Wolfmother Gig Review [written 2007]

Resurrecting the dead is hard to do in music. The Libertines did it with punk, Klaxons did it with rave and now Wolfmother have done it with heavy metal. The axe-wielding Aussie trio performed at Hammersmith Apollo last night proving that giant afros, cryptic lyrics and hammering guitar solos are certainly not just a thing of the past.

In front of a sell out audience it was hard not to feel sorry for the people sitting on the balcony above. Supporting their self-titled debut and armed with a wall of amps on each side, it was obvious why people were queuing at the ends rather than in the middle. Entering the stage, lead singer Andrew Stockdale's trademark 'fro and white waistcoat were worth the entrance fee alone, and the band were certainly ready to rock.

Kicking off with "Dimension" the audience were full of energy, full of vigor and Stockdale even more so. Darting across the stage, shaking his hips the lead man dictated the moves of the audience with every riff of his Gibson SG. Swaying forwards, backwards, side to side, keyboardist and bassist Chris Ross brought his own style to the stage interacting with the audience at every opportunity.

As the night progressed, the moshing turned up a notch when Stockdale tore into Led Zep classic "Communication Breakdown". Playing it, it would be no surprise if Page and Plant were ancestors of the Wolfmother front man. Indeed Plant could have been a long lost brother of Stockdale's; with "Mind's Eye" illustrating he can hit the highest of notes.

As the night came to a close the band went off almost expecting for the audience wanting them to come back on. They obliged and launched into an encore climaxing with hit single "Joker And The Thief". Although the audience left temporarily deaf, Wolfmother proved that resurrecting the dead is definitely a loud and yet stylish process to master.

Music Review of 2006 [written 2007]

It was a year that saw pop music decline, music sites prosper and a Sheffield act take complete domination; 2006 was a productive year for everyone involved in British music. Bands were reforming & reintroducing themselves, and whilst most collected music awards few gained entrance to the annual Hall Of Fame event at Earls Court. Whether it was on television, on the internet or at festivals all year round bands were propelling themselves towards stardom.

And none other so than the Arctic Monkey's, headed by Alex Turner, showed how a band could gain national attention; collect the Mercury Prize, and have two no.1 singles all whilst sparking a guitar-rock revival. Their unique take on college-life for a teen gained them a wide audience leading to the no. 1 fastest selling album: ever. And spearheaded by the successes of The Kooks, Snow Patrol, Fratellis and Kasabian they all began to eat away into pop's inner sanctum - the U.K. Top 40. Aided by the fall of Top Of The Pops and the crumbling of Smash Hits!; overall 2006 was a bad year for pop. Girl groups like Sugababes and Girls Aloud found the shoes were too big to fill, and despite desperate reforms of Take That and All Saints, pop had been struck a belting blow from rock both commercially and nationally in 2006.

In fact the biggest punch may have been by the under-estimated power of the Internet. As Pete Doherty had already exploited with The Libertines the Internet was a powerful tool for communication. Yet the rise and rise of sites like Myspace and Youtube added with the increased use of peer-to-peer illegal software have had just as critical affect on the music scene. On one hand, it was a major gain for unsigned acts who could post free demos online (sound familiar Arctic Monkeys?) in hope of a label catching on. And though the contribution of mp3 players' sales supplemented the success of "downloading", more and more people became aware of the phenomenon as the year grew on. Regardless of this, the more negative effect of "downloading" has lead to heavy losses for the four biggest labels (Universal, Sony, EMI and Warner) as people became more selective on what music they listen to in 2006. Yet although counter-measures have been put in place - stricter laws and download charts - at the moment the Internet is winning its battle against the CD. However 2007 will be the only ground to find out whether digital music stays on course and win the war to kill off the CD.

Nevertheless don't go thinking that 2006 was all doom & gloom, because as the B.P.I. got to work over the summer, the rest of us were out gigging across the whole country. Whether it was at - Oxygen, V Festival, T in the Park, Isle Of Wight or the Carling Weekend - none were short of living up to expectation. Supported by global acts like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Pearl Jam along with local headliners such as The Who and Kaiser Chiefs, gigging had a whole new meaning in 2006. Furthermore helped by the BBC and MTV, television (and radio) brought yet more extensive coverage for live music as well as for over-seas excursions like Benicassim and SXSW. Nevertheless back in the U.K. bands were touring to their fullest extent, and even Bob Dylan restarted his Never Ending Tour with gig no.1811 through to 1912. Though the sold-out scene of Brixton Academy became as frequent as the number of times Pete Doherty had been in rehab, sites all over the U.K. were to witness new talent spawning from the modern age of music.

