are staggeringly good.
By Dan Hatton and Kamiah Overaa
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London Grammar
Ahead of their appearance in Nottingham in October, we caught up with Nottingham alumni London Grammar. We got some advice from Dot Major for your fresher’s week, and found out which Nottingham venues were his favourite...
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Hey, so first things first – how was your fresher’s week at Nottingham, did you ever do the campus 14 at Uni Park? Fresher’s week was great, I sadly never did the campus 14, but I saw many that tried and some that failed.
How did you find starting out as a new band in Nottingham, any tips for upcoming artists? I think there is a great music scene there, try to gig in the right places and get involved in with the local BBC introducing. Try to gig down in London if you can too.
Ha, sounds about right. What attracted you to Nottingham University - do you like the city? Parts of the city are beautiful. And Robin Hood lived nearby!
What’s the best gig you’ve played so far? Any bands first Glastonbury show is something they’ll never forget.
What were you favourite Nottingham venues for seeing new live music – where should our freshers go? I love Rescue Rooms. I saw Bonobo and Oceansize there, and they were both incredible gigs. Rock city is great too.
Has anything embarrassing to you ever happened on stage? I went to a gig once where a keyboard collapsed in the middle of an emotional ballad. Ha. I once started a live radio session with the wrong keyboard sound. It was meant to be quiet but the sound was more like Aviici!
Can’t beat a bit of RR. Did you see any memorable acts in Nottingham that inspired you? Seeing how Bonobo used his band live was awesome. Andrea Triana’s voice completely blew me away.
Haha nice. The new tour looks impressive, are you looking forward to the gig at rescue rooms in October? Absolutely! I just love that venue and have been in the audience so many times there.
What was your first jam together like - did it all click together or did you have to work for your sound? Our first full jam together was actually our first gig together at the Bag ‘ O Nails. It must have clicked, as Hannah and Dan wanted me to stay!
We’re going to be reviewing your album later, what does this debut album mean to you, and what are your hopes for it? It means everything to us, now it is finished we just have to let it have its own world and not worry too much otherwise we will go insane!
Did you imagine you’d where you are now when you were jamming back at Uni, or was it just a bit of fun? It certainly started as a bit of fun but I think we started realising while we were still at Uni that it could be something people could get into.
Thanks very much, see you in October!
What were you backgrounds in music before meeting each other at Nottingham? Quite varied, Dan had always played guitar and is an encyclopaedia in pop music trivia. Hannah had had some vocal training already and always sung in the shower, and I had classical training too. London Grammar will be returning to their university city to play Rescue Rooms on the 22nd of October. By @Luke_Gallimore
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London Grammar play Bestival From Humble beginnings at Lenton’s very own Bag O’Nails. London Grammar filled the festival fields of Bestival with ghostly vocals, twanging guitar and pounding beats this weekend. Nottingham graduates London Grammar were listed on Bestival’s line up amongst headliners Elton John, Snoop Dogg and went head to head on Friday night with Fatboy Slim. After being rather unpleasantly surprised by Mr Slim’s set I needed no excuse to get over to the Replay stage where London Grammar were about to start. Still full of the innocence and modesty only a new band could harbour, but with a sound that feels so established, familiar and polished, London Grammar instantly owned the tent. Aware that this band came from Nottingham University, I couldn’t help being a little inspired and very proud as they opened their set to huge applause. London Grammar is a trio of equally talented individuals, like a super-band before they were all famous. Dot major ran around like a plate spinner keeping all the shuffling beats and driving bass alive while Dan’s guitar pierced through the one man rhythm section garnishing the songs with the hooks and melodies that stayed in my head longer than the next morning’s hangover. We all know about Hannah’s incredible voice, and I fucking love that she wasn’t wasted on the X Factor, where today, it seems, anyone with an impressive voice is now herded. Imagine if she was singing Nicki Minaj covers. Despite a reported case of tonsillitis, Hannah was up to her old tricks and filled the cavernous tent with her thick, powerful voice. I could try and begin to describe the sound using names like Stevie Nicks, Florence Welch and Romy Madley. The truth is Hannah doesn’t sound like anyone else you or I know. The Replay Stage was probably my favourite of the whole festival, it played host to so many great bands just at that stage of a first major release. The atmosphere was always electric, a sense of discovery and success hung steady in the air. London Grammar owned Friday night at Bestival, but Fatboy Slim did well warming up for them bless him. London Grammar are playing an already sold-out gig at Rescue Rooms on the 22nd of October. If you’re lucky enough to already have a ticket, see you at the front. By @Luke_Gallimore
