Ben Howard at Brixton Academy

I Forget Where We Were
Source: www.O2academybrixton.co.uk

Ben Howard is an artist who's name is not easily lost in the 'indie-folk' music scene, nor is he easily forgotten in the three year gap between albums. Howard's humble beginnings start back in 2008 when he self-released his first EP Games in The Dark followed by two more EPs in 2009-2010. He then was signed by the mighty record label that it is Communion and released his debut album Every Kingdom. Despite not churning out his second album hot on the heels of the first, he kept his fans entertained by releasing two more EPs. When I Forget Where We Were was finally released in 2014, after teasing fans by playing new content live and releasing songs 'I Forget Where We Were' and 'Conrad', it received much appreciation and the dose of Ben Howard goodness that fans craved; whilst delivering more mournful and soulful content.

Having seen Mr Howard only a season ago it seemed like an age and it was most pleasurable to see him again so soon. Not only that but the O2 Academy Brixton seemed to be a fitting place to go to my first Ben Howard gig, having only seeing him at a festival. Ben himself even claimed: "I don't think there's a better place to play in".

Hiss Golden Messenger

source: http://www.mergerecords.com/

Kicking off the night was the American 'folk' band Hiss Golden Messenger, from the land of North Carolina. The band's debut album Country Hai East Cotton was first released in 2009 limited to only 500 copies, the following year they released Bad Debt via record company Black Maps. The band released three more albums following the first two, their most recent album Lateness of Dancers was released via Merge record label (who they are now signed to) in 2014. They are labelled as a duo, consisting of M.C. Taylor and Scott Hirsch, despite this they arrived on stage with two extra players which on their Facebook page they have titled "pals". Having seen Hiss Golden Messenger, in the summer also, I anticipated a performance of good old rhythm and blues with folk chords to sink your teeth into- which they delivered. Their performance was intense and enthused, expressing their North Carolina blues background, giving the audience songs to "dance to". It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance and they looked like they enjoyed it too. 

When Ben Howard and his legendary four piece band entered the stage the atmosphere grew with anticipation. As the lights progressively rose Ben began to strum the first mesmerising chords of 'Small Things'. As the band flowed through the set-list, Ben's nimble fingers effortlessly plucking out near faultless harmonies accompanied by the virtuosity of his band (as well as the lights and screens surrounding them), the experience truly immersed and captivated the audience. The new works from I Forget Where We Were filled the set-list with marathon long compositions exposing his desire to perform music on a grand scale. Much to the audience's delight, Howard still performed classic favourites Black Flies, The Fear, Gracious and the oldest Oats in the Water, despite this the audience began to chant the riff of Wolves to which he replied "Yeah we did that one". Thankfully all was not harmed as the audience seemed to accept that although there was no opportunity to cascade into a sing-along to Keep your Head Up or Old Pine he set out to play new music and that's certainly what he delivered.

Ben Howard
source: www.gigwise.com

Howard ended the night with End of the Affair which was seemingly appropriate given that it was the first song that was released off of the new album and it was the end of an affair that left the audience running 'round in love with Ben Howard again-if not already. 

Catfish and the Bottlemen at Koko

The Balcony
source: www.catfishandthebottlemen.com

Ragey, rapturous and rambunctious are only a few words that describe the performance of Catfish and the Bottlemen at the incredible venue Koko in November. The four piece band formed in a small town in Wales all the way back in 2007. It was only in 2013 were they signed, after 6 years of touring small gig to small gig, by Communion records (the same label as Ben Howard and Half Moon Run). In the same year they released their first single 'Homesick' and their second single 'Rango'. In 2014 it was clear Catfish- as they are known in the "biz"- were heading for new heights obtaining a relatively big fan base and not only releasing four singles but also their debut album titled 'The Balcony', which reached number 10 in the UK album charts. In that same year  you couldn't escape Catfish and the Bottlemen's name on the line ups of  most of the major festivals in the UK and Europe.

