PlanetNotion.com

Noorderslag EuroSonic: 15th - 17th January

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:53:02 GMT

Next week marks the start of the annual European music conference and showcase festival: EuroSonic Noorderslag. Nope, it has nothing to do with old slappers, but serves as a discussion and network platform for the international music industry.

Taking place in the city centre of Groningen, Holland, from January 15th – 17th, EuroSonic Noorderslag is split between a series of live music performances and conferences. A total of 250 new and upcoming European bands will play across a total of 40 venues, stages, bars and clubs over the three-day period.

When the festival first launched in 1986 it served as a battle-of-the-bands event, pitting Holland against Belgium. As interest slowly grew and the industry took notice, the festival began to broaden, with acts from across Europe, including Great Britain’s ‘Micachu and the Shapes’ and Denmark’s ‘The Asteroids Galaxy Tour’, among those set to perform this year.

Noorderslag EuroSonic is an ideal opportunity for the music industry and festival devotees to witness the next big things on the European scene. The EuroSonic conference will feature keynote speeches from both industry experts and bands.

In addition, a presentation for ‘The European Border Breakers Award (BBA)’ winner will also take place. Nominees include the UK’s Adele, Denmark’s Alphabeat and Holland’s Kraak and Smaak. The award will be presented by Jools Holland.

This year’s Noorderslag EuroSonic festival has a special focus on Belgium, with over 20 acts set to perform over the three day period. For further information CLICK HERE.

Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton dies

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Last year was a crap year for PlanetNotion. The kind of year that makes you think that this year can’t get any worse. Huh; yeah, right. Despite ’08 resembling a steaming parcel left by the previous recipient of a toilet, two highlights were fulfilling a long-term ambition to see Iggy and The Stooges perform live; at the Isle of Wight Festival and Get Loaded in the Park, respectively.

Put simply: the band were f*cking fantastic! A 100mph blast of raw, brutal energy, unleashed and exceeding all expectation. Two performances that left PlanetNotion utterly exhausted; wiping blood, sweat and beer from our shaggy hair and brow.

Sadly, PlanetNotion has learned that Stooges guitarist, Ron Asheton, was found dead at his home in Michigan early yesterday morning. Asheton, together with brother Scott, bassist Dave Alexander, and frontman Iggy Pop, were widely considered the original protopunk band.

Despite songs such as ‘No Fun’ and ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ becoming synonymous with the band – and covered by a string of punk and rock artists, it was live album Metallic KO that would be cited as a major inspiration for bands including the Sex Pistols and Sonic Youth.

Asheton’s bandmates left the following statement: “We are shocked and shaken by the news of Ron's death. He was a great friend, brother, musician, trooper. Irreplaceable. He will be missed. For all that knew him behind the facade of Mr Cool & Quirky, he was a kind-hearted, genuine, warm person who always believed that people meant well even if they did not.

“As a musician Ron was The Guitar God, an idol to follow and inspire others. That is how he will be remembered by people who had a great pleasure to work with him, learn from him and share good and bad times with him. Iggy, Scott, Steve, Mike and Crew.”

Police revealed that the 60-year-old musician may have been dead several days before his body was discovered. Asheton is believed to have died of a heart-attack.

The Boss is back with a new album

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:49:29 GMT

We end today on a high note. A high note if, like PlanetNotion, you happen to love The Boss. That’s multi-award winning American rocker, Bruce Springsteen - not our boss; although he does have his moments. Rarely.

Anyway, Bruce has released the track-listing for his forthcoming album, Working on a Dream, released on January 26th.

The album, featuring twelve new Springsteen songs in addition to a bonus track, was recorded during breaks in a year long tour by Springsteen and long-time associates, the E Street Band.

Furthermore, it marks the fourth collaboration between Springsteen and producer/friend Brendan O’Brien, whose production résumé includes Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam.

Speaking of the album, Springsteen explained: “I hope 'Working on a Dream' has caught the energy of the band fresh off the road from some of the most exciting shows we've ever done.

“All the songs were written quickly, we usually used one of our first few takes, and we all had a blast making this one from beginning to end.”

Working on a Dream is the 24th album by 18-time Grammy winning Springsteen, who was recently announced as a headliner for Glastonbury ’09. For further information on ‘Working on a Dream’ visit brucespringsteen.net.

'Working on a Dream' Song Titles:

1. Outlaw Pete

2. My Lucky Day

3. Working on a Dream

4. Queen of the Supermarket

5. What Love Can Do

6. This Life

7. Good Eye

8. Tomorrow Never Knows

9. Life Itself

10. Kingdom of Days

11. Surprise, Surprise

12. The Last Carnival

Bonus track:

The Wrestler

Garden festival prepares for extension

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:38:51 GMT

We’re slowly re-entering reality after Christmas and New Year. The last seat on the rush-hour bus is next to you, and a fat man gets on eating a tuna sandwich; crumbs falling on your lap, the stench hitting your nostrils and your face pressed against the window like the winner of the gurning contest ’08. God, isn't it great to be back at work?

Good news though, folks: the festivals are preparing for their mid-year onslaught; preparing to send your brains back into hyper-space. Come on baby, let the good times roll!

The Garden festival, taking place at Petrcane, Croatia, on the stunning peninsular of the Adriatic coast, is building up for its biggest year yet. Instead of taking place over the course of one weekend, this year it’ll be taking place over the course of two.

We’re talking two doses of 3-day and 3-night festivals, with those attending picking to go to one, the other – or both. Exciting, huh? The Garden festival is considered one of the hidden gems on the festival circuit; for those choosing to go to both weekends, the rest-bite between the two will be an excellent opportunity to explore Petrcane’s beautiful scenery.

“2008 was a pivotal year for us as we hosted several great weekends through the summer,” Nick Colgan, one of the festival bosses explains. “This has led us all here into fully realising what we have wanted to do since we first saw the potential the incredible site has: to create a full festival season.”

In addition, the Garden festival has extended allocation for each weekend to 2,000 people. “Based on all the previous years we believe this is the right number for the space we have,” adds Nick. “It’s paramount to us to retain the sense of a welcoming and fun place where you are not constantly jostling for space. For us, it’s not just about people coming to a great festival but also for everyone to have a fantastic holiday too.”

For further information on the Garden festival, including ticket updates, line-up details and travel information, CLICK HERE!

Tommy Lee talks dressing room etiquette

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:36:58 GMT

Imagine being a rock star? Farewell to sitting at a desk all day, drinking weak coffee and feeling a pain in your brain akin to savage anal rap; hello groupies, free booze, crack and rehab. O the good life.

And when it comes to rock n’ roll debauchery, you’d have to put American rockers Motley Crue high in the top 10. If in doubt, one of the Crue’s most renowned members, Tommy Lee, proved his rock credentials in a recent interview with Playboy…

The drummer, who boned, married and divorced Pamela Anderson, before giving her Hepatitis C, revealed his take on dressing room etiquette.

“You must remove one article of clothing - your pants, your top - or else you are not allowed in my dressing room,” Lee told Playboy. “That gets the f*cking party started so quick. Everyone's walking around topless.”

Later in the interview, Tommy gets a wee bit philosophical, letting slip his views on cosmetic surgery. “There's no such thing as fake t*ts!” Tommy explained. “If you can touch them, they're real... I'm not picky, but I do enjoy very large nipples, I have to admit.”

