Three amazing bands you have never heard of

I’m sure that anyone with a real interest in rock music has a few bands that they absolutely love but when mentioning them to others they’re usually met with a response of, who? I’m no different and there are many bands that I listen to on a daily basis that my friends and peers seem completely oblivious to. Of course there is a certain charm in having music that you feel is your discovery, it can define your music taste and give you a sense of really owning the songs. While I would never listen to something just because it is unknown I will listen to anything that I like, whether it is popular or not. In this article I’d like to introduce three of the bands that I like most yet seem almost entirely unknown.

Oceansize are a band that defy classification. Founded in Manchester in 1999 Oceansize play a unique blend of progressive, indie, heavy and melodic rock. Blending driving guitars, complex rhythms and beautifully melodic passages the band scale heights rarely seen in music since Pink Floyd. They are unafraid to break convention with their songs often reaching past the ten-minute mark in strange time signatures with complex structures. Oceansize are a band that write the music that they wish to play without ever conforming to what a band typically should be doing, and the music is much stronger because of it.

The band are led by singer-guitarist Mike Vennart and have released three full length albums to date, 2003’s Effloresce, 2005’s Everyone Into Position and Frames in 2007. Extensively touring the UK they have also scored numerous support slots with much bigger acts, enabling them to reach new listeners. I discovered them when they supported The Smashing Pumpkins at the O2 arena in London. They have found it hard to break into the USA however, but with a new album coming out soon as well as more big support slots the future can only get brighter for Oceansize. I hope that they gain more fans but at the same time I wouldn’t want them to get too big. After all, the best live shows are always at the smaller venues.

From Irvine in California Thrice are a four-piece band that have crossed genres in a way that none of their contemporaries have. The band have kept the same members ever since their formation at school in 1998, singer-guitarist Dustin Kensrue, guitarist Teppei Teranishi and brothers Eddie and Riley Breckenridge on bass and drums.

The band initially started out playing a style leaning towards punk with elements of metal. The early material predominantly features driving heavy riffs with screaming vocals. It didn’t take long for the band to experiment and their second and third releases would see much more experimentation and deviation from their original style. The most recent album, 2007’s Alchemy Index, showed the depth to the band’s writing as they blended styles from metal, electronic ambience, indie and acoustic folk.

What really drew me to the band was their ability to write really heavy songs but at the same time keep a melodic edge and break into mellower sections to keep things interesting. So many bands seem to feel that they must play heavy the whole time, but really it is by breaking up the songs that the heaviness has impact. Something that Thrice has down to a fine art. They are also an excellent live act and are a band that you’ll likely see playing at a small venue, giving you a much more intimate show than you’d likely see from a more known act. Almost entirely unknown in the UK Thrice are one of my favourite discoveries of the past couple of years.

When you listen to the music of Chroma Key it is easy to see why keyboardist Kevin Moore left progressive metal giants Dream Theater. The New York based band’s sound is built on the driving forces of drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci and features a massively overblown sound with incredibly complex songs that often verge on the self-indulgent. The difference between Moore’s final album with Dream Theater, Awake, and his first as Chroma Key is like night and day. Chroma Key’s music is a lesson in understatement and subtlety, drifting from ambient to electronica and back to indie.

Moore uses his keyboard to weave intricate soundscapes full of masterful touches and effects. Gone is the virtuoso noodling from Dream Theater and in it’s place are songs that are both relaxing and interesting to listen to. The material at points crosses into radio-friendly territory, as single Colorblind shows. Moore also shows that he has a great singing voice taking vocal duties on his songs. While not the live powerhouse of the other bands I’ve mentioned Chroma Key remain one of my favourite acts to listen to when I need something a little more chilled out. A great band that pretty much no-one seems to have heard of.

I think the fact that some of my favourite bands are those that I’ve found myself and that few people know of speaks volumes about the quality of popular music. There is the most amazing music out there to be discovered it’s just that the majority of people are too lazy to discover it and instead just listen to what is given to them by the radio or television. I hope that this article will inspire you to look beyond the MTV playlist and start to build up your own individual music collection. You’ll have a much more fulfilling musical journey because of it.

When does a band become a business?

I thought I’d write about this subject as it may be the one time that my career as an accountant can actually have a small bit of relevance to the music industry.

 

Over the past few years, H M Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has started a major crackdown on individuals or groups of people who are making money and not declaring it for tax purposes.  Their main targets are people who are making money out of hobbies and one of these hobbies is through bands and solo artists performing gigs and getting paid.

