courtesy of LimeLight Photography

Bedford Corn Exchange was host to a 1000 capacity sell-out smash on Saturday 4th August 2012. The ‘B-Town’ artists; Dotz, The Jebs, The Scruff, CC Smugglers and headliners The Wholls brought the hype, rocking the roof off this historic venue. From Hip-Hop, Indie, Urban right through to Country and Garage the glorious ramshackle proved exactly why we’re promoting new talent.

The Wholls have come a long ol’ way from rehearsing in the garden shed. Since smashing it at the Battle of the Bands in December 2011, they have gone from strength to strength, forming a faithful army of Spartans and Whollettes. Standing tall before their flocking fans, front man Adam promised ‘old stuff, new stuff and a few surprises’. A dancer concealed by a cape kicked off the curiosity as she took to the stage, shortly followed by the suited and booted band. The buzzing crowd waited eagerly in anticipation; erupting once more as the disguised damsel shed her veil, treating the crowd to some saucy moves as the band eased into their chilled intro. The set sky rocketed as the familiar follower ‘Under My Hat’ got the crowd moshing and singing along in support.

courtesy of LimeLight Photography

‘Dreams of You’ and Maverick Sabre cover, ‘I Need’, offered a soulful slant as lead guitarist Tordy enchanted with sizzlingly smooth vocals. During their cheeky-chappy tune ‘Emily’, a mini skit added to the songs silliness as a seething girl storms the stage, only to be swept away moments later by a burly bouncer kicking and screaming in protest! After performing a few newbies like Lipstick on My Shirt, collaborator Zedo, who features on the group’s debut EP Back to the B-Hive, took to the stage fuelling the fire with feel good track, ‘Summertime Jam’. The Bedford buzz blazed on as old garage favourites had the trigger fingers swaying. As the set drew to a close, the crowd begged for an encore, bellowing out ‘B-Man’ in demand of the cult smash they were craving. And so they did, much to the delight of their frantic thumping, jumping fans! As they walked away to an uproar of applause, one thing was clear- The Wholls mean business.

If you’re kicking yourself for missing out- don’t panic. The boys were filmed and shot from every delectable angle on the night by LimeLight TV and LimeLight Photography. If you’re not already Whollin’…You really should be!

Words by Daisy Crisp.

However it may seem that he has changed his mind after he told the Associated Press: “We don’t want a sensationalized movie going out, you know, but equally there’s no point in sort of massaging the fact that Amy was a alcoholic and drug addict; no point in pretending that didn’t happen.”

Film production companies would not need Mr Winehouse’s permission to make but he could make life very difficult for them, much in the way the Hendrix estate is for film producers what-music.com/andre-3000-to-play-jimi-hendrix/

Also with his involvement and blessing maybe he hopes it will not become the ‘sensationalized movie’  he dreads it could be.

They had previewed material from their new album in during London shows in May and announced their lead single ‘Angels’ in July.

They will start off at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on September 10th, which is release day for their second album ‘Coexist’.

Then onwards they will travel to Cardiff to play at The Coal Exchange on September 11th and then finally at Usher Hall in Edinburgh on September 12th.

This will be a rare occasion to see The XX in some intimate venues.

‘Coxiest’ will be the follow up to their 2009 Mercury Prize winning album ‘xx’.

Tour dates are as followed:

September 10th – London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

September 11th – Cardiff The Coal Exchange

September 12th Edinburgh Usher Hall

Check out new single ‘Angels’

Ian Scott Donaldson formed Skrewdriver in 1976 and they had openly admitted their support for the far right nationalist.

“The minute I found out what the words meant I was angry with myself for not questioning them,” he said.

Plan B stressed the T-shirt was most certainly not official merchandise and in fact a custom made T-shirt.

He went on to say, “I was not aware of the significance of it. I was ignorant to the existence of the band Skrewdriver. I don’t listen to music like that I wouldn’t know the names of the bands that make that music.”

“Just like my generation of young people are demonised in the media to all be hoodie wearing thugs and chavs, so were the skinheads in the 80s.”

The picture on the shirt was lifted from photographer Gavin Watson’s book Skins & Punks.

