(The official video has been removed from Youtube so this will have to do)
Tuesday 26 May 2009
This Sky Will Make Me Sick.
This will always be my favourite song; it never fails to make me cry whenever I hear it live.
Friday 22 May 2009
Uni Project: Amazing Baby At The Old Blue Last In Shoreditch
For our last university project of our first year (eeek) we were set the task to film and edit a 3 minute broadcast piece which was suitable for either MTV, daytime television or late night television.
Despite some initial set backs myself and my group were given the amazing opportunity to interview upcoming Brooklyn based band Amazing Baby (http://www.myspace.com/amazingbaby) just before their midnight set at the Old Blue Last pub in Shoreditch. Simon and Will were utterly amazing people to interview as they just had so much to say and were extremely entertaining so it was a shame we had to cut atleast 12 minutes of the interview out.
Although the feedback we recieved was a joke in my opinion; I am so amazingly proud of what we achieved in such a small amount of time and really think we managed to encapsulate the band and what they're all about within the short amount of time we had.
Despite some initial set backs myself and my group were given the amazing opportunity to interview upcoming Brooklyn based band Amazing Baby (http://www.myspace.com/amazingbaby) just before their midnight set at the Old Blue Last pub in Shoreditch. Simon and Will were utterly amazing people to interview as they just had so much to say and were extremely entertaining so it was a shame we had to cut atleast 12 minutes of the interview out.
Although the feedback we recieved was a joke in my opinion; I am so amazingly proud of what we achieved in such a small amount of time and really think we managed to encapsulate the band and what they're all about within the short amount of time we had.
Sunday 17 May 2009
Now My Heart Is Exposed Again.
I dont think I've gone a day without listening to this wonderful song since I first heard it a couple of weeks ago. Elena Tonra has got such a beautiful and stunning voice; and I think she's simply amazing. The lyrics to 'Bones' are gorgeous and probably strike a chord with many a teenage girl out there.
Saturday 9 May 2009
The Fall Through Your Fingers In Flakes.
I love a good quote and have a 50 page word document full of them so I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite quotes and ask you what your's are?
For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.
The Curious Tale Of Benjamin Button
"Go after her, fuck, don't sit there and wait for her to call, go after her because that's what you should do if you love someone, don't wait for them to give you a sign 'cause it might never come, don't let people happen to you, don't let me happen to you, or her, she's not a fucking television show or tornado. there are people i might have loved had they gotten on the airplane or run down the street after me or called me up drunk at four in the morning because they need to tell me right now and because they cannot regret this and i always thought i'd be the only one doing crazy things for people who would never give enough of a fuck to do it back or to act like idiots or be entirely vulnerable and honest and making someone fall in love with you is easy and flying 3000 miles on four days notice because you can't just sit there and do nothing and breathe into telephones is not everyone's idea of love but it is the way i can recognize it because that is what i do. go scream it and be with her in meaningful ways because that is beautiful and that is generous and that is what loving someone is, that is raw and that is unguarded, and that is all that is worth anything, really."
The Curious Tale Of Benjamin Button
"Go after her, fuck, don't sit there and wait for her to call, go after her because that's what you should do if you love someone, don't wait for them to give you a sign 'cause it might never come, don't let people happen to you, don't let me happen to you, or her, she's not a fucking television show or tornado. there are people i might have loved had they gotten on the airplane or run down the street after me or called me up drunk at four in the morning because they need to tell me right now and because they cannot regret this and i always thought i'd be the only one doing crazy things for people who would never give enough of a fuck to do it back or to act like idiots or be entirely vulnerable and honest and making someone fall in love with you is easy and flying 3000 miles on four days notice because you can't just sit there and do nothing and breathe into telephones is not everyone's idea of love but it is the way i can recognize it because that is what i do. go scream it and be with her in meaningful ways because that is beautiful and that is generous and that is what loving someone is, that is raw and that is unguarded, and that is all that is worth anything, really."
