Tag: music

B282 – ABOUT LAST NIGHT

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I kind of fell like my idea of posting these each day at 10am has completely gone out the window so far for 2018. but todays post is late again, not because I was laying in bed asleep, but mainly because I’ve been sat here editing photos from last night and time just ended up getting away from me.

Last night I was at a gig over in Camden at a kind of famous venue, The Lock Tavern. If youve ever been to the round house, then the chances are you would of walked past this venue. its a small pub on the left hand side of the round if your walking up from camden high street. Its a venue that is so easy to walk past, its literally on the corner of the road and just looks like any normal pub, but if you were to walk upstairs is a completely different vibe and always seems to have really interesting bands playing.

Through the powers of instagram and email, for the past few months Ive been speaking with a band called Tayne, the are a kind of an experimental, noise, pop genre that kind of make up there own rules which makes them so much better. One minute there setting up and getting ready to play, next the lead singer Matt Sutton has taken his shoes and top off, and they are absolutely slashing the guitar and syncs. Its refreshing to hear a band just get up there and do exactly what they want, no holding back. Its a shame that all I can do to show you what last night was like is post up here some photos, they play pretty heavy music but it all seems to work out, nothing is about them just being loud or over powering. they create songs that work.

Im happy that I’m back on track with this project that I’m working on and looking forward to all the future gigs that I’m planning on going too.

Here are some of my favourite photos from yesterday.

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– One of my favourite photos from last night –
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– really good gig, Wednesday night should always go like this –
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– cut his finger open, plays on… –
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– really worth the trip, next gig is on feb 1st. be there or be square –

B271 – AT THE QUEENS YACHT!

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New Years eve eve and the plan for yesterday was to travel to Bristol City Centre and see what was going on, we did try and do some of the sightseeing like going to a Cathedral and walking along the river. I never realised that the queens old yacht the Balmoral was moored down here, I didn’t even realise it was called the Balmoral till I saw it and recognised it from photos and stuff.

With everyone running around like crazy yesterday I didn’t want to have a big camera out it pretty big to just be carrying around all the time so my plan was just to have a Gopro in my pocket and see how it turned out, and to be honest it was probably the best idea, I literally just put the gopro on wide and snapped away. I was determined not to just use my iphone as much as I like it.

After we made the trip to the catherderal we all needed to hydryrate our selfs and the only close place to grab some liquid was to head into a local establishment called A Hole In The Wall which just to happens to be a pub. From there it pretty much set the tone for the evening and we ended up going to a few more pubs and actually ended up in a Jazz pub called the Old Juke which is a famous Bristol Jazz club and last night had 1930’s jazz bands playing, which was actually really cool we all got our swing dancing on and jived to the music. At that point I really wish I had my 5d with me so I could take some great photos of the band and the people in the bar, everyone was dressed really cool. it was like stepping back into the 1930’s.  By this time we were all full hydrated and didn’t need to be drinking big drinks anymore but knew that it was still important to stay hydrated so the only option available to us was to move onto small drinks like tequilas. Past that point its all a bit of a mystery, but from what I’ve heard this morning we all had a great night.

Its now New years eve and im looking forward to seeing what the days got in store for us. I’ve decided to post 4 photos today, I hope you like them.

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– this is by far the coolest photo from the day –
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– the only photo i got from the 1920s bar, i have got some gopro footage that im going to try and turn into a short film later on –
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– dave and me kissing by the queens old yacht –
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– a group photo from one of the bars, not everyones here –

 

B260 – IVE WANTED TO SEE THEM FOR YEARS

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Last week I went to a gig that I had wanted to go to for a while, it was for a band called Mellow Gang, they’re this band I discovered while in America and was that band I would listen to on the long plane journeys and extra long passport queues, well this band are probably the reason I’m still sane. The gig was at the famous Seabright Arms on Hackney road, you’ve definitely read about me going to this place before, its like 2 minutes from my house and actually plays really good music most weeks. and even better a lot of it is free which makes the whole gig a no brainer.

I find it a bit weird writing about a gig I went to last week as its not that fresh in my head and I cant really remember all my favourite parts, but unfortunately Im really not able to post any photos today as Ive spent the day running around different Disney stores trying to get hold of this Doll for my niece (don’t worry she’s too young to read so no chance of her finds out through this blog what I got her), well anyway that didn’t go to plan as no disney store had the right thing so I just brought as much stuff as my bank account would let me and moved on to the next task, which I cant really talk about on here but I can say that even that didn’t go smooth as I had realised after being in the store for an hour trying to get everything completely perfect to the point where I had to ask for a tape measure, well I went through all that to realise I had left my wallet at home. but luckily after a short phone call to Amy for her card details we were up and away, I just need to go back tomorrow morning and collect it. I have to say this year I have really pulled it out the bag with my christmas presents!