 

There is a belief amongst many bands that they don’t have to declare their income until they are signed to a record label and are making big money.  Based on HMRC guidelines, any person receiving payment for a service or make use of their skills should declare this under self-assessment.  Now, I’ll be honest, this does seem a little excessive if you’re only making the odd £10 here and there for the odd gig.  But by not keeping a record of this, it could lead to future problems.  Now I’m not saying that everyone should start panicking that they’re going to be investigated by HMRC for tax avoidance and register themselves as self-employed musicians.  But what you should do is keep a record of all income from gigs you perform.  It’s also useful to keep a record of the date and the venue.

 

HMRC are especially keeping an eye on pubs and clubs which put on live music shows.  These venues have now been asked to start keeping a record of the names and addresses of all the people who they pay throughout the financial year for performing music.  This information will be handed to HMRC if they ever request it.

 

This may seem a little unfair, especially if you are only performing for the love of the music and not for the money.  But there are a few positives to HMRC wanting people to declare all other income they make outside of their employment.

 

If you have to declare all your income, you can offset any expenses relating to your band against this.  This can include expenses such as new guitar strings, drum sticks and advertising costs.  You can also claim a proportion of rehearsal costs if you pay for a rehearsal space.

 

If you have made a profit from your earnings after deductions, you would be taxed at the same rate as you would be through your employment income.

 

However, if you have made a loss, you may be able to offset this loss against your employment earnings.  This could lead to you receiving a tax rebate.  This is all subject to you correctly declaring you expenditure and not being dishonest to try and get a bit of tax back as this would get you into serious trouble as you would be breaking the law.

 

My advice to any band is to go out and gig, enjoy making a bit of money from playing and if you begin to start making some serious money, then contact a local accountant to discuss what is the best route to take.  Just make sure you keep a record of your income and your expenses in case you are ever asked to produce them.  In all honesty, it’s unlikely for a band in their first few years to be making a big profit and by keeping decent records, it’ll prove this.

 

In this blog I’ve only really mentioned a few basics about when your band becomes a business and have tried to steer clear of any really technical accountancy mumbo jumbo, but if you do have any concerns or want to look into this in more detail, you can always contact a firm of accountants or even have a look on the HMRC website (www.hmrc.gov.uk).

 

Stu (Secret Echoes)

 

My favourite guitar solos

The guitar solo is something that is synonymous with rock music. There have been countless rock guitarists come and go over the years, all with a unique take on what makes a great solo. For as many guitarists as there are playing solos there are far more people listening and forming opinions on them. No one will ever agree on what their favourite guitar solos are, but here are ten of mine in no particular order.

1. For the Love of God by Steve Vai. The seventh song on his breakthrough 1991 album, Passion and Warfare, For the Love of God is often held up to be Steve Vai’s best work. The song is essentially one long guitar solo and covers almost all aspects of Vai’s playing. An inspiration when I first heard it, it was the piece that really showed me the depth of emotion that was possible to convey while playing guitar.

2. Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd. Often revered as having one of the best guitar solos of all time, the guitar playing in Comfortably Numb is outstanding. Pages and pages have been written about this solo, but for me it showed how effective blues phrasing could be in a rock setting. The big draw for me here was the tone as well, Dave Gilmour uses compression wonderfully well to give a warm and punchy tone that fits the song absolutely perfectly.

3. Beat It, solo by Eddie Van Halen. A great song that really comes to life with Van Halen’s guitar solo mid way through. Eddie Van Halen was the defining guitarist of the 1980s and opened up so many techniques and ideas that would be copied endlessly. He has recorded countless amazing solos across his career but I feel that the one in Beat It is among his best. It’s only short but is a pure explosion of his style showcasing breathtaking technique, style, tone and phrasing. If you ever want to discover why Van Halen is such a great guitarist then just listening to this solo should be enough.

4. Always With Me, Always With You by Joe Satriani (live version). I’m picking the extended live version from the Satriani Live! DVD rather than the studio version for this, mainly for Satriani’s wonderful improvisation section at the end of the track. This song showcases just why Joe Satriani is such a good guitar player. I’ve heard several different live versions of this song, as well as having seen him live a few times in person and he plays just as well every single time. The song is a masterclass in how to solo melodically and tastefully. Satch never makes a mistake either, and everything he plays is done to absolute perfection. You won’t find a better played guitar solo, and I doubt you’ll find a better player either.

