2016].

March 11, 2016 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

The last month or so has been a dizzy concoction of success and excitement for The 1975. They performed on American TV, on both Saturday Night Live and The Jimmy Fallon Show, released their new highly-anticipated album ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it‘* to critical acclaim and have seen the album rocket to the top of the charts in five countries, including the UK and the US. The atmosphere in Brixton’s O2 Academy mirrored these successes on Wednesday evening as the buzz of almost five thousand fans filled the venue.

The evening commenced with a half hour set by The Japanese House, the project of shy but endearing Londoner Amber Bain. She shares a record label with The 1975 (the doing of The 1975’s Matt Healy and George Daniel who introduced the label to her in addition to producing some of her work) and musically draws upon similar influences. Her melancholic electronica is soaked in vocal effects and scatty sound samples which makes it a compelling listen, although it cries out for slightly more variation. Nevertheless, she was met with a warm reaction from the audience, particularly for the up-tempo ‘Cool Blue‘, one of her strongest tracks. She is certainly in possession of something special and is one to watch.**

Over the next half an hour, Brixton academy filled to the brim, the house lights dimmed gradually and an eerie, repetitive synthesiser sound became progressively louder. Finally, at nine o’clock, the venue was plunged into darkness, the synthesiser halted and multicoloured static filled the on-stage screens before the quirky riffs of ‘Love Me‘ began. It was the perfect opener, its buoyant tone perfect for generating energy from the audience. The band proceeded to rocket through a comprehensive set-list which catered for all, ranging from material from their early EPs to their current album. Hidden treasures from old EPs such as the 90’s R&B jam-inspired ‘So Far (It’s Alright)‘, slushy ‘fallingforyou‘ and the never-before-performed ‘Anobrain‘ served as a reminder of the band’s unfaltering ability to create enthralling music whilst tracks from the band’s début album such as ‘Heart Out‘, ‘Girls‘ and ‘Menswear‘ which were met with rapturous response from fans who chanted the lyrics at the top of their lungs. Their new material worked just as well; it was impossible not to dance to the INXS-influenced ‘She’s American‘ and the Prince-esque ‘UGH!‘ whilst the vulnerable ‘Somebody Else‘ and jittery ‘Change of Heart‘ captivated the audience.

“Brixton, I think I’m going mad”, Healy declared before the choral ‘ooh’s’ intro to ‘The Ballad of me and my Brain‘ began. The song appeared to baffle many of those unfamiliar with the new album but was brilliantly executed by the band and Healy who raised his performance game in this song, stumbling around the stage and falling to his knees in reference to the breakdown the song documents. Likewise, the cleverly worded, half-rapped ‘Loving Someone‘ and syrupy sweet ‘Paris‘ translated well into a live setting as Healy strutted across the stage and encouraged the crowd to sing.

Throughout the show, Healy – renowned for being a charismatic front-man – bounded around the stage, often with a glass of wine in his hand, buzzing with energy and enthusiasm and feeding off the crowd. He flexed, pouted, pranced and glided across the stage, interacting brilliantly with the crowd and often resulting in ear-piercing squeals reminiscent of Beatle-mania. He held the audience in the palm of his hand and was unafraid of being completely at ease on-stage, frequently wandering off to light a cigarette or to change into a shirt before declaring he’d made a mistake and changing back into his black t-shirt. During the poignant ‘Me‘, he instructed a fan to put their phone away after telling the audience to experience the song in the moment without technology present.

The show was also visually spectacular; the stage was permanently illuminated in various lighting combinations, providing a cinematic experience which was a perfect reflection of the band’s eclectic range of material. At times, this was utterly breathtaking and emphasised that sometimes simplicity achieves the best results.

The evening culminated in an intoxicating finale; an encore of four of the band’s best works. The first, ‘If I Believe You‘, an accomplished track which questions religion over D’Angelo slow-jam instrumentation was hauntingly beautiful. A choir of six accompanied the band and their gospel harmonies were spine-tingling. The choir remained on-stage for the ever-brilliant ‘Chocolate‘ and new classic ‘The Sound‘ which engendered an electric euphoria. During the latter, Healy instructed the crowd to jump, informing them their aim was ‘to break Brixton academy’. Grand finale ‘Sex‘, another of the band’s best-known songs closed the evening perfectly and remains one of the band’s best songs.

In all three times of seeing the band in the past two years, their performance at Brixton on Wednesday evening emphasised that they are the band of the moment. Healy’s vocals had never been better whilst fellow bandmates Adam Hann, Ross Macdonald and George Daniel were perfectly tight and synchronised musically. The only thing missing was two of the band’s best songs – ‘Settle Down‘ and ‘This Must Be My Dream‘ but one can hardly complain when the band delivered such a captivating show with an extensive range of material.

The 1975 were on top of their game at Brixton and long may it continue.

* Read our review of The 1975’s new album, ‘I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it‘
** Read our review of The Japanese House live at The Haunt, Brighton

Setlist:

1. Love Me
2. UGH!
3. Heart Out
4. So Far (It’s Alright)
5. A Change of Heart
6. She’s American
7. Anobrain
8. Menswear
9. The Ballad of Me and My Brain
10. Me
11. fallingforyou
12. Somebody Else
13. Robbers
14. You
15. Loving Someone
16. Paris
17. Girls
ENCORE
18. If I Believe You
19. Chocolate
20. The Sound
21. Sex

Catch The 1975 on tour now:

Years & Years – Communion Album Review

July 21, 2015 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

2015 has certainly been Years & Years’ well, year… The British electronica trio have witnessed two singles reach the top 3 (one reaching the Number One spot and the other soaring straight into Number Two, respectively), a number one album and a slot at this year’s Glastonbury festival.

Debut album ‘Communion’ is a pleasant, beguiling affair; a fusion of synth-pop, electronica and house music. Abundant with festival ready hooks, dreamy synths, squeaky bass lines and front man Olly Alexander’s wailing vocals, it differs from usual synth-pop band albums in that it avoids separating the edge usually associated with this genre and heartfelt music. It makes use of punchy backing tracks and lyrics bursting with sincerity, resulting in a mixed affair of successes and failures.

The album’s main successes are its most successful singles, the ever-endearing ‘King’ and detuned ‘Shine’ in addition to its ballads. Gentle synth-pop ballad ‘Eyes Shut’ utilises elements of gospel music, complete with jumpy piano chord changes and finger click percussion. ‘Without’ is a saccharine synth-pop moment but it works whilst closing track ‘Memo’ is heartbreakingly beautiful. There are other triumphs – ‘Worship’ is a genuine highlight with its dirty, punchy percussion and gospel-induced synths whilst second track ‘Real’ (which should have been the opening track instead of the dreary and uninviting ‘Foundation’) is memorable with its squeaky bass lines and stamping percussion.

Whilst it may challenge the norm associated with the synth-pop genre, it’s hardly innovative. The album’s main issue is that the more up-tempo tracks lack diversity and therefore become instantly forgettable. Moreover, whilst Alexander’s voice certainly transmits an enchanting vulnerability and uniqueness, there is the possibility this may not hold up quite as strongly live, free of the highly cherished auto-tune.

Nevertheless, the album contains enough charm to just about compensate for these teething problems. It is an enjoyable listen and serves as a fitting introduction to the band. Its utilisation of a range of genres is a charming device but this could be exploited much further.

It’s perhaps best to consider Years and Years as a work in progress but they are certainly one to watch.

Rating: 3/5.

‘Communion’ is available now on Polydor/Universal records.

Take That Live 2015 – Review

July 7, 2015August 30, 2015 MarcyB0y1 Comment

For many, a Take That tour is the pinnacle event of the year; an exuberant spectacle of nostalgia, triumph and escapism. Past proceedings have involved cars onstage, rain machines, holograms, a transportable elephant, and a gigantic twenty metre robot amongst countless other stunts, polished dance routines, props and backdrops. But in 2015, at the ages of 43 (Owen), 44 (Barlow) and 47 (Donald), you would have perhaps thought Take That tours may begin to demonstrate signs of deceleration. Latest tour ‘Take That Live 2015’ showed nothing of the sort, however.

