Up The Bracket Album Dissection [written 2007]

The Libertines debut album Up The Bracket is one to be remembered. Fronted by Pete Doherty, Carl Barat, Gary Powell and John Hassall, the London quartet proves that they are a band to watch in the future with their mixture of punk and rock influences. Produced by the legendary Mick Jones of The Clash, Up The Bracket has re-introduced teenagers to a new concept of rock music.

The mid 90's was a disaster for guitar music as pop became more dominant in the charts and on the shelves. Even the latter 90's of British music was in a state of decline; haunted by the Brit-pop era of Oasis and Blur. However as the sun set on the 20th century, the dawn of modern rock was established. Fronted by The Strokes and The Libertines, a new generation of music was introduced to the media, to the critics, and most importantly to the music-lovers.

The Libertines early intention as a band was to become signed by a major label. When they formed in 2000, they started to gather a following; playing impromptu gigs at band members apartments. Not only did this make a strong foundation of friendship with their fans but helped put across their image. This image was soon strengthened as Doherty used the Internet as an alternative means of communication with his fans. This act illustrated two things. The influence Doherty could have on people through the message boards, and that he could always be in touch with someone. As the release of Up The Bracket came, The Libertines following increased dramatically as their scheduled gigs soon became fast sell outs. Mick Jones realized he had started a revolution, just like he had done with The Clash.

Despite the two major influences on Up The Bracket of Carl Barat and Pete Doherty, the ex-front man of The Clash shows up notably on one track. Horror Show is a brilliant song captivating the punk roots of the band. "Sharply screw myself to death". The visceral lyrics of Horror Show talk about the effects of alcohol and drugs on the body. Although Doherty knew of their consequences he would continue to keep using throughout the band's journey. The range of genres covered in Up The Bracket meant they could appeal to all sides of the spectrum. The parallels of alcohol and drugs that are so evident between The Clash and The Libertines were what made Mick Jones the perfect person to produce the perfect album.

Up The Bracket's release in 2002 was surrounded by the returns of both Foo Fighter and Coldplay. Therefore the band did not get the press coverage it deserved. But did they want the press coverage? As no one knew who the band was, preconceptions were hard to be made by any of the newspapers. They could only be judged on what they sounded like. Today everyone knows Pete Doherty as that addicted junkie who went out with Kate Moss. However from songs like Boys In The Band and The Good Old Days it was clear he knew how to write a song that could have many levels of interpretation. Boys In The Band is a brilliant post-modern tune, which is an ode to the groupie. "And they all get them out ... for the boys in the band" The arrogance of such a chorus leads the listener to assume it's talking about the sex. However according to the band's biography, The Libertines: Bound Together, it is more about the alcohol. About a week after the release of Up The Bracket the band were launched.

As everyone became accustomed to the excess number of gigs, drugs and alcohol surrounding the album, soon the visions of Doherty and Barat surfaced. I Get Along is a definite highlight which uses the clearest of vocals of Barat to send a message to the band's critics. "People tell me I'm wrong ... fuck 'em". The lyrics define what a Libertine is - a free thinker. There were no rules, and no place in society for The Libertines and in Doherty's case it gave him the ability to do what he wanted, when he wanted.

Starting to treat himself (and Barat) to various drugs, the media were soon constantly surrounding the band. Doherty whose influences range from Emily Bronte to Morrissey, believed that he was on the ship "Albion" which sailed to "Arcadia" - where there are no rules or authority. The vision is instantly recognizable in (name of song) off Up The Bracket. (Up The Bracket lyrics insert here). Doherty resembles his vision as the journey of The Libertines, but as he and Barat became increasingly aware of each others presence other terms soon developed. "Death On The Stairs" is both a song and a phrase (thought up by Barat) to define people who grow old and do nothing but watch television. "Don't bring that ghost around to my door" The song illustrates how the band wanted to be kept as far away from the term as possible. Ironically the band, especially Pete, would indulge in the drugs and the alcohol which would lead to their demise. But at that moment The Libertines could do no wrong.