Koko

I first heard the sounds of Catfish and Bottlemen when XFM released their single Pacifier for free, having listened to the song on repeat on my phone for a little while I felt somewhat like a proud mother when I heard them on the radio. When I heard Catfish were playing Koko it felt like the bargain of the year paying only £12 for a ticket. I already expected the gig to be amazing having seen them live in the summer at Somersault Festival. The journey to the venue was really easy and it's great that the venue is mere seconds away from Mornington Crescent tube station. The venue itself was wonderful inside and out; looking like an old theatre throughout and the inside was covered with light bouncing of the oversized disco ball. My friends and I arrived later than the time the doors opened, this gave a us a chance to see leader singer Van McCann himself by the stage door. He was seemingly caught up in conversation and so we chose just to head inside, so as not to seem too fan-girl and way cooler than we actually are. We were standing about three rows back but with a clear view, as fans poured in we noticed that the crowd was mainly formed of young people, at a gig! I know shocking... Then after a while the lights went down and Southern came on stage.

Southern
source: www.inveterate.co.uk

I was first told about Southern, the brother and sister duo from Belfast, by my friend who described them as beautiful-both physically and musically.  But don't let their beautiful exterior fool you, their music is raw with blue riffs of darkness and some passionate shouting from Thom (half of the duo). Currently signed by Marathon Artists they released their first self-titled 'Southern' EP in 2013. Then in 2014 they released their single 'Where the Wild Things Are'. They played songs from both the EP and the single, with popular songs as Cool Kid and World Don't Shine. Their stage presence was great allowing those who knew they words to join in and those who didn't were encouraged by their playing to do a little jig. If such an event came along I would most certainly jump to the chance to see Southern again, and if you haven't checked them out go do it... right now!

Catfish rocking out
source: www.gigwise.com

Once Southern left the stage, the suspense began to build once more as we all waited for Catfish to come on. Whilst the instruments were being set up the ever popular 'Lid', as he known by the band and fan base, Larry came out to do the sound check for the band and received some cheers from the crowd. Soon after the band entered the stage and the crowd went wild. Catfish started the show with Homesick which catalysed a crowd serge pushing all of us towards the front, as soon as the ragey chorus kicked in we all began to jump.  As they pounded through hit after hit from 'The Balcony', such as Kathleen, Pacifier and 26, the moshing in the crowd reached epic proportions. Don't get me wrong I'm all up for jumping like a nutter, sharing sweat and screaming the lyrics, but what I didn't really like was some of the crowd were literally shoving- which showed a lack of crowd etiquette tbh. But regardless Catfish's interaction with the audience and their impeccable musical performance showed genuine enthusiasm and appreciation, it also enabled us the audience to feel more comfortable with the fact that our bodies were being thrown around and made the band feel more accessible.  My highlight of the night was the moment of calm when my favourite song from the album Hourglass was being performed. At that moment the crowd and the band felt united, with the endearing lyrics and satisfaction shared between the band and the audience,it was by far the best part of the night. They appropriately ended the night with the final song of the album Tyrants, the song itself feels as though it was written to close a gig; starting slow with lyrics to shout along to and gradually getting more powerful when finally it reaches the climax, loud and hard core.

It was certainly one of the most wild and enjoyable gigs I have ever been to. Their performance is of epic proportions- it sounds like I'm exaggerating but I assure you I'm not- they sound as brilliant live as they do on the album. As a fan the moshing at this particular gig made me feel as though by sticking it out we were making them proud, giving them signs of how much the vast group of people supported and enjoyed their music. Speaking for the crowd I would say the performance definitely left us with a mind that is so hell bent on seeing them again.

They are touring in spring next year defo go grab some tickets, you won't be disappointed.

Foo Fighters New Release

Believe it or not, behind my love for good 'Indie rock' music lies roots of an, arguably, hard core rocker. Having been bought up surrounded by bands such as Nirvana, Green Day and Red Hot Chilli Peppers, music with rage-y guitar riffs have a particularly special place in my heart. Foo Fighters are no exception to this and in fact have a specific place just for them. Since I was a small child they have been a big part of my musical life; most of my close family members enjoyed listening to them, due to this some of my earliest memories of music is the sound of Foo Fighters (how cliché). Now knowing my admittedly strong feelings towards Foo Fighters, you can easily imagine my excitement when they announced their new album as well as a new documentary series, both titled 'Sonic Highways'.

Sonic Highways
source: www.stereogum.com

This Friday saw the release of the first instalment from their eighth studio album, 'Sonic Highways', titled Something From Nothing- recorded in Chicago with Steve Albini who produced Nirvana’s final studio album 'In Utero'. The first episode of the documentary also broadcast in the States that very same day, displaying the bands eagerness to fuel fans excitement and give them a healthy dose of Foo's musical goodness. Having only revealed a snippet of the song during the 'Sonic Highways' trailer it was much appreciated by fans when they released the song in it's full, nearly five minutes, entirety.

Sonic Highways
source: www.foofighters.com

The song is distinctly Foo Fighter-esk; opening with chords that resemble classic blues sounds, then breaking into typical Foo Fighters intense riffs and epic drums provided by Taylor Hawkins. Lead singer Dave Grohl actively complements the epic sound changes starting with a smooth vocals that trick you into thinking the climax is about to happen, only to reveal your premonitions were wrong when he returns to a calm tone. Until finally when he begins the raging screams that we all anticipate from a Foo's song with the lyrics "Fuck it all I came from nothing".

Seemingly the song has impressed many fans, fulfilling their exceptions of an intense hit, with classic rock chord changes echoing their influences from much loved bands such as Black Sabbath and ACDC. However, there have been some fans that argue it's a little too cliché and generic. Although I would agree that the song has a noticeable structure that could seem generic, it echoes the classic rock sound and rather drifts away from a more punk/grungy sounds- which isn't always a bad thing.

Living in England has meant so far I have only been able to hear the song and have not yet seen the first episode of 'Sonic Highways', which makes it's début on the BBC on the 26th of this month. But if Something from Nothing and also the last film made by Dave Grohl ('Sound City') is anything to go on the album-as well as the documentary- are bound to be of epic proportions.

Listen here to Something From Nothing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3B0Vx_yQgo#t=91

The 1975 Alexandra Palace

//

source:www.gigwise.com

The 1975, no matter how much stick they get from such critics as NME, are a band which I thoroughly enjoy listening too as much as I enjoy seeing them live. The four piece band originated from Manchester with big dreams to become famous. Their first EP 'Facedown' was released in 2012, the lead track of the EP The City attract the attention of national radio stations and was featured in BBC Radio One's introducing segment. Their second EP 'Sex' followed hot on the heels of the first in 2012, and was once again recognised by national radio stations. In the year of 2013 they released two more EPs, one of which contained arguably their most popular song Chocolate- which reached number 19 in UK charts, as well as receiving lots of air time on popular radio stations both in the UK and internationally. The 1975 released their debut, self-titled album in September 2013 and it went down a storm reaching No.1 in the UK album charts. From then on they were on an extensive world wide tour, attending major festivals such as Reading and Leeds in 2013 and more recently Glastonbury in 2014. They have played many venues with an incredible size gap from Camden's Barfly to more recently playing Alexandra Palace.

Having seen The 1975 in January of this year I knew the show was going to be incredible, it felt like it had been a life time ago since I had last seen them so I was very much looking forward to the gig. With high anticipations, dressed in black bar the small pink dragon on my-so-hideous-it's-cute shirt and a topped up oyster card, myself and two friends hit the trains to make our almost two hour treck across London to the great 'Ally Pally'. When we arrived the hike up the hill wasn't as bad as we first thought, when we reached the top the breath-taking views of London were surpassed fairly quickly by the hideously long queue to get in. Thankfully being in good company along with Alexandra Palace's good organisation skills the line moved quite fast. Before entering the crowd I nervously anticipated a great size difference between the O2 Academy Brixton (having only seen them there before) and Ally Pally and worried we wouldn't get a good spot. However we managed to land a good viewing space to the side, where we were fairly close and could see the whole of the stage.