5. Nottingham Lace by Buckethead. I only recently started listening to Buckethead, so it’s hard for me to pick out one solo in particular given that he excels in so many different styles. I picked Nottingham Lace out because it is a marvelous display of his technique as well as his melodic playing. Well worth a try and I’m looking forward to discovering the rest of his back catalogue.

6. Wonderful Slippery Thing by Guthrie Govan. Guthrie Govan is nowhere near as famous as he should be. An English guitar player, he is absolutely phenomenal, with a complete mastery of his instrument and a remarkable ability to play across a huge range of styles. I picked this song as it has been his strongest for many years, and the version on his recent album, Erotic Cakes, showcases his fluid style. A great player, hopefully soon he’ll get the recognition he deserves.

7. Goodnight Kiss by John Petrucci. While John Petrucci is most widely known for his lightning fast alternate picking this solo shows that he can pick out some beautiful phrases when playing in a more restrained style. The solo plays smoothly over changes and changes the style of the song superbly to blend into the next track, Solitary Shell. Petrucci is a great guitarist who has managed to blend blues and metal into a unique style, and I feel that this solo is one of his best.

8. Bliss by Paul Gilbert. Again with a player like Paul Gilbert I found it hard to narrow it down to one solo. I knew I wanted something from him in here, but was unsure what exactly. In the end I just picked my favourite song, which also happens to have some fantastic guitar playing in it as well. On Bliss Gilbert shows his Hendrix influence as well as considerable restraint, playing fast just where it is needed for maximum impact. A great player with a fantastic attitude to music.

9. Soma by Billy Corgan. This is pretty much the guitar solo that really started me playing. My biggest early influence was the Smashing Pumpkins, and in particular the album Siamese Dream. The solo in Soma stands out as one of Corgan’s best and is played to perfection as the song reaches its peak.

10. Bold as Love by Jimi Hendrix. A little cliched to include Hendrix perhaps, but his influence on guitar playing is unquestionable. In a similar situation to Paul Gilbert I was unsure of which to pick so in the end just picked my favourite song. Often overlooked for some of his more famous songs I actually feel that Bold as Love displays Hendrix’ songwriting at its strongest, of course it helps that is also has the fantastic guitar work you’d expect from him too.

Fancy something new?

In Secret Echoes, we have a very eclectic taste of music.  And with that, it provides a great opportunity to discover new bands.  In light of that, I thought I’d suggest an album that you should check out for something a little bit different.

The CD I’m going to recommend is The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place by Explosions In The Sky. I am slightly worried of overselling this album as I’m such a big fan, but I honestly believe that this is one of the best instrumental bands in the world. ‘Explosions’ weave sounds together to create a blanket of atmospheric brilliance on All of A Sudden I Miss Everyone.

The album opens with ‘The Birth and Death of The Day’, a gentle and progressive track that makes full use of reverse-delayed guitars and shimmering ride cymbals. The song as its name suggests, is like a journey through any day, with peaks and lulls. Like most ‘Explosions’ songs, it runs well over the standard three-and-a-half minutes, providing space for the music to evolve naturally and allowing the listener to completely lose track of time. It is a perfect introduction of what to expect for the rest of the album.

As on all ‘Explosions’ albums, the songs tend to melt seamlessly into each other, and if you’re not watching the time display on your CD player or your PC, you could convince yourself you’re listening to one epic song lasting around 45 minutes!  Before you know it, you are listening to the final track ‘So Long, Lonesome’, having experienced a multitude of sounds and emotions. It’s for this reason the album reminds me of that saying ‘there’s a time and place for everything’.

All of A Sudden I Miss Everyone, like all Explosions In The Sky albums, is expansive, diverse, and beautiful. If you prefer your music in smaller, more radio-friendly doses, this album may not be for you. But if you’re up for appreciating just how beautiful modern progressive music can be, get onto the internet or head to your nearest record shop and get yourself a copy of this album.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

If you find you like Explosions In The Sky, why not check out these other bands:

Pelican

Oceansize

Mogwai

Arab Strap

Isis

Red Sparrows

 

Stu (Secret Echoes)

How to play a great live set

You’re standing at the front of the crowd, the support act have long since left the stage, the roadies have finished setting up the equipment and you wait with anticipation for your favourite band to take the stage. When the house lights drop the crowd roars and the band step out confidently and launch straight into one of your favourite songs.

The next two hours seem to just get better and better and as the band leave the stage you’re left both satisfied and exhausted. Songs you’ve never really listened to suddenly seem amazing when seen live, each song has a big impact on the show and you’re left cheering for more.

