Best of Glastonbury
by Dan Burton
Glastonbury once again provided music lovers with a fantastic show. This year saw a lot of variety, with a mixture of artists including Metallica, Kasabian, Ed Sheeran and many, many more. But who were the ones who really stood out and left the fans begging for more? Here are my top three performances.
Metallica
Probably the most controversial headliners ever to grace the Glastonbury stage, heavy metal legends Metallica answered their critics and doubters with an amazing set of their best hits. In the weeks leading up to Glastonbury, many felt that a heavy metal band did not suit the mainstream image that Glastonbury has become famous for, and lead singer James Hetfield’s criticised support of bear hunting also marred the band’s preparation.
Despite the less than perfect build-up, Metallica soon showed the eager crowd why they are so influential in the metal world. Their set featured some of their greatest known songs including ‘Enter Sandman’ and ‘One’, both of which got the crowd jumping. Hetfield also got them engaged with his constant cries of “Glasto” and “I need your help”, to which the crowd duly obliged.
Metallica might not have been everybody’s choice to headline Glastonbury, but they definitely won over their critics. Their energy and interactions with the crowd made them one of the highlights of the festival.
Ed Sheeran
Always a favourite wherever he plays, Suffolk’s treasure Ed Sheeran set The Pyramid Stage into a frenzy with a set compiled of his latest and greatest hits. With his trusty guitar, Ed Sheeran produced one of the stand-out performances at this year’s festival.
Like Metallica, Ed Sheeran got the crowd involved during the performance of his new song ‘Sing’, getting them to sing the catchy chorus whilst spinning items of their clothing above their heads. ‘Sing’ itself was the energetic conclusion to his set and the hundreds and thousands of fans were certainly not left disappointed.
Glastonbury also gave Ed Sheeran the opportunity to showcase his new album ‘X’. The album has already received rave reviews and has jumped to the summit of the US Billboard 200 Chart. What is more impressive, however, is that Ed Sheeran’s performance resulted in a 195% increase in streaming, according to Spotify. Clearly, Ed Sheeran’s popularity is growing still further.
Blondie
It proved to be a very happy 40th birthday for American punk-rockers Blondie. Whilst some felt that they had lost some of the power they possessed in their heyday, Blondie and lead singer Debbie Harry still managed to please the expectant crowd with a set of their greatest hits and a cover version of ‘Hollywood Babylon’ by Misfits.
It seems only yesterday that Blondie first burst onto the music scene. Forty years later, they are still going and have a special album ‘Blondie 4(0) Ever’ out to commemorate their anniversary. From ‘Atomic’ to the always entertaining ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, Blondie proved their pedigree as one of the biggest bands of their era.
Glastonbury’s Other Stage was treated to many of Blondie’s classics, and the crowd were behind the band all the way. It was a treat to see one of the greatest rock bands doing what they do best; entertaining.
Once again, Glastonbury was a great highlight for the thousands of music fans that camped in the fields and braved the elements. With so many great acts at this year’s festival, what can Glastonbury 2015 do to match it? Time will tell.
by Dan Burton
Glastonbury once again provided music lovers with a fantastic show. This year saw a lot of variety, with a mixture of artists including Metallica, Kasabian, Ed Sheeran and many, many more. But who were the ones who really stood out and left the fans begging for more? Here are my top three performances.
Metallica
Probably the most controversial headliners ever to grace the Glastonbury stage, heavy metal legends Metallica answered their critics and doubters with an amazing set of their best hits. In the weeks leading up to Glastonbury, many felt that a heavy metal band did not suit the mainstream image that Glastonbury has become famous for, and lead singer James Hetfield’s criticised support of bear hunting also marred the band’s preparation.
Despite the less than perfect build-up, Metallica soon showed the eager crowd why they are so influential in the metal world. Their set featured some of their greatest known songs including ‘Enter Sandman’ and ‘One’, both of which got the crowd jumping. Hetfield also got them engaged with his constant cries of “Glasto” and “I need your help”, to which the crowd duly obliged.
Metallica might not have been everybody’s choice to headline Glastonbury, but they definitely won over their critics. Their energy and interactions with the crowd made them one of the highlights of the festival.
Ed Sheeran
Always a favourite wherever he plays, Suffolk’s treasure Ed Sheeran set The Pyramid Stage into a frenzy with a set compiled of his latest and greatest hits. With his trusty guitar, Ed Sheeran produced one of the stand-out performances at this year’s festival.