The first warm up act was the band Y.O.U, we entered just after they had started and managed to miss the first song, but it wasn't so bad as many people where still pouring in so they must have missed the first song too. The stage was brightly lit with colourful, what can only be described as, light cubes and cuboids. The band members consisted of three men performing music which very much reminded me of 80s indie-pop songs, somewhat echoing melodies you'd expect to hear from Pulp or The Smiths. Even the opening of one of their songs sounded strangely similar to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (that classic 80s jam), so much so I was expecting a cover until it became evident the lyrics were different. Although the crowd didn't seem too enthused (to be honest I wasn't really) Y.O.U still managed to get the vast amount of people to clap with a few songs, a job well done.

Circa Waves

source:www.blacknightcrash.com

The second warm up act I am thrilled to say were Circa Waves! Before a gig I don't usually look into who the opening acts are going to be, so when I found out that Circa Waves were performing I was most excited as I can't make their show in November. The four piece band from Liverpool were amazing, playing their hits Young Chasers, Stuck in My Teeth and  (their newish song) So Long. Their stage presence and interaction with the audience was very enjoyable, plus their lively song choices made for a show that is meant to be danced to. However the dancing seemed to scarce around the area in which we stood so unfortunately our dancing had to be scaled down during Circa Waves' act. If you haven't yet heard any of Circa Waves' songs they are really worth checking out, plus (as addressed briefly) they are doing a show in November-which unfortunately I cant make- which I'm certain is going to an amazing night.

During the break between Circa Waves and The 1975 the lights which lit up the audience were turned on, during this time there was the odd serge of movement towards the front; which wasn't too bad as it got us closer to the stage it was just at inappropriate time really. So now everybody was a lot closer to each other the temperature of the crowd began to rise, and the waiting began to get a little tedious. When the time got closer to them coming on stage the lights began to dim painstakingly slowly, and a purposeful background humming was getting louder through the speakers, as smoke was pouring out from the sides of the stage. In retrospect this was a very clever and artistic move; building the suspense of the audience whilst being elaborate with really simple elements of the stage (smoke, lights etc.) but at the time my feet were hurting and I just wanted it to start. When the band finally entered the stage the excitement of the room went through the roof. All the band members entered and took their place, Matty entered with a 3/4 finished bottle of wine and once he sat it down they began with their classic The City. They then continued to perform hit after hit such as She Way Out, Settle Down and Heart Out. They also played my favourite song from the album which is Pressure which was so great to hear live again.

The 1975 -- Ally Pally

source: www.whenthegramophonerings.com

The setlist seemed to never ending, but when it did come to the end it was quite a melancholy anti-climax. But of course they returned to do the encore which was my highlight of the whole evening. They performed the ultimate crowd pleasers that were, Robbers, Chocolate and Sex. During Robbers Matty announces they were bringing a fan onto the stage. A girl arrives on stage looking like she is having the time of her life, Matty was incredibly nice and welcoming to the fan and it was a very heart warming moment, but also a moment which I very much wished I was the girl on stage... I would say the only negative of the evening was that although the three of us were belting out the lyrics to every song performed, what we really wanted to do was dance and go a little bit wild... yes it's a concert I think that's a normal request of such events. Yet most of the people around us hardly moved. However, once Sex came on we were persistent and jumped around like mad-men which seemingly encouraged others around us to join in and for the entirety of the song we were singing and jumping- this became the best moment of the night- it was amazing.

During the performance Matty stated that “This is the biggest fucking gig we’ve ever done”, making the evening a lot more special and something that feels almost a privilege to be a part of. The band announced that they were going to be away from the gig scene for a while in order to start work on a new album. So, fingers crossed, if the new album is anything like their first it will brilliant and will result in a good night out.