I really hope you like me writing and photographing gigs around London because I actually enjoy it quite a lot. So if you don’t like what I write and photograph let me know why and ill see what I can do to make it better!

Also don’t forget I still have prints for sale, so dig deep and buy one. Ill even send you a christmas card!

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– Mellow gang doing there thing –
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– Seabright arms on Hackney road, have a look at the Dice App for re gigs, trust me it is actually a pretty useful tool –
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– this was Phundo Art, a rapper from South Africa –

B259 – A GIG NOT TO BE MISSED

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Yesterday my plan for the evening was to watch some junk TV and sit on the sofa, that all changed when I got a last minute invite to a gig at the Shackwell Arms, one of the best things about London is the amount of free gigs that go on literally every night, alot of the time they can be a bit hit and miss but theres one venue which always seems to draw a crowd and thats the Shackwell Arms in Dulston, its always got a decent sized audience and the bands that play are mostly amazing.

Last night was no exception, the band playing were called Tracey Bryant and before 4pm yesterday I had never heard of them and definitely hadn’t listened to any of their music. well that has all changed, they were literally one of the best free gigs ive ever been too, you know when a band opens up their set with the first song of just guitar thrashing riffs for 5 minutes that your about to witness something pretty cool.

The band are from Los Angeles and currently over in Europe on tour,  and tonight they play in Belgium which is kind of annoying I was hoping they would be playing in London again so I could go along but I suppose Ill just have to wait till they come back for a festival or something, this cant be there last gig in London I refuse to believe it.

If you want to listen to these guys and trust me I think you should heres a link to their Band Camp profile, its got there latest album.

https://tracybryant.bandcamp.com/

As from me I just need to say thank you to Anders for the invite it was definitely a gig not to miss and as my photography project goes on, Tracey Bryant will definitely be remember as the gig not to be missed.

Any way in other news my prints are now going to be selling in a few coffee shops around London, but you can also buy them on my website. So please help me out during this expensive time of year and buy one of my prints.

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– so many amazing guitar solos it was just talent –
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– LA has some amazing bands and these guys were definitely up there –
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– these guys are going to be massive –

B256 – PSYCHEDLIC POST ROCK ELECTRO GRUNG.

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Yep you read that title correct, last night I ventured over to The Beehive in Bromley By Bow, its this pub which looks and feels like its be held in time, one of those proper east london pubs, where people pay money into the Juke box and listen to Frank Sinatra while downing pint after pint of Stella.

While all that is happening out the front of house, in a small door which is also connected to the Womens toilets, theres a small 10 meter by 10 meter black room where last night you could have found some wild post rock beats mixted with the odd grung song. It wasnt a massive crowd but that doesnt really matter when you think about it.

The bands that played last night where the Desert Clouds, Ditsea Yella, The Anderson Tapes and the Heros Of The Last Age. it was the music I want to focus on for my photography project, it was those bands that dont play to massive audiences and their music is there hobby not there main income. I definitely feel that these bands are the reason for London being such a cool place to live, they are the creatives and expressionists that live and work in everyday London, who on their own are just a little bit quirky but when you have a few thousand quirky individuals all of a sudden its a movement.

I don’t want to show off to many photos from last night as I need to send them onto the promotor who sorted me out with the gig and let him post them all over social media but obviously I need to show you three photos. The Promotor who’s gig I was at is called Spoons Event sound Solution, its kind of an punk / rock promotor so the gigs aren’t your capital FM pop music stuff, its all heavy and completely off the beaten track in a way. really cool music and I’m looking forward to more gigs like it.

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– Ditsy Yella –
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– im not sure if that is a wig or real hair, but its definitly got a stage presences –
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– Desert Clouds, the first band to on stage –

B254 – THE ROOT OF MUSIC

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With (fun)employment being so real right now I’m trying to get a good balance of Netflix and being productive. Its important I enjoy the quite time but also keep my brain ticking over. That’s why today I decided to venture out in to the world of my Photography project on London’s music scene.