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London Grammar ‘If You Wait’ Album Review Ever since first hearing Hannah Reid’s vocals on Disclosure’s Settle released at the tired end of May this year, I’ve been waiting for London Grammar’s debut album. Their first release was late 2012, and it seems incredible that the Nottingham grads have turned around If You Wait in such a short time, released on Columbia records. Often when you hype things up too much they risk being a disappointment, not only Nicolas Cage films, but albums too. Debut albums always have so much press behind them its difficult not to get excited. I can say however, that on this occasion I certainly was not disappointed. The opening track on the album really sets the tone. ‘Hey Now’, which was first released in late February this year on the band’s EP. ‘Metal & Dust’ is a song that builds anticipation in a way that only be matched by the quality of the album that follows it. The album dives straight into open, raw lyrics influenced by Reid’s teenage years. I couldn’t help but play out the story of ‘Stay Awake’ in my own head; it’s a real emotional insight. A particularly nice surprise on the album was London Grammar’s cover of Kavinsky’s ‘Nightcall’, which was popularised by the film ‘Drive’ where Ryan Gosling exhales and shares awkward glances for 90 minutes. Nah it’s a good film. The stripped back and naked cover of this song sees Reid’s strength and power delicately founded upon Dot Major’s steady tinkling piano and the orchestral sounding guitar of Dan Rothman. The song gradually builds to a break beat climax finding the euphoria in an initially solemn piece of music. I don’t know how regular this phenomenon is, but I often find that the tracks towards end of the album tend to get overlooked. Perhaps I’m just lazy. ‘I’m With You’, however, keeps you wanting more right to the bitter end. The penultimate song, ‘Flickers’ begins with a smooth and undulating bass line and popping steady drums. Rothman’s guitar build layer upon layer and soon Reid’s vocals have arrived to tell a new story. The title track of the album ties up all the albums loose ends at the end of the 11 tracks. You have remind yourself that there’s only three people in this band with all the sounds that create the seemingly loose and dreamlike arrangement, when in actual fact there’s a lot of thought behind every noise you hear. It’s an album that is crafted with care. Perfect for those evening spent around the house pottering, chilling, relaxing; ‘I’m With You’ is thoughtful, moody and in places very lively and bouncy. Invest some real time listening. By @Luke_Gallimore
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After having spent my summer so far revising to make up for the lack of motivation my glands had to protect me from glandular fever, a day off at Latitude was a very welcome break. It had never been a festival that had particularly tickled my taste buds, especially as it is a favourite of my hard core festival-goer parents, but my apprehensive attitude was punched in the face several times by Latitude by the end of the day.
PG version of Bestival Like a PG version of Bestival, Latitude had the variety of a poetry tent, comedy, music, literary (even though there only ever seemed to be one very lonely guy sat there in a tent that was too big for him looking lost). It had a very family friendly atmosphere with no crackheads and drunk teenagers having complete mares crawling around in their own muddy wee. The comedy tent was excellent, especially the ventriloquist – Nina Conti who took great pride in using a human size dummy as an excuse to get a guy she probably fancied to crawl into it, lay her down on the floor and do press ups on her. She then began to act as a matchmaker with two volunteers from the audience who turned out to be a
student and teacher. You couldn’t make it up! Or could you… Eddie Izzard would have probably been good, all I picked up from it was him talking about Henry the eighth’s wives because I was distracted by a straight guy dressed as a transvestite stood with his girlfriend (or more likely, his carer) and licked the festival dad’s faces asking if they’d be his mini milk. Whilst enjoying an expensive but ice cold cider with my parents and boyfriend, the day’s music started with The Tallest Man On Earth whose husky voice and guitar tinkling was the perfect accompaniment to the welcome beverage. James Blake then squeezed out the younger crowd from the festivals pores. He sounded just as he does when recorded, and is starting his own dance label called 1-800 dinosaur, which was sick, and surprisingly different from his own stuff.
Rudimental was out of this world Rudimental was out of this world! I had no idea they were a band and they really know how to get a crowd going. The vocalists were insane, and as a group were very tight both as musicians and with stage presence and interacting with both the audience and each other. Keep-
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ing the vibe in the dance tent, Disclosure were as to be expected. Their flawless mixing makes their tracks sound as if they could have been played by a DJ in a club, but unfortunately their lack of stage presence also gave off that feel. Don’t get me wrong their music is incredible and they have the rare talent of being a group that everyone loves and can have a skank too, shown by the wide variety of ages in their packed-out audience, but they just didn’t have that extra bit of flare and crowd interaction that’s expected from DJs of their calibre. Headlining was Foals. Having never been much of a Foals fan myself the only thing I went there with was the two songs I’d learnt as part of my standard pre-festival revision and my friends word that they were incredible. They definitely lived up to his word. It seems that they’ve changed their music back down to their original style rather than keeping to what had kept them in the charts during their mad popular period, which is the thing I respect
most in any band. The light show was sweet, and they gave off such a rock-feel-good-vibe. Lets just say if I could have miniature versions of them in a little matchbox to take around with me and open up when I feel down to cheer me up, I’d be all over that shit. This was a fantastic festival and definitely one I’ll be going to in 2030 with the kids. The variety there is incredible for the few fields delegated to it in the inbred area of Norfolk, with its speciality in choosing acts that I’d never pick to go to see of my own accord but whose musical talent and ability to create an astounding atmosphere is unbelievable. If you want to go for a messy one, this may not be the one for you. But definitely look it up next year, and have a think about it for a few days away with friends, incredible music, and a mad hippy atmosphere I’ve yet to witness at another festival. By Mel Wade
The 43rd Glastonbury took place this year after a year long break, (something to do with portaloos and the Olympics!?) but it was back and it did not disappoint. Glastonbury is always the rumour mill’s favourite topic, from alleged headliners, to who is making surprise appearances on the Other Stage, to the main question on everybody’s lips during that weekend, “is Daft Punk playing?”. The answer was of course, disappointingly, no. The splashes of rain along with the inevitable mud on the Thursday were good omens for the most anticipated festival of the year. When the music properly started on the Friday there were high spirits as the weekend produced three days of consecutive sun; the weather was in Glastonbury’s favour and brightened a truly memorable weekend.
Saturday
Saturday was all about one band: The Rolling Stones. The buzz around the festival was the anticipation for the evening where the Stones completely ripped the joint. Jumping into Jumpin’ Jack Flash, the Stones made history headlining their first ever Glastonbury performance to an absolutely packed out Pyramid Stage crowd. Playing a two and a half hour set filled with their greatest hits from over 50 years including the likes of Paint It Black, Gimme Shelter, Start Me Up, and Brown Sugar. Mick Jagger’s stage presence was something special as he strutted across the stage with those tiny hips that made the girls swoon all those years ago (and still today!). Midway through the set, during Sympathy for the Devil on top of the iconic Pyramid stage, a metal Phoenix rose creating awe, and as fire breathed from it, the already stunned crowd knew that this was something to behold from their Glastonbury experience. Earlier on in the afternoon however, Azealia Banks shook the Other Stage, performing in a green almost dinosaur-like outfit, to an animated crowd dancing to her Harlem beats. A lot has been said about Azealia Banks and she has said a whole lot back, generating controversy everywhere she goes, yet one thing is certain she sure can rap. The impressive aspect though is how she can switch from her cleverly created rhymes to singing tuneful notes whilst maintaining an energetic stage presence. Performing songs such as Liquorice, 1991 and crowd favourite 212, Banks’ performance grabbed attention in the right way.
Sunday
Although you could smell the exhaustion of the Glastonbury goers on the final day, spirits were still high and Jessie Ware’s was one of the highest as it was her first time performing at the festival to a packed out John Peel tent in the late Sunday afternoon. Ware had joined Disclosure during their performance on the Sonic stage on Friday night getting a taste of the Glastonbury crowd. Diving straight into her set with Devotion, Night Light and Sweet Talk, Ware’s vocal talent truly excelled. Ware’s enthusiasm and love for the festival could be felt as she chatted to the crowd frequently between songs, as if she was stood down there with them. She has had a great year and Glastonbury must be one of the highlights.
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A tAste of the ultimate festival:
Glastonbury Friday
Playing well-recognised songs from his self-titled debut album, Nottingham's own Jake Bugg played both the Pyramid stage and Acoustic stage within a matter of hours on the Friday afternoon, coming a long way from playing the BBC introducing stage two years ago with fan favourite Two Fingers creating a-sing-along down at the acoustic stage. The headlining act on the Friday was of course Arctic Monkeys. Sporting slick suits, the Monkeys opened with Do I Wanna Know? their first single from their fifth album, AM, giving the thirsty Glastonbury crowd a taste of what to expect once it is released on 9th September. Playing an almost two-hour set, Arctic Monkeys performed a range of songs from all four albums, including the likes of Dancing Shoes, Teddy Picker, and Fake Tales of San Francisco. In addition, for the first time in the UK playing R U Mine? which went down a storm, turning the crowd into mass of craziness in the palm of Alex Turner´s hand, who, after the encore, made the packed Pyramid Stage crowd sing Happy Birthday to his mum, before turning into the final song of the night 505 accompanied by Miles Kane. Kane, returning the favour after Turner had joined him on the John Peel stage earlier in the day for a rendition of the Last Shadow Puppets’ Standing Next to Me. Arctic Monkeys played a charmingly polished set, proving they are serious in changing and evolving from being the four lads that had a go at headlining six years ago.
By Jess Salter
The xx headlined the Other Stage Sunday night, providing an intense, atmospheric closure to a brilliant weekend. The xx did what they do best; playing a set filled with intimate lyrics, raw vocals and their signature electric moody sound, yet being the headliners proved a challenge. For a band who has only released two albums, the range of songs is limited, yet they did deliver, as the festival crowd were on their side, wanting a distinctive xx performance. Closing with the tender arrangement of Angels the xx delivered an impressionable performance, it may have not been a sing-along headline show, but Mumford and Sons were on the Pyramid stage for that.After a long weekend of surprises, parties and incredible performances, Glastonbury 2013 exceeded expectation. It is a weekend of escapism and come Monday morning, it is time to return to reality.
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Bestival
Celebrating their 10th Birthday, Bestival had a huge bill of acts playing this September including Fatboy Slim who opened Friday night with his ‘big birthday bash’. We were incredibly excited when we got our invited to join in the festivities, and as well as the incredible headliners we discovered some new, amazing artists. Rob da Band and Josie have got a really good thing going here, a true festival.
Thursday
I’m used to going to festivals where a three hour queue just to get your car into the car park is considered the norm, however, at Bestival they seem to have it down to a fine art. We were pleasantly surprised when within 10-15 minutes of arriving in the vicinity we were all parked up with the trolley loaded with camping gear and journalism cider. Perhaps Bestival should be in charge of the UK’s motorways? I sound like my dad now. Just being on the site, you can already feel the love for this festival and everyone’s excitement for what can almost be guaranteed the best festival of the season. Again there was a mix of people there, mainly Uni students and people in their late twenties. I was very pleased to learn that there are very few, if any under 17s there as this prevented the feeling of being sardines in a crowd and hardly any cup-pee was thrown though we did witness a very civilised and innocent act of some ‘used beer’ accidentally being poured down the back of a very understanding girl’s welly. Having never seen Nottingham’s own Dog-is-Dead we took this opportunity to see what the band was really about, and my god can they put on a show and bring in a crowd! It was amazing to see the amount of people there saying they had seen them 2-3 times, and that knew all their words. It really brought home the fact of just how popular a band they were. If you get the chance, make sure you see them. As with any festival the music didn’t stop after the headliner was done, but dance music carried on in a number of places until 5am. My personal favourite was the Wagamama’s Tent.