Harvey Milk
"Look, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person is still going to think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with."
Juno
'Im selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control, and at times hard to handle, but if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best'
Marylin Monroe
"I think there's something not right how people cannot like someone who they've never met, in my eyes i think that we might sometimes manage to forget that we are all sheep from the same flock, we're just all a bunch of kids and we listen to rock, isn't that what it's about? they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but people keep on judging each other and not for the things that should count. a friend of mine once said to me, there's two kinds of people in the world - it's not whether you're black or white, or if you're a boy or a girl, it doesn't matter if you're straight or gay, if you're a worker or the boss, it's just that some people are cunts, but thankfully most are not. i'll try to put a thought in all of your heads, they say that a stranger is just a friend, one that you haven't met. if you're out tonight and you meet someone, then don't hesitate to politely shake their hand and just say, alright mate. if that person turns out to be a cunt, then frankly nothing's lost, but as i said earlier, then the chances are they're not"
'There's Two Kind Of People' by James J Barrett
"You know how when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales, that fantasy of what your life would be, white dress, prince charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill. You would lie in bed at night and close your eyes and you had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close you could taste them, but eventually you grow up, one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to the things and people they can trust. But the thing is its hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely cause almost everyone has that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day they will open their eyes and it will come true. At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don't really expect it. Its like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. And its not so important happy ever after, just that its happy right now. See once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you , and once in a while people may even take your breath."
Anonymous
Kissing slowly. Loving deeply. Hearts Shatter. Walk less quickly. Admire the sunset. Envy the moon. Pain teaches us how much more we can take. 'Best Friends' means forever. Sometimes you look in the mirror just to watch the reflection cry. Life is no storybook. Grudges are a waste of time. Don't ever go with the flow. Mistakes are life. Sometimes your handle on life breaks. Never change yourself. No fear. Don't doubt. Ban insecurities. Get rid of inhibitions. Love never gets easier. Work like you don't need the money Love like you've never been hurt. Sing like no one is listening. Dance like no one is watching. Life is a record, I bounce to the beats. Know your friends, but know your enemies better. There's no "I" in TEAM; but there's a "ME". Don't depend on anyone other than yourself. There's such thing as a happy ending. Forever is a long time. People are a virus. Music is not life. Don't blame other people. Cause a scene. Beauty is overrated. Live like there's no tomorrow. Don't waste time on people who aren't worth it. Look around you. Never back down. Some things never get better. Strive. Don't count on anything. Respect yourself more than anything. Hold tight. Always go down fighting. You're not going to live forever. You can heal without forgetting. Wish on a star. Breathe deep. Close your eyes. Jump
Anonymous
"If for one minute you think youre better than a sixteen year old girl in a Green Day t-shirt, you are sorely mistaken. Remember the first time you went to a show and saw your favorite band. You wore their shirt, and sang every word. You didnt know anything about scene politics, haircuts, or what was cool. All you knew was that this music made you feel different from anyone you shared a locker with. Someone finally understood you. This is what music is about."
Gerard Way
'The best thing for me is when we're some 15 year old girl's favourite band in the world, we're the first concert she's ever been to. We just wanted to give her an album she could enjoy, rather than try and convince people that we're a real band and we're cool.'
McFly
Friday 8 May 2009
And You Found Me When I Couldnt Even See Myself.
After realising that I haven't posted a blog for ages I have decided that after a day of procasinating now would be the best time to update you all in the wonderful world of me.
As I said a few posts back one of my recent uni assignments was to create 1500 word profile on a band of my choice. After alot of set backs I finally got a reply from Hitchin based band Exit Avene who I have been a fan of for a long time. Since recieving my mark back yesterday which was a very pleasing B, I am now alot more confident in my abilities after originally thinking that I hadn't done very well at all.
