Life Changing Lyrics

I remember the day I first heard this song. It was during a workshop at Chickenshed Theatre Company and the workshops leaders put the song on and asked us to just sit down and listen to the words said. From then on I have had the lyrics saved under "My Bible" on my laptop and currently have them pinned up on my notice board. They have helped me stay on track, treat people well and also have confidence and belief in myself.


Not long ago Radio 1 did an Anti-bullying Campaign and used this influential song to give advise to teenagers who are or had been suffering from bullying. Thankfully I haven't, but like everyone, I have had knock backs and  hard times when this song has really kept me strong. So I want to share it with you.


It is Baz Luhrmann's Everybody's Free. Luhrmann is responsible for the music video, but the words were first created in an essay called Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young written by Mary Schmich which was published in the Chiago Tribune in 1997. Many say the essay was influenced by a speech by Kurt Vonnegut, so perhaps it is he who we have to thank for these words (although not for the hours I spent writing my A level English essay on Slaughterhouse 5).


But anyway, here it is. It's long I know, so if you don't fancy reading it its on our trusty friend Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGLN2uZLje4


Enjoy, learn and be inspired.


" Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now. 

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. 
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….

You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. 

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday. 

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing 

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. 

Floss 

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. 

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how. 

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. 

Stretch 

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t. 

Get plenty of calcium. 

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. 

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…

What ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. 

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.. 

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. 

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. 

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. 

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. 

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. 

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. 

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. 

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel. 

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. 

Respect your elders. 

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. 

Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. 

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. 

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. 

Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…"

A 1st for Kanye?

Kanye the soon to be Fresher

With all the trouble of the increase in tuition fee's it seems this year as many people as possible are applying to get into university before them bombshell hits in 2012 and one of these hopefuls is Kanye West.

The rapper has reportedly been meeting with the head of fashion professor at St Martins College in London at a bid to start the MA Fashion course in September of this year.

Shutter Shades

It seems he has a few advantages. He hit off the trend of shutter shades, has previously designed with Louis Vuitton and Fendi and well, is a world class rapper.

Lets just hope he has written himself a good personal statement like the rest of us had to. Doubt it huh.

My new music mansion

Today I purchased an Ipod Mini off of Ebay for a bargin of £10. But what amazes me the most is how much technology has evolved in the last 6 years since my new (now chunky) ipod was the hot new model.

I remember how cool I thought I was when I bought my first CD Walkman. I bought it from Argos (as when you are younger you buy EVERYTHING from Argos, its just what you do) and was so chuffed that I had saved up that bit  of extra money to get a walkman with a changeable cover. Three-quarters of the lid would come off and you could then choose out of your three covers which to replace it with; see-through purple, red or blue. The saddest part was I chose see-through purple nearly every time cos it was super cool to watch the CD spin round and round. Hours of entertainment when you are 10 years old.  

I then moved onto my electric blue Ipod Nano which I got when I was about 14. "4gb memory...a thousand songs? Wow that's so much, I will never have that many songs!" How wrong I was. It has lasted me well, but now it is time I needed more space for songs.

Ideally I would then go on to get a nice shiny new state of the art Ipod touch and buy loads of apps and have endless room for all the songs I would ever want. But sadly I am a student. Not only that, I am a student who prefers to buy clothes rather than gadgets (those who know me will be nodding as they recall what phone I currently have). 

Yes I am downgrading, but I don't mind though. It is pink and the chunkiness will mean I will find it in my bag quicker, right? I will now be able to keep all my lovely music in one place at the one time and I couldn't be happier...all for £10. Happy days. 

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 :)