The book contained pictures detailing the street culture between 1978-1985

Ignorance is bliss apparently if you are Plan B. This just reeks of little girls who buy Motorhead, Ramone’s and Rolling Stones T-shirts from Top shop ‘because they look cool’ rather than knowing the significance of the band and what they achieved or stood for.

I get the statement he was trying to make however a little research before making bold moves can save many blushes! Remember these words when you feel like getting a little more publicity Mr Drew!

The Alive Network is a booking agency – the biggest live entertainment booking agency in Britain.  That kind of magnitude backs every band on their books with some serious bass – offering a massive amount of exposure and an online interface for event planners to book a band easily.

Every music fan with an ear to the stage will know about the up and comings of artists like Ed Sheeran – who couch-surfed his way across Britain and America to hook up with the right people and become the icon he is today.  In his company at the top of the charts are R&B artists like Rizzle Kicks, who self-recorded all their demos and promoted their music using a custom website.

The Alive Network gives every band coming of age the chance to do something similar.  With a dedicated profile page and a feature to upload demos directly to that page, each band on the Alive Network is connected, booked and reviewed in real time.  An embedded gig planner can even be downloaded to the artist’s mobile phone – keeping the musicians in tune with their potentially bursting schedules.

Every high profile performance is documented on the Alive Network ‘main stage’ – the news section.  Blogs and photographs from big events are uploaded to the site, spotlighting to a massive online crowd, exactly what to expect from these otherwise hidden talents.

Bands looking to get onboard can download the application form directly from the site.  The true winners here though have to be the music fans and party planners – booking five star artists from the 40+ categories on the Alive Network with ease.  The network is expanding every day and is fast becoming the most sophisticated hub for live music bookings in the UK.

Booking a band is as easy as shopping online.  Set your budget, your event dates, your preferred genre and more – all to narrow down the search and point you in the direction of the best function band for your gig.

Some artists will see the Alive Network as a fast track to nationwide recognition, others will see it simply as an opportunity to make some money doing what they love.  Either way, this platform looks to be a real tonic for young music in this country and it’s easy to see why fresh bands are signing up every week.

Tim Peaks Diner will be located at the Kendal Calling Festival, Cumbria, between Fri 27th – Sun 29th July. Tim’s diner will offer a host of DJ’s (including Edwyn Collins), poetry/book readings, Q&A sessions and a juke box. You’ll also be able to grab a brew, there is even a loyalty card for frequent visitors.  If that isn’t enough you can fill yourself up with a bowl of Tim’s very own cereal; Totes Amazeballs.

What started out as a joke on Twitter has now very much become a reality. On hearing Tim’s idea for a cereal Kellogg’s actually created it for him. The cereal can easily be described as Rocky Road in a bowl and it sounds the perfect pick-me-up for festival goers.  All proceeds from the cereal will go to the David Lynch Foundation. Unfortunately Totes Amazeballs will not be available in the shops.

For more information on Tim Peaks Diner and Kendal Calling check out their website: www.kendalcalling.co.uk

Trent Reznor has made a name for himself in Hollywood by producing two dark ambient industrial scores for the David Fincher films, The Social Network & The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The Social Network score bagged him an Oscar.

Trent has previously worked with computer game scores, with the soundtrack of Quake being credited to “Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails”.

This came about after admitting he was a big fan of Doom. This ‘addiction’ was rumoured to delay the production of one of Nine Inch Nail’s albums.

I used to be a big fan of the Call of Duty series but have not played the last two. This is mainly due to the repetitive, linear and unoriginal nature of the series, however I may buy this one just to list to the music…. or I may just buy the soundtrack on CD!

Check out the below for Trent’s rendition of the classic Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.

This featured on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack

The Rookery, his second solo album, was recorded in 11 days alongside a band including former Seahorse Stuart Fletcher and Sam Forrest of Nine Black Alps. After the whimsical opening instrumental of Pickled Ginger, a record of complex but engaging melody opens up before you. Augmented by a collection of truly fine musicians, his voice is given the space to work around songs ranging from the dark, brooding numbers such as The Spindle and the Cauldron and Plane, to the summery wonderment of Summer Girl. The latter is possibly the finest song on show, possibly sharing top billing with closing number Good to be in Love.

