Billy Talent – Ian D’Sa

“…So what I am trying to say is that this here is the real shit, this is the real deal.” Ben Kowalewicz is soaked to the skin and grinning from ear to ear. Looking out over the bowels of Camden’s Underworld surveying a devotional sea of faces rammed to the venues rafters that has spent the last hour screaming back every syllable of the bands back catalogue and even, via the onslaught of internet fan frenzy, songs from their latest record, Billy Talent III, which is still over a month from release.

Hove Festival – Day Two

Hove Backstage by boat

Day two at Hove Festivalen and we kick off the morning with a little exploration of the festival Island and surrounding coast by jumping aboard a gorgeous motor boat and pootering along the coast. Our captain is more than happy to extol the virtues of the surrounding countryside, which is by now revealing itself to be so breathtaking it will undoubtedly be slapped with a government health warning sooner or later. Revelation of the trip though is perhaps that last year the captain played host to those lovely Kooks boys who were such models of British politeness that they left a lasting impression. Good to hear!

Musically the second day of the Hove Festival in Norway opened with exemplary exponents of the new Bergen Wave, The New Wine, who those of you in the know may have seen rammed into the top floor of the Lock Tavern last december or possibly whipping up a frenzy at Komedia stepping into Golden Silvers shoes at The Great Escape. Tonight in their home country they seem like a band where everything has been taken to the next level, commanding the stage with a mature confidence that belies their youth.

Hove Festivalen – Day 1

Hove's second stage

Blogging for Spoonfed

The 3rd annual Hove Festivalen opened to glorious sunshine on the south Norwegian coast yesterday as 12,000 revelers made the journey to attend the festival that the likes of Jay Z, Franz Ferdinand and the Ting Tings have declared “the best festival on earth”.

Franz Ferdinand headlined the main stage yesterday and treated the crowd to a raucous set that ran the full gamut of their hit laden back catalogue as well choice cuts from their third album ‘Tonight’. In supremely relaxed mood the Scotsmen got particularly rapturous reactions for ‘Take Me Out‘ and ‘Ulysses’ . The band had spent the afternoon cruising the coastline and then grilling their fresh catch on the backstage BBQ, so it was no wonder that the band were in benevolent form when they hit the stage in the quasi twilight of Norwegian high summer.

Skin Benshaw Interview: Dead Or Alive Preview

Monday nights are usually best spent in quite reflection on the events of the weekend, a sort of weekly moment of clarity before beginning the whole cycle again. However, Dead or Alive are now giving you a reason to skip the weekly lull and extend your weekend to a four day extravaganza. The rambunctious promoters have taken over The Old Queens Head in Islington to bring you a night of intoxicating acoustic revelry.

One name slinking his way onto the bill is the supremely talented singer songwriter Skin Benshaw. What began in bands like Oursleepwalkinghero Skin has continued and developed into a burgeoning solo act that after several free demos and gigs across London will see him begin recording his new EP in the high summer. Those of you who get a kick out of Conor Obesrt, Leonard Cohen or Frank turner would be highly advised to head down to the Old Queens Head and catch this rising artist in the most intimate of settings.

In advance of Dead Or Alive we tracked down Skin Benshaw for a few appetite wetting words.

Mothlite @ Twisted Licks Preview

This saturday sees an extra special version of the Macbeth’s hottest monthly event, the superlative Twisted Licks. This months installment features an appearance from rising avant jazzsters Chik Budo as well as a rare outing from multi instrumentalist and one man renaissance Daniel O’Sullivan’s Mothlite project.

O’Sullivan is a London based composer and multi instrumentalist who will be known to may through his prolific CV which includes work with the likes of Æthenor, Guapo, SUNN O))), Ulver, Miasma & The Carousel Of Headless Horses, The Big Pink and Grumbling Fur.

Isle Of Wight Festival 2009 – Final Thoughts

They say that Sunday is funday and there was certainly a celebratory air present as sunshine greeted the final day of this years Isle Of White installment, not least due to the heady double bill headlining the main stage that would see Neil Young following the mythic Pixies.

Before that though there was a world of entertainment to be absorbed. Not least the exciting prospect of the Bog Top Stage being curated by Tim Burgess of The Charlatans. The wily old fox has managed to snare an incredible line up of buzz bands including the likes of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, S.C.U.M., The Horrors and topped it all off with a turn from the Charlatans themselves.

Isle Of Wight Festival – Day Two

The second day of the isle of White festival saw temperatures soar on and off stage. Following friday nights storming headline set from the Prodigy the weather decided it needed to follow suit raising temperatures to skin blistering heights.

Enjoying the vibe were the likes of Paolo Nutini and The View who treated the assembled crowd to high octane versions of ‘5 Rebeccas’ and ‘Temptation Dice’ in a set showcasing the highlights of their Which Bitch album. Over on the Big Top stage The Maccabees followed up a successful jaunt in Europe with a celebratory set that saw the crowd spilling out of the massive tent. Lead singer Orlando capped off a performance of ‘Precious Time’ by declaring “I am so pleased for you with the weather, you couldn’t of had it better could you?!” The band capped their performance with a version of ‘Love You Better’ off of their sophomore LP Wall Of Arms with guitarist Felix noting, “it’s been great to be a part of the Isle Of Wight Festival, we didn’t expect so many people, it means a lot”. The band will be heading out on a headline UK tour in October where alt-folk legend Adam Green is expected to support after the band talked with him at this years Great Escape Festival.

Isle Of White Festival 2009: Day One

The Isle Of Wight Festival 2009 kicked of last night with a racous headline set from veteran Essex boys the Prodigy. In a set that featured a potent mix of new and old material   with highlights featuring a burning rendition of Voodoo People and the mini aural revolution of Firestarter alongside Invaders Must Die that showcases that Liam Howletts men have no intentions of resting on their laurels just yet.

Dinosuar Jr – J Mascis Interview

The notion of interviewing Dinosaur Jr founder and mainstay J Mascis is always adaunting one. Famously reticent in interview Mascis comes across as an otherworldly and aloof professor, reluctant to communicate verbally what he could so easily impart with a simple solo or feedback squall. However, in person, hunched over a west London hotel couch, though never bordering on chatty Mascis is engaging, witty and warm. As well he should be, for life is good for Mascis at the moment, the original line up of Dinosaur Jr are about to drop ‘Farm’ their second album since reforming for ‘Beyond’, they have signed to new home Jagjaguwar and Mascis is also a new father. Though for now he seems far more interested in iPhone apps.

Looking For Eric

Looking For Eric
Dir: Ken Loach
Star: Steve Evets, Eric Cantona, Stephanie Bishop, Gerard Kearns
Cert: 15

It’s easy to forget. It’s easy to let the passage of time quell raw emotion into a fuzzy haze. Modern football has a short memory, superstars are quickly replaced, transfer records based daily and wages plucked from the sky. So it was a genuine surprise that one of the by products of seeing clips of Eric Cantona in his strutting, karate tinged pomp in Ken Loach’s new surrealist drama Looking For Eric was to experience the onset of genuine goosebumps inspired not just by football clips from the last millenia, but by clips of a Manchester United player!