Lewis Watson at Shepards Bush

Freckle faced, long haired, and apparently raised in Bicester, Oxfordshire (according to Wikipedia), singer-song writer Lewis Watson has seemingly come a long way from his early days of recording Bombay Bicycle Club Covers on his YouTube channel to now performing at the epic venue that is the O2 Shepard's Bush Empire. Lewis Watson's humble begins began back in 2010 when he first uploaded his cover of Bombay Bicycle Club's Swansea, from then on he continued to upload various popular songs receiving thousands of hits. It was then in 2012 when Holyloowis (his YouTube channel name FYI) released his first EP with the lyrical contents that could pull on the hearts strings of anyone within ear shot. It seems as though the first EP was a catalyst for many more releases in the space of just one year; he even recorded 'Some Songs With Some Friends' with musicians Hudson and Taylor, Gabrielle Aplin and Kimberly Anne. When 2014 rolled around the corner Lewis announced that his debut album was to be released in June, it's an understatement to say that the Lewis Watson fan base were thrilled by the news that Lewis was releasing more than four songs (see what I did there... 'Four More Songs' was a name of one of his EPs...sorry for the cheesy joke). The album 'The Morning' included both new songs and old, the oldest being Windows which was originally released on his first EP. Following the release of his album Lewis Watson started his tour this Autumn.

Having first heard the gentle voice of Lewis Watson back in 2012 and only seeing him for three songs at Somersault fest this year, I highly anticipated his performance at Shepard's Bush. When we arrived at the venue a small group of friends and I scored a fairly good spot in the middle giving us a pretty good view of the stage. Before any performers even entered the stage the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, I found it incredibly refreshing to be in a crowd that practically gave off an aura that screamed they were long term fans; so much so I almost felt ashamed I didn't know all the words.

Andreas Moe

source: www.believerecordings.com

It wasn't long until the first act took the stage; one lone man with just a guitar and a hairy face (which is the perfect combination if you ask me). This slightly hairy faced man was Andreas Moe, a very dreamy, acoustic singer-songwriter from Sweden. As soon as Andreas stepped on stage the room went dark and the only lighting were two spotlights behind him. Having never heard any of his music before, the lighting complimented his mellow performance perfectly. Even though some of his song lyrics are a little cheesy (which he politely warned us about) his endearing stage presence mixed with his delicate folk tunes evokes relaxed 'vibes' and creates a very enjoyable show. If, like me, you haven't heard any of Andreas' work then definitely have a listen.

The second act, who again shamefully I had never heard of,

Amber Run

source: www.birminghampromoters.com

were the five piece band Amber Run. Their set was excellent and a definite crowd pleaser both for people like me who hadn't seem them before and also for fans who sang along to their hits. After seeing them I have had a little time to look into the band
and I was shocked by how much buzz they've managed to create, from supporting Kodaline to being played on Xfm, they definitely have a good thing going. I was also pleasantly surprised to find they are signed to the Communion record label. They had a delightful stage presence and really got the crowd singing and dancing even though most of the audience didn't know the words. Their folk and pop hybrid made for a good show and I think we will being seeing big things from them in the near future. I actually had opportunity to talk to a member of Amber Run after the show, however not knowing exactly what their faces looked like instead of complimenting them I asked their keyboard player if he could take a picture of my friends and I... how embarrassing but at least I will know his face for next time. 

Now on to the main man himself. Mr Lewis Watson. When Lewis arrived on the stage his face seemed to light up with both the feeling of genuine joy and also a hint of fear. This was his biggest show to date so no wonder our staring faces were a little daunting. He opened the show with the first song from his debut album: Stones Around The Sun, the performance was both chilling and effortless foreshadowing the goodness that was to come. He then continued to play songs both old and new, creating a very crowd pleasing set, with hits like Outgrow, Sink or Swim and of course Windows. My favourite song of the night was Into the Wild, as this was one of the first Lewis Watson songs I heard giving me quite a strong feeling of nostalgia. However, although the setlist was sufficiently crowd pleasing he missed off one song in particular that was seemingly very important to his fans and that song was Bones. Although Lewis lacked in Bones that night he managed to win over the crowd once more by coming into the stalls with just his guitar, singing his cover of Made up Song #43. He came within smelling distance, shall we say, making the performance very intimate and surreal.


Lewis Watson

source: www.o2shepardsbushempire.co.uk

Overall the show was brilliant and is an experience that feels great to have been a part of. I would say the fact that he can perform to a fairly large crowd but can still sing to you and make you feel like the only one is impressive and that its a sign of a lot more to come.

Drowners Borderline review

On the 20th of August New York's own American-Welsh 'indie rock' band Drowners performed - as the title suggests- at the Borderline in Soho. The band as mentioned is a combo of American and Welsh musicians, and although it seems odd that musicians from across the ocean would combine we praise the lord that they did as the mixture of the two creates exquisite indie goodness for our ears. Drowners' first EP 'Between Us Girls' appeared on the music scene early 2013, their first single 'Luv, Hold Me Down' shortly followed a year after in January 2014. As expected the band has acquired much hype both in the UK and USA. Due to the fact they are predominately based in New York it feels as though England has been lacking in Drowners goodness therefore this intimate gig was highly anticipated.

Brief Drowners' history over let's get to the gig. First things first the venue: having never been to the Borderline before I wasn't too sure what to expect, however I was pleasantly surprised. If, like me, you enjoy a venue that's so small you know the band can see your face, making you feel up close and personal with them, then this venue is for you. The Borderline comes equipped with not only the cosy stage in the corner but  a bar on the far side, so if you fancy a cheeky drink you have the opportunity to do so. The stage itself is small and tucked in the corner; it's decor of draping curtains gives it almost an epic karaoke bar feel, all it is lacking is the glitter from a disco ball.



Happyness
source-www.amazingradio.com

Despite the size of the venue we secured a good space in the corner that allowed enough space to dance and only a few people from the front. We were then greeted by the warm up act: the south London trio Happyness- and yes that's spelt with a 'Y'. Happyness have been described as part of the revival of classic 90's US rock and they sure do deliver. Their chilled stage presence along with jangly guitar sounds and clever lyrics combines to make not just an enjoyable show but one that somewhat echoes artists such as Weezer or Wilco or even Dinosaur Jr. Happyness are definitely worth seeing if you have the chance and we can certainly anticipate big things from/for them.

Drowners.

Shortly afterwards, Drowners' finally arrived on stage; simultaneously the sound of the crowd went from the mumble of casual chatter to the caterwaul of high pitch screaming- like a clip of the girls during a Beatles concert. Although, this reaction wasn't  too unexpected as the sight of lead singer Matt Hitt's face is enough to make any human swoon just a little. They kick off the show with track You've Got It All Wrong setting the tone for a loud and fast tempo filled evening. They perform the rest of the set-list with equal force throughout, performing crowd favourites such as Long Hair, Unzip Your Harrington and Ways To Phase a Rejection enabling a hearty sing-a-long and a good jig. All in all Drowners performed the entirety of their album, however pleasing this was the show only lasted under an hour making their London gig short but sweet.

Somersault Festival 2014

So, thankfully my summer this year started early giving me the opportunity to go to Somersault fest. in North Devon. Having 'eyed up' the festival for six months prior to the event to say I was excited to go is an understatement.

The five day festival began on the Thursday and consisted of travelling around 5 hours to Devon. On arrival the picturesque views and surrounding forests of Castle Hill were breath taking to say the least. My friend and I set up camp almost instantly as the space between tents was insanely vast (for a festival that is) and the camping was super relaxed and made up mostly by families.


Somersault entrance
source: www.somersaultfestival.com

The festival itself was fairly small -and although this doesn't apply to some- I found that to be one of it's perks. The size made it easy for swift travel from area to area and most importantly from stage to stage. The close knit size made the experience some what communal as frequent interactions with the same people became common like casually bumping into friends.

The first day/night was essentially just becoming accustom to the fest, that night we found ourselves dancing until midnight in the 'Chai Wallah' which became nicknamed the 'disco tent' throughout the festival. This was a place to really let go and dance like a loon to so-bad-it's-good 80's-90's disco-pop tunes (you know the classics). The only let down of this particular tent was the lighting; it allowed others to see your face that was dirty, sweaty and most probably smeared with make up. When the night was over, the Chai Wallah left you with the sweet sent of Chai latte lingering in you nose and Fleetwood Mac ringing in your ears as you make that slow return to your tent.