Like Metallica, Ed Sheeran got the crowd involved during the performance of his new song ‘Sing’, getting them to sing the catchy chorus whilst spinning items of their clothing above their heads. ‘Sing’ itself was the energetic conclusion to his set and the hundreds and thousands of fans were certainly not left disappointed.
Glastonbury also gave Ed Sheeran the opportunity to showcase his new album ‘X’. The album has already received rave reviews and has jumped to the summit of the US Billboard 200 Chart. What is more impressive, however, is that Ed Sheeran’s performance resulted in a 195% increase in streaming, according to Spotify. Clearly, Ed Sheeran’s popularity is growing still further.
Blondie
It proved to be a very happy 40th birthday for American punk-rockers Blondie. Whilst some felt that they had lost some of the power they possessed in their heyday, Blondie and lead singer Debbie Harry still managed to please the expectant crowd with a set of their greatest hits and a cover version of ‘Hollywood Babylon’ by Misfits.
It seems only yesterday that Blondie first burst onto the music scene. Forty years later, they are still going and have a special album ‘Blondie 4(0) Ever’ out to commemorate their anniversary. From ‘Atomic’ to the always entertaining ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, Blondie proved their pedigree as one of the biggest bands of their era.
Glastonbury’s Other Stage was treated to many of Blondie’s classics, and the crowd were behind the band all the way. It was a treat to see one of the greatest rock bands doing what they do best; entertaining.
Once again, Glastonbury was a great highlight for the thousands of music fans that camped in the fields and braved the elements. With so many great acts at this year’s festival, what can Glastonbury 2015 do to match it? Time will tell.
Albums to look forward to: July 2014
by Daisay Johnson
There have already been some incredible releases so far this year, and as we enter the second half of 2014, there are still a lot of highly anticipated albums to come. We’ve compiled a list of a few upcoming albums for this month that you should look forward to.
*Although please note that it’s still possible that some artists could change their release dates in the weeks leading up to their album releases. *
by Daisay Johnson
There have already been some incredible releases so far this year, and as we enter the second half of 2014, there are still a lot of highly anticipated albums to come. We’ve compiled a list of a few upcoming albums for this month that you should look forward to.
*Although please note that it’s still possible that some artists could change their release dates in the weeks leading up to their album releases. *
AUTOBAHN
Title: Autobahn 2
Label: Tough Love Records
Format: LP, DD
Release Date: 7th July
Leeds based post-punk quintet, Autobahn have already premiered two tracks from the upcoming EP, ‘Ulcer’ and ‘Unhinged’. The songs are raw, tough, with an air of mystery, and their post-punk influence is vividly clear. If these singles are anything to go by, ‘2’ will be an exciting post-punk trip.
Title: Autobahn 2
Label: Tough Love Records
Format: LP, DD
Release Date: 7th July
Leeds based post-punk quintet, Autobahn have already premiered two tracks from the upcoming EP, ‘Ulcer’ and ‘Unhinged’. The songs are raw, tough, with an air of mystery, and their post-punk influence is vividly clear. If these singles are anything to go by, ‘2’ will be an exciting post-punk trip.
MANIC STREET PREACHERS
Title: Futurology
Label: Columbia Records
Format: CD, LP, DD
Release Date: 7th July
After an incredible performance last weekend at Glastonbury, the Welsh alt-rock band are set to release their 12th studio album next week. Yesterday, Manic Street Preachers released a 23-minute-long sampler in support of the new album on YouTube, which features visuals created by Kieran Evans. The album already has high reviews from Q, NME, Drowned In Sound and Uncut.
Title: Futurology
Label: Columbia Records
Format: CD, LP, DD
Release Date: 7th July
After an incredible performance last weekend at Glastonbury, the Welsh alt-rock band are set to release their 12th studio album next week. Yesterday, Manic Street Preachers released a 23-minute-long sampler in support of the new album on YouTube, which features visuals created by Kieran Evans. The album already has high reviews from Q, NME, Drowned In Sound and Uncut.
LA ROUX
Title: Trouble in Paradise
Label: Polydor
Format: CD, LP, DD
Release Date: 21st July
Following the success of their debut self-titled album in 2009 and their compilation album ‘Sidetracked’ in 2010, La Roux is back with the band’s second studio album.
La Roux no longer consists of a synthpop duo, due to the departure of producer Ben Langmaid earlier this year, leaving Elly Jackson as the sole official member of La Roux. In an interview with Rolling Stone last month, Jackson said that compared to the first album, the new record is “a lot warmer, it's a lot sexier…I would say it's musically cheekier. And I think it's got a lot more groove because it's all kind of performance based.”