There is a definite melancholy feel to large parts of The Rookery, but you can almost imagine a wry smile breaking through on songs such as Blindeye and the aforementioned Good to be in Love. It’s not just an album of quiet reflection however, Pleased and Daddies Farm are both upbeat toe tappers and really work well against the rest of the compositions present here.

Chris Helme has really come into his own on The Rookery and if you want an album to relax to when the Summer finally arrives, you could do far, far worse than buying this. Also, I urge you to get off your backsides and go and see the man and his fantastic band live, you won’t be disappointed. Tour dates can be found on his website.

Our Rating 5/5

Standing Out: Summer Girl, Good to be in Love, The Spindle and the Cauldron

Track Listing:

• Pickled Ginger
• Longway Round
• Darkest Days
• Plane
• The Spindle and the Cauldron
• Blindeye
• Pleased
• Daddies Farm
• Summer Girl
• Set in Stone
• Good to be in Love

Release Date – 27th August 2012

Below is the full announcment made today on Iron Maidens official Facebook page.

As a big Iron Maiden fan I am very much looking forward to what Steve will produce when not under the Iron Maiden wings.

“EMI Music are proud to announce the release of Iron Maiden founder Steve Harris’ debut solo/side project album. Entitled ‘British Lion’ and comprising ten songs that Steve and his collaborators have been working on for the past few years between Iron Maiden tours and releases, it is an album that will surprise and delight music fans the world over.

With a decidedly heavy rock-vibe this roaring debut paints with a full palette of sounds; brooding, melancholic, righteously indignant and exuberantly heavy. With Kevin Shirley at the mixing helm – whose credits include Iron Maiden as well as Led Zeppelin, Journey and Rush among many others – this is an album to sink your teeth into.

From the growling riffage of opening salvo This Is My God to the heavy forlorn balladry of follow-up Lost Worlds which showcases Richard Taylor’s soaring vocals, it’s clear that ‘British Lion’ is an altogether different beast from Maiden.

Karma Killer, with its dirge-like muscularity, and Us Against The World, with its massive chorus, demonstrates just how far ‘British Lion’ has flexed Steve Harris’ considerable musical muscle. Dovetailed with guitarist David Hawkins’ positively gargantuan lyrical guitar melodies, it’s a mere hors d’oeuvre ahead of the epic, riffing-feast of The Chosen Ones, with its swaggering bravado.

A World Without Heaven, at a breathtaking seven minutes and infused with progressive elements without ever teetering into self-indulgence illustrates perfectly these songsmiths’ colossal abilities to create a mood and stay there. Supercharged by Steve Harris’ inimitable style, there’s an un-cynical vibe here that’s as refreshing as it is out of place in today’s all-too-categorised music industry.

And as far as the name ‘British Lion’; “I’ve always been proud to be British,” explains Steve, “I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be.

It’s a massive part of being me. It’s not like I’m flag-waving or trying to preach, this is not a political statement at all. It’s like supporting your football team, where you come from. I just think it lends itself to some really strong imagery too, and to me it fits in with the sound.”

With Iron Maiden, Steve Harris has become one of the most recognised and successful ambassadors for British music on the world stage.

Having released 15 studio albums, sold over 85 million records worldwide and played more than two thousand gigs in 58 countries in the band’s thirty-five year career, his appeal is truly global.

And now with ‘British Lion’, Steve steps out from Iron Maiden’s illustrious shadow to present a different side of his musical visions.

The tracklisting for ‘British Lion’ is as follows:

1.This Is My God

2.Lost Worlds

3.Karma Killer

4.Us Against The World

5.The Chosen Ones

6.A World Without Heaven

7.Judas

8.Eyes Of The Young

9.These Are The Hands

10.The Lesson

If music ever offered you a BOGOF offer this was it. After seeing the band supporting The View this year I can say, first hand, that they are one of the best live bands around. Their new album sounds epic live, the songs are anthems. Don’t believe me? Their second single, Antarctica, was named Q magazine’s Track of the day and iTunes’ single of the week. Fine praise indeed.

Catch the band in support of The Stereophonics here:

22nd July – Llandudno, Venue Cymru

23rd July – Derby, Assembly Rooms

24th July – Grimsby, Auditorium

25th July – Cambridge, Corn Exchange
For a limited time get their single Antarctica free on iTunes: iTunes.apple.com