Throughout the day time it became clear that the festival mainly centred night life, making the days incredibly chilled. The festival in the day offered a chance to unwind and revitalise in the 'Well Being' area or become educated on how to save our seas in the Surfers Against Sewage tent. OR if that didn't take your fancy clothing brand Jack Willis provided a stage with music running throughout the day. There was also the clothing brand O'Neill whom had their own tour bus with the slogan 'Today is Perfect' offering free seminars and exclusive acoustic sessions- which became a frequent spot for us over the weekend. The record label Communion also showed it's face through their own stage and 'Record Store' tent- where you could buy the obvious (records).

Half Moon Run on the Main stage

The night life- as I've said- was when the festival really came alive. The main stage began to rumble in the late afternoon and lasting through til midnight; with performances from Dry the River and Spirtualized on the Friday, Amadou and Miriam and Jack Johnson on the Saturday and then Sunday we were greeted by His Golden Messenger, Half Moon Run and Ben Howard. Obviously there were a lot more performers offering a wide range of musicians to suit everyone's music needs.
My musical highlights: Nick Mulvey- his chilled stage presence combined with his gentle voice was definitely one of the best ways to relax on a Saturday afternoon. Amadou and Miriam- such a sensational couple, they over came the language barrier making their stage presence and rapport with the audience incredible. Jack Johnson- drew up an unexpectedly big audience for such a small festival, he's one for all the family and if your in the mood for a good jig. Catfish and The Bottlemen- just brilliant, if you want a good sing a long and to have a jump around they are most definitely the ones for you. Half Moon Run- were fantastic, hearing their tracks played before my very ears was one of the highlights of the year let alone the festival- their performance made the five hour wait worth while. Ben Howard- the main man himself, not only does he support the Surfers Against Sewage, his performance was out of this world. In addition to this, seeing Lewis Watson do a completely acoustic session (due to the rain which caused his equipment give him the odd electric shock) was also pretty amazing.

Lewis Watson @ O'Neill bus

After the performances there was a chance to boogie until three in the morning in the Forest Party. The space was dark, but lit up by a huge disco ball that hung from one of the trees, and lights the shape of tulips. There was also a DJ who provided the tunes that caused you to dance non-stop for three hours, until you feet felt like they were going to fall off.

The main thing about Somersault was how relaxed the whole atmosphere of the festival was. It provided a break from reality that took you away from the busy streets and surrounded you with hills and valleys as far the eyes could see- almost like someone had swaddled you with a forest-y blanket. And ultimately leaving you with a feeling that you never want to depart. Not only does it provided an excellent collection of artists, it also promoted the well being of your body and most importantly our environment. For such a small festival it had a big impact, and all i can say is roll on Somersault 2015.

If you wanna make a blog you gotta do it yourself.

Well Good day to you (if there is a you reading this). Now, where to start... ah yes! If you hadn't already guessed my name is Aimee, I'm your pretty average female...

Specifics you ask? Oh alright, I'd like to think of myself as having a good taste in music it's definitely something i am proud of (it's the only thing i pride myself on really), I enjoy my cup o' tea- regardless of how stereo-typically English that sounds- and I also am a self confessed cat fanatic (which may not be best to admit but hey ho, if we are being honest why not).

What this blog may or may not consist of: music/gig reviews, tea recommendations and (basically) a stream of thoughts which I will most probably regret or cringe over after posting it (much like this opening post). So if for some reason my rambling may be something that tickles your  fancy, maybe you'd like to take a seat with a nice warm cup of tea (or any beverage you like, we don't discriminate against beverage choice here) put on a good song and stick around by all means please do. I can only but hope that your journey through my thoughts is as fun for you as it is for me.

So now awkward intros are out of the way, lets get down to the real deal and in the words of Flight Of the Conchords "it's business time."