Title: Trouble in Paradise
Label: Polydor
Format: CD, LP, DD
Release Date: 21st July
Following the success of their debut self-titled album in 2009 and their compilation album ‘Sidetracked’ in 2010, La Roux is back with the band’s second studio album.
La Roux no longer consists of a synthpop duo, due to the departure of producer Ben Langmaid earlier this year, leaving Elly Jackson as the sole official member of La Roux. In an interview with Rolling Stone last month, Jackson said that compared to the first album, the new record is “a lot warmer, it's a lot sexier…I would say it's musically cheekier. And I think it's got a lot more groove because it's all kind of performance based.”
COMMON
Title: Nobody’s Smiling
Label: Artium/Def Jam
Format: CD, LP, DD
Release Date: 22nd July
Award-winning rapper/actor Common is releasing his eighth studio album. Nobody’s Smiling was initially started as an EP, but Common decided it should have a bigger concept behind it.
Earlier this year, he told Revolt, "We came up with this concept 'Nobody's Smiling.' It was really a thought that came about because of all the violence in Chicago," he says. "It happens in Chicago, but it's happening around the world in many ways." He continues, "We were talking about the conditions of what's happening, when I say 'nobody's smiling.' But it's really a call to action."
Other releases coming out this month include:
Morrissey ‘World Peace Is None of Your Business’ – 14 July
Honeyblood ‘Honeyblood’ – 14 July
Woman’s Hour ‘Conversations’ – 14 July
Jenny Lewis ‘Voyager’ – 28th July
Title: Nobody’s Smiling
Label: Artium/Def Jam
Format: CD, LP, DD
Release Date: 22nd July
Award-winning rapper/actor Common is releasing his eighth studio album. Nobody’s Smiling was initially started as an EP, but Common decided it should have a bigger concept behind it.
Earlier this year, he told Revolt, "We came up with this concept 'Nobody's Smiling.' It was really a thought that came about because of all the violence in Chicago," he says. "It happens in Chicago, but it's happening around the world in many ways." He continues, "We were talking about the conditions of what's happening, when I say 'nobody's smiling.' But it's really a call to action."
Other releases coming out this month include:
Morrissey ‘World Peace Is None of Your Business’ – 14 July
Honeyblood ‘Honeyblood’ – 14 July
Woman’s Hour ‘Conversations’ – 14 July
Jenny Lewis ‘Voyager’ – 28th July
Leaves’ Eyes – Ten Years Strong
by Dan Burton
Gothic metal band Leaves’ Eyes were formed in 2003 and made their entrance in 2004. Since then they have left audiences in awe and listeners astounded by their talent. In recognition of a decade of musical brilliance, the band will headline the Metal Female Voices Fest in October this year and will also have a specially adapted stage for their performance.
So how did it all begin? In 2003, lead singer Liv Kristine Espenæs (or Liv Kristine as she is better known) met guitarist Alexander Krull when she was vocalist with another metal band, Theatre of Tragedy. At the time, Krull was the lead guitarist with German band Atrocity and the pair married in 2003. In August of that year, Leaves’ Eyes was formed with Krull’s fellow Atrocity band members and Liv Kristine as the lead vocalist. The new band’s debut album, ‘Lovelorn’, was released in 2004 and the band are still going strong with their 2013 release ‘Symphonies of the Night’.
‘Lovelorn’ itself, as its name suggests, is quite an emotive album. The opening track, ‘Norwegian Lovesong’, is a beautifully constructed heartfelt description of Liv Kristine’s homeland and this trend continues throughout the album. It is very easy to see why Liv Kristine has become one of the most familiar and recognisable voices in metal; her descriptive lyrics, coupled with her operatic style, make for a great combination.
In ‘Ocean’s Way’, Krull’s edgier vocals come into play and combine brilliantly well with Liv Kristine’s. In a sense, ‘Ocean’s Way’, along with ‘For Amelie’, summarises the entire album; there are many references to love and sorrow and the way the two vocalists deliver the poignant lyrics (such as the lines “Why don't you love me? Enough to stay with me,” from ‘For Amelie’) add a new level of emotion.
‘Lovelorn’s namesake track is a masterful display of emotion and carefully created lyrics. In the beginning of the track, Liv Kristine says that she has “one crystal inside my lonely heart. You light up my life, I embrace your light,” which is just one of many examples of her creativity. It is this craft and this emotion that makes ‘Lovelorn’ the great album that it is.