Here is my final interview with the bands bassist Mitch:
The beginning was much like any other band; friends coming together with the intent of playing music and having a good time. However over the last couple of years Exit Avenue have gone from strength to strength and have rapidly built up a following of dedicated fans. With a hectic 2008 behind them Kerrang! caught up with the bands bassist Mitch to find out what 2009 holds for them and how exactly jet packs and bouncy castles fit into their future plans …
Hitchin based Exit Avenue formed in 2002 after members Nick [backing vocals/drums], Sam [drums/backing vocals] and Neil [lead vocals/electronics] met at school with Neil then going on to meet Mitch [bass/backing vocals] at a music group over the summer. Their 2007 release of E.P “A Thousand Odd Lines” put them on the map and gained them a substantial amount of commercial success which saw their fan base explode all across the country.
‘We owe everything to our fans! As far as I'm concerned we don't get a chance to say thank-you enough’. When Exit Avenue formed in 2002 they clearly weren’t expecting to achieve such a phenomenal amount of success without even releasing an album. But like many other bands of today this is a band that has proved that with the support of your fans behind you anything is possible. Since starting to tour a mere 3 years ago the boys have developed a relentless attitude to touring and have had the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Pendulum, Wolf Am I (previously Kill The Arcade), Enter Shikari and You Me At Six. This isn’t something that they take for granted and Mitch is eager to point out that they are extremely grateful for the opportunity to tour with anyone. Although given the chance Mitch wouldn’t turn down the chance to tour with Queen or James Brown ‘They were always the best performers out there. Even in my eyes’. But with all this touring can we expect anything else from the boys any time soon? Mitch explains ‘We have always got something exciting going on, but until anything is confirmed we don't try our luck, you'll just have to keep checking back because you never know. But what I can tell you for certain is that things are about to get hectic!’.
With their influences coming from old school bands such as Metallica, classic artists such as James Brown, Happy Hardcore, Nu-Metal and Hip Hop with a bit of Bob Marley thrown in for good measure it’s fair to say that Exit Avenue can probably cover every genre of music in some way or another. ‘We’re inspired by almost everything that we see around us and anything that we come across in our lives. We try to paint a picture with our lyrics so to speak’. With a pretty impressive collection of singles and their first two E.P’s ‘A Thousand Odd Lines’ and ‘Made For The Arcade’ selling impressively on ITunes, can we expect a debut album from Exit Avenue anytime soon? ‘We have been talking about bringing out an album, but I think we're just gonna keep recording and see how it goes, maybe instead of an album we might release a string of extend play E.P's instead’. Exit Avenue’s passion for making music and doing what they love for their job is rivalled only by their drive and hunger to better themselves as professional musicians although Mitch still can’t put his finger on what sets Exit Avenue apart from the rest. One thing’s he’s pretty damn sure of though is the bands onstage presence ‘We take pride in our stage show and the energy we can create, we love performing and we hope people like us performing as well’.
In some ways 2009 could be seen as a fresh start for Exit Avenue as things took a turn for the worst for the boys last year with a band member leaving and then seeming to do everything in their way to ruin the band. However Mitch is optimistic about this and points out ‘As the saying goes what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. So with this fresh outlook on life what are the bands plans for 2009? ‘Well the plan is to push ourselves as far as we can in the music industry without killing ourselves or anyone else and just to have fun while we are doing it. We don't know what to expect by the end of 2009 but we will be grateful for anything that we get done and get chance to do’.
Having the opportunity to be in a band with 4 of your best mates and travel the world must be one of the best feelings in the world right? Mitch agrees but also believes that the buzz Exit Avenue receive from their army of fans is pretty amazing too; ‘No drug can even come close to how amazing that sensation is and how amazing it is to see the fans singing along with Neil’. Aside from their fans Mitch also likes to reminisce of a certain time in London; ‘I pulled Nicks trousers down in front of a coach load of our fans that came to see us play at the Mean Fiddler, and then Sam ran up and pulled down his boxers, the best bit about this was it happened on Tottenham Court Road’. Oh and not forgetting about a certain time at Hitchin’s Rhythms Of The World festival; ‘I stole Sam's line of "the summer starts here", He was really excited he came up with it but I stole his thunder good and proper that day’.