When a band performs live a great deal of consideration needs to go into how the set list will flow. When you watch your favourite bands live you may not even notice how they’ve built their set list to give each song the maximum impact it can have but believe it or not there is a hidden art to choosing a great set list.

For this article I’ll assume that you’re in a band with your own material and you have a good grasp of what your ‘hits’ are and what generally gets crowds going, or quietens the mood. You’ll need to have a good grasp of how your songs will affect the audience and what emotions you want to convey with each of them. The reason for this will become clearer later on.

The most important parts of any set list and live show are the start and the end. First impressions are everything, and you want to leave on a high note to give everyone something to remember you by. With this in mind pick out what you feel are your best songs and reserve them for the beginning and the end of your show.

So, first things first. You’ll want to open your show with something from your most recent album/ep/recording. Generally when playing live, bands are promoting their most recent material and so you want to reinforce the new songs. You’ll want to pick one of your better songs so you make a great first impression and get people into your show. The song doesn’t really have to be your best song as such, but it most definitely needs to be one with a big start and a really catching intro. You need to show people just what your band is about during this song and bring up the energy of the show.

Remember that people are there to see you play, and if you disappoint them with the first song it is almost impossible to make up for it later in the show. A lot of bands will write songs with the specific idea of using it as an opening number when playing live, and it is something you may want to consider doing. The opening song can be considered the most important and so making a statement of intent is vital.

So after you’ve made your big entrance where do you go next? I would recommend carrying on with another new song and keep the energy going. Don’t pause between the first few songs as you want to keep the flow. In terms of how you structure your set from here it depends on how long you have to play. I would generally try to split your set into segments and then play enough songs for each segment to fill your set.

Once you’ve opened it is important to keep the momentum, so pick songs that are in a similar vein to your first one. For the third or fourth song I would play an old favourite and something that everyone will know. The reason for doing this is that after your big entrance you’ll need something to pick up the pace again and make it seem like your show is getting better as it goes along.

After the opening salvo of songs you’ll want to start thinking about playing something different. Remember that there is only so long that people can listen to rock and it still have impact as being fast and heavy. You’ll need to change it up to keep the show interesting. Play a quieter, more laid back song in this slot. Doesn’t have to be really mellow just yet, but certainly something a little different. You’ll need to give the audience a break from the energy of your opening salvo and give time for a breather. It’s important to do this as it will give your songs more impact when you pick up the pace again in the middle of the set.

By playing something quieter you’ll give your audience something slightly different to listen to and you’ll affect them differently. Have you ever watched a band play a set and every song was fast and heavy? After an hour you’ve had enough and by the time they’ve finished you’re glad they’re gone, make sure you avoid this and change it up when playing your sets.

After resetting and chilling out for a song or two it’s time to build back up for the middle of your set. Here you can do anything you like really and how long this section lasts is entirely dependent on how long you’re playing for. You’ll want to sprinkle in your hits and new songs together here, remember not to play your best couple of songs just yet, you’ll want to save those for the end.

The middle of the set is a good place to plan some audience interaction, maybe introduce the band and have a chat, that kind of thing. It is also the best place for experimentation in my experience. Remember to keep the energy flowing and keep the gaps between songs down to a minimum.

After you’ve passed the bulk of your set I always find it best if you ‘reset’ the show again. Heading into the last section head back to something quieter, maybe an acoustic song to change the mood again. However here I would concentrate on ramping it up constantly to reach the big finale. Starting quiet you’ll want songs that will build over time back into the full force of your opener. Songs that start quiet and end heavy are perfect to put in here.

After resetting and building back up you’ll want to play out your best songs to finish the set. This is the last memory that people have of you so make sure it counts. Every band I’ve seen always reserves their biggest crowd pleasers for the end, it makes people stay to see the whole show and most importantly, leaves people wanting more.

You can use these points as a general guideline when writing sets for your band, but bear in mind that rules are always there to be broken, especially in music. The start of the show is probably where you have most creative freedom, and I’ve seen some bands do really interesting things with the start of the show. Remember that if your audience is expecting a big overblown entrance then sometimes something more low key can have more impact. The Smashing Pumpkins and Steve Vai are great at doing this and every show I’ve seen from them has had a really memorable opener.

Good luck writing your sets and playing live, it certainly isn’t as easy as it looks as I’m sure you’ll find out.

Where we are right now

Ok thought I’d actually make a post related to the band rather than one of my work articles this time. We are Secret Echoes (Nick Eve, Jon Clarke, Stu Miller and Mike Silvester) and we’ve kinda changed sound recently.

Originally we started writing rock/metal music and the goal was just to produce something really heavy and really fun to play. Just recently though we’ve started moving off into post-rock and progressive territory, with a couple of eight minute songs as well as a 14 minute epic we jammed on in practise today. Of course that isn’t to say that we’re gonna sound like Oceansize or Pink Floyd, we’ll keep the heaviness but I think this new stuff will expand our sound out a little more, think Tool mixed with heavy Thrice. Afterall, isn’t variety the spice of life? So we’ve dropped a couple of old tunes and are reworking a few as well.

Realistically I guess this means it’s a little further off until you can actually hear anything from us. However! Fear not as we have everything planned and in the works, hopefully we’ll have a mega big first show around Christmas time.

This post might well be a thinly disguised keyword dump as well, gotta push up those Google rankings ready for when the band actually does something…

How to effectively promote your music on the Internet

Another article I did at work, actually fits in quite well here and hopefull you’ll see us follow all the points I make.

How to promote your music online.

Have you ever seen a local, unsigned band and thought to yourself, why aren’t these guys huge? Conversely have you ever heard a band on the radio and thought, these guys are terrible, I hear better than this at my local. All too often great musical talent goes unnoticed, and it isn’t down to a lack of good songs or live performances. The main thing holding back independent bands is a lack of good self promotion.

With the huge wealth of outlets for promoting your music online there really is no excuse for poor self promotion these days. The Internet has completely opened up underground music and made it much easier for bands to reach their audiences and build up a relationship with their fans. Through this article I will give you some useful tips for starting out when marketing your band online. I am in the process of starting up a new band myself, and this is what I’ll be doing once we get moving along.

The first thing you must do is without doubt the most difficult. Define your sound and write some killer songs and work on an amazing live show. Sounds hard right? Well it is. This is the stage that my band is at right now, we’re just writing a load of songs and trying to find the style that fits us best. Once we’ve written ninety minutes worth of material we’ll start work on our live show and then start gigging.

What you must do when writing your music is work out who you want your target audience to be. You may like all kinds of genres of music but generally when people turn to your band they will expect your sound and you’ve got to deliver it to them. There’s nothing wrong with being able to put your band into a category that people will look for. If you class yourself as heavy rock then that’s good as people that like heavy rock music will be more likely to find you.

As you start to finish up writing your songs and start working on your live set I believe it is a great time to start working on your band website. I would absolutely recommend purchasing the .co.uk or .com domain of your band’s name. I would even go as far as to name the band specifically so you can get the web address you want. If someone tries to find your band online they’re bound to type in yourbandname.com and so ideally you want them to find you.

Once you’ve bought your domain there are a few different ways to get a good band website together. One is to hand build it yourself. It can be quite difficult to do, but gives you complete creative control over the look and content of the site. If none of you can build your site then ask around your friends, maybe one is a budding web designer and wants to add to their portfolio.

Failing this you can choose one of the free blog software sites such as WordPress or Blogger and build your band website as a blog. The advantage of this is that you can post news as new blog posts and you can have the band all contribute here and there. It requires no real knowledge of web design and there are a bunch of great templates for you to use. You can integrate band pictures and add extra pages to your blog site to make it into a great website. Your fans can comment on news posts and you can build a great rapport with them this way. I would actually recommend starting a site like this for your band, if only for the community aspect of it.

If you choose to use blogging software then make sure you write regular updates for your site. You can even write articles about music that is similar to your own. By doing this you will gain a reader base quite quickly, and they’re much more likely to try your music if they like your articles. By writing regularly you’re helping your page ranking in Google. It is quite important for you to rank highly for your band name in Google, as that is the first place people will go when trying to find you. You can litter your posts with keywords so that when people search for you, they get you and not anyone else.

For tips on writing for Google then try searching the web for search engine optimisation (SEO) tips. It is quite a complex topic and you probably won’t need to fully understand it, but certainly a grip on keywords and page ranking will help you when promoting your band online.

So you’ve got your band website up, you’ve got some articles written, maybe about favourite bands or gigs and you’ve started to attract some visitors. Hopefully you’re highly ranked in Google for your band name as well. You’ll want to put up some of your music so people can actually hear you. You can upload mp3s of your songs to your own site as well as many others. When uploading I would honestly recommend giving away your music for free. With the huge wealth of quality music available online if you charge for your music then people just won’t give it a try. At this stage you’re trying to create a following and a fanbase so free music really is the key.