It may be early days, but as sure as the sh*t on the sole of PlanetNotion’s shoe, that has to be a frontrunner for ‘2009 Quote of the Year’… surely.

Greatest rock vocalist revealed

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:55:43 GMT

Why does a peak travel card covering zones 1 to 5, cost an astronomical £170? Why are PlanetNotion’s guts bubbling like the snout of a pig? Why did we have a three-day binge from New Year’s Eve onwards, thus giving ourselves neck-cramp from continual sofa-surfing?

Come to think of it, that’s probably the answer to question number two…

Another question we often ask ourselves has finally been answered. A survey conducted by digital radio station, Planet Rock, has finally revealed the greatest rock singer of all time. And here’s the thing: the top three are all British.

Led Zeppelin frontman, Robert Plant, was voted top of the poll. Plant introduced the sound of sexual climax to rock music vocals, which might explain why he was included in the Queen’s New Years Honours List just two days ago.

The old girl must like the sound of an orgasm… Anyways, here at PlanetNotion we’re huge fans of Led Zep, so congratulations Robert Plant.

Queen singer Freddie Mercury came second in the poll, whilst Free’s Paul Rodgers came third. We’re a tad disappointed with Mick Jagger’s exclusion from the top three, although he did feature in the top ten, alongside Guns N’ Roses frontman, Axl Rose, the Who’s Roger Daltrey, and Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan.

Janis Joplin was the only woman to make the top 40, peaking at number 21. To see the full results CLICK HERE!

The Monday chart update

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:24:49 GMT

I would wish you a Happy New Year, but how am I to know you’re not a murderer or a paedo or something?

If you’re a genuine good soul, whose only vice is the occasional bottle of Scotch a week (or seven), then I guess I should wish you a Happy New Year. Or, if you don’t have any vices, and the only bad thing you done was accidentally run over the neighbour’s cat by or break a family heirloom dating back to BC - which subsequently made you weep for a week and contemplate suicide - then Happy New Year to you too.

Anyway, here’s the album and singles chart update.

Yawn. Alexandra Burke, who won X-Factor ’08, is still at number one in the singles chart with her rendition of Leonard Cohen’s 80s song, Hallelujah. F*ck knows what Planetnotion was doing on New Year’s Eve; bit of a blur. But Burke was performing at Elton John’s New Year’s Eve shindig at the O2. She was supposed to perform a duet with Sir Elton, but, according to reports, the Rocket Man was all like, “No, darling, I’m the star of the show.”

So he shunted her and performed with Will Young instead.

In other singles chart news, New Yorker Lady GaGa, featured in the current issue of Notion Magazine, rocketed to number three with her new single, Just Dance. The single features Colby O’Donis. Leona Lewis remains at number two with her cover of the Snow Patrol hit, Run.

Over in the album charts, Take That held onto the number one spot for the fifth week, with their (relatively) new album, The Circus. Kings of Leon moved back up to number two, with their (relatively) new album, Only By The Night. And Duffy’s (pretty old now) album, Rockferry, re-climbed the charts to number three. The End.

Will Glasto be saved in 2009?

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:16:01 GMT

Makes Planetnotion laugh, the way people disagree with something just so they look better or right. Like Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis defending his decision to have Jay-Z as a headliner at Glastonbury. Everyone was like: “WHAT THE HELL, MAN? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU HAVING A HIP HOP HEADLINER FOR?” And after the festival, Eavis was all like: “Jay-Z was, um, um, um, um… absolutely brilliant, was he not?”

F*ck knows; didn’t see it… but you sound convinced.

Whether Jay-Z was brilliant or not, and, by god, he could have been, it’s clear that with two 2009 headliners announced, Eavis has realised that having a hip-hop headliner at Glasto may not have been the shrewdest move in the book. (UPDATE: Planetnotion is still pissed)

In fact, the headliners of this year’s festival and 2009’s couldn’t be more different. We’re talking “WHAT THE YOUTH LIKE, INNIT?” in 2008, to “GENUINE MUSIC FOR GENUINE MUSIC FANS!” in 2009. We’re talking Young, Springsteen and, quite possibly, the newly reformed Blur.

Blur would be a coup. Hell, it would be a master-stroke by Eavis. Far from the furore surrounding this year’s festival, in which factions of the media were critical of a hip-hop headliner, having Blur at Glasto 2009 would almost guarantee positive press. (UPDATE: STILL PISSED…)

As for Neil Young, the 63-year-old rockers performance at Vince Power’s' festival debutant, Hop Farm, was lauded as one of the highlights of the festival year. Hell, people would pay the admission to see Young and multi-Grammy-Award-winning Bruce Springsteen alone.

If the headliners and possible headliners are anything to go by, Eavis might even manage to flog every ticket for Glasto 2009; thus reaffirming Glastonbury’s reputation as the UK’s greatest festival. (UPDATE: WRECKED!)

MANU-MANU-MANUMISSION! new year

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:09:30 GMT

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE: Manumission is returning to the UK for the first time in 15 years. Enter big boners and hot girls and hot guys and seriously hot music. F**K I’ve cum in my pants already! And who’s surprised? I mean, it’s MANU-f**king-MISSION. (I do apologise for the profanity, but its Christmas and Planetnotion has been down the pub for the last 4 (four) hours)…

And here’s the thing: Manumission could come to London and think: “AH, WELL, WE COULD PLAY ANYWHERE, AND THE PUNTERS WOULD STILL FLOCK IN THEIR DROVES” but that’s not the case. See, Manumission is going to take to the incredible, the astronomical, the historical – ASTORIA! (I do apologise for the use of words ending in ‘ALL’, but it’s Christmas and Planetnotion has been down the pub for the last 4 (four) hours)…

Seriously, in all fairness its Manumission, so, you know, we don’t really need to say a lot (‘specially as we’re a wee bit pissed), so here’s the deal: with it being Manumission you can expect some sexy cabaret acts to be performing; wee bit of seduction and midgets and girls and skimpy outfits and that kind of thing… and of course you can expect some shit hot music.

And that’s about all we know. See, the full line-up has yet to be announced. But it will be. And it’s Manumission’s 15th birthday so, you know; fuck it, know need for any MORE to be said… (again, sorry for the language… Planetnotion will deal with the use of profanity from the boss tomorrow; even though it's CHRISTMAS (BEEP)ING EVE!!!!)…

Shit, cum in my pants again… here are the details…

MANUMISSION COMES TO LONDON

THURSDAY 15TH JANUARY 2009

10.30pm - 4am. Astoria

157 Charing Cross Road,

London, WC2 8EN

Tickets: £25 (+booking)

seetickets.com

Aphex Twin to headline Bloc 2009

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:41:53 GMT

Want to know something really interesting? Well, you've probably come to the wrong place, but Planetnotion’s going to tell you anyway.

When we had a short stint living in Cornwall, we were drowning our sorrows in this really crappy club. The kinda place where women are quick to drag you to the crapper, the guys are quick to break your nose, and the bouncers are quick to throw you down several flights of stairs…

Anyways, as Planetnotion started to reach the never-regions of intoxication, we decided to sit down next to some guy at the bar. Seating equals safety, or so the saying goes.