From their 2004 debut, Leaves’ Eyes appear to have gone from strength to strength. Their latest album, ‘Symphonies of the Night’, is just as impressive as ‘Lovelorn’. There is a major contrast in style between the two releases; whilst ‘Lovelorn’ appears to be more emotive and mellow, ‘Symphonies of the Night’ has a much edgier style. The opening number, ‘Hell to the Heavens’, is a fast symphonic song in which the two styles of the vocalists merge once again and create one of Leaves’ Eyes’ best known tracks to date.
Even though Leaves’ Eyes venture into edgier and heavier material in ‘Symphonies of the Night’, the album still possesses the same emotive lyrics that fans have become accustomed to. The spine-chilling ballads ‘Saint Cecelia’ and ‘Nightshade’ have the same melancholy feel that ‘For Amelie’ and ‘Norwegian Lovesong’ have in ‘Lovelorn’. This variety and demonstration of various styles means that Leaves’ Eyes have become a versatile band.
With their headline show ‘Hymns of a Decade’ fast approaching, it is important to remember the music that has made Leaves’ Eyes the force that they are. With new material and a new album on the horizon, there is every chance that we can expect so much more from this exceptional band.
by Dan Burton
Gothic metal band Leaves’ Eyes were formed in 2003 and made their entrance in 2004. Since then they have left audiences in awe and listeners astounded by their talent. In recognition of a decade of musical brilliance, the band will headline the Metal Female Voices Fest in October this year and will also have a specially adapted stage for their performance.
So how did it all begin? In 2003, lead singer Liv Kristine Espenæs (or Liv Kristine as she is better known) met guitarist Alexander Krull when she was vocalist with another metal band, Theatre of Tragedy. At the time, Krull was the lead guitarist with German band Atrocity and the pair married in 2003. In August of that year, Leaves’ Eyes was formed with Krull’s fellow Atrocity band members and Liv Kristine as the lead vocalist. The new band’s debut album, ‘Lovelorn’, was released in 2004 and the band are still going strong with their 2013 release ‘Symphonies of the Night’.
‘Lovelorn’ itself, as its name suggests, is quite an emotive album. The opening track, ‘Norwegian Lovesong’, is a beautifully constructed heartfelt description of Liv Kristine’s homeland and this trend continues throughout the album. It is very easy to see why Liv Kristine has become one of the most familiar and recognisable voices in metal; her descriptive lyrics, coupled with her operatic style, make for a great combination.
In ‘Ocean’s Way’, Krull’s edgier vocals come into play and combine brilliantly well with Liv Kristine’s. In a sense, ‘Ocean’s Way’, along with ‘For Amelie’, summarises the entire album; there are many references to love and sorrow and the way the two vocalists deliver the poignant lyrics (such as the lines “Why don't you love me? Enough to stay with me,” from ‘For Amelie’) add a new level of emotion.
‘Lovelorn’s namesake track is a masterful display of emotion and carefully created lyrics. In the beginning of the track, Liv Kristine says that she has “one crystal inside my lonely heart. You light up my life, I embrace your light,” which is just one of many examples of her creativity. It is this craft and this emotion that makes ‘Lovelorn’ the great album that it is.
From their 2004 debut, Leaves’ Eyes appear to have gone from strength to strength. Their latest album, ‘Symphonies of the Night’, is just as impressive as ‘Lovelorn’. There is a major contrast in style between the two releases; whilst ‘Lovelorn’ appears to be more emotive and mellow, ‘Symphonies of the Night’ has a much edgier style. The opening number, ‘Hell to the Heavens’, is a fast symphonic song in which the two styles of the vocalists merge once again and create one of Leaves’ Eyes’ best known tracks to date.
Even though Leaves’ Eyes venture into edgier and heavier material in ‘Symphonies of the Night’, the album still possesses the same emotive lyrics that fans have become accustomed to. The spine-chilling ballads ‘Saint Cecelia’ and ‘Nightshade’ have the same melancholy feel that ‘For Amelie’ and ‘Norwegian Lovesong’ have in ‘Lovelorn’. This variety and demonstration of various styles means that Leaves’ Eyes have become a versatile band.
With their headline show ‘Hymns of a Decade’ fast approaching, it is important to remember the music that has made Leaves’ Eyes the force that they are. With new material and a new album on the horizon, there is every chance that we can expect so much more from this exceptional band.