Once you’ve uploaded your mp3s to your own site then it’s best to get moving onto social networking to really help push your band. Social networking has taken the net by storm and now almost everyone is a member of at least one social networking site. They’re fantastic tools to promote your music and can really help you reach people you never would have otherwise. The first stop you should make is MySpace. Set up your profile there and upload some songs for people to listen to. There are fantastic tools there to help push new music so make sure you make the most of them.

Facebook is the most widely used social networking site and there are actually some really neat things you can do with it to help your band out. There is a great application available on Facebook called Facebook Flyers. What this does is enable you to place and ad for your band at the side of people’s profiles. The key here is that you can tailor the ad to your sound so it will only appear on people whose taste matches your band. It is a great tool for your band. You should also set up a Facebook group for your band and add everyone you know to it. This way people can discuss your band and will get notification of when you’re playing and access to all kinds of pictures and information.

Your band should also take the time to record a video and upload it to YouTube. It is just another place you can go to promote your music online. There are a couple of ways to go about making a classic YouTube video. One is to do a fairly serious music video like you would see on MTV. Another is to try to create a video that will generate it’s own buzz and get loads and loads of views purely based on the content of the video. Aussie rock band Sick Puppies used this method of viral marketing to great effect with their ‘Free Hugs’ video. They filmed a guy going round town giving out free hugs with their song playing in the background. The video has been viewed over 19 million times and the band are now signed and on tour with Evanescence.

This just goes to show the power that great Internet marketing can have for your band, and the great thing is that you can do it all yourself easily. The web really has opened up marketing opportunities for emerging musicians but always remember that you’ll only get out of it what you put in. No-one is interested in you to start with, you have to make them interested. Good luck, and above all remember to write great songs. Without great songs all the marketing in the world can’t help you!

Five bands you can’t miss live

Again, another article I’ve done at work that kinda fits in here

Jon

As the summer rolls in we’re set for another season of music festivals. While festivals are a great place to see bands you wouldn’t have normally seen and to discover new acts I’ve always felt that the only real place to see your favourite bands play are at their own gigs. Nothing quite beats the atmosphere at a small venue created by an audience who are all there to see the headline act.

With this article I thought I’d say what my favourite live acts have been and who I recommend catching live as they pass through your town. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on the following five bands.

First up is Tool. Seeing Tool is quite a unique experience. The band aren’t typical in the way that they take the stage at all, with singer Maynard James Keenan standing near the back of the stage, leaving a large open space at the front. Tool are notoriously publicity shy and prefer for their music to take centre stage. They’ve only made personal appearances in two of their eight music videos to date.

The same is certainly true of their live show. They use impressive lighting displays and a laser show for visuals and it really works. The band also use a large video screen that plays animations themed to the songs. The clips used aren’t tracked to the music at all, but on their most recent tour were taken from over six hours of footage and played differently each night. Tool’s guitarist, Adam Jones, creates all of the art and animations for the band and he does an amazing job.

The visual aspect of seeing Tool is almost as good as the fantastic music they play and I would certainly recommend seeing them as you won’t see another band like it.

Next vote for me is The Smashing Pumpkins. I would mainly recommend them as they play their songs so well but are not afraid to change things up and play entirely different versions from what is on the album. I’ve seen them four times now and every show has been entirely different. The band will breathe life into old songs by playing new and different version on each tour. Some songs are extended out into longer jams and you can see how Billy Corgan intended them to be before they were reduced in length for recording.

The Pumpkins are also an amazing band at changing the mood of the show and building it back up. At their loudest they rock as hard as any other band I’ve seen, but then in the same show can play mellow acoustic songs just as well. I think that the depth of their back catalogue helps them live as they have such a wealth of different songs to choose from. A great band live and one that can really pull of playing a large venue better than anyone I’ve seen.

Next band I recommend you go see if you haven’t already is Muse. They have won nine awards for best live act since 2001, and for good reason. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a band play with such energy and command a large audience so well. I’ve only seen them twice and the most recent time was a few years ago now, so I’m definitely going to catch them on their next tour. They’re kings of overblown rock at the moment and their songs lend themselves so well to the live environment. A definite must-see no mater what kind of rock you listen to.

Everyone that plays guitar needs to go and see Steve Vai play live. It was a tough choice to pick between the Steve Vai band and Dream Theater for my ‘musicianship’ slot but I think Dr Vai just edges it. Considerably more animated, interesting and lively to watch than Dream Theater, seeing Steve Vai live is like nothing else.