We started spilling our heart out about love and money and all the usual spiel that a semi-alcoholic self-abuser rattles on about… The guy sitting next to us was listening and offering advice; a real good soul.

Then some guy came along and started taking photos of the guy and shaking his hand like he was Christ resurrected. Turns out it was Richard D. James that Planetnotion had been speaking to. Aphex f*cking Twin!

Planetnotion has recounted that tale because Aphex Twin will be one of Bloc 2009’s headlining acts. Bloody brilliant, right? Thing is, Planetnotion liked Aphex Twin long before he became our agony aunt for One Night Only.

We liked Aphex Twin because his electronic music is a serious head-f*ck, and sometimes that’s just what the doctor ordered. Especially at 7am in the morning when paranoia is setting in following 36 hours with no sleep, copious amounts of booze, naughtiness, and nothing to eat but a solitary Rustlers burger.

Bloc 2009 will head to its regular indoor haunt at Butlins, Minehead, from March 13th – 15th. Hecker has also been confirmed as a headliner, with tons of other electronic and dance based acts announced. They include the legendary Lee Scratch Perry, Beardyman, Rob da Bank and Modeselektor. For a full line-up and ticket details visit blocweekend.com.

Christmas chart news

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:52:13 GMT

Planetnotion saw two interesting things this morning. We were on the bus, feeling a little bit crappy after the weekend and having to go into work and that… Anyway, the first thing we saw was an article in the London Metro, which put Planetnotion in the know-how regarding the Christmas number one single for our Monday chart update. The second thing was a little fellow, about 30 years old, listening to music real loud on his walkman. Nothing too surprising there, right? WRONG! He was listening to George Michael. George f*cking Michael!

Planetnotion’s never seen anything like it.

Something far from surprising is the Christmas number one single. We predicted it last January and the January before that. It was always going to be the winner of X-Factor. Alexander Burke’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah was in such high-demand that HMV had to re-stock last week; before it was even released!

The number two single is a tad more surprising. Jeff Buckley, who died in 1997 after drowning in the Mississippi river, also covered Cohen’s Hallelujah on his 1994 album, Grace. Anyways, due in part to media campaigns and a Facebook group dedicated to getting his ‘far superior’ version to number one, Buckley has entered the charts at number two.

That means that a Leonard Cohen song is both number one and number two in the singles chart. F*ck me, can you imagine the royalties? Merry Christmas Leonard Cohen. The last time the same single was number one and number two was in 1957, when both Tommy Steele and Guy Mitchell covered Singin’ The Blues.

And get this: Leonard Cohen’s original version has also entered the top 50 at number 36. Once again; Merry Christmas Leonard Cohen. The album chart news is a little less interesting. In fact it’s pretty wank. Take That are still at number one, with their album The Circus, and Leona Lewis is still at number two, with the reissue of her album Spirit. The End.

Girls Aloud add UK tour dates

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:22:23 GMT

For men they represent a goal; something to aim for, or hope for, or pray that you can get. But a difficult goal; like sharing a pint with an alien or shooting smack with the Queen. For women they represent feistiness, sexiness and a feminine ideal. And yes, that includes the ginger one.

Anyways, Planetnotion refers to Girls Aloud, who have added even more live dates to their 2009 UK tour. Come the end of April, the girls will play three consecutive dates; Manchester on the 24th, Sheffield on the 25th and London on the 26th.

Add 19 dates in May and 5 dates in June, and the young pop lovelies have got themselves quite the schedule. Anyway, we’re told that tickets for the additional dates go on sale December 18th, with limited tickets for May and June dates still available. For tickets CLICK HERE!

Girls Aloud: Out of Control Tour

April Dates (NEW)

24 - Manchester MEN Arena
25 - Sheffield Arena
26 - London O2 Arena

May Dates (Old)

5 - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
6 - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
8 - Glasgow SECC Hall 4
9 - Glasgow SECC Hall 4
11 - Nottingham Arena
12 - Nottingham Arena
13 - Sheffield Arena
15 - Sheffield Arena
16 - Manchester MEN Arena
17 - Manchester MEN Arena
19 - Liverpool Echo Arena
20 - Birmingham NIA
21 - Birmingham NIA
23 - London O2 Arena
24 - London O2 Arena
26 - London Wembley Arena
27 - London Wembley Arena
29 - Manchester MEN Arena
30 - Glasgow SECC Hall 4

June Dates (Old)

1 - Birmingham NIA
2 - Liverpool Echo Arena
3 - Liverpool Echo Arena
5 - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
6 - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena

Keane set to go gangsta'

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:15:07 GMT

They may not look like they’ve got ‘em, but when Keane released their latest album, Perfect Symmetry, Planetnotion was quick to say: “Them boys got balls!” See, moving on from the - ‘grab a wire and string your neck’ - music of old, the album was a complete change of direction. An album littered with synth-pop ditties to make you jig a merry jig and smile a merry smile. Such a change of direction can only be described as brave. Anyways, now the lads are exploring unknown territory once again… like we said: “Them boys got balls!”

In an interview with BBC 6Music, Keane drummer Richard Hughes revealed that he and his chums are going all gangsta’, as they explore the realms of hip hop. It follows a chance meeting in a Paris recording studio with US rapper, Kanye West. West was more than a-taken back by Keane’s ‘new sound’ and immediately set about re-working the lead single from ‘Perfect Symmetry’.

Over to Hughes: “I think [keyboardist] Tim [Rice-Oxley] left another song with him [West] that he wrote a little while back. It’s got a huge gap in it which is for a guest vocalist and we were hoping Kanye might take a run at that as well. I don’t know, maybe we’ll do a little EP, call it Keane-ye or something.”

Hughes also revealed how West had already added a bit of rapping to one of Keane’s tunes. Hughes again: "We’d been thinking about asking him to have a crack at a remix and actually he ended up rapping over a little bit of 'You Haven’t Told Me Anything'. I don’t know how we’re going get it to see the light of day. We’ll maybe try to take that idea and run with it. It would be a shame to put it out without making the most of it.”

Course, this isn’t the first time Kanye has dipped his fingers into some pop/rock pie. West teamed-up with Coldplay’s Chris Martin for the track Homecoming. Sample Lyric: I met this girl when I was three years old / And what I loved most she had so much soul / She said, excuse me little homie, I know you don't know me - but / My name is Wendy and, I like to blow trees… If that doesn’t get you all wet-and-sticky about the prospect of a Keane/Kanye collaboration, fuck knows what will.

The day the X-Factor killed Christmas

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:39:21 GMT

You can only pull a dogs tail so many times before it bites your nuts off, and in our fragile state of mind, that’s a strong possibility. Maybe all this spite and irritation has nothing to do with the weekend come-down; maybe it’s Planetnotion’s utter disdain at X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke’s debut single becoming the fastest selling European download EVER!

It’s bad enough that the single is a cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, so beautifully sung by Jeff Buckley, before his premature death in ’97. But then, we could have dealt with that; you know, shrugged it off like a horny sow in a suburban night-club.

No, the reason we’re p*ssed off is because the Christmas chart has lost a certain je ne sais quois and the X-Factor’s largely responsible for it. Each year the Christmas chart becomes more predictable than the last. We knew that X-Factor would claim the Christmas number one, before the first rocket fizzled out and the last bit of puke splattered the pavement, last New Year’s Eve.