I travelled over to Denmark Street, its basically where if you like guitars you buy your guitar, every one from your local guitar teacher to the legends of The Beetles and the Rolling Stones. No Toms Vintage and other guitar shops along Denmark street or as its otherwise known Tin Pan Alley isn’t just a place to pick up a guitar, its on of the birth places for London, Britain’s music, it’s the place that the likes of Jimmy Hendrix and Jonny Rotten would run around jamming to music and creating the stories that everyone in the todays pop culture wants to hear more of. British music carries its self differently to other music, its got more depth to it, when you watch back The Beetles movies and archives, they are literally paving the way of a life style that people like Oasis took to levels that pushed the boundaries of what is and isn’t expectable, But because they make such good music its allowed. Not like if a footballer gets caught driving drunk but more like they get kicked out of Holland for being to drunk and diverting a ferry. That’s kind of the levels which they hit.

But at the end of it all, they were only as good as the albums and songs they produced and that’s what really mattered, the jams, the hours and hours of perfecting a song or solo. That’s what really mattered here. And when the touring stopped or they need supplies most of the time they would head to Denmark street and speak with the people who know those instruments the best.

Walking around Tin Pan Alley you really start to admire a guitar and the beauty that goes into it, you start to acknowledge the culture and the style it has created. It’s the epicentre for what British music was and is. Back in the days it used to be not only shops but also recording studios which have since disappeared and either turned into extra shop space or places to learn the Guitar.

My idea of this photography project was to uncover the underground music scene and the people that really push it, those passionate music lovers who travel on a crappy Wednesday night to listen to good raw music and I feel that Denmark street is probably the best place to start, its at the root of the London music scene. This definitely wont be my last time to Denmark street I will be coming back for one of their events and capturing those “one time moments” with my camera.

As for now, its back to Netflix for the rest of the day and to enjoy my funempolyment. But tomorrow is a new day and I’m planning on being active the whole day. I’m not sure how yet but ill figure it out.

Heres my photos I hope you like them.

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– a shop where people can just go into a jam on a guitar has got to be one of the coolest things out there –
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– if these walls could take, this is a place where the sex pistols used to live –
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– the people who work there couldn’t be more welcoming, thanks for letting me come down and take some photo’s –
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– they even have a comfy couch –

B253 – MUSIC NOT FOR RENTAL !

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Yesterday I watched an interview with Noel Gallagher, where he talked about streaming music and how now days music is for rental, where as music should be for sale. a Transaction between the artist and fan willing to part with money to buy the music and art that comes on the front cover, its a way of telling the real fans from the one time listeners. and I kind of agree with that, but I do have a Spotify account and I do use it daily, who doesn’t?

With my project I’m currently doing focusing on London’s music scene it would be wrong of me not to explore the world of record shops and the passion that goes into them, in todays market owning a record store is like putting two figures up to the internet and counting on those passionate music fans who will trek out to you store during a cold winters night to buy a record or CD, when they could just as easy stream it on Spotify then go an buy it off the Amazon App and have it at their house the next day.

But once you step into the a record store like the one I went to yesterday you soon realise why people do it, its an experience. your welcomed by thousands of actual objects all of which have a story, most have bumps of signs of wear but that just adds to the fact your standing in a musical archive flicking through all those years and years of history and culture. its this weird thing that makes you feel closer to the artist or band, your now physically scrolling through their work, trying to find that gem that no ones else has found yet, and not only are you not sure if its worth it but you cant listen to it till you get home.

My trip yesterday took me to Music and video exchange in Notting Hill, just by the Russian embassy, I wanted to go to some where out of central London, where the shop has no choice but to let the music do the talking. my first thoughts where to head into Soho or even Brick Lane but they would of been busy with people and most are pretty new shops, where as this one in Notting Hill is like stepping into a time portal and heading back 50 years.

If you have a chance go to your local Record store and just say Hi and listen to some music, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it and might even find something you weren’t expecting. I ended up buying a CD by The Manic Street Preachers and as I write this I’m listening to it, and trust me its a whole different way to experience music, before it was an automatic thing, just stream it on my phone and listen to hours of music going in one ear and out the other. Now its a physical thing and its something that has much more of an impact. Oh and I literally paid £1 for it! you cant even get a bottle of water at the shop next door for that!!!!!!

Heres my photos from inside the store, I hope you like them.

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– this is Neil, he works in the store and is the vintage version of Google. he is your answer to any music related question –
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– trying to find a gem inbetween all of this, its all about investing time to get the result you want –
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– most people would walk past this store, but make the trip inside –

B248 – HAZY JANE – SEABRIGHT ARMS 06.12.17

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As yesterday was a working day, and I don’t want to be one of those guys that runs round a venue taking personal photos and then posting them online. I decided to have some thing stocked up in the bag ready to show you guys, Im talking about the warm up band for the other nights gig at the Seabright Arms. its the band HAZY JANE. this band are the kind of people that pop up at 3am in a music festival around that camp fire and all of a sudden your its 6am in the morning and your now best friends with a stranger talking about all the things you guys are going to get up to in the future. thats the type of band these guys are.