In part this has been down to the variety of music that has become more popular throughout the year. "Emo" (short for emotional) defined as "a sub-genre of punk" has become contagious amongst adolescents and whilst parents are alien to it, it is creating real divisions. Fronted by acts like Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance, whom speak of "cut my [their] wrists and black my [their] eyes" talk about the portrayals of love mixed with violent actions. And as well as affecting haircut, appearance and fashion "emo" was not the only genre to have affected us in 2006. Although not as commercial, goth under-went a mini-revival in the form of The Horrors whilst The Klaxons even front lined the creation of their own genre - new rave. The London quartet armed with glow sticks + red bull created havoc inside the Carling Tent at Reading and Leeds, have released four singles on Marok Records even cracking the U.K. top 40 showing just any type of music was breaking into the charts. Yes, it seemed everyone on the alternative music circuit was trying to create their own gimmick. And with The Long Blondes adding a retro 50's fashion look, Wolfmother reviving 70's heavy metal (accompanied with big 'fro) 2006 was all about one thing - gettin' noticed.

Indeed whether it was to accessorize, to fashionize, or in many cases to plagiarize 2006 was full of surprises. Whether it was The Libertines re-uniting (only for a drinking session) or Bono going to Africa, one thing was clear in 2006: ships are ready to set sail. Despite what lies ahead for many, most paths being unwritten, tails of fame and fortune are going to lead some into the life of showbiz. Although the perception on the rise to fame is a pleasant one, the demise can often be overlooked and for 2007 inevitably some ships are just going to sink.

Harry Potter 5 Review [written 2007]

Back when Daniel Radcliffe's voice hadn't broken, Harry Potter meant just a book. Nowadays it means videogames, stamp collections and chess sets amongst other equally pointless cash-in products. However with the new film - Harry Potter and the Order Of The Phoenix - the films certainly don't feel part of the family franchise.

Trying to keep up with the books, the films have always been lagging behind and with the seventh book on imminent release some skeptics have branded "Order" as a prelude to the main event. At 766 pages, the fifth book is like a large appetizer to the main course, and certainly gives producer David Yates a lot on his plate to work with. The movie to many will be a "brief" (138 minutes) refresh of the fifth installment whilst others will see it as the "slacker-approach" to knowing everyone's favorite wizarding celebrity turned teenage emotional adolescent.

"Order" itself distinguishes that Harry Potter (Radcliffe) isn't all about Quidditch and Wizard's Chess like in its predecessors, but instead brings much darker overtones. Starting with a dementor attack, Yates doesn't hold back on the mediocre violence, childish swearing or adolescent romance that ensues. The 12A certificate feels hard earned yet being a film aimed at children its also a secret delight to the younger adults.

Nevertheless the film still draws parallels with real-life and though there is less of a focus upon taking O.W.L.'s (wizarding GCSE's to muggles), there is much more of a focus on extra curricular activities. In fact with the main problem coming from new headmistress Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) who along with the Ministry Of Magic is ready to apply their fascist regime, the movie is able to conjure all sorts of stories delicately inter-twined with each other.

In fact with every scene left to the crème of British acting - Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane all return to their familiar roles - there is definitely strength in depth. Rickman especially plays Snape with the cold heartedness expected of a character perhaps as evil as Lord Voldermort himself. Moreover Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) are able to bring a bit of light-hearted relief via a combination of brains and inanity. Additionally with new recruits including the insane Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix LeStrange the cast is growing bigger and bigger for the final two films.

The film itself is a joy to watch whether you have read the book or not. Not only has "Order" marked Harry Potter as not just a very good read but a very good film as well. Entertaining, dark and mysterious the film is more than just an appetizer but more like a second helping of the main course.

