Posts
Well, Ben wrote the blog entry for today, a brilliant piece about the sad departing of Michael Jackson last night - however before we get to that, some really good news about the band.
On Wednesday night, our track Clear Your Conscience was played by the great Steve Lamacq on his BBC Radio 2 show. We're stupidly chuffed and owe a huge thank you to David Scott who put us forward after buying the album and liking what he heard. Thanks mate - we all really appreciate it.
You can hear the show again for the next few days by using the BBC iPlayer on the main BBC Radio 2 site - www.bbc.co.uk/radio2 and selecting Steve Lamacq's show.
Anyway - on to todays post.
Well, when I volunteered to do today's blog posting I didn't expect this. In case you have been living under a rock for the last 12 hours, Michael Jackson has died aged 50. I'm sure one or two of the others will chuck their own views in on him, but I just want to say this.
Michael Jackson is a musical genius. He came from an era of pop music where artists weren't just people who turned up for a half day of vocal recording on songs that their management had already signed off on. He was a true musician, writing parts and pushing boundaries. He was was the first black artist widely played on MTV when even that media behemoth was still heavy with racism. He wrote some of the most loved songs in the modern era. He was a genius.
On a personal note, I can't imagine music without Jackson. Its just not something that I can comprehend. I was excited about his run of concerts this summer. I was excited about seeing Jackson's redemption. I was excited about seeing this spectacle put on by one of the few geniuses of popular culture. Two of his songs are within my all time top 20. That is double that of anyone else. Same way my folks may remember where they were when Elvis died, I will be able to tell my kids where I was when Jackson died. To those who said he couldn't manage it, he physically dwarfed Dermott O'Leary, who is no small chap, and has been a dancer for 40 years. If the Rolling Stones can do it at nearly 70, he could do it at 50.
What I have noticed, though, is already the press are determined to tarnish his memory. I've been flicking between CNN, BBC and Sky News and what I've seen so far is a collection of people who have all claimed they were in his “inner circle” but ended their interviews “but I haven't spoken to him in a few years.” Uri Geller is the worst offender, and while I don't doubt his friendship to Michael he hung up on BBC News claiming to be too upset while about 8 minutes later he appeared live on Sky News doing an interview. Then an hour later he was back on the Beeb telling the same stories. Unsurprisingly, there is a direct correlation between the celebs which have been on the news tonight and their reputation as self promoters.
Lets not let the public spectacle of his later years tarnish the 40 that preceded it. The man was a genius, he created amazing music and has sold more records than anyone else. In every feasible measurable category, he is top. I hope that the morbid surge in record sales that will accompany his death mixed with the release of any new material he allegedly has worked on will push him over the 1bn records sold threshold. I also hope that all of his dates at the O2 aren't canceled and a fitting tribute is put on.
But, I fear, although his musical skills are winning at the moment, someone will make a quick buck off of his recent reputation. For someone who has survived two child molestation charges, changed skin colour and has his personal trainer as The Incredible Hulk someone will. I actually had a sizeable amount of money on Jackson not completing all 50 gigs at the O2. I burned the betting slip. I fear that the media, eventually, won't be so kind.
Friday 26 June 2009
Tuesday 23 June 2009
This week
We kick on with our album promotion this evening (Tuesday) with a gig in Basingstoke at The Haymarket Theatre. None of us really know the score with this one, so it’s certainly going to be a case of turn up and see….
Basingstoke is one of those places that if you love ring roads and roundabouts, you’ll have a field day. You can always see the town to either your left or right – but can never actually reach it. In the early 90’s it was billed as a ‘whole new shopping experience’, or so the cheesy radio jingle said. I’m not actually sure if anybody actually found it to discover if they were telling the truth.
Either way – we’re looking forward to it. With no rehearsal last week we’re very keen to get back in the swing of things, especially with the Big Day Out festival coming up on Saturday. We played a mid afternoon slot last year – to probably our biggest crowd of the year. We’re on similar time this year – on a bill where the acoustic acts seem to be on first before the ‘louder’ bands take over. We’ve got no issue with that – the weather is looking like its going to be good, and so we’ll take advantage of the chilled out vibe.
So – if you can make either of these gigs – they are both free and will both be entertaining in one form or another. After Saturday, we’re in Farnham next Friday before a stint as London’s resident acoustic roots band with 4 London slots in a row. Well, if we’re going to crack the place, may as well have a damn good go!
Basingstoke is one of those places that if you love ring roads and roundabouts, you’ll have a field day. You can always see the town to either your left or right – but can never actually reach it. In the early 90’s it was billed as a ‘whole new shopping experience’, or so the cheesy radio jingle said. I’m not actually sure if anybody actually found it to discover if they were telling the truth.
Either way – we’re looking forward to it. With no rehearsal last week we’re very keen to get back in the swing of things, especially with the Big Day Out festival coming up on Saturday. We played a mid afternoon slot last year – to probably our biggest crowd of the year. We’re on similar time this year – on a bill where the acoustic acts seem to be on first before the ‘louder’ bands take over. We’ve got no issue with that – the weather is looking like its going to be good, and so we’ll take advantage of the chilled out vibe.
So – if you can make either of these gigs – they are both free and will both be entertaining in one form or another. After Saturday, we’re in Farnham next Friday before a stint as London’s resident acoustic roots band with 4 London slots in a row. Well, if we’re going to crack the place, may as well have a damn good go!
Thursday 18 June 2009
Internet Piracy
One of us just wrote this up to the BBC website. We aren't telling you which one, and this isn't the official band stance or anything, however it is both music related and food for thought. Let us know what you think.
"I first started downloading illegally in the Napster era. Then into the Kazzaa, then Limewire and now into the Torrent era.
In my experience, although there will always be a hardened core who will, music downloading is no longer a big issue. Back when albums cost £15 for their first 6 months of release it was rampant, however with ease of delivery and better pricing, music downloads aren't a major issue. The only downloads of Music I have made in the last few years has been to replace albums that have been lost, stolen or damaged.
The problem with downloading TV & Film, which is what the lions share of modern downloading is, is caused by two underlying problems and both of them are at the studios end.
The first is odd program scheduling. If a film is released in the UK a week, or even at all, after a USA or Japan release then studios cannot expect hardened audiences to wait for a release when the film will be available online. The same for television, as most series are broadcast in the UK 6 to 12 months after the USA, and so asking audiences to wait when the media is available online is highly naive.
The second is archaic delivery techniques,an issue that the Music industry took far too long to correct. Instead of fighting hard to keep current distribution channels open, they need to embrace new ways to spread, and profit from, their product. Any look at the number of seeders and downloaders on a torrent site shows how popular they are, along with the viewers on streaming channels.
However, this is the crux of where the problem lies. US Studios do not have agreements in place with distributors to allow them to broadcast better online, and they do not have good deals in place with Unions in terms of online royalties. They have tried to meet halfway, with sites such as Hulu, however it simply won't come to pass. End users do not want to catch up on last weeks show, or see selected clips, or see an advert for next weeks. They want to watch their show, whether it be the the latest episode or the first ever broadcast. Turning a profit from advertising embedded in online film and TV should also be much easier than the failed attempts to do so with media, as audiences are used to seeing advertising on television.
Changing the culture will also be harder. Music acts finances aren't as widