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Leaning on the barrier at the front row of a Mcfly concert is not somewhere I ever pictured I would be, but there I was and as the trio ventured out to the tones of YMCA it was clear that I was going to enjoy it. For me Mcfly epitomise everything great about festivals. They are there to enjoy it and more to the point you’re gonna enjoy it. “Who got laid last night?” asked their bass player… |
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For me festivals fit into a number of brackets. You’ve got the raucous end of the spectrum with T in the Park – full of inebriated Scots having a ball and puking everywhere, through to the mystical Glastonbury – Hippies, circus acts and all that jazz. Weston Park's V, sits somewhere in the middle. If you had to pick one word to describe V it would be ‘nice’. The situ is great – smack bang in the middle of country, there’s a balanced mix of ‘beered-up’ revellers and families which makes for a great vibe and if the weathers good – as it was this weekend, and there’s a decent line-up (hey – it’s organised by Mr Branson – it’s gonna be a good line up!!) then you really are geared up for a ‘bostin’ weekend. |
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Tonight’s concert is in aid of the charity Casa Alianza, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a registered charity in Britain. Casa Alianza is an international charity that works in the defence and rehabilitation of street children in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. The evening has been organised by the support act, Eddy Morton and his wife, Trina and Suzanne Vega is donating her entire fee for this one off benefit show to the charity, so there are numerous buckets around for the audience to give money to if they wish. |
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You can't argue the fact that the Give It A Name tours certainly give new bands some much-needed exposure, and bring some different experiences to the audience. Tonight's lineup - VersaEmerge, Lights, Whole Wheat Bread and In This Moment - couldn't be more diverse, which as far as I'm concerned can only be a good thing. |
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James’ opening gambit was ‘The Only Night’ the opening track of James’ 2nd album ‘Songs for You, Truths for Me’, a lively track which announced Morrison’s intent to the greatly receptive packed house. It was going to be a lively night. He then sauntered through his back catalogue of modern day classics such as ‘You Give Me Something’ and soon to be hits like ‘Nothing Ever Hurt Like You’. Halfway through the set he was joined on stage by local girl Deborah Brown for a rendition of ‘Broken Strings’, much to the delight of the Birmingham contingent. The Brummy lass did a more than adequate job of emulating Miss Furtado as the other part of the duet. |
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The sight of The View finally gracing the stage is greeted by a deafening roar of anticipation, only heightened as bassist Keiren Webster shouts down the mic: “how the fuck are you?!” After an intro track which would not be out of place in a monastery, they move straight into first song ‘Glass Smash’ and the crowd get their first dose of front-man Kyle Falconer’s unique and unabashedly Scottish voice... |
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I got to the venue at 7 o clock sharp, in anticipation to get to the front. Something was telling me that tonight was going to be pretty special, and that I wouldn’t want to miss a second of it. I’ve seen the Pigeon Detectives enough times before to know that they put on an energetic live show, but could they keep coming back with more? Surely there’s only so much a band could do, but tonight pure loyalty was dragging me in... |
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This summer, Vampire Weekend have provided the soundtrack to rained-off, middle-class barbeques up and down the country, as well as playing to their share of large festival crowds. I went to this gig with a feeling of curiosity rather than any expectation. Although I think their album is fine as background music, I couldn't conceive of a couple of thousand people packed into a venue getting all that excited about them. |
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I arrived at the Wulfrun just in time to see the end of Wild Youth’s set. If you aren’t aware of these guys, they are 4 teenagers from the West Midlands with possibly the most ridiculous hair you’ve ever seen on teenage boys. With a style that’s a cross between The New York Dolls and Towers of London, they are an extremely distinctive group. To be honest their music isn’t my cup of tea, but by the rapturous applause and whooping, they seem to have made an impression on... |
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The Archives hail from the Black Country, and the vocalist looked much like he wished he hadn't left the area as he spent the entire set looking either at the ceiling or his bandmates. Whilst the guitars were strong, each song merged into the next with barely a breath to differentiate between their largely generic indie-rock. The only real breaks in formation came with Never Gonna Be and, more notably, Rehabilitation, which instigated the first, barest ripple of movement in the crowd. |
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It’s great to be back here at the Queens Hall – a venue that really has made a hugely positive impact on the Nuneaton music scene. Once a town content to only book tribute bands, the Queens Hall has seen some impressive names pass through its doors over the past couple of years, hardly surprising given that the beer is cold and the music is loud! The latest ‘name’ to stop here; London rockers Voodoo Six. |
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This year's widely anticipated V Festival came aggressively straight for us. With her guns blazing, she blew away anyone who was lucky enough to get in to the 60,000 capacity arena. The success of the weekend truly rested on one act and their extraordinary ability to put on the most intense and simply awesome performance you may of ever witnessed. |