He always takes the most phenomenal musicians on the road with him and seeing his band play his music is quite amazing. The fact that Vai does it all with lasers on his fingers while playing a triple neck guitar makes it all the more mind boggling.

Vai is also of the few musicians I’ve seen that can pull off really heavy rock with crazy solos before bringing it down to the most subtle of ballads with a convincing degree of conviction. Don’t miss seeing Steve Vai as you will never see a show quite like it.

Quite often when you see a metal band play live they’re awful. It is a difficult genre to play well, the instruments must be played to perfection or you have a big mess of indistinguishable noise. Singers in heavy bands can sound really terrible live as well as they struggle to replicate what’s on the album and will often sound worse as the show goes on.

Not so for Gothenburg band In Flames. They play their material to perfection and Anders Frinden is the best metal vocalist I’ve seen live. Never missing a note, never dropping out he sounded like he could go on all day. Quite an achievement if you know In Flames’ material. Combine the excellent performance with pyrotechnics, fireworks, a huge lighting rig and an energetic band and you have a winning combination. An excellent band live and I can’t wait until I see them again later in the year.

I would recommend going to as many live shows as you can, even in genres of music you wouldn’t normally consider as you can end up seeing something really good that you may have missed otherwise. Certainly as a musician seeing a live band can give you so many ideas for your own playing and your own shows. I know I’ve stolen a lot of ideas from seeing bands live.

If you get the chance to see any of these bands live then I definitely recommend it, if you don’t see them then you’re really missing out on a great experience.

Why changing styles is good for a band

I wrote this article at work today, thought it might be interesting to stick it up here too

Jon

Change. It is a word that frightens many. The advent of change in our lives is often greeted with hostility and mistrust, as a species we are creatures of habit and our greatest fears often lie in the unknown.

Musicians must constantly grapple with change. The world of music is an interesting case with regards to change in that you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Often a band will attempt to change their sound to remain fresh and exciting only to be shot down in flames. However if you stay the same you’re accused of being stale and past your best.

It is a difficult medium to maintain, and few artists manage it. It would appear to be getting harder as well as we see less career bands come through, and more one hit wonders and fad acts gain popularity very quickly before fading into obscurity.

One of the best examples I can think of where a band was affected drastically by changing their sound is the Smashing Pumpkins. The band released their debut album, Gish in 1991 on a wave of new grunge acts and early 90s alt-rock popularity. Although the album was well received, the Pumpkins didn’t really hit the big time until their second album, Siamese Dream.

Siamese Dream was in all respects a continuation of the sound that the band had established on Gish. Much more ambitious than many of their peers at the time, the album featured a lot of overdubs, studio tricks and guitar solos, all of which were unfashionable at the time. Despite this, the lead single, Today, was a hit on MTV and the band were acclaimed as one of rocks leading acts.

Their next album saw another shift in sound, this time they went into epic rock territory, employing even more instruments and much more expressive ideas. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was a huge double album that seemed to explore every side of Billy Corgans musical personality. Although a change in style the root of their sound was still there. The album was littered with hard rock classics that anyone that loved Siamese Dream instantly connected to. Songs such as Bullet With Butterfly Wings and Zero became mid 90s alt rock classics alongside the more introspective 1979 and Thirty-Three.

Here was an example of a band that had managed to change their sound, remain fresh and gain fans and momentum on the way. It was a brave move to release such a huge body of work at a time when nu-metal was just beginning to gain popularity but it shows the power that changing your style can have in winning new fans and yet staying interesting.

It is important for a musician to progress and change, otherwise you become bored with what you’re playing. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to tour an album for a couple of years and then go back and write a follow up that is almost exactly the same. I’m sure that the Pumpkins felt the same and that changing it up with each release was really the only way that they could keep the band going.

Their next release, Adore, was their boldest step yet. After the bombastic might of Mellon Collie, Adore was a quiet, introspective album that showed a darker, mellower side of the band. Written after several tragic events in the lives of the band, it would seem a natural place to go. However with the world expecting another typical Smashing Pumpkins album full of epic rock songs with heavy guitars Adore was released with songs driven by piano melodies and electronic beats.

In short, the album was not well received by the press or the public. Instead of taking the album as it was as a brilliant piece of music it was lambasted for not adhering to the formula that the public had made for the band. Adore sold substantially less copies than the previous albums and the band haven’t reached the same height of popularity since.

The release of Adore was an example of where artists needs to be brave if they feel that they have to change. Having poured everything into making Mellon Collie I’m sure that Billy Corgan felt that he had exhausted that genre entirely and needed a new musical challenge. Had the band released Mellon Collie part two it would have inevitably been worse than the original and the band would have been picked apart in any case.