Anyways, Alexandra’s cover of Hallelujah has topped a total of four online charts, with HMV having to order extra copies. A total of 105,000 download copies were sold in just one day, beating Leona Lewis’ debut single A Moment Like This by 23,000.

F*ck it, best of luck to Alex, she didn’t choose to cover the song… but give us Fairytale of New York, Lonely This Christmas or even that one by Wham, anyday of the week.

Red Stripe gig series announces venues

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:45:11 GMT

The Red Stripe Music Award has announced the 25 venues chosen to host their 2009 gig series. The list is representative of Red Stripe’s 20-year dedication to live music, and their knowledge of quality live music venues.

Among prestigious names, including Liverpool’s Zanzibar and the award winning Harley in Sheffield, are new additions including London’s Dingwalls and the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds.

The Red Stripe Music Award, taking place from January – April 2009 is the perfect platform for unsigned bands to showcase their talent. From the 1,500 applicants expected to apply, 150 bands will be selected to play across the final 25 venues.

A board of industry experts and music specialists, including Elbow’s Guy Garvey and XFM’s John Kennedy, will select four finalists to play at the Kentish Town Forum in May.

The winning band will be given the opportunity to play three major UK festivals, including The Great Escape, giving them a platform to launch a career in what’s been dubbed: ‘live music’s answer to the Mercury Music Prize’.

Embrace frontman Danny McNamara, who recently acquired Manchester venue Moho and will welcome the Red Stripe Music Award for the first time, commented: “We work with a lot of new bands at Moho, who just want to get out there and play.

“This gig series isn’t a ‘battle of the bands’ but an opportunity for people with talent to perform at venues they might not normally get the chance.”

Bands that wish to take part in the Red Stripe Music Award are asked to visit redstripe.net, where information on venue dates, shortlists, finalists and specialist promotions can be found alongside details on how to apply.

Red Stripe Music Award 2009 Dates and Venues

16th January (Fri) Cardiff, Barfly,

16th January (Fri) London, The Windmill (Brixton)

17th January (Sat) Leeds, Brudenell Social Club,

23rd January (Fri) Exeter, Phoenix

23rd January (Fri) Glasgow, Box

24th January (Sat) Aberdeen, Moshulu

24th January (Sat) Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire

30th January (Fri) Bedford, Esquires

6th February (Fri) Bristol, The Croft

7th February (Sat) Brighton, Audio

7th February (Sat) Oxford, The Cellar

13th February (Fri) Southampton, The Talking Heads

19th February (Thu) Wrexham, Central Station

20th February (Fri) Liverpool, Zanzibar

20th February (Fri) Accrington, Attic

27th February (Fri) Reading, Purple Turtle

28th February (Sat) Chelmsford, Barhouse

5th March (Thu) Cornwall, Bunters

6th March (Fri) Cornwall, Blue

12th March (Thu) London, Dingwalls (Camden)

13th March (Fri) Sheffield, The Harley

14th March (Sat) Newcastle, The End Bar

20th March (Fri) London, Halfmoon (Putney)

20th March (Fri) Birmingham, The Rainbow

21st March (Sat) Norwich, B2 Venue

28th March (Sat) Manchester, Moho

Album and Singles Round-up

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:55:15 GMT

Christmas came early on Saturday, as the X-Factor finally drew to a close. Thing is, everyone knows that the winning contestant’s verbal-raping of Hallelujah will shoot straight to number one next week; despite the fact that Jeff Buckley’s version pisses all over anything the X-Factor could produce. Fact!

Anyway, enough moaning; over to this week’s album and singles chart…

The album chart remains pretty much the same as last week. Take That remain at number one with their album The Circus, whilst Leona Lewis’ reissue of Spirit climbed to number two.

Leona’s domination in the singles chart also continues; the Hackney-born singer’s cover of Snow Patrol’s Run remains at number one.

Terry Wogan and former child-prodigy Aled Jones are the highest new entry in the singles chart. The pair’s collaborative cover of the Bing Crosby and David Bowie hit, Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth, entered the charts at number five. Proceeds from the single will go to Children in Need.

Planetnotion gave the single a listen and it made us think of Santa and snowmen, reindeer and cold turkey… which is kind of how Planetnotion feels following a heavy weekend and Monday morning withdrawal. Alas, we believe Wogan and Jones’ effort should be rewarded with the Christmas number one spot. X-Factor can go f*ck itself with a Road Sweeper's broom.

Kings of Leon’s new single, Use Somebody, climbed to number two, with a string of Christmas re-releases also entering the charts. They include The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl hit, Fairytale of New York, which climbed to number thirteen.

Volcano!

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:34:42 GMT

NUTS AND BOLTS: Aaron With – guitar / vocals, Mark Cartwright – electronics / bass, Sam Scranton – drums / percussion
STOMPING GROUND: Chicago, Illinois, formed 2005
SET TO SOUNDTRACK: Lord above only knows
DESTINED TO UPSET: Those who like clearly defined boundaries
YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Dirty Projectors, Deerhoof, Whirlwind Heat, Efterklang, The Red Paintings

Volcano! aren’t an easy band to figure out. Their second album, ‘Paperwork,’ is a weird and wonky mix of post-punk, art-rock and free jazz, punctured with forays into ambient electronics. If you like your music coherent, then you’d best stop reading now, but if you want to listen to a sprawling amalgamation of squealing guitars, shotgun percussion and off-kilter melodies - which, let’s be honest, you really should - carry on...

One minute the three-piece is battering your ears into submission with out-of-tune guitar riffs, out-of-time drums and out-of-the blue electronic squawks; the next they slide into soothing moments of leftfield reprise. Any band that can combine the minimalist noise-rock of Steve Albini’s ‘Shellac,’ with melodies that sound like Ariel Pink at his prettiest, deserves your attention. After one album, which had critical plaudits raining down on the band, but popular success giving them a wide berth, Volcano! are back and leaner and tighter than before. Admittedly, it’s odd stuff, but well worthwhile for the slow-burning melodies which gradually emerge.

‘PAPERWORK’ IS OUT NOW (THE LEAF LABEL)

Extracted from Notion Magazine

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:37:07 GMT

NUTS AND BOLTS: Dent May – ukulele / keyboards / vocals
STOMPING GROUND: Jackson, Mississippi, since 2005
SET TO SOUNDTRACK: The return of geek chic
DESTINED TO UPSET: Anyone who dislikes twee music
YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Lee Hazelwood, The Partridge Family, The Beach Boys, The Russian Futurists, Serge Gainsbough

Notion’s jaw dropped in baffled admiration after stumbling across the Youtube video to ‘Oh Paris!’, a track from Dent May’s first split EP. The 23-year-old troubadour has crafted one of those perfect pop moments that breaks your heart while dripping in originality. The track is imbued with an aching sadness as Dent croons about his love for Parisian girls over a gently strummed ukulele line, finger clicks and layers of doo-wop backing vocals.

On the other side of the vinyl EP is ‘Meet Me In The Garden,’ which sees Dent lamenting his way through three minutes and 19 seconds of bitter-sweet musings on unrequited love, with more harmonised backing vocals and bursts of wobbly synths. These betray a love for electronic music pioneer, Bruce Haack, who made children’s records in the sixties using weird and wonderful homemade instruments. And the man himself… what a man! He is all inch-thick circular spectacles, bad dancing, tight-fitting beige jeans and he lives in a trailer in the back-end of Mississippi. Listen to him - now.

