V Fest or V stressed?

Wow, the release of Willy Wonkers golden V festival tickets have been released...wait there is more than five tickets? You're fooling me. Literally no one I know has been successful in the last 40 minutes. I have been sitting here with the most agonizing gut twisting anxiety, while my two trooper best friends are going from que to que trying to get us some Eminem and Rihanna experiences. It's not looking good.

Out of the six festivals I have already been to I have thankfully only had to go through this process once before.

My first was Underage Festival in 2008 which was bought for me as a birthday present from one of my best friends. I vividly remember three things from the festival. 1. Never ever leave your house without your tickets, enough said. 2. I remember standing about a meter away from a fiery haired angel while she sang A Kiss with a Fist, I never turned back. 3. My first time watching Dizzee Rascal, his set was full of the Maths and English album. Amazing. Despite being only a day long I knew the atmosphere and music was for me.

Reading 2008

This was the grosome experience which, to this day still haunts me. My two best friends and I had know we wanted to go to Reading festival 08 since about 2007, telling everyone they should come with us and promoting it to friends. On the day of release our friends all gained tickets about 5 minutes after they up for sale. Us girls? How about an hour later after having two laptops up and two of us calling up on the phone. *shivers* But an unforgettable experience all the same.

Reading 2009

We enjoyed Reading so much we bought Early bird tickets for 2009 the day we got home. Our genius move allowed us to lay back and relax whist in about March my Facebook was clogged up with Reading statuses of who was successful or not. 

V Festival 2009

Just before Reading 09 I was lucky enough to join my best friend and her parents to a day at V festival 2009. We rushed from stage to stage in a hyped up mess trying to see everyone we could. Possibly the best part of the day was dancing to The Specials with her and her parents. Good times.

Glastonbury 2010

We then in 2009 booked our tickets for Glastonbury 2010 like a walk in the park. The whole festival was a walk in the park. Wait no, not the park, the frickin' equator. Limited water and no showers, I stunk. But those 6 days were possibly the best days of my life and I still believe no matter what, that festival will be number one in my heart. Imagination nation. I was too close to tears leaving our campsite and even thinking about when we were the last to leave the field makes we want to well up.

Greenbelt 2010

My final festival was Greenbelt Festival in 2010 and we went as the media crew and so didn't need to obtain tickets. We filmed, drank, ate pot noodles and fell in love with Bervers and her jaw dropping voice. Class. 

For the first time I have been unsuccessful, but looking back I've been more than lucky in the past. I'm leaving my faith in Glastonbury now, otherwise it will be the first time in 3 years that my summer will not be filled with babywipes, dry shampoo and our pink fandango tent. Come on Glasto, this festival girl needs her fix of live music.

You don't need to use your grey matter to know they're good.

Imagine your standard mainstream bar; glam, modern and generally overrated. Now flip that on its head and you’re seeing what I’m seeing. In a bar overdressed with floral lampshades, a wall flooded with posters and postcards, a fake deer head on the wall modelling a number of scarves and John Smith apple juice in their fridge means you’re in one place, Sixty Million Postcards.

Last night this cool and quirky bar in Bournemouth was the location for the band Greymatter to showcase their latest songs before the release of their third album.  With an audience trilby hats and bow wearers, they hit the stage. The five piece girl band needs more credit than they currently recognise, what they created was a husky but sweet clash of beauty. Lead vocalists Emma Kavagnagh and Georgey Payne combined are like a shot of Sambuca; hard-hitting, flavoursome and fiery. But it works and really is the crème de la crème of female duo’s that is so unfamiliar in the music industry right now.

This third unnamed album has more beat, energy and power to it, whether its found in the lyrics of the scorching bass line. It’s a new sound for them and worth retaining, as said by themselves, they’ve never been better. The constant horse patter beat accompanying The Friend Song gives drive and motion to the song, yet allows a natural base to enhance their golden gem voices. With all that said, lets hope it drives them to a golden victory.

Greymatter Interview

From L-R: Georgey, Andi, Jules, Julie and Emma

Last night I was lucky enough to have a chat with the lovely girls from Greymatter before their performance at Sixty Million Postcards. Have a read...


How is the new album coming along?
Julie: Yeah its alright, we’ve written five songs so far so we’ve got about five or six to do now.
Emma: I think she is being a bit mean, It’s going better than alright! We’re excited because it’s like a totally new sound, all of us feel really excited about this album don’t we?
Georgey: Yes we are very excited!

It must be exciting with new band mate Andi, how are you settling in?
Andi: Yeah really good, they’re all horrible but other than that really good
[All laugh]
Emma: It feels like she’s always been with us doesn’t it?
Georgey: Yeah, it’s great.

Do you feel Andi has bought a new vibe to the band?
Emma: Nah she is shit.
[all laugh]
Georgey: absolutely, for the first time since we’ve been together as a band we have really clicked now, I feel.

So this new album is going to be what you set out to achieve?
Emma: Yeah, it is much more what we've hoped to sound like I think. We’ve really struggled in the past to capture how we sound live onto CD. So people listen to our album and like them, but once they come along to our gigs they hear there is more to our sound.

So what is this new Greymatter sound you’re bringing to the third album?
I feel like these new songs do us more justice than some of our other CD’s. But I think the songs are good to, well they’ve always been good but these are more rocky.
Georgey: We’re definitely more upbeat.

Are we going to be hearing any of your new songs tonight?
All the girls: Yes!
Emma: We’re doing quite a few new ones.
Andi: Yeah I was going to say! I think we are doing about three or four.

Are you doing any more gigs in the next few months?
Emma: Well we are mainly hiding away in the studio more than anything but this is our second of three gigs this week.  We’re playing in Brighton on Thursday and we’re playing in Germany next month.
Julie: We’re all over the place to be honest.
Emma: We’re playing at a festival called GoGo Festival in June. We are literally all over the place.
Gerogey: Really busy, but that’s a good thing!

You can find the girls on Twitter, Facebook and their website http://www.greymatter-music.co.uk/. Greymatter's new singles are also up for download on Itunes so get listening!

Have the Chili's lost their spice?

Out with the old, John Frusciante

After my last blog on the Red Hot Chili Peppers album set to be release in June, many people commented on the bands loss of guitarist John Frusciante who has recently been by the hot new young guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. Can the band survive this change?

John Frusciante got heavily involved with the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, resulting in an unfortunate drug addiction. He entered a downhill spiral of depression and decided his days of playing and writing music were over, it seemed he had lot his spirit and passion. Despite this in 1994 he released his own solo album, claiming at the time he wrote it he wasn't a heroin addict, but he was a addict when it was released.

He came back to the band in 2002 to record my favourite Chili Pepper album, By The Way displaying his talent, the band were really on fire. But all good things come to an end it seems, and in 2009 Frusciante left the Red Hot Chili Peppers for good. *weep*

In with the new,  Josh Klinghoffer

Poor Klinghoffer having to fill such big boots. Although working with Bob Forrest, Gnarls Barkley aka Cee Lo Green, Beck and quite a few other big names, I am wary of his impact in the Chili Peppers. And I think many other fans are feeling the same as myself.

What do you think? Comment below :)