Throughout their short but so far successful career Exit Avenue have managed to achieve many things that young bands just starting out can only dare to dream of. But Exit Avenues ultimate aim as a band is something even Metallica might find a little difficult; ‘The ultimate aim for Exit Avenue is to be bigger than Queen! Just watch them live at Wembley stadium on YouTube and you'll know why!!’ Mitch was also happy to mention that the bands probably more manageable aim is to make a living from something they love but to make sure they have fun whilst doing so ‘The music industry can suck your life and soul away if you're not careful. So it’s very important to keep the good people in your life as close as you can!’
So with future plans to be bigger than Queen just where exactly would Mitch like to see Exit Avenue in 10 years time? Well the answer is pretty damn simple; ‘I would have liked us to have got to the top and then wasted it all away on some really cool jet packs. By 2019 I’m hoping they would have invented jet packs in hoping if not then bouncy castle hire’.
With only 2 weeks left before the end of my first year we only have one exiciting uni project left which is to create, film and edit a 3 minute clip of a programme of our choice. We have our hopes set high and hope to create a live music / chat piece and are aiming to interview eirher Tubelord, Abe Vigoda or The Mae Shi after our original plan to base the programme of The Virgins fell through.
In other non related uni news I am looking forward to the summer with a holiday to France coming up in the next couple of weeks as well as attending Reading Festival.
As I said a few posts back one of my recent uni assignments was to create 1500 word profile on a band of my choice. After alot of set backs I finally got a reply from Hitchin based band Exit Avene who I have been a fan of for a long time. Since recieving my mark back yesterday which was a very pleasing B, I am now alot more confident in my abilities after originally thinking that I hadn't done very well at all.
Here is my final interview with the bands bassist Mitch:
The beginning was much like any other band; friends coming together with the intent of playing music and having a good time. However over the last couple of years Exit Avenue have gone from strength to strength and have rapidly built up a following of dedicated fans. With a hectic 2008 behind them Kerrang! caught up with the bands bassist Mitch to find out what 2009 holds for them and how exactly jet packs and bouncy castles fit into their future plans …
Hitchin based Exit Avenue formed in 2002 after members Nick [backing vocals/drums], Sam [drums/backing vocals] and Neil [lead vocals/electronics] met at school with Neil then going on to meet Mitch [bass/backing vocals] at a music group over the summer. Their 2007 release of E.P “A Thousand Odd Lines” put them on the map and gained them a substantial amount of commercial success which saw their fan base explode all across the country.
‘We owe everything to our fans! As far as I'm concerned we don't get a chance to say thank-you enough’. When Exit Avenue formed in 2002 they clearly weren’t expecting to achieve such a phenomenal amount of success without even releasing an album. But like many other bands of today this is a band that has proved that with the support of your fans behind you anything is possible. Since starting to tour a mere 3 years ago the boys have developed a relentless attitude to touring and have had the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Pendulum, Wolf Am I (previously Kill The Arcade), Enter Shikari and You Me At Six. This isn’t something that they take for granted and Mitch is eager to point out that they are extremely grateful for the opportunity to tour with anyone. Although given the chance Mitch wouldn’t turn down the chance to tour with Queen or James Brown ‘They were always the best performers out there. Even in my eyes’. But with all this touring can we expect anything else from the boys any time soon? Mitch explains ‘We have always got something exciting going on, but until anything is confirmed we don't try our luck, you'll just have to keep checking back because you never know. But what I can tell you for certain is that things are about to get hectic!’.