What makes it even better is that this band is based out of Hackney, so pretty local to where I live they play British Folk /indie music so all pretty chilled out accoustic sets. One thing I love is that they set up a crowd funding page to raise some money to record their first single “Us On A Wire” and even now have like a mini UK tour planned for April next year and will be playing all round the London, Norwich and Brighton. trust me if you see that they are playing at a gig near you, get down there and give them a listen. you cant go wrong.

check out this music video.

and heres their tour dates. trust me get yourself down to one of their gigs! https://www.hazeyjane.com/tour

Sorry that is post is a few hours late, but I kind of over slept this morning and have been trying to juggle getting this done, while trying to organise my life a bit.

Heres some photos, enjoy.

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– listen to the song – Take my soul, its got grit –
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-Seabright Arms 06.12.17 –
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– I cant remember at what point in the gig this was, but its a pretty cool photo –

B247 – STRANGE HELLOS

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As my christmas break has started and if I dont find some sort of project todo then I will spent probably the next 2 months sat on a sofa eating Pringles and watching Netflix. no seriously that is genuinely a possibility.  Then im going to try and get myself down to as many gigs as possible and just try to photograph music and be around music for the next 2 months.

So last night I ended up going to a gig at the Seabright Arms on Hackney Road (Someone lied to me and said this place had shut down, its not. this place is open and ready for business!) the band playing were some guys called Strange Hellos, relatively new Nordic band they have just realised their first single, its kind of a mix between XX and something like Circa Waves. Nordic Review said this about the bands new single:

“We Are Trouble’ is a blistering 3 minute fusion of power pop and shoegaze, and they’re the second Norwegian band (the other being Pyke) to recently remind me in their sound of UK band Lush. This is just such a catchy track, with a real energy –  great melodies, vocals, guitars and pretty much everything…..”

Heres a link to the band on youtube, have a peep:

 

This is one of my first posts about a band Ive just seen so maybe I need to actually sit down with this one and think about what I need to write about, I don’t want to be “fake news”. At the moment Im just turning up taking photos and not thinking about what im going to write about, maybe its time I upp’d my game. but for now Im just going to listen to Strange Hellos Sound cloud and see where I end up.

Ive now downloaded an App called Dice, which tells me about all the gigs going on in my local area, the plan is to get down to at least 2 gigs a week, while Ive got no work on.

Here’s my photos, I hope you like them.

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– lead singer Birgitta Alida Hole –
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-Guitarist Odd Martin Skålnes –
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– close up guitar shot, worth the trip to the Seabright Arm –

 

B239 – MY FIRST HOMEWORK CLUB

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Welcome to the fun life of Josh, today I left the flat for no more than about 15 minutes, and the highlight of the day was posting a letter to HMRC. Wow, I really have lived today like its my last, Im now sat at the table with amy while we power through “Homework club” that was we call sitting at the table pretending to do work and complaining at Capital FM’s constant replaying of Rita Oras song or some advert that gets played every 10 minutes. Please capital FM stop replaying the same music and adverts. Also can we all just appreciate the fact that amy is using a 2009 Macbook, Im surprised this thing still turns on.

Anyway Homework club is going well we only have like another 10 minutes maybe and then we can sit  down and watch a film. To day has been pretty productive which is a good thing, Ive managed to get done everything I needed too, the only problem is I haven’t taken any photos, so im going to use a few snaps from a recent trip to Spitalfeilds late at night. if your not too sure where that is, its this market in between Liverpool street and Brick lane, its this kind of quirky / cool or as my mum would say “hip” place where you can buy anything from an antique vase all the way too a vegan beef burger. well at night this market all of a sudden becomes empty apart from the odd drunk city worker trying to find the tube station or a market stall clearing up for the day. What Spitelfeilds market have done is install these massive spot lights in the roof, so every few meters you get this cool circle pattern on the floor, which when people walk past create these cool shadows and the light bounces off in different directions and make a normal pedestrian look like some rock n roll star about to walk on stage.

Anyway here are some photo I took the other day, I hope you like them.

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– my first ever home work club, nice laptop Amy   – 
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– this guy should have this photo has his profile picture –  
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– this was a shop window on Brick lane, kind of has a cool feel to it –