Safer Gigs for Women?
by Daisay Johnson
by Daisay Johnson
Too many women have been groped and assaulted at concerts. Time and time again we hear of how women have had to spend the entire duration of a concert trying to get themselves away from creeping hands and avoid people who know that nobody will hear them over the loud music.
During the Rockfest festival in Kansas City, Missouri last March, Staind were performing. Singer Aaron Lewis saw that an underage female crowdsurfer was being “molested” by men in the audience. He stopped the concert, and yelled at the men, telling them to stop groping her and they stopped.
During the Rockfest festival in Kansas City, Missouri last March, Staind were performing. Singer Aaron Lewis saw that an underage female crowdsurfer was being “molested” by men in the audience. He stopped the concert, and yelled at the men, telling them to stop groping her and they stopped.
The video was recorded by a fan in the audience. (The video contains NSFW language)
Violence like this has been called out many times. The amount of rapes at Woodstock 1999 prompted Adam Horovitz aka Ad-Rock (Beastie Boys) to speak at the MTV VMAs during his award acceptance speech, about the issue and asked the room full of musicians to know how to handle these situations in order to ‘make change happen’. Since then, there has been a lot of movement to ensure that there is more safety at concerts and festivals, but there’s still a lot more the venues and performers can do. |
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For instance, ensuring that venue staff are trained to recognise assaults and intervene as needed. Even recently, there have been many instances in which female musicians and performers at have been assaulted at their own gigs.
In April, hip-hop artist Iggy Azalea spoke about how fans at her shows had tried to assault her. “Buying my album for $12 doesn’t mean you get to finger me when I come to your city.” Florence Welch, lead singer of Florence and the Machine, broke down on stage at a gig in 2010 after being sexually assaulted during the band’s performance in Leeds. Lady Gaga was licked and groped by fans in 2010.
Courtney Love stopped stage-diving and wrote Hole’s ‘Asking For It’ after a show in 1991, where she jumped into the crowd and by the time she got back up onto the stage, her dress and underwear had been torn off, her breasts had been groped and members of the crowd had put their fingers inside of her. In a recent interview with Thequietus, she says, “I got sick of the rape of it. Why do guys do it and come back with their clothes on, and I can't do it and keep my clothes on?”
Riot Grrrl, the punk feminism movement of the 1990s brought attention to these issues, highlighting that this behaviour was unacceptable. Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of Bikini Kill started instructing all girls attending Bikini Kill concerts to move to the front, sparking a movement for female-friendly gigs.
Because of the violence, many artists have had to increase their security, for their own protection and have stopped stage-diving. But the issue is that female performers shouldn’t have to stop stage-diving, people should be able to have fun without groping like this. Why is it that people in the crowd feel the need to assault the artist?
Artists have long been trying to break down barriers between themselves and their fans. Social media has been a successful way to communicate freely and directly to fans, yet it is still too dangerous for female artists to physically cross these barriers at concerts. Unfortunately, some people just can’t keep their hands to themselves.
In April, hip-hop artist Iggy Azalea spoke about how fans at her shows had tried to assault her. “Buying my album for $12 doesn’t mean you get to finger me when I come to your city.” Florence Welch, lead singer of Florence and the Machine, broke down on stage at a gig in 2010 after being sexually assaulted during the band’s performance in Leeds. Lady Gaga was licked and groped by fans in 2010.
Courtney Love stopped stage-diving and wrote Hole’s ‘Asking For It’ after a show in 1991, where she jumped into the crowd and by the time she got back up onto the stage, her dress and underwear had been torn off, her breasts had been groped and members of the crowd had put their fingers inside of her. In a recent interview with Thequietus, she says, “I got sick of the rape of it. Why do guys do it and come back with their clothes on, and I can't do it and keep my clothes on?”
Riot Grrrl, the punk feminism movement of the 1990s brought attention to these issues, highlighting that this behaviour was unacceptable. Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of Bikini Kill started instructing all girls attending Bikini Kill concerts to move to the front, sparking a movement for female-friendly gigs.
Because of the violence, many artists have had to increase their security, for their own protection and have stopped stage-diving. But the issue is that female performers shouldn’t have to stop stage-diving, people should be able to have fun without groping like this. Why is it that people in the crowd feel the need to assault the artist?
Artists have long been trying to break down barriers between themselves and their fans. Social media has been a successful way to communicate freely and directly to fans, yet it is still too dangerous for female artists to physically cross these barriers at concerts. Unfortunately, some people just can’t keep their hands to themselves.