The majority of their praise came from the major music magazines, front lined by NME who crowned them best breakthrough band in 2002. The Libertines were propelled into the fast-life involving drink, drugs and gigs. Yet they were still able to establish a relationship with there fans. Time For Heroes demonstrates how they saw themselves as "the rescuer" of there own generation - "We'll die in the class we were born". Doherty's attitude seemed to demonstrate how the band was more for the music than for the money. Although being made up of a drummer, a bassist, and two on guitar, The Libertines still made their intentions heard on Up The Bracket. The different rhythms accompanied to each song on the album showed that they were a raw talent.

The distinctive voice of The Libertines was not how they sounded, but what they said. To communicate with their audience, some of the songs used very colloquial lyrics. "What a divvy, what a fucking divvy" Doherty use of bad language didn't make any of the songs sound violent, but instead more intelligent. In What A Waster (the debut single) Doherty despite having 6 A* grades and 5 A's at GCSE, used very colloquial expressions. This turned out to be a stroke of genius. Although heavily criticised by almost everyone, What A Waster captivated its teenage audience. The debut song had managed to do what punk and rock 'n roll was all about - get them heard nationally and piss off everyone at the same time.

The Libertine's Up The Bracket not only re-introduced rock music from a different perspective, but proved to be a catalyst for the younger generations. Currently Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys and The Kooks are helping proceed with what The Libertines had started - getting more and more teens to enjoy music, and the life that comes with it.

Los Campesinos Gig Review [written 2007]

If half term is about procrastination then Los Campesinos! are doing it best. Based at Cardiff University, the Welsh septet last night played the ULU as a part of a mammoth 22 date Winter Tour. Supported by electro-indie act Attack + Defend and Canadian dance-punks You Say Party! We Say Die! everyone was getting ready to time waste. Yet with band names containing Spanish, addition signs and exclamation marks, the night was gearing up to be a long lesson in music.

With an 800 standing capacity, the ULU could have been described as a punishment for rocking on your chair. Instead the dance floor stood-out like a hollow classroom, the bar an alcoholic canteen and the stage a moving blackboard. All left that was needed were the teachers. However with tickets costing £12.50, most were educating the high-art halls of the Electric Proms and we had to make do with the substitutes.

First act A + D came on whilst many students deliberately turned up late. They were greeted to the sound of chalk-against-board screeching from keyboards of lead brother Mark Thomas. What followed was, with each song, a concoction of noises that sounded like it had been produced in a lab only to have been welded in a tech room. Certainly idiosyncratic, for many it was just a painful wake up call for pop-punks You Say Party! We Say Die!

However even that wasn't needed. Powering into the song "The Gap" the band instantly gained an audience worthy of any General Studies lecture. The only difference was that people were enjoying this kind of music. Promoting new single "Like I Give A Care" (and a poor use of English) lead singer Becky Ninconovic strutted with a personality of a foxx. Bassist Stephen O'Shea along with his Johnny Borrell white jeans sprung across the classroom before hand-clapping the audience into submission from a wall of amps above.

Fast paced, fun, frantic, YSP! WSD! were everything A + D weren't. Their last practical of the night was a "show and tell" session with LC! who joined them on track "Falling Out" It was from this that brought out, finally, some strangled movement from the crowd. Though other pleasures were enjoyed that night, the satisfaction of a worthy supporting act only was heightened by the intimacy of the event.

It was clear that LC! were in danger of being over-shadowed. But with a unique blend of violins, keyboards, drums, guitars and glockenspiels they weren't going to go quietly. New single "The International Tweex Core Underground" came across as a tale of post graduate love told in the innocence of boy/girl vocals. With each track, the audience was becoming more manic and this wasn't just because it was nearing the end of the day. Crowd favorite "You! Me! Dancing!" sparked a frenzy whilst various handclap routines raised hands as if it were a Q&A session.

No doubt LC! proved by the end of the night they have a flawless formula for making good, catchy music (A + D take note). However being a substitute is only a part-time job, and certainly one you don't want to be living for ever.

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.