Birdy Review – 29/10/2016

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It is no surprise that I have always been an avid fan of Birdy – from the first time I heard her cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” I have always been in awe of her delicate yet powerful vocals; and it always blows my mind when I think that she is my age and has already achieved more than I probably ever will in my entire lifetime. So when I was given tickets to go and review her in Edinburgh at the Corn Exchange I absolutely leapt at the chance. We arrived just in time for the opening of her set, having unfortunately missed support act Dan Owen. What struck me initially was the demographic of the audience: both pensioners and young fans joined in unison to watch her perform, and it really is the mark of respect when people make the effort to go and watch somebody who is forty years their junior. Her set itself was stunning: decked in a beautiful jewelled mesh dress she swapped between piano and guitar, effortlessly entertaining the crowd (inside which was her brother, watching her live for the first time). Whilst the purpose of the tour was to promote her most recent album “Beautiful Lies”, she made sure to incorporate some of the older hits her fans had grown to love; and it was especially touching to watch her perform “Let It Go” with Dan Owen, who did a fantastic job of belting out Rhodes’ sections. It truly was an exceptional performance – one that she could justifiably boast about for years to come: but when I went backstage it was incredibly endearing to discover how modest she and her instrumentalists were. In fact they seemed truly humbled; and doesn’t that just say it all?

Circa Waves Review – 10/04/2015

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When I was asked to go and see Circa Waves at the Leadmill in Sheffield, I wasn’t jumping in joy. Of course I knew the likes of “T-Shirt Weather” and “Young Chasers” (you know, I had actually stepped outside in the last year), but past that point the connoisseur in me lacked. But, a gig was a gig, and regardless I naturally agreed. Now it’s one of the nicest feelings when the reality of something exceeds your expectations, and that’s exactly what happened. With faultless support from Gengahr and another band whose name I seem to have forgotten along with the entire of Google doing the same… the night seemed to explode when the main band took to the stage. A full house started frantically head banging and screaming, and the energy seemed to be contagious. Within seconds I had been ripped apart from the group I arrived with, and made friends with a load of strangers in the darkest depths of a mosh pit. With excellent lighting and professional musicians the night seemed to disappear in a matter of seconds. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know the words – it turns out I did recognise many of the tunes, and even if I had sung, it would have been drowned out by the shaking of the drums. I left having lost at least three stone in sweat and with a few videos that are shaking too much to watch, but it was a truly unforgettable night and I would urge anyone to go and see them on their upcoming UK tour.

Hottest Upcoming Gigs

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largeWith Summer fast approaching and almost every artist packing their tents to play a host of festivals, now seems a good time to tell you about are best picks for you to go to. Whether you’re on a budget, hungry for he biggest artists or want to relax with a variety of creative people, the choice of festivals has never been better and there is something for everyone out there.

Have a little look at are favourite three:

  • The Eden Festival (12th-15th June) value themselves as “Scotland’s Boutique Festival” and we think they’re spot on: including a cycle-powered reggae tent and a psychedelic temple in a variety of large tents, this festival is the place to go for a cultural flavour and a great time: http://www.edenfestival.co.uk/
  • The Secret Garden Party (24th – 27th July) sports unknown artists and gains its adventure from the crazy art installations floating on the lake and around its Cambridgeshire venue. The dress code this year is “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, though you’re just as likely to see people wearing the theme as you are people wearing nothing at all: http://www.secretgardenparty.com
  • V Festival (16th – 17th August) is perhaps a more mainstream and commercial festival, though its line up this year is the best of all the festivals we feel. After all, festivals are about their music. Showcasing Justin Timberlake to Jess Glynne to Alan Carr, there is something to everyone’s taste in entertainment, and a variety of camping standards are available: http://www.vfestival.com/

Hottest Upcoming Gigs

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tumblr_inline_movmiw0nMT1qkifhbThere are some pretty cool events and gigs happening soon. Check out our picks of what to go to:

Live Music – Clean Bandit Cover Lorde

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Clean-Bandit1-700x420Wow. I stumbled across this late one night whilst doing work, and having heard it once decided to stop the work I was doing and listen to this on repeat for half an hour. Mixing and matching synthetic beats, “Walking in the Air”, “Royals” by Lorde, Clean Bandit really outdo themselves. You won’t believe it’s live or the talent these guys have. I think we know what the person who said “music is a drug” was on.

Hottest Upcoming Gigs

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Here at guitarleaves we love nothing more than going out to see artists in their natural habitat – screaming into a microphone and dancing round the stage dripping sweat. Doesn’t that sound nice?

We’ve scoured the music industry for you and cherry-picked the best upcoming concerts. Let us know if you go to them!

McBusted Review – 05/05/2014

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Perhaps the biggest thing to happen to pop rock in the 21st century is the formation of “supergroup” McBusted – comprising of McFly and Busted (although Charlie Simpson hasn’t joined the band in order to pursue his solo career – anyone heard of it?) Originally planning to do 11 shows, fast ticket sales resulted in the group performing 34 shows in their huge arena tour. I was invited to see them at Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, and having spent my childhood through a music phase of softcore punk listening only to McFly I had high hopes. I hadn’t listened to them in a while, however, and I’ve never been a huge fan of Busted.

Support acts were interesting: Young Brando; E of E and The 3 Dudes (who I think have a combined age nearing just 30?) but a few boos from the crowd confirmed the bands’ popularities.

McBusted made it for it, however, by entering the stage in a Back-to-the-Future-esque entrance, with Busted members flying onto the stage in that car in a load of smoke, and McFly shooting through trapdoors whilst pyrotechnics exploded everywhere.

They played a combination of the two bands’ greatest hits whilst the crowd went crazy – needless to say certain items of underwear reached the stage.

Midway through the concert, after the group left the stage temporarily and TV screens showed them reporting alien activity, they descended into the arena on an enormous floating spaceship. After doing a few songs on it midair, they ran though the crowd back onto the stage where a huge flaming ‘McBusted’ sign had appeared. Huge yoga balls made their way into the crowd during Busted’s “What I Go to School For” and the concert was rounding off by “Year 3000”, in which the nipples of a triple-breasted inflatable prop exploded with streamers. The band then left the stage by jumping through a huge hole in the flooring through which the flaming sign had risen.

The term “supergroup” certainly wasn’t a lie, and though I couldn’t hear properly for the next week, it was a great concert. It didn’t make the slightest difference not knowing many of Busted’s songs – the nostalgia of both groups and the incredible staging of it made for an unforgettable night. It doesn’t matter what taste in music you have, every single person in the arena came away buzzing, and I think that’s where McBusted’s success lies.