Take That’s live shows of 2015 was the latest risk in a series of many; the foundation of Take That’s career has been built upon gamble. Their career in the nineties was steered precariously by manager Nigel Martin-Smith who had exceedingly limited managerial experience prior to their existence. Then there was their launch amidst camp, flamboyant performances in gay clubs dressed primarily in bondage gear. Fast-forward to 2005 and a tentative return occurred, minus Robbie Williams, then five years later, just as fans had become used to Take That as a four-piece, Williams entered the fold once more. Just when it appeared that things had all settled in the Take That camp, 2014 brought an amalgamation of simultaneous risks. Since 2011’s hugely successful Progress Live tour, Williams had once again taken flight, returning to solo projects; his attention on the arrival of his second child with wife Ayda Field. Meanwhile, the Thatter fanbase was rocked pugnaciously by the surprise departure of much loved member Jason Orange. Incorporate a highly publicised tax scandal and theoretically, the continuation of Take That shouldn’t have been possible. But once again, Take That took a risk which paid off, attaining a number one single, a number one album and a sell-out arena tour featuring ten shows at the O2 arena in London.

Take That’s live shows of 2015 were some of their best yet, a lavish affair with no expense spared. Confetti explosions, fire canons, schizophrenic lighting, an immense back catalogue of pure pop hits and the odd dance routine, Take That were out to please. And that they did. “We are what’s left of Take That”, the man-band chant in unison. It’s one of a handful of comical lines delivered by the band but one that carries a poignant undertone. Whilst Williams’ absence is less problematic (the public had five years to become accustomed to Take That as a four-piece after all), Orange’s is more conspicuous. There was a visible cavity onstage and Orange’s presence was still greatly missed both on a visual and entertainment level. There were a handful of particular poignant moments (his verse in ‘The Garden’, backing vocals on ‘Up All Night’ and most dance routines) where the beginnings of sentimentality crept in. These were never allowed to develop excessively, however and were vastly prevented by the industrious production onstage. Indeed, sometimes, it was almost as if the franticness of onstage proceedings was to compensate for the loss of Williams and Orange; in a sense, it worked. There was seldom a dull moment, rarely an opportunity to dwell on Orange’s absence for more than a few seconds.

Electro-pop breathy synthesiser interludes no doubt Donald’s influence, bursts of colour, a mob of cast members descending onstage parading in colourful attire and anoraks, an eccentric male protagonist involved in bizarre experiments, eruptions of Willy Wonka-esque encouragement carry the show for fifteen long minutes before Take That’s explosive arrival onstage prompting rapturous cheers and ear-piercing squealing from the audience. ‘I Like it’ is the perfect opener to the tour, a flamboyant electro track comprised of squeaky synthesisers, meticulously synced hand claps for maximum audience participation and a rousing chorus. “I don’t know what the people see but I like it”; it’s evident the song was written specifically for the live occasion. The trio power through more crowd rousing tracks, Progressed’s ‘Love Love’, ‘Get Ready For It’ complete with eruptions of flame followed by ‘Greatest Day’ staged with minimalistic production, a wise decision as the song holds the crowd enough alone. It’s still as euphoric as ever, prompting raised arms from most audience members and explosions of multi-coloured ticker tape to envelop all super-fans in the inner pits.

take-that-in-concert--1430211911-custom-0 — Picture courtesy of Capital FM.

The foremost surprise in the evening is the stunning and theatrical performance of ‘The Garden’, the opening track to 2008’s ‘The Circus’ album. Accompanied visually by a spectacular silhouetted puppet show, projected onto two huge white curtains which encompass those in the inner pits, it’s a beautiful moment for all those in the arena and the perfect complement to a song that frankly deserves greater credit. Another pinnacle of the show, ‘Portrait’, is performed as Barlow, Donald and Owen soar above the heads of thousands of adoring fans on a bike-come-tandem-come-side car hybrid. It’s a spectacular moment and somehow, the barber-shop-styled chorus is maintained pitch perfectly. The inclusion of ‘Affirmation’, a previously neglected ‘Progress’ album track written primarily by Donald is another surprise. It could have potentially served as a toilet break opportunity but intelligent staging in which the Take That lads become evil techno-gods thumping out the song on synthesisers and drum machines make it work and bizarrely won the audience over. The thunder-god theme continues onto ‘The Flood’ complete with stormy backdrops on large LED Screens and assistance from a rain machine. 90’s hits ‘Relight My Fire’ (presented with an oriental theme on this tour) and ‘Could It Be Magic’ contain as much camp abundance as back in their hey-day, accompanied by dynamic dance routines whilst an aerial performer romps around acrobatically in an elevated, illumine sphere for summer belter ‘Let in the Sun’. As Owen himself acknowledges, the show borders on serving as a voyage through British weather.

Elsewhere, just as the show becomes in danger of becoming profligately exhausting, the thirty plus assemble is removed from the stage for more gentle moments, mostly for classic Barlow-ballads. ‘Flaws’, sung beautifully by Gary Barlow is accompanied by a beautiful contemporary dance routine smothered in homoeroticism by Owen and Donald. A shirt lift mid-way through by both members induced wild screams from the audience, reinforcing the unfaltering sex appeal fastened to the band. It’s a move that prompts a mixed response from critics but sends fans into overdrive. Likewise, other songs require less of a spectacle to be made. Major hits are performed with minimal fuss: timeless pop perfection ‘Patience’, the gorgeous ‘Said It All’, ‘Pray’ and even ‘Back For Good’ is left well alone on this tour, performed sitting on stools, a move Barlow has previously been the first to criticise. Perhaps the intensity of live shows is finally getting to them after all. Regardless, many of Take That’s hits are strong enough to be performed without major production, leaving all expense to be lent to other parts of the show.

The set list itself mainly draws upon TT4 material – songs recorded between 2006 and 2009, a decision which confused many critics. Criticisms are unjustifiable however. At least one song from all seven Take That albums is performed; fans are well catered for. Occasionally, Barlow’s voice becomes a little uncertain, the first time in the band’s career in which there is an auditory strain to hit certain notes although equitably, this is on the band’s more demanding material. This is compensated through the swing-styled vocals he adds to the ending of ‘I Like It’ and the cleaner falsetto vocals he manages to produce on ‘Portrait’ which somehow manage to exceed the record version.

The show temporarily closes with ‘Rule the World’, which remains Take That’s superlative song, before an encore of ‘Shine’ and ‘Never Forget’ follows. The latter closes the show triumphantly as always; the sight of twenty thousand pairs of arms in the air for the latter is breath-taking and the perfect finale to a magnificent show.

They may have been two men down in a downsized venue (gone are the football stadiums, although they have been replaced with still impressive sized arenas) but Take That somehow managed to surpass previous tour Progress Live with a vibrant, theatrical and greatly entertaining show, the music event of the year.

Rating: 5/5.

Take That Live 2015 – My Experience

June 19, 2015March 11, 2016 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

On 8th June 2015, after minimal sleep, I hopped on board a rather early train from Brighton to London to see my favourite band live at the O2 arena. It had been four long years since I last saw Take That, then a five-piece and performing to a sold-out Wembley Stadium, on their Progress tour. Evidently much has changed since then. Despite minor apprehension due to the inescapable fact that my second favourite member Jason Orange would not be onstage and sleep deprivation, I was exceptionally excited.

Much had changed for me too since 2011’s Progress Tour. Last time I had seen the boys, I was sixteen years old, had just finished sitting my GCSE’s, attended the tour with a friend I’m no longer in touch with and was positioned towards the back of Wembley Stadium. Four years on, I am now an adult (eek!) and a university student. I had a great time at Progress Live but being so far away, I spent most of it in envy of those standing close to the stage, particularly when the guys went and said goodbye to audience members during ‘Eight Letters’. I also spent far too much of the show absorbed in taking photos and videos and not being in the moment. Unfortunately, we were also surrounded by utter fools. Nobody stood until Rob came on, the family in front kept looking at each other in horror every time Rob swore (I know, they evidently weren’t familiar with Rob’s stage persona…), I got a dirty look for practically hyperventilating when the boys came onstage, the couple next to us spent 90% of the concert snogging and those behind appeared to just be there for a day out. So when it came to seeing Take That on their next tour, I vowed to do things completely differently. And that, I did.

20150606_152610 — I purchased the hat in self-parody of myself and to stand out… Bizarrely, I think I managed to pull it off!

For this tour, I decided to go with full-on, die-hard Thatters like myself. I am lucky enough to have many friends who also love Take That but not quite to the same level as me. So this time I went with Kim & Andy – two of my favourite people on Twitter, two amazing friends and two people with a mutual appreciation of the boys. It was my first time going with Thatters and I plan to continue to do so in future! Eight hours of queueing passed amazingly quickly with them both aided by multiple trips to the toilet, to see other friends, purchasing tea and buying merchandise. The second difference this time was that for the first time I was not going to be high up in the venue. I was not going to be at the back. I was not going to be surrounded by people merely at the show for a night out. I was going to be standing. And not only standing but in the front pit! FINALLY! I’d always been apprehensive about doing so before, mainly because of being an Olympic worrier fearing needing the loo or not having enough water or feeling rammed in by everybody. But after my experience at Progress I craved to be around other Thatters – people who are actually familiar with all songs, lyrics and share my levels of excitement. Plus as we all had quite a shock with Jason’s departure, I learnt to take nothing for granted when it comes to Take That and vowed to experience the tour from as close as possible to the stage. I’ve never met any of the boys so to be in the pits and be so close to them was a dream come true.

Come 6:15pm and we were lined up like cattle by the turnstiles. There’d been around fifty people queueing in front of us so we had no idea how close we’d be able to get to the stage but remained optimistic, overall. Thankfully, the system was fair and nobody felt the need to sprint into the arena. We were let in in order and we managed to get three rows from the front! I was utterly mesmerised. To go from being towards the back of Wembley Stadium to three rows away from the stage in the O2 Arena was a dream come true.

Ella Henderson was an incredible support act. Take That’s choice of support act is always spot on and I’ve seen some amazing artists over the years – Beverley Knight, Gary Go and Lady Gaga, just to name a few. Despite liking the The Pet Shop Boys’ material, I was utterly bored throughout their set opening the Progress tour. Ella, on the other hand, bought class, sophistication and fun to the O2 Arena. Despite being familiar with many songs from her album, I wasn’t exactly able to sing along much but still had an awesome time and her thirty-five minute set whizzed by. I wore my tacky fluorescent yellow hat for her set which appeared to get her attention! I shared a couple of little moments with her where she smiled at me, particularly during my favourite of hers, ‘Rockets’ which no-one else knew but I was able to sing along to. Her voice is absolutely incredible and I wish her all the success in the world, I really do. I’m so glad she’s already had a number one single and album. She truly deserves it.

Another difference for this tour is I had managed to avoid most spoilers (aside from the practically unavoidable pictures of the bike!) I muted lots of people on Twitter and any time I saw anything related to the tour, I would quickly scroll past. It was so, so tricky staying away from the setlist but I am SO glad I did. Even just one look at the set-list to a show will remain engrained in my memory. The problem with this is that I will then spend the concert thinking about what’s happening next so it was utterly refreshing to go to the show and know barely a thing about it! It turned out I knew most of the setlist through people spoiling online and my own guess work but wasn’t sure of the order and forgot lots of songs so it all worked out nicely as one big surprise!

I’ll save a lot of my comment on the show itself for a review I am planning (this post is just to discuss my personal experience more than anything) but will mention a few things from a fan-boy perspective (not a professional, like I aim for the tone of my review to be!). The fifteen minute introduction absolutely blew me away. Take That have a knack for absolutely incredible tour openers, both visually and musically. I loved the music that opened the show and the way the boys came onto the stage. The set-list was fantastic, particularly the emphasis on songs from the TT4 era. It was perfect to have so many songs from The Circus album. The balance between front-stage and b-stage was also wonderful as pretty much the whole arena was catered for nicely.

The whole show was absolutely incredible but some parts were made even more so by being in the pits. Being in the left pit, just three rows from the stage, we got SO much Markie action! I love how he performs on a more intimate level, interacting with the nearby crowd. He sung to and smiled at so many people around me and I’m pretty sure he smiled and winked at me. It also meant we got to witness the ‘Flaws’ shirt lift rather close which was greatly appreciated by many 😉

The flames during ‘Get Ready For It’ were scorching but you certainly felt the full atmosphere being so close! I was also finally able to bounce properly to ‘Hold Up A Light’ (it doesn’t have the same effect when you’re in seats!). Being in the pits for the confetti explosion during ‘Greatest Day’ is also incredible, although trying not to ingest it was very tricky! I’m still leaving a trail of confetti around the house from my pockets, wallet, phone case etc (much to my mother’s annoyance…) Also, can we just discuss ‘The Garden’ for a moment?! It must have looked spectacular to anyone outside of the pit but for us inside, it was mesmerising. Having those huge curtains drawn around us made us feel completely cut off from the rest of the arena, like it was just Take That and us. It also provided some much needed cool air after the intensity of heat from the flames in ‘Get Ready For It’! It was incredible to watch the puppet show from inside the sheet-dome. Furthermore, being underneath Mark’s cape/costume during ‘Shine’ took me right back to Primary School parachute games! Looking around during ‘Rule The World’ and seeing all of the lights also blew me away, as did looking at all the arms in the air during ‘Never Forget’.

I don’t think it’s been a secret that I’ve found 2015 a challenge so far and happy days have been very few so far this year. Take That have been such a strong source of light for me (I know it’s cheesy but it’s true) and the ‘III’ era has been without a doubt the most important Take That era to me. I am feeling a lot better now but that day and evening was the most beautiful, amazing and happy day I have had this year. So much so, I decided right away that I had to book more tickets and go again! I know twice isn’t anywhere near as many times as most Thatters but it ended up being enough for me. I could just about afford it and wanted to experience it again and am so glad I did. I’ve thankfully managed to avoid the post-tour blues since seeing them for a second time and I think it’s out of my system now! Don’t get me wrong, if money was no object, I’d go and see the boys numerous times but at the same time I think going excessively would probably make it lose some of its magic. I had two AMAZING days/nights and feel satisfied now! My second date was just as spell-bounding as my first except we were able to get right next to the walk-way between main stage and b-stage. We were a little concerned about a mob of drunken people behind us but thankfully they were tamed by Take That’s arrival onstage and were relatively well-behaved for the rest of the show. I wasn’t feeling very optimistic about touching the boys because of the swarm of drunks that had closed in but Alice and I managed to barge our way through and we were able to touch them!! I cupped Gary Barlow’s upper arm (I can confirm it is rock solid -pure muscle), touched Howard Donald’s sweaty arm and Mark’s jacket! A dream come true for someone who has never ever been that close to them before.

Seeing Take That has without a doubt been my favourite part of 2015 so far and I cannot put into words how much I value their existence. I had so much fun both times and am so grateful I got to go twice. I’d also go as far to say the boys managed to surpass ‘Progress’ with this tour. It was absolutely incredible and I am so glad they have stayed together and proved all of the critics wrong.

Post Brits Blog

February 21, 2014February 21, 2014 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

Wednesday saw the 34th Brit Award Ceremony take place at the 02 arena and broadcast live across the world for the first time. Here’s my take on the events of the evening.

The Brits 2014 saw a massive drop in ratings – 2 million less people than last year. Yet, in my opinion, the 2014 Brits were a million times better than last year’s rather dull affair. Bizarre acceptance speeches, electric performances, dodgy jokes and self promotion riddled this years ceremony but in a way that made fantastic entertainment. The Brits has a reputation for generating and attracting controversy but that’s part of what makes it so endearing.

James Corden did a wonderful job of presenting once again, moving the show along nicely aided by a few funny gags and some spontaneous quips (a selfie with Prince and a pinch of a member of the Arctic Monkeys’ bum were particular highlights). Whilst not everyone was equally pleased with some of his remarks, I think James was awesome once again and I will greatly miss him hosting The Brits. He’s not overly controversial, a great guy, loves his music and funny with it. I hope whoever is lined up to present next year’s Brits will be able to bring something original to the table.

Katy Perry

Performance-wise, whilst this year’s list of performers perhaps looked a little dull on paper, there were some great performances. Katy Perry delivered a theatrical Egyptian-themed performance of new track ‘Dark Horse’, which, despite the song not being her strongest release, managed to entertain. Bruno Mars took to the stage to sing the fantastically catchy ‘Treasure’ in which, whilst being an amazing performance, one must question whether this was a performance by Bruno or by The Bruno Mars band. There was very little solo by Mr Mars himself, instead, he was joined by an assemble of men to the point it rather looked and sounded like a Boyz II Men super-group on-stage. Beyonce appeared in a stunning, sparkly green gown to perform powerful new single ‘XO’. Disclosure managed to significantly improve incredibly scary Lorde’s ‘Royals’ by transforming it into a house track and Pharrell Williams gave a great rendition of ‘Happy’ with a little help from funk royalty Nile Rodgers.

As for the awards themselves, there were no major surprises. Daft Punk inevitably collected ‘International Group’ award after an amazingly successful year. Rudimental took home a gong for club-crazy ‘Waiting all night’ for Best British Single. One Direction won an award for a seemingly tailored-just-for-them ‘Brits Global Success Award’ in addition to ‘Best British Video’. Whilst many ridicule them, the lads certainly deserved these awards, particularly the latter, although there wasn’t any strong competition as the other Video nominations were incredibly weak and unoriginal. At least ‘Best Song Ever’ was unique, comedic and well-written/directed. Arctic Monkeys also took home two awards for Best British Group and Best British Album whilst Best British Breakthrough Act went to Bastille. Lorde appeared rather creepily onstage again to collect International Female Solo Artist whilst Bruno Mars received the male equivalent. Best British Female artist was won by Ellie Goulding whilst Best British Male was deservedly won by David Bowie.

What was perhaps most interesting this year were the presenters of the awards and the acceptance speeches. Pop royalty Prince appeared with new band 3RDEYEGIRL which was really awesome, Katy Perry returned onstage to present an award, Tinie Tempah was rather oddly paired with Fearne Cotton, Emeli Sande couldn’t keep away from The Brits, Pharell and Kylie, Jimmy Carr, glamour model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lily Allen, Cesc Fabregas and Nicole Scherzinger, Grimmy (who passionately snogged James Corden on live telly) and Noel Gallagher. We were subjected to excessive plugs of new releases and dresses and suits for the ceremony. A confused Lily Allen struggled to comprehend her role whilst Jimmy Carr attempted three feeble jokes after which the silence was deafening. Katy Perry asked the audience if they would be attending her tour later this year to which she received a wall of silence. Kate Moss accepted David Bowie’s award on behalf of the man himself, reading a witty speech he had written in which he managed to somewhat randomly incorporate his political views (‘Stay with us Scotland.’) A rather drunk and/or stoned Alex Taylor slurred through an egocentric rant on ‘Rock n roll’, looking as if he wished to be anywhere but there.

The issue is, whilst this was all great in the name of entertainment, it just reinforced the view of many. That The Brits is less about the music and more about self-promotion and entertainment. Few of the acceptance speeches were genuinely thankful, many highly successful artists were overlooked in nominations and quite frankly, some of the song nominations were bizarre.

There is no denying that it was an entertaining show, however and a drastic improvement on last year’s bore. So, another year, another Brits over. I already look forward to next year’s!

Pre-Brits Blog

February 17, 2014February 15, 2015 MarcyB0yLeave a comment

I love The Brit Awards. It’s one evening I spend every year where I sit down and do nothing else but relax and enjoy the ceremony. Sure, many of my favourite acts are often not nominated. There’s artists that prompt me to think “Who the hell is that?!” Some of the artists performing I can’t stand. But it’s pure entertainment.

I believe The Grammys are superior – after all, the performances are usually a great deal more interesting and I’ve usually heard of 90% of the nominees. It’s a lot more sophisticated and prestigious. But I also can’t help but love The Brits because it’s usually a couple of hours of madness. Presenters and nominees swearing pre-watershed, wardrobe malfunctions, lengthy and drunken speeches and things going wrong. It doesn’t happen every year (last year ran relatively smoothly compared to The Brits’ usual reputation) but when it does, it’s brilliant. And if nothing controversial happens, it’s still fun to watch.

It’s safe to say I’m pretty disappointed that some of my favourite and, in my opinion, some of the most talented musicians in the UK have been completely overlooked this year. Gary Barlow returned from a 14 year solo-career hiatus to deliver a fantastic album which was ignored. The 1975 launched from nowhere, gaining a Top 20 single and a Number One album. Lawson are yet to be recognised despite enormous success in the UK. Robbie Williams achieved massive sales with a fantastic album. Kodaline released a beautiful album and Matt Cardle wrote an awesome album. You may think I’m biased because many of these are my favourite artists but it’s not just that. These artists all write their own songs and have worked hard to be in the position they’re in. They’ve achieved massive success in the last year and haven’t relied on talent shows to get to where they are. I just think it’s a shame they’ve been overlooked.

On the positive side, it’s great to see Laura Mvula nominated – her album ‘Sing to the moon’ is stunning and original. Likewise, Disclosure, David Bowie, Tom Odell and London Grammar are all more than worthy of nominations.

I will be blogging after the event itself but I thought I would publish a playlist of my favourite songs by this year’s nominees and performers. This isn’t a full list of my favourite songs by them as I’ve limited them to songs by the artists in the last year or so. For example there’s no ‘Teenage Dream’ or ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry because I’m featuring songs from her latest album Prism.

Here’s my favourite London Grammar track (I have no idea why it’s not available on Spotify)