Ocean's 13 [written 2007]

It's hard to brand Ocean's 13 as part of a trilogy more like part of a sequence films one after the other. Like the first of the series, Ocean's is set in Las Vegas and though returning to the scene of the crime can be unlucky for some for Clooney's frat-pack it proves just the catalyst to take down new big-shot Willie Banks (Al Pacino) after double crossing fellow casino-extraordinaire Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould). Scorsese directs a film that follows the summer box-office three-quels and with Spidey, Shrek and Pirates already having broken the banks of its audiences Ocean's looks to do just that.

With the trio of Clooney, Pitt and Damon returning there is certainly enough A-List stars to keep interest, and with an excellent support-cast (including the "Amazing Yen") there's also familiarity to be found. In fact the almost-complete male cast (Roberts and Zeta-Jones are instantly written off in the first scene) keeps the plot fresh and focused, with Ellen Barkin providing the only "love-ish" interest in the film. It's easy to argue that with all this eye-candy on screen that the film is all about style and looks ... which is certainly very true. Nevertheless that isn't a flaw and with Soderbergh adding subtle "in-jokes" references to reality, you really feel that this film is as much as elegant as it is comedic. Actually one of the best scenes in the entire film involves Ocean (Clooney), Rusty (Pitt) and Oprah proving that with every con-man there is an emotional side! It's difficult to pigeon-hole Ocean's into any genre and though there aren't gun-ho action sequences (indeed the only shots fired are at Banks) the crew bluff, double-bluff and blag their way to a smart and likeable ending.

Many eyebrows were raised after the nonsensical second adventure of Danny Ocean, but its far better sequel (that's not too far off the 2001 original) is almost an apology note to the audience. Consequently it proves that not only returning to the scene of the crime can bring good luck but that all good things come (and usually end) in threes.

Other Brands Have Sex Appeal Too

Back when I was 11, I used to think that, thanks to J.J.B. Sports, the only sports brands that existed were Adidas, Nike and Reebok. Not true. Andy Murray sports Fred Perry, the Welsh rugby team play in Under Armor and Portsmouth F.C. wear Canterbury kits. The truth is that this completely fictional, holy trinity of brands has now been superseded by a new generation of sports clothing.

For me this became apparent in 2005. I was on my way to a tennis match when on Radio 2 came a program about the rise of the word "chav". Described by Urban Dictionary as "fag in one hand, jewellery in the other", they wonder around housing estates in "imitation Adidas tracksuits". This is further complemented on television shows like Channel 4's Shameless, and thanks to characters like Mickey Maguire the identity of the tracksuit being an an innocent staple of 1980's football, the tracksuit has become, with the right person, responsible for crimes against others as well as fashion.

Today the blandest one-piece on the market, that was the Adidas trademark, has been replaced by apparel from brands like Canterbury, Under Armour and Kukri. Homoerotic super skin-tight base layers are the main culprit. Seemingly a size too small, many sportsman wear them to keep warm and in contact sports for "bosh-protection'. Stemmed from rugby league where it was used so opponents couldn't grab on to shirts when making a tackle, base layers are becoming a "necessity" in all sports. No longer does your typical Premier League footballer embrace northern away trips to Newcastle on a winter night in just an away jersey.

European imports from Spain, Portugal, France, now must play in long sleeves, polar necks and base layers to keep warm. However some players just take it too far. In 2005 Ryan Giggs played in black tights to "protect his hamstrings" against Manchester City. This doesn't help re-enforce that football is a man's game but more of a "dress-up" by major brands on their own Barbie dolls, sorry, football players. However with this new generation of brands like Canterbury not having the arsenal, ahem, of clothing available to them some order has been restored.

Instead of the cliched university stereotype that if you have a Jack Will's top, you have Canterbury tracky b's, went to public school etc many others like footballers and hockey players alike are buying these clothes too. Whether rugby players like it or not.

The End As We Know It In Video Games

For me the ending of a game is something to cherish. Mainly because I rarely reach it. One harrowing experience of this was reached in the cartridge days of my N64 and Goldeneye where, despite the fact I [James Bond] am in a soviet tank, was always unable to stop Natalya escape with General Ouramov in his Russian Volvo. No matter what route I took, it always ended up with the same result and left me with the problem of how to further myself in the game (and rescue beloved Natalya).