‘MEET ME IN THE GARDEN/OH PARIS!’ IS OUT NOW (MAKE MINE)

Extracted from Notion Magazine

Six Toes

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:55:32 GMT

NUTS AND BOLTS: Ben Rogers – guitar, vocals, David Greenep - guitar, vocals, Anne Carruthers – cello, James Hitchins – double bass, Natalie Sedgwick – violin, Andy Hobson - drums

STOMPING GROUND: Ely, Cambridgeshire, formed 2004

SET TO SOUNDTRACK: Weird druid gatherings next to large rocks

DESTINED TO UPSET: Lovelorn singer songwriters who strum open chords for catharsis

YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Tom Waits, Nick Drake, Nick Cave, Syd Barrett, Bermuda Triangle Band

SixToes aren’t just freaks of the digit world; they are misfits of the folk scene too. If that particular F- word conjures up frightful images of bearded men in cardigans hunched over acoustic guitars, singing about love and sunshine, you can rest easy – SixToes are odd. The sextet peddles an off-the-beaten-track mutation of sixties psych-folk, overlaid with baritone vocals that bear more than a passing resemblance to Tom Waits’ legendary vaudeville growl.

Their debut single, ‘Four Leaf Clover,’ is five minutes of gently finger-picked guitar, harmonized vocals, and aching cello lines and is the band’s most conventional moment to date. But venture onto the flipside, ‘Reggae Song,’ and you will hear SixToes at their weirdest… it’s all unnerving minor key guitar lines and out-of-tune crooning, leading to a vocal chant driven crescendo.

‘Four Leaf Clover’ is out now (Toe Music)

Extracted from Notion Magazine

Screaming Soul

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:51:29 GMT

NUTS AND BOLTS: Ghetto Priest – vocals, Sandman – producer/MC

STOMPING GROUND: London, UK, formed 2007

SET TO SOUNDTRACK: Dark streets and seedy clubs

DESTINED TO UPSET: Hip hop purists

YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Disciples, African Head Charge, Adrian Sherwood, Black Twang, Mr Thing

Screaming Soul is the genre defying collaboration between Ghetto Priest of Asian Dub Foundation, and MC/producer, Sandman, aka Doobie of the Underground Alliance. The pair spews forth a bastardised amalgamation of roots, rap, hip hop and dub, with even the occasional hint of noir jazz glimmering through the fuggy beats.

Their music takes you on a tour of down-and-out London, where gentle Gil Scott-Heron keyboards and soulful reggae vocals are swamped under dub basslines, with spitfire raps over the top. Their debut single, ‘Warfare,’ is the darkest of their work so far, opening via eerie keyboards swaggering with such menace it makes Massive Attack sound like the Monkeys. The overtly political reggae vocals hark back to the days of reggae soundsystems when Jamaican culture was imported to Blighty en masse in the early seventies... Listening to Screaming Soul you can almost feel the claustrophobia of dim rooms filled with the stale skunk smoke of yesteryear.

Warfare is out now (Holy Voodoo)

Extracted from Notion Magazine

Thank You

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:47:57 GMT

NUTS AND BOLTS: Jeffrey McGrath - vocals, guitar, Michael Bouzoukis - organ, bass, Emmanuel Nicolaidis - drums

STOMPING GROUND: Baltimore, Maryland, formed 2005

SET TO SOUNDTRACK: Hipsters drinking black coffee and musing on Nietzsche

DESTINED TO UPSET: Those of a delicate disposition

YOU’RE IN BUSINESS IF YOU LIKE: Sonic Youth, Mars, Fugazi, Tortoise, Shellac

Thank You are a welcome shot in the arm for a gradually dwindling avant-punk scene Stateside. With the Yeah Yeah Yeahs moving further away from their New York no-wave roots and Fugazi on permanent hiatus, this trio of scuzz merchants is flying the independent flag high and proud.

The band’s latest LP, ‘Terrible Two,’ is a sprawling soundscape of abrasive guitars, tinny drums slipping out of time and the occasional vocal chant. With the treble pushed to the limit and earbleeding avalanches of noise, you’re not in for an easy ride, but over the course of their lengthy tracks, Thank You slide into odd, sparse, serene moments of soothing organ and delicate guitar. If you need proof of their calibre, J Robbins, the man behind Yeasayer and Jets To Brazil, and Chris Coady, of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV On The Radio fame, are fans.

‘Terrible Two’ is out now (Thrill Jockey)

Extracted from Notion Magazine

The Transpersonals

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:41:43 GMT

The Transpersonals’ music sounds like the kind of thing you’d find if you carved open the mind of a 60s free-love-and-fucking, Acid-popping freak and were drowned underneath a kaleidoscopic stream of musical notes. Only The Transpersonals’ music is a bit more, well… now? A tad more current. You know; good for 2008? The Bristolian band’s back-story paints an interesting picture, not least because it’s neither now, current or 2008; in fact, it’s the kind of tale you’d associate with the psychedelic and experimental 60s Summer of Love. We’re talking Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys when he went through his whole mind-frazzled ‘Smiley Smile’ faze; Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones before he was found face down in his swimming pool; the wide-eyed Syd Barrett before he became a recluse and made book-shelves out of baked bean cans. We’re talking about gorging on more hallucinogenic drugs than a fat kid eats candy bars and a fly nibbles fresh shit. The Transpersonals’ lead-vocalist, Timothy Hurford, was homeless and expanding his mind by dropping just about anything that would send him on a far-out trip, man. Maybe it was the sheep playing poker and drinking Blue Nun, or whatever crazy images were flying through Hurford’s neuro-transmitters, but he eventually found himself locked away in a mental institute. Thankfully, he’s okay now, although it’s apparent from The Transpersonals’ music that Hurford’s psychedelic experimentation and spell in mental-captivity has left a long-standing mark. Despite a notable psychedelic theme to The Transpersonals’ music, with subtle undertones of the 90s Indie vibe, debut EP ‘Evolve or Die’ is an eclectic four-track collection. ‘Hello Hello’ is a psych-tinged Surf-Pop ditty and a mighty catchy little number, whilst ‘Silver Star’ features the fantastic Katey Brooks as guest-vocalist. Instant comparisons to Nico (she of Velvet Underground fame) will no doubt be made. And it’s the fact that few bands have delved into the kaleidoscopic realms of psychedelica in 2008, that makes The Transpersonals a sure-fire bet to carve a name within the niche. Go check out their MySpace and order their EP now. You’ll be pleasantly surprised… Words: Dangerous Dave

Reemer

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:35:44 GMT

Reemer:Dave Hunter (Vocals), Nick Murray (Guitar), Dan Evans (Drums), Max Redfern (Bass)

Reemer may have the sort of name you’d associate with a guy who enjoys licking arse out, but they’re actually a pop-punk band from Manchester. It’s true. Their name has nothing to do with anilingus at all; they took it off a guy from cult film ‘Baseketball’. Think Busted, dunked in a blender with a blotter of LSD and a bottle of fizzy pop, and you’re almost there… almost. Anyway, Reemer are so popular in Manchester and the North-West that a recent gig at ‘Sonic Boom’ was oversold by like, 200 tickets. Everyone stormed the stage like a scene from Zulu, and then, get this… they kidnapped Reemer’s bass player, Max Redfern! Mental isn’t it?