Yes, they can DJ just as well as they cook.
Friday
HMS Bestival’s opening was definitely one of the highlights. Rob da Banks tunes, two many T’s (MCs, talented beat boxers and rappers), the gay sailor and the queen. The cider we had was probably brought in with the thought in mind that she would be there. It was expensive and tasty enough for her. Fatboy Slim was the biggest disappointment of the weekend. The crowd was ridiculous and we spent the first 10 minutes wondering whether it was actually the guru himself playing or not. He didn’t play any of his classics that we all know and love, but house remixes of them all, as well as house songs in the charts that your chip-off-the-block DJ would play. He’s completely left his 90s roots behind and modernised himself to a very unwelcome crowd. All we wanted was to be praised right here, right now.
Saturday
This is when we first properly experienced the comedy tent, which beat the Latitude one hands down! Starting off with Late Night Gimp Fight – the ultimate vulgar skit group that were not afraid to get their ball sacks out of a Spiderman costume while running through the audience to save us from the baddies. When a group has the talent of being able to turn a 1D song to a serenade to a man of ‘we know you’re a paedophile’, you know they have an unfathomable talent. Bastille unsurprisingly bought in an incredibly large crowd at 2pm in the afternoon, and again unsurprisingly had a flawless performance with a flow of their energy into the crowd’s vibe, and feeding off it for their energy in the performance. Dan brought a surprisingly large amount of swag to his vocals, but if anything it was warmly welcomed by us crazy fans and enhanced his performance even more.
They threw another curveball at us with their penultimate cover song of ‘What would you Do’ by City High, which was one of those
‘OOOHHHHH THIS IS SICK!’ moments, simultaneously for a few thousand people. Not only as a live group are they incredible, but also Dan was nice enough to have a quick cuddle, chat and photo with us backstage before being whipped away by his manager. Snoop Dogg, as I’m sure everyone who wasn’t at the festival too will know, was the headliner for Saturday night. And my God can he headline! Never before have I witnessed so many massive doobs and blunts being smoked on stage at a festival, and encouraging everyone in the crowd who has one to light up. He is also the only man that could ever pull off wearing Adidas trackies, a leather jacket and gold chain while dedicating the song ‘I want to fuck you’ to ‘all the sexy ladies out there’ WHILE having a lap dance from 3 girls in lingerie during this song and blatently just watching them the whole time. And to top this all off, his last words to the crowd after an unforgettable performance was ‘smoke weed MUTHAFUCKAS!’ and then sauntering offstage to Bob Marley’s Jammin. What a man.
Sunday
There was very little going on during the day on Sunday compared to the madness that had just happened the day before, apart from the massive Hospitality takeover that was occurring at the Port, where the Queen had so kindly come to greet us all. Here Annie Mac spent 5 hours presenting classic acts like Nu:Logic, Danny Byrd, High Contrast and Fred V & Grafix who all kept the crowd going with their energy and the full light show even if rain was being ferociously shat at us from the sky all day long.
Hudson Taylor were a band we told you to watch out for in the Bestival previews, and we were certainly not disappointed! Fully embracing the HMS Bestival theme, Harry and Alfie entered the stage in full sailor attire and played a cover of ‘’I’m shipping up to Boston’ which you may not have heard of, but trust me you’ve heard it. Put it in YouTube and try not to pretend you’re a pirate. It felt like a homecoming seeing Hudson Taylor live, as they’ve provided the soundtrack for much of the last year of my life. Finally getting the chance to sing along with their heartfelt, story telling music was a moment I won’t forget. If you ever see November Sixteenth being advertised, do your utmost to avoid them. It was like being caught in a
mad weird weed engrossed alternative dance trance that we just could not escape, but knew we did not want to be there. Unless that’s your bag, in which case good luck. Despite having had the best festival I’ve ever been to, this was topped in a way I thought unimaginable when Elton John came balling onto stage and absolutely smashed his set after his band had set the scene for the evening ahead in a spectacular way. We were not only lucky enough to experience history in the making by being at Elton’s first festival in Britain since 1969, but to be in a crowd where all generations were bought together by the love and knowledge of his music, and this wave of mellowed excitement was washed over us all. It was honestly breath taking, and by far the best musical performance I’ve seen from anyone in my long twenty years of life so far.