The key point for needing to progress is that if you really put your heart and soul into making the best possible album you can in a particular style, how can you be expected to repeat that without making something inferior? The answer is that you can’t. I think this is why we see a lot of flash-in-the-pan bands today who seem to be massive for six months and then disappear entirely. They make a fantastic debut, try to replicate it and fail.

So if you’re a musician my advice would be to never shy away from learning a new style, or taking a new influence, as you never know where your song writing may end up. Always try new things and push your boundaries and you’ll end up as a much better musician because of it. I’m glad that the Smashing Pumpkins took that brave step releasing Adore as I personally think it is a brilliant and highly underrated album. Ironically the style would come into fashion several years later with Radiohead producing a similar album with Kid A.

It is only by changing what is commonly expected as the norm that new styles of music will be discovered. True music fans aren’t interested in listening to the same regurgitated music over and over. At your next band practise, instead of thinking how you can sound like your idols, stop for a moment and think about how you can sound like you instead. Your music will be better off for it.

My First Gig

I was asked the other day exactly how many bands I’ve actually been to see live.  So, I started to list a few of the gigs that I went to in my early teens.  I then started to realise that I have literally seen hundreds and hundreds of bands live.  If you think about it, it shouldn’t be that shocking.  If you go to a gig, you’ll probably see one or two support acts before the headliners come on.

 

The subject then turned on to the first gig I went to, so I thought I’d share this experience with you.

 

I had only just turned thirteen and was beginning to really get into my music when I noticed that Slayer and Soulfly were playing a joint show at London Astoria.  Now, when I was younger, I was really into all the gothic clothing and gothic look and Slayer and Soulfly were some of the names that were very popular amongst the goth kids (or greebos as they “fondly” know as where I live).  So I thought they must be cool.

 

Without really knowing much of either bands material, I convinced my Dad to book a ticket for me to go.  My parent’s took the approach of “Do what you want and make your own mistakes” when it came to their parenting skills.  I was amazed that my parent’s were willing to let me go to London by myself to see these two metal bands.

 

In the weeks leading to the gig, I started buying the Slayer back catalogue.  The thing that intrigued me the most was some of the epic guitar riffs by Kerry King.  They were so chunky, they just went right through you.  I became to speculate what this was going to be like seeing this in the flesh.

 

Then, I had my first taste of Soulfly and the distinctive voice of Max Cavalera.  I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really a fan of Soulfly.  It just seemed to be noise to me, but as the greebos fraternity seemed to believe they were cool, I went along with it!!!!

 

So, the day of the gig came and after school I found myself on a train heading to London Charing Cross.  Dressed all in black wearing my Slayer hoodie with my black mascara with accompanying mascara teardrop drawn on with great precision, I definitely stuck out like a sore thumb.  In a way, I liked the attention.  Even though this attention was probably “Look at the state of that kid” or “His parent’s must be terrible for letting him out dressed like that”.

 

I found my way to the Astoria (it’s literally a straight line from the station) and began to queue to get in.  I notice two things.  Firstly, I was the youngest and smallest person in the queue.  Secondly, a majority of the people in the queue looked ridiculously tough.  This may have been the first time I thought I might be out of my depth.

 

Once I got in, I made my way to the front of the Astoria and squeezed my way to the security rail at the front.  Nobody had given me any advice or past on prior gig experiences to me, so I just thought that at the front, I’d be able to see everything.

 

After a lengthy wait, the lights went out and the entire Astoria cheered.  The atmosphere was electric.  The lights came up and there were Soulfly.  As soon as they played the first chord, the crowd went mental.

I now understand why some gigs have and age restriction, as within two minutes, I felt like I’d gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson!  I got crushed, punched, kicked, poked.  I was so confused, yet everyone appeared to be enjoying this.  Don’t get me wrong, now I’m a lot bigger (upwards and outwards!) I enjoy a bit of fun in the pit, but as a 13 year old at a Slayer and Soulfly concert, it wasn’t that much fun!!!

 

I made my way to the seating area in the Astoria to watch the rest of Soulfly and then Slayer.  Slayer, to their credit, were amazing.  The atmosphere definitely added to the occasion with the crowd really into band. 

 

I don’t think I’ll ever consider myself a die hard fan of either Soulfly or Slayer, but they will always hold a special place in my heart for the sole reason they were the first two bands I saw live and provided me with an experience I’ll never forget.