Reemer even featured in everyone’s favourite C4 soap opera, Hollyoaks, which has storylines including teen-junkies and a guy who’s faked his own death. The band repaid the favour by roping in Leah Hackett, who plays Tina McQueen in the soap, to star in the video to new single ‘Maniac’. Tina McQueen’s latest storyline was giving birth to her boyfriend’s brother’s baby for her ex-jailbird sister, who goes out with her boyfriend’s brother… or something like that. It’ll all end in tears.

In fact, so popular are Reemer up North, that Johnny Vegas is set to ditch the knitted tea-drinking monkey to star in their next video! Alas, Reemer have recently been asked to contribute a track to the Mighty Boosh podcast, have an extensive upcoming tour schedule, and are set to release a debut album on ‘Reaction Records’. This suggests that they’re going to explode like a liquid fart! The upcoming album, Snakes and Ladders, is being produced by Andy Macpherson and Chris Kemsey, who have worked with the likes of Blondie, The Cult, New Model Army, The Who, and The Rolling Stones! Anyway, you can check Reemer out on their MySpace. DD

New single ‘MANIAC’ is out now on ‘Reaction Records’. Debut album ‘SNAKES AND LADDERS’ is released September 2008.

Check out the video to Maniac starring Tina from Hollyoaks:

Detroit Social Club

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:39:48 GMT

From an area of the North East more recognizable for producing adolescent soaps than generating musical talent, there is now emerging one of the most promising bands of the modern era. Detroit Social Club, a six piece only formed just prior to Christmas, has already been astonishing music lovers and A&R personnel alike with their heavily-distorted, dirty-bluesy riffs, profound bass, thudding drums and powerful, soul-inspiring vocals.

Although singer/songwriter David Burn, 27, has exhausted a hefty quantity of the past year in his personal studio vigilantly assembling his songs and mastering a unique sound, only recently has this incorporated some of Newcastle’s finest musical talent – including long term friend, Chris McCourtie, Davids Green and Welsh, along with prodigious teens Bondy and Dale Knight. Despite the solitary beginnings, this crew around Burn have become vital ingredients of his vision to “Bring back the feeling”.

Burn explains further: “It’s not just about making something sound nice… but also getting something from someone and getting something out of it, where you listen to something and you believe it”. This deluge of spirit is encapsulated in the quite simplistic yet brilliant ‘Black and White’; likewise, in the swaggering vibe of the formidable ‘Sunshine People’, through which even the most passive listener is transcended into a world of alternative realities.

Burn, self evidently the band’s clear leader, speaks of Detroit Social Club as a “schizophrenic band” in seeking to maintain a boundary between the recordings and the live performance. “Recordings-wise, there’ll be a lot of soul - it’s gonna be about the colouration of the tracks, a lot more about the vibe and different sounds we can implement”. He continues, “live is very much about dragging you by the balls from the back of the room! You’re gonna be fuckin’ jumping around, not even realizing. Getting to the end of the gig, they’ll be like, how did I get here? It’s gonna be like two different things; by keeping your live presence and your recording separate you’re always gonna surprise people”.

Already evident is how much this young band offer, and so it comes as little surprise that a growing amount of record labels, including several majors, have been eager to be associated with a band that is breeding so much enthusiasm. This has led to what Burn defines as a “stroke of luck” – by chance, a demo landed on the desk of Artic Monkeys manager Geoff Barrowdale one Saturday afternoon. By the Sunday morning contact had been made and within weeks he had became their manager. Happenstance shines on the deserving!

The initial “excitement”, in Burn’s words, has now been replaced by “apprehension… apprehension to stop talking about it and start doing it”. With a tour of northern cities announced recently, and the album recording set to commence in September, it has been a hectic, tumultuous journey for a band that non-existent but six months ago.

With a number one single in the metro charts, “the best manger in the business”, Razorlight’s engineer collaborating with Burn in his production, a host of top bands clambering for them as tour support, there is no doubt that they are in good stead for an extremely promising career. What cannot be denied is that the management has enabled the process to be accelerated. Nevertheless, nor can it be ignored that this has only been possible due to the implausibly good collection of songs that Detroit Social Club has amassed. Talent shines. It is little wonder that there is so much exhilaration: finally, in Detriot Social Club, a band has emerged eager to challenge that hangover the industry has been nurturing since the demise of the Libertines; the hangover the precedes the ebullient, transcendental presence of a defining rock’n’roll band. Richard Duncan

Golden Animals

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:49:13 GMT

Nuts and Bolts: Tommy Eisner (guitar/vocals) Linda Beecroft (drums/vocals)

Stomping Ground: Southern California/Brooklyn

Set to Soundtrack: A journey across Arizona in a 1960s Black LeSabre.

Destined to Upset: Anyone who hates the bygone period of free-love, smoking pot, and dropping acid.

You’re in business if you like: The Doors, Jim Morrison, Cream, Jimmy Reed, hobos on trains, Jimi Hendrix, early Rolling Stones, and music that’s refreshingly, um, fresh…

It’s inevitable that should Golden Animals acquire a glowing reputation, which itself seems inevitable, there are going to be comparisons made to the White Stripes. Why? Because: (A) they’re a two-piece playing music deep-rooted in early blues; (B) ones a bloke, the other isn’t; and (C) Tommy plays guitar and Linda plays drums. However, Planet Notion can safely say, that is where the comparisons end. The fact is that Golden Animals don’t sound like the White Stripes and they don’t seem to be trying to. In fact, Tommy and Linda sound like a throw-back to a period in 60s music when blues was transforming into a psychedelic incarnation; eg: The Doors, and albeit, with their own unique approach. “Early blues recordings are the fountain”, the pair have commented. “Even in 200 years, people will find completely new ways to create all within those rules and algorithms”. Indeed… Tommy met Swedish-born Linda on her first day in Brooklyn; you could call it fate. The pair immediately hit if off and soon set-off travelling Europe and America armed only with the bare essentials. You know; a guitar, a tambourine, a suitcase… A chance meeting with a fortune teller, who predicted music would be the pair’s destiny, sent them packing back to Brooklyn to pursue their interest, and thus Golden Animals was born. A ‘marching band’ drum-kit, acquired from a dumpster outside a church, and Tommy’s distinct slide-guitar, would provide the basis of Golden Animals' sound. However, tiring of the Brooklyn scene, the pair soon headed west, eventually settling in the Californian desert. Alas, it was here that they recorded debut album, ‘Free Your Mind and Win a Pony’, due for release in August and recorded under the guidance of ‘Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ and ‘TV On The Radio’ producer, Chris Cody. Their tale may sound like something from a Mark Twain novel, but the album speaks for itself. Five months recording in the isolated Californian desert has clearly influenced and helped the duo develop their blues inspired sound. Hence the opinion of Planet Notion that Golden Animals are one of the most exciting acts to emerge this year. And just because we find Linda sexy, Tommy friggin’ dope, and have an almost voyeuristic fascination with their music, that doesn’t mean we continually wank over our ‘promo’ copy of ‘Free Your Mind and Win a Pony’. Ahem, well, there was that one time... Words: Dangerous Dave

Golden Animals debut album, Free Your Mind and Win a Pony, is released on HappyParts Recordings, August 4th. For more information, visit the Golden Animals MySpace page.