So if we’ve learnt three things from our time at the festival that is more than just a music festival its
1. Do not take your parents 2. Elton John is the biggest musical don Britain may have seen 3. SMOKE WEED MUTHAFUCKAAAAS by Mel Wade
Urban Outfitters Bleeker Spike Chain Necklace, £18 New Look – Lace up Wedge Ankle Boots, £22.99
Topshop Jacquard Full Swing Skirt, £35
Get their look!
H&M Basic Vest Top, White £3.99 *Wear it as a vest top, or cut it into a crop top!
Lianne La Havas
The talented Lianne LaHavas’, soulful charm burst onto the scene in 2012 with her debut album “Is Your Love Big Enough?” along with it she brought her classic style mixing modern with a hint of nostalgia. Here we have a look taken from her personal Instagram account during Summer ’13.
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Topman Long sleeve flannel shirt, Indigo £30
Orlando Weeks The Maccabees did not play many festivals this year, but they did play Latitude and lead singer Orlando Weeks sported a casual look. Taken from the Official Latitude website, he is on stage at the festival. Photography by Pooneh Ghana
Levis Jeans- 511 Slim Jeans, Midnight Oil £55.90 *Or just go on ASOS and get some of theirs for £30.
by Jess Salter
We caught up with Joey, the Manager of Nottingham’s critically acclaimed independent record store, the Music Exchange, where he told us all about the store and what makes it so special to Nottingham. Nottingham is known for its independent shopping and close community, therefore this is the first in our features on bringing you information on Local Independent businesses in Nottingham. Hi Joey, for someone who has never heard of the Music Exchange can you describe what it is all about? The Music Exchange is an independent record shop specialising in vinyl. We are a social enterprise who offer volunteer opportunities to all Nottingham residents.
We stock new releases and classic reissues as well as having a massive local artists section of vinyl and CDs that we stock commission free in support of the labels, bands and artists we work with. We also stock books, fanzines, t-shirts and loads more music related merch and gig tickets for which we don’t charge a booking fee.
We opened just under 4 years ago and have now grown to become a focal point for the local music scene, this year we have been nominated for independent record store of the year at the Music Week awards and we have been chosen by the Observer as one of the country's best independents. We have also had an opportunity to collaborate with Sir Paul Smith on pop up shops in his London and Japanese stores.
The Music Exchange is not just a standard record store as is a vital contributor to the local community as it takes volunteers to work in the shop, as well as being part of the Framework charity. What type of volunteers do you have? Our volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds and all share a common love of music. At first The Music Exchange’s volunteer applications came from people who lived in supported housing but we soon realised that there were many unemployed or young people who would also benefit from the experience of volunteering at the shop. Our volunteer pool now covers the broad spectrum of Nottingham’s communities ranging from students, unemployed, part and full time workers who are all united by their love of music.
What can someone expect when they walk into the Music Exchange? We provide a warm and friendly environment to buy records in, all the staff have a great knowledge of music and love to spread their passion for new music. The team always have time to talk to you about new releases or up and coming gigs.
How does someone go about volunteering? Anyone can volunteer in the shop, there is a form available to download on our website or you can just email us directly for a form.
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Can you tell us about your collaboration and achievements with Framework? We started out as part of a Framework day centre, Handle Street which provided support and advice as well as meals, showers and washing machines to Nottingham’s homeless community. We are now part of Eve Trades which a group of social enterprise businesses ranging from coffee shops, painting & decorating, recording studios and bike repairs. It feels great to be part of something which is making a difference to so many people in Nottingham. How important is the conservation of Record Stores and their celebration with days like Record Store Day? We have seen the vinyl market increase massively over the time we have been open. Vinyl has been embraced again and I think that Record Store Day has had a lot to do with that. Its helped get the excitement and people back into independents and has shown a younger audience how wonderful records are. Students and young people are re-discovering and embracing vinyl, with an increase in its popularity in recent years, what is your reaction to this? It’s fantastic to have so many young people getting involved with the shop and the local music scene. Nottingham has always had a vibrant arts community and there are a lot of things going on here.
Are there any events coming up with the Music Exchange that you would like to inform our readers about? We have regular in-store events and we put on gigs too, the best way to keep up to date with events would be to look at our website or Facebook. We have an email sign up on Facebook to get updates on our gigs. Many of our readers are fresher’s, do you have any advice for the new students of Nottingham? Nottingham has so many different things going on and it’s a great city if you love music. Try and get involved with what's going on as its such a welcoming scene. Pop in and see us and have a chat about what's going on and we might be able to point you in the right direction. A big Thank you Joey for taking the time to talk to us. You can find the Music Exchange at 2 Stoney Street, Nottingham, NG1 1LG, in the heart of Lace Market. Visit their website themusicexchange.org.uk and www.evetrades.co.uk In the next issue, we will be chatting to the Independent clothing store Wild Clothing.
By Jess Salter
Images taken from Music Exchange website and Facebook page
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The Jebs
Fresh Fresh : Talent Talent
The Mic catches up with one of the latest bands to be walking through Nottingham's doors. With the rising success of young bands like our feature band, London Grammar, there’s never been a more perfect time to rummage through new talent and try and find something special. Just like London Grammar, indie band The Jebs are fairly new on the scene, and with drummer Kieran Magill starting as a fresher here at UoN this year, their name could be just a few years away from becoming a boasting right as Nottingham alumni. Having played alongside bands such as The Milk, Wolf Alice and touring giants Palma Violets, The Jebs are starting to make their mark on the music scene, selling out shows in their hometown of Bedford and recording their new EP. Young, energetic and full of promise, the four track EP has been worked on with the dab hands of producer David Leighton, whose roster has included the likes of Babyshambles and Tom Odell. Their sound will be a perfect addition to the Nottingham music scene, offering music with a youthful and raw edge to the indie-rock fans of venues and gig nights of places such as Rescue Rooms and complimenting the ever scene populated by locals such as Dog Is Dead. They are definitely something to look out for over the next couple of years in Nottingham and around the UK as they all go off to their university towns. We had a little word with Kieran to see how he felt about the band and starting uni.
How did the band get started? We started at school, 3 of us were playing for an A Level Music Performance. We had me (Kieran), our drummer, singing and not being bad on me, but it just was not sounding good. We'd heard Tom sing along to songs outside at parties and stuff so we called him in last minute just to jump on a couple of Arctic Monkeys tracks with us. From then we knew something could be made of this, so we found ourselves a proper bassist, Sonny, as Billy is a guitarist at heart. We then booked out first gig in the February of 2012 and from then it's been a whirlwind on our local scene.
How are you planning to keep things going at uni? Well only 3 of the 5 of us are actually going to uni, but were gonna try treat it like a long distance relationship with a girl were really into, haha. We're gonna be up and down finding places to jam and play on our uni scenes, like, the boys keep pestering me about trying to get a support slot at Rescue Rooms or Rock City! But were taking uni as a chance to show our music to a wider range of people from all over the country, so it's definitely a chance to expand, and were hoping to do that armed with our new EP. Who would you say your musical influences are? For starters we would say Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, you know, all the usual indie bands that we grew up with - but coming from Bedford and having such a huge live music scene, we've found the bands coming up around us like The Wholls and The Scruff have really nspired us to keep going! However on the performance side of things, we have found playing with bands like Palma Violets, Wolf Alice and The Milk has really influenced the way we write out music, as we think "how will this sound live? Will it have enough energy to get the crowd going?". We've noticed that the way a crowd reacts to your tunes can boost the way you play tenfold! What are you most looking forward to about student life? Well Freshers, standard! But I dunno, I personally am most excited about just having new experiences and people to write about, as that's the best way I find to write. Just watching a situation unfolding in front of you and thinking, "that's pretty jokes, I could write a song about that" is already how I write, so the fact that this will be going on all around me will make my mind almost explode with lyric ideas. Also the influence from different types of music like house and reggae and anything that may be playing in my halls, I think will broaden my outlook on how to structure songs and patterns of lyrics and riffs. But I can't wait to just dive into the Notts music scene! What has been your best moment since the Jebs formed? As a group we definitely found selling out our local music venue merely a year after our first pub gig to be out favourite moment. To see a 300 strong crowd singing along to your songs, and knowing that they're there for you, it's exhilarating! But we got up after having 3 support bands from the local scene play, and everything just erupted! So much so we had to break for an acoustic song just so we could catch our breath! However a close second is definitely when we were offered a support slot for Palma Violets. I mean it was crazy! We met Chilli Jenson! They were such awesome guys as well, so down to earth, even though they were becoming one of the biggest indie bands in Britain! They topped off the whole experience for us as we stepped off stage and they were standing there shaking our hands and hugging us, telling us how they hadn't seen a support band on their tour so far make a crowd buzz like that! It was such a good moment! Thirdly was receiving our debut EP back from our producer and hearing how he made our racket sound so professional! It made us feel like all our hard work over the past 18 months had really paid off! By Kamiah Overaa
faking it What to do if you were born a little too late?