With their influences coming from old school bands such as Metallica, classic artists such as James Brown, Happy Hardcore, Nu-Metal and Hip Hop with a bit of Bob Marley thrown in for good measure it’s fair to say that Exit Avenue can probably cover every genre of music in some way or another. ‘We’re inspired by almost everything that we see around us and anything that we come across in our lives. We try to paint a picture with our lyrics so to speak’. With a pretty impressive collection of singles and their first two E.P’s ‘A Thousand Odd Lines’ and ‘Made For The Arcade’ selling impressively on ITunes, can we expect a debut album from Exit Avenue anytime soon? ‘We have been talking about bringing out an album, but I think we're just gonna keep recording and see how it goes, maybe instead of an album we might release a string of extend play E.P's instead’. Exit Avenue’s passion for making music and doing what they love for their job is rivalled only by their drive and hunger to better themselves as professional musicians although Mitch still can’t put his finger on what sets Exit Avenue apart from the rest. One thing’s he’s pretty damn sure of though is the bands onstage presence ‘We take pride in our stage show and the energy we can create, we love performing and we hope people like us performing as well’.
In some ways 2009 could be seen as a fresh start for Exit Avenue as things took a turn for the worst for the boys last year with a band member leaving and then seeming to do everything in their way to ruin the band. However Mitch is optimistic about this and points out ‘As the saying goes what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. So with this fresh outlook on life what are the bands plans for 2009? ‘Well the plan is to push ourselves as far as we can in the music industry without killing ourselves or anyone else and just to have fun while we are doing it. We don't know what to expect by the end of 2009 but we will be grateful for anything that we get done and get chance to do’.
Having the opportunity to be in a band with 4 of your best mates and travel the world must be one of the best feelings in the world right? Mitch agrees but also believes that the buzz Exit Avenue receive from their army of fans is pretty amazing too; ‘No drug can even come close to how amazing that sensation is and how amazing it is to see the fans singing along with Neil’. Aside from their fans Mitch also likes to reminisce of a certain time in London; ‘I pulled Nicks trousers down in front of a coach load of our fans that came to see us play at the Mean Fiddler, and then Sam ran up and pulled down his boxers, the best bit about this was it happened on Tottenham Court Road’. Oh and not forgetting about a certain time at Hitchin’s Rhythms Of The World festival; ‘I stole Sam's line of "the summer starts here", He was really excited he came up with it but I stole his thunder good and proper that day’.
Throughout their short but so far successful career Exit Avenue have managed to achieve many things that young bands just starting out can only dare to dream of. But Exit Avenues ultimate aim as a band is something even Metallica might find a little difficult; ‘The ultimate aim for Exit Avenue is to be bigger than Queen! Just watch them live at Wembley stadium on YouTube and you'll know why!!’ Mitch was also happy to mention that the bands probably more manageable aim is to make a living from something they love but to make sure they have fun whilst doing so ‘The music industry can suck your life and soul away if you're not careful. So it’s very important to keep the good people in your life as close as you can!’
So with future plans to be bigger than Queen just where exactly would Mitch like to see Exit Avenue in 10 years time? Well the answer is pretty damn simple; ‘I would have liked us to have got to the top and then wasted it all away on some really cool jet packs. By 2019 I’m hoping they would have invented jet packs in hoping if not then bouncy castle hire’.
With only 2 weeks left before the end of my first year we only have one exiciting uni project left which is to create, film and edit a 3 minute clip of a programme of our choice. We have our hopes set high and hope to create a live music / chat piece and are aiming to interview eirher Tubelord, Abe Vigoda or The Mae Shi after our original plan to base the programme of The Virgins fell through.
In other non related uni news I am looking forward to the summer with a holiday to France coming up in the next couple of weeks as well as attending Reading Festival.
___________________________________________________________
Songs Of The Moment
- Check out http://www.myspace.com/leohumphries
- The King Blues - I Got Love
- Noel Gallagher - Half The World Away
- Radiohead - Thinking About You
- Anything by Alanis Morrisette
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