pete Doherty - waste of space or talented soul

Hello everyone,

Pete Doherty – waste of space

or a talented soul.

For many years now Pete Doherty has been a love hate character for many people. You either love him for his music and talent, in which people believe he has him. Or you hate him for being a drain on our society, and that he gets away with everything just because he is famous.

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the name Pete Doherty, is it scum, drug addicted waste of space or a drain on society. These are some of what people do actually think when they hear the continuous stories of this drug addicted getting away with all the convictions that he has. They have every right to think this as if this was any other person who had just been found with an amount of a class A drug on them, they would be dealt with appropriately. For someone who has a criminal record such as Doherty then prison should be the case for him but time after time he gets away with it, released with a caution, or a fine if the judge is feeling strict. Pete is a re-offender who without a proper punishment will just keep on re-offending, well wouldn’t you if you knew you were going to get away with it.

To some people though that is not the first thing they think of when they hear his name. You think of one half of one of the most innovative and exciting bands on this planet, you think of beautiful lyricist, or just an all round entertainer who has a few problems. I for one fall into this category. I try not to think of his habits outside of music, because that is what brings him down. People can say what they want about him, but he was apart of the Libertines, who with only 2 albums under his belt (well 1 and a half as he wasn’t there for most of the second) created a massive hype, and also a legendry band who would change so many lives.

Within two albums Bilo and Biggles as Doherty and Barat call themselves, created genre defining music, which was based on the trials and tribulations of their friendship, but with a hint of finding the real “Albion” the world watched as Pete and Carl tore chunks out of each other, within the confines of their lyrics to the point where they both couldn’t take no more and parted ways. A short lived fairytale trip round album for their fans, but they continued to make music. Doherty is always in the limelight about all the bad things that he has done and why women should be with him, but what about his lyrics. These seem to get missed somewhere in the media hype.

If you actually read his lyrics then you see tortured soul laying his heart on the line. He does this in such a beautiful way it takes the listener (or reader) on a journey to the heart of Albion, Where everything is perfectly fine and nothing will hurt or bother you. If you take the “For Lovers” song, which was done with wolfman you hear someone who is in love, which could be interpreted for his love of heroin, but he still forgives them for whatever it is that they have done. Albion is a perfect of Pete’s two worlds coming together and not forming well. He lives in the real world but wants to be in Albion this perfect world for him. “Talk over, Gin in teacups, and leaves on the lawn, Violence in bus stops, and the pale thin girl with eyes forlorn.”

People can say what they want about Pete but to us Libs fans the man is a lyrical genius and we always hope that he sort his demons on and return to his post as Carl’s right hand man. Yes he a drug addict, and a drain on tax payers money when he has to go to trail and what not, but that has nothing to do with his writing abilities, and the power to make his fans go on a journey with him. I don’t ever think oh just because he writes good songs and goes out with models he should be let off, he should have the same punishment as everyone else. To those people who also say that he should be made an example of, then what about the little unknown people who still get away with things, should they not be made an example of also. Pete can do what he wants, he is a grown man but it can not doubted that he is a talented human being, who we hope to get more and more out of in the following years. A Libertines permanent reunion would also be nice.    

An Interview with one of my favourite bands of all time.

Hello everyone,

Earlier today i conducted an online interview with Charlotte Cooper from the Subways. This band are one of my favourite bands. I have loved them for nearly 6 years. I sent an email off, with very little hope that anybody would get back to me, and I was wrong. To interview this band was a dream come true and also shows that if you work hard and take risks then dreams become reality. so please enjoy the interview as much as i did.

1. You have a small intimate tour coming up, how does it feel to be back on the road again after so long?We're so excited to be playing gigs again! We've really missed being onstage; it's where we feel we belong.

 

2. Where is the best place you have played a gig and why?

I always find the shows in more obscure places fun to play, because you get a really different experience. One festival in the middle of a forest in Czech Republic springs to mind. It was really dark and not many people knew us, but as the set went on, it got crazier and crazier! It felt like we were hidden in the forest!

 

3. If you could make up your own super group who would you have in it? Dead or alive.Oooh difficult question! I'd like to be in it (because it sounds like loads of fun!)....so me on bass, Taylor Hawkins on drums, Charlotte Hatherley on guitar and PJ Harvey as front woman.

 

4. Well done for completeing the London marathon. How did you find time to train for that whilst having all your other projects to still do?I'm naturally an early riser; my favourite time to run is sunrise, so it wasn't too hard to fit in the training. A lot of my training was done while we were recording the third album. We were staying in a B&B only 1 mile from the Thames. It was absolutely stunning running along the Thames path every morning. The best day, was when it snowed, Billy was with me and we were like little kids jumping in the snow! I just had to say no to another glass of wine a few times...that was quite hard ;)

 

5. If you could learn any instrument what would it be?I'd love to play the double bass or cello. I think both sound beautiful.

 

6. How have you found recording your 3rd album compared to the previous 2?I felt a lot more confident in the studio this time round, which I think is mainly a sign of being a bit older now. We've been so lucky to work with three amazing producers in Ian Broudie, Butch Vig and now Stephen Street. All quite different studio experiences but all equally as rewarding. Working with Stephen was amazing - he's obviously a very talented producer but also a really cool person to hang out with.

 

7. What is your favourite song to play live and why?I love the reaction to "I want to hear what you've got to say". Everyone sings it with such passion!

 

8. Where has inspiration come form for the new album?Music wise, I think we've kind of combined the first and second albums; the pop melodies from the first, with the heavier more energetic feel from the second. 

 

9. Out of the places that you are visiting onthe upcoming tour, where are you looking forward to playing the most?The most difficult question so far! I'm excited for it all :-)

10. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I'd like to think we'll be on tour in support of the 4th album. When I think we released Young For Eternity 6 years ago, a lot can happen in 5 years! Maybe we'll be on album number 5!

 

Thank you for taking the time to interview me, Rochelle. See you in Leeds! Love Charlotte x

a live review of a bandcalled Belle Ruch

hello everyone

this is a live review of a band i recently went to see again it was restricted to a word count but they were really good.

Belle Rouch – live – HiFi Club 20^th May 2011

Down in HiFi’s small, intermate venue, where many names have graced the stage in the past years such as, The Courteeners and Mylo. Tonight though is the night that Belle Ruche take to stage. This nu jazz/ electronic and soul group are here to play an intimate gig, not just to their fans but to regular Friday night club goers. The crowd is already excited after, the warm up band Point Call got them interested and more interactive.

 As the time is close for Belle Ruche to take the stage, the crowd have moved closer to the stage to get, up close and personal with the journey and experience they are about to take. Kathrin DeBoer has a captivating voice, with a hint of 1950’s soul, mixed with the funky electronica beats, from the moment she sings the opening lines of the first song; the crowd are feeling the vibe and clearly want more. The next song “fuzz face” is a definite crowd pleaser, with heavy bass overpowering the guitar and mixed with dirty beats, but still fitting in time with the rest of the show. Straight after they launch into “minor Swing,” this again gets this happy and fun loving crowd moving and shaking.

Although the sound quality was not at its best, the band did not try and cover this up, and the show was still outstanding. This group should certainly return to Leeds in the very near future.  

a review of a local Leeds band called Yonderboy

Hello everyone

Yep you guessed it another short review but this band are something to read about.

Yonderboy:

With clear influences, that are drawn from the likes of the smiths and the wedding present. This latest offering form Yonderboy, is them moving in the right direction and developing as a band. “All Bob Minor” has an upbeat, foot tapping rhythm that does not disappoint at any point throughout the song. The entrance of the brass sections only adds excitement and diversity to this already sweet tasting song. The second and final song is just as good as the first, with finger picking bass, intertwined with a delicately played guitar, giving the listener a sense of where they are on their journey. A very short but extremely sweet single, from this 5 piece band that seems to be what British indie music is actually all about.

a review of a local Leeds band called Excenteric Legs

Hello everyone

again another short post as it is a limited word count

Executive legs:

When you first hit play with this band you will hear the fast, heavy, funky keyboard beats that are heavily apparent throughout the whole E.P. “comics” leads you in with a sound that would be heard at a funfair as you were walking round. Singer Gwen’s voice is punchy, with a subtle screeching to it, which is a good contrast with the Casio funk beats they are pumping out. Once you have heard the first few songs you can hear how they are going to continue to sound throughout the rest of the E.P. “Ride a horse” is a battle with sounds and lyrics as they each bounce off each other rather than working together, strangely enough this works and you can’t help but have a bit of a dance. If you like Brody Armstrong’s voice mixed with Eurovision, then band are for you.

a review of a local Leeds band called Local girls

Hello everyone,

only a short one as i know have to work to a word limit but thought i would still post them up here as weel.

Local girls:

They describe themselves as posh girl vocals; this certainly is not an understatement, with the lead singer having vocals that, would normally be heard on a west-end stage.  enlightening the listeners about the trails and tribulations of love and life as a girl. The first song “polished,” sets the tempo for what is to come from this band, implying how “IT” girls actually act. Apart from the stereotypical lyrics, this band makes sure they have loud, piercing guitar riffs, which will entice the listener in and make them want to listen further. Track 3 is interesting upon first listen, as you will hear an argument between a couple it is very amusing at first, and then you hear the acting between the singers. Overall the music of this band is good, and promising it will leave you craving more.