To gain any “hints” from the film was out of the question as my mum didn’t let me see it at the cinema as I was not 12 at the time. Furthermore GPS had only just been invented for car travel and it certainly was not a standard feature equipped on Russian machinery in a Nintendo game. YouTube was still some geeky pipe dream and the way to find some virtual MultiMap for the game was looking to be my best bet in completing the level.

That is until I stumbled on two other solutions circa 1998. These were either to print off a walkthrough of the game or, if you were lucky enough, to find out some tap-in cheats (invincible + all weapons = win). These quick-fix scenarios are of much importance in an era when it just wasn’t possible to check a speed run of the level that had been uploaded onto YouTube. It left gamers, like myself, torn between two state of minds.

Those desperate to obtain a 100% completion rate of the game would often resort to the help of some Gameshark tomfoolery. Whilst anyone else who had at least a shred of credibility would find themselves trying to navigate a 30 page print out from the internet entitled “How to beat ...”. This is all to ensure that I finish where the developers wanted me to finish and not at the dead end of some street in Moscow stuck on secret agent mode.

My failure in completing a game has not just been restricted to Goldeneye but now, when YouTube, can immediately illuminate a player’s shortcomings then there really is no excuse not to near completing a game. So now am I no longer eternally searching for the iron boots in Zelda: Wind Waker nor am I being KO’d by an angry sun in an emulated copy of Super Mario Bros. 3.

As a result of YouTube being the prime source material to go too when stuck in a game is the carving of internet celebrities out of the dedicated, hardcore nerd types who operate their headquarters from inside their parent’s basement. They are like the unofficial sacred messiahs of gaming where their uploads are part of a lifestyle made out of other people’s ineptness in certain games.

Beauty And The Console

Pong was two lines and a square. Snake was one line and a square. Tetris was just a bunch of shapes. Graphics in gaming can be very deceptive. These three arcade classics would never be nominated for any Miss World beauty pageants yet contain a distinct elegance that is rarely on show in modern games. In these days of simplicity, no one cared about lip movement in cut scenes, whether their character could move more than two directions, they cared about how good the end product was.

Nowadays aestheitcs means to make the game look realistic to the point it could pass as some sort of alternate reality or parallel universe. However this isn’t why people were attracted to consoles in the first place. Realism didn’t exist in 8, 16, or even 32 bit dimensions so why is it such an important aspect of gaming? Especially now when if you were to take the same game and show it to someone on the Xbox 360 and PS3 and asked which was which, the results, I would wager, would be inconclusive.

Differences = minimal

The use of graphics as a marketing tool is therefore fast becoming superfluous. When it was used in the past to “wow” consumers in advertising campaigns, the price would always be in the small print. The Atari Jaguar was the first 64 bit console but at $250 it was hardly the sort of pocket money given to children by their parents. People weren’t ready for it when it in 1993. Nor were they in 1997 when the N64 was released to provide competition for the Playstation. A 32 bit console [Playstation] versus a 64 bit one. The Playstation outsold its competitor 3:1 and again typified that popularity wasn’t decided by just a number.

Arguably, better graphics is just natural evolution but it has got to the point where devolution is the next, most logical, step. Some may say this is counter-intuitive but for every pixel of dust the Wii (the most popular of the current-gen consoles) has swept under the covers, they have been replaced with new, exciting measures that has opened up entirely new markets. Physical involvement like prancing around trying to hit tennis balls in Wii Sports indicates that Nintendo have made a console that appeals to a completely new demographic.

Types of people who shun the opportunity of chainsawing heads in half or setting nuclear missiles off in online servers but would rather play more accessible, surreal, colourful, family-friendly titles. This has somewhat lead to a renaissance amongst gamers who want to break the cycle of playing through campaigns of first person shooter after first person shooter. The Gamecube (the Wii’s father) laid the foundations in this but titles like Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker quickly became ridiculed for their “cartoony” layout. But this was to be Nintendo’s last hiccup.

The Wii, with over 50 million sales worldwide, is now a pioneer of new technology - not just technology that has been refined to look slightly better than its predesccor. Nintendo has realised that its most successful games like Super Mario, Metroid, Zelda, were played not because they were the most beautiful to look at. They were played because they were fun, inventive, revolutionary. Great games are a reflection of its developers but great graphics are just a mirroring of current technology.

Link in 8 bit glory