If you're anything like me, there's always gonna be a little bit of musical heartbreak in your life. I love music and exploring everything new on the scene, but really I spend most of my listening time rummaging around in the 80s and earlier. Since my love of music, gigs and the genres I'm into have always been massively influenced by what my parents played while I was growing up, there's a fair few bands I absolutely adore, but have to face the fact that I'm just never going to see them live. It's not all misery though, some are still going strong and I was lucky enough to catch The Cure at Reading Festival in 2012 – the feeling of seeing that wild hair and slumped guitar Boys Don't Cry silhouette emerging from the smoke in the flesh was something incredible. But there are other loves of mine that I'll never see. The ever gorgeous Electric Warrior Marc Bolan, for one. Arguably the founder of glam rock, he died tragically in a car accident in 1977. Or Elvis Presley, a man who made an unfathomable mark on the development of rock-n-roll. There's a few bands that I'll never see, frustratingly really, as they're all alive and well. Namely, I'm mainly thinking of, the gladioli-swinging Mancunian legends The Smiths, who, let's face it, will take their disagreements to the grave with them. But what if there's an outlet for us second or third generation fans? I'd never really considered it before, but I'm warming more and more to the idea of tribute bands. I'm not taking some shoddy pub cover band, but the meticulous musicians that really make a sort-of career out of being their idols. It's an art, really, if you see these bands at work – they live the band they're impersonating while they're on stage, having genuinely studied how the original artist moved, spoke and interacted when they performed. Suddenly my longing to see Bolan live is less of a dream. Too-Rex describe themselves as “the definitive Marc Bolan/T.Rex tribute band” and their huge tour schedule and numerous reviews praising their performances make it hard to disagree with them. A quick scan of YouTube and I am quite literally jaw-dropped at how spot on the vocals are, the costuming, the song rehearsed down to a tee and every facial expression as if it's Bolan himself. Perhaps I'm no expert, but if you played the audio to me I'd never have guessed it wasn't T.Rex themselves. Even more excitedly for me, there's a band touring right now called The Smyths. Quiffed up to the nines and armed with that coy, twirly dancing Morrissey pulls out of the bag even now, The Smyths are honestly a fantastic example of tribute bands doing it right. Of course their YouTube videos are full of a fair few people pulling them apart (what else would you expect if you mix together Mozza fans and the internet?), but the majority of reviews are glowing. The Smiths are a superbly difficult band to imitate, with complex riffs and a richly developed unique sound, so to say The Smyths have pulled it off would be an understatement – just search for their Bigmouth Strikes Again video and let the absolute insanity of the crowd show you how well they're doing. There's tons of tribute bands out there; Think Floyd, Krazy Nights, Jean Genie, Oasiz and tons more. Whatever you like, there's probably one you could give a go. I couldn't honestly tell you about the quality of one from the next, but at a fraction of the price of the real thing, why not give them a go? And why not live a little bit of live music that you were born just a bit too late for?
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By Kamiah Overaa
Come along to our first social of the year! Get to know the committee and the rest of the members behind The Mic. Cheap drinks, free entry and the best in alternative anthems – Don't miss out!