Nick Sunderland

Fri, 30 May 2008 16:35:18 GMT

Nuts and Bolts: Nick Sunderland (Vocals/Guitar)

Stomping Ground: East London.

Set to Soundtrack: Love… Loss… Hope…

Destined to Upset: The clubbing fraternity.

You’re in business if you like: Peri-Peri Chicken style Indie-Rock. Soft, but with a kick.

Imagine going for a leisurely run through the woods whilst listening to your I-pod; some gentle Indie-rock beating slowly against your drums. Suddenly there’s a kick, a harder edge to the music, and you pick up the pace. You’re really working it now; your armpits are rising damp and your brow’s getting wet - until suddenly you stop with a jolt to admire an unusual looking specimen! It’s a Liberty Cap: A Magic Mushroom. It looks tasty, and you’re feeling a wee bit peckish, so you take a bite… Oh god! Minutes later you’re on a crazy paranoid trip, peculiar voices infiltrating East-End artist Nick Sunderland on your I-Pod, as he explores deep themes of love and loss; loss and love. You’re running through the woods in a blind panic, arms flailing like an irate gibbon, the trees closing in on you like some paranoid delusion of Edgar Allan Poe. Memories of lost relationships are flooding back to haunt you, like an outer-body experience on a journey to the fiery gates of hell. There’s a bitter edge to Nick Sunderland’s music and lyrics, occasionally interrupted by the schizophrenic voice of inner thoughts and times that were. Sunderland explores subjects more at home within the softer realms of Indie-rock; albeit with a little more panache. By adding distorted electronic-infused vocals as a response to the lyrical context, on top of far edgier guitar solos, he explores the demented side of break-ups and the eternal search for love. Far from being depressing it kicks your sorry arse into gear; tells you to drop that quart of Whiskey and put down the sharpened knife. After all, break-ups and love are rarely lardy-dar (sic); they’re a subject that’s supposed to be approached with edginess and bite. Perhaps that’s why the London artist reached number two (2) in Metro’s singles of the week… Sure, Sunderland may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s a damn sight better than the current crop of soft-Indie rockers littering jukeboxes nationwide, for single drunks to listen to whilst weeping into pints. Check out his MySpace! Words: Dangerous

January Download Watch: Part 1

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:25:53 GMT

Turkey may have been chewed, crackers pulled (not just on Christmas day) and a trillion squids worth of wrapping paper disposed of, but the season of good-will is far from over.

See, bands from far and wide have been releasing FREE downloads. Course, listening to FREE downloads is a good way to waste 60 Seconds, which is why we’ve posted it on this part of the website. Anyway, here are PlanetNotion’s top three free downloads:

Foals: The Oxford band previewed some etchings of work from their forthcoming album. Frontman, Yannis Philippakis, wrote on the band’s MySpace: “Work is continuing on writing the next record. Which is sounding less and less surf the colder it gets. surprisingly.”

He then added: “Most of this stuff is me messing round late at night lonely on a loop pedal. It's for the most part formless and semi-instrumental. Figures i guess.....” Um, yes Yannis, it does. Although it’s still pretty god-darn special. CLICK HERE to check it out!

The Black Lips: Gearing up for the release of their new album, 200 Million Thousand, The Black Lips have celebrated by releasing a free download of new single Starting Over.

PlanetNotion reckons they called their album 200 Million Thousand to f*ck with our imbecile brains and make us pull out a calculator. We did, and 200 Million Thousand is exactly the same as 200 Thousand Million.

Anyways, we gave the single a brief listen and we like what we hear. It’s nice and twee and sounds like a 60s love-in moving through to the 90s or something. Only, where the music is surprisingly sweet, the vocals are kinda trademark, garage rough. So, I guess you could call it brutal but fantastic sex. CLICK HERE to check it out!

The Beatles: Okay, so what’s new? We all know The Beatles music and practically all of their songs. Well, the ones released on albums anyway. Abbey Road and Revolver are personal favourites; especially when you're smoking an 8-ball in a joint the size of a party hat.

Anyways, The Beatles back-catalogue has finally been made available to download. For FREE! Furthermore, it’s perfectly legal. Double exclamation mark!! The catch? It’s courtesy of a Norwegian broadcasting station, taken from a long-running show dedicated to the band. Hence the weird Norwegian bloke talking at the beginning of each song… Still, CLICK HERE to check it out!

Liverpool Music Week: Rob Da Bank Interview!

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:38:06 GMT

Liverpool; 2008 European Capital of Culture. Steeped in history and drenched in Scouse; naturally. Not to mention home of the annual Liverpool Music Week (LMW), brimming with big events and even bigger names. We’re talking Vampire Weekend; Dizzee Rascal; Noah and the Whale; Wiley; The Fall - and that’s just for starters. Anyways, as part of the week long celebrations, the irrefutable Rob Da Bank, master of Bestival and ever-popular Radio1 DJ, will be putting on his very own Bestival Reunion Tour. PN caught up with Rob to shoot the shit in 60 Seconds. Well, it was about 2 minutes actually… Anyways, here are the results:

It’s been a busy year for you, what with the DJing and Bestival and the general workload that goes with the whole shebang… how did the ‘Bestival Reunion Tour’ at Liverpool Music Week come about?

We had such a great time doing our Bandstand party in Liverpool this year that we wanted to come back with the Bestival gang and finish off the party! Liverpool’s always been an important city for me for clubbing, ever since the glory days of Cream! Ah, the good old days.

But what specifically attracted you to Liverpool Music Week? Has it always been an event you’ve admired and if so, why?

It had more to do with when we were planning on coming really – it was just good timing, and the Mystery Jets weren’t playing Liverpool so we wanted to get ‘em on there with us... The rest of the week looks great, and I just hope everyone’s got the energy to come to our party after all the other shindigs!

So what can we expect to see on the night you’re playing?

Some amazing live music; DJs who aren’t scared of playing something a bit different and some crazy fancy dress no doubt!

One DJ that particularly caught my eye - who’s playing with you guys on the night, was Kissy Sell Out. Big things are expected of Kissy at the moment. What does he bring to the circuit that’s fresh and new?

A weird haircut! Seriously though, Kissy is one of the most up for it, energetic DJs out there - without being cheesy, and he has a massive fanbase, so that’s a help too.

Kissy’s also joined Radio1. Is everyone there pleased to see him on board… what does he bring to the station?

Yup, he plays music no one else is championing, and probably knows clubland better than most of us too, so he’s keeping us up to speed nicely.

Who else, in the way of DJs and acts, should people be keeping an eye on at the moment?

An act called La Roux, who are gonna be massive next year – think Lykke Li meets Salt N Pepa and Spank Rock – kinda... Also Little Boots, Ramadanman and Ebony Bones.

Are there any surprises we can expect from the Bestival Reunion Tour at Liverpool Music Week? You know, any surprise inclusions or exciting plans for the night - that may not be too surprising if you let the cat out the bag, like, now?

That would be telling!

How did this years Bestival compare to other years? Have you seen a consistent improvement as it continues to grow?

Much muddier than previous years due to the 10 inches of rain that fell in 36 hours; aside from that an amazing crowd bang up for it whatever the weather, and some supreme performances from the likes of Grace Jones, George Clinton, Chromeo and My Bloody Valentine.

And finally, what can we expect from Rob Da Bank in the future? Any exciting plans you’ve got in store, either for yourself or for Bestival?

More of the same! I’m loving Radio 1 at the moment, with my two shows there; Camp Bestival, our new family show, had a great start this year and I’m enjoying DJing more than ever, so watch out!

O and is there anything you’d like to add, some pearls of wisdom maybe?

Say what you mean and act how you feel, because those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter; that was Dr Seuss who said that... so there!

Rob Da Bank performs at Nation on Friday 31st October with The Mystery Jets, Kissy Sell Out LIVE, The Cuban Brothers, Sombrero Soundsystem & special guests The Presets, as part of MTV Liverpool Music Week. Tickets on sale now: £15.00+BF / www.ticketline.co.uk / Tel: 0151 256 5555 / Info: www.liverpoolmusicweek.com

ATFC Interview!

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:33:59 GMT

ATFC is one of the biggest names in dance music; a household name who has tasted chart-topping success and is greatly admired by those around him; DJs and dance fans alike. Despite the fact you may think certain countries haven’t heard of him or any other DJs in his field, Defected Records has recently been introducing dance to India. Yes indeed, the power of the dance now has one more country under its euphoric control! Defected Records’ brand new compilation, Defected in the House: Goa 09, has been remixed by Simon Dunmore, DJ Pearl and ATFC himself. It marks Defected’s commitment to India, and highlights the fact that the label and ATFC will be visiting Goa during the New Year for the Sunburn Festival. We caught up with ATFC to discuss life in sunny Spain, his love of House music and what the big man has in the pipeline.

Tell me a few things about ATFC that I wouldn’t necessarily know?

I was a model for a knitting magazine when I was 4. I appeared on Record Breakers, but only to ask Norris McWhirter a question in 'On the Spot'. My inside leg measurement is only 29.5 inches and no, this has nothing to do with my appearance on 'Record Breakers'. I thought House Music was rubbish until I was 23. And my real DJ idols are Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay and Trevor Nelson.

You’ve experienced a bit of a renaissance lately – would you agree? What’s inspired this?

A lot seems to have happened since I moved to Spain a year ago. The pressure of living and working in the UK was lifted and I started having more fun with music. I'd left my fancy purpose built studio back in England and began working from a spare bedroom, trying new sounds and arrangements, not caring if something was thrown together in a few hours. My mix of Dubfire's 'Roadkill' attracted a lot of attention and it marked a slight change in style for me. It came together in a couple of hours and its sound gave me inspiration for a number of other successful records that followed… Ya Killin Me, my remix of Speed Up… Tribute to the JB's… Overall though, I'd like to think the sound I've fallen on is peak time house that can stand up to most Electro and even some Techno, but with a touch of funkiness to make it accessible to a wider market.

How is the house scene different now to that of the 90’s?

It's a whole lot broader musically. The boundaries are really very blurred and as DJ's we have the luxury of being able to play Techno, Electro, House and even Breakbeat in one night. The change in the way labels sell and release their music has also made the scene a lot more democratic. It's no longer possible to get ahead as a DJ by being 'upfront' or playing music that has yet to be released; unless it's your own of course. Another massive change is the shift in attention from the US to Europe. In the 90's, the States pretty much dominated the House market, both in sales and DJ's. Obviously we always had our own stars as well, but there was a time when any American could buy 50 records, call himself a DJ and tour Europe. Now it's becoming much more global; the Australians are doing really well and it won't be long before Asia starts making waves on the dance scene as well.

Do you still have the same burning passion for music and clubs?

It's always been more about the music for me rather than the whole clubbing experience. When I first started going to clubs, it really was down to who was DJing rather than whether there were hot girls there or if it was a really cool venue. When my friends and I used to go clubbing, we would simply dance, trainspot and listen to the music. I have the same burning passion for making music that makes people dance and see the music work. I wouldn’t be doing what I do if I were a millionaire or unemployed, so I guess the answer is yes, I do have the same burning passion for music.

‘Praise to the JB’s’ is a fierce track, a Beatport no.1! What is the reaction like when you drop it?

It's great! The track has been in my CD wallet for about a year now, and I originally made it as a backing to The Jungle Brothers - I'll House You Acapella; it was something just to play out and give to a few friends. When I made 'Juss-A-Beat' for Defected, we were looking for something to include on the EP and decided to take the Jungle Brothers vocals off and simply release it as an instrumental bonus track. It's crazy that an after-thought got to Number 1 on Beatport, and even crazier considering it's just a one note samba. See kids, it only takes an index finger and a keyboard in this game!

What other things is ATFC interested in apart from music?

Being a Husband and Dad and the associated pastimes that go with that. I'm in the studio Monday to Friday and then DJing Friday and Saturday. I guess my closest other interest is Photography; I love taking good photos of my kids and I’m learning Photoshop. I went to Art College too - I guess I have an eye for these things - as I also collect paintings and sculptures from our travels. We've run out of wall space now so we’ve had to slow down. Moving to Spain has also meant that we’ve suddenly become very popular with our friends and family! We need to get revolving doors on the guest room… I enjoy a good glass of wine on the Naya and simply spending time with them.

What are the other tracks that are hitting the spot for you at the moment? Are there any on the compilation?

There are three or four of mine, including one that's forthcoming on Strictly Rhythm. I'm excited about that as it's my first release for the label that’s a cornerstone in house music history. I love Mark Trophy's ‘The Ripper’ and I've combined it with a Mike Dunn acapella that gives it a real modern day, Hip-House vibe. Also, the Laidback Luke mix of TV Rocks’ ‘Been A Long Time’ is massive for me in the clubs. Oh and not to forget my new mix of Bad Habit! Again, I did a little dub edit to play out and gave it to the Shapeshifters. They requested it for their ITH album, which has precipitated an entire re-release - including 6 mixes by myself.

Are there any plans for you to play Goa or India in the near future?

It looks like I'll be playing for Defected at the Sunburn Festival in Goa around New Year. I'm really excited as it's a whole new continent for me and I've heard great things about the dance music-scene over there. Copyright came back from a tour earlier this year and were blown away by the parties and vibe they experienced, so I have it on good authority that I'll enjoy myself.

How have you designed the mix to sound?

It had to strike the right balance between a current club set from ATFC and a CD that translates well into other environments. In the club I don't play that many vocals but a CD of banging beats just won't do. I'd say it's a pretty rounded perspective of where I'm coming from as both a DJ and a producer. I guess my track-listing is naturally going to reflect my personal taste, and therefore you'll be able to hear a little bit of me in each track, even if it isn't my recording.

What are you working on at the moment and are there any gigs you can tell us about?

I have singles coming up with singers including, Mone, Yasmeen and Rae. A collaboration with Seamus Haji featuring KC Flightt - also sideline projects with Paul Harris. This week I'm remixing Chris Lakes next single and will be starting the promotion for Bad Habit - pretty soon no doubt. Toolroom Records are due to release my ‘Bad Weed’ EP in the next few weeks. And on the DJ front, I'm away every weekend from now until January visiting, amongst others, Egypt, MOS London, Vienna, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Cardiff, Belfast, Liverpool, and hopefully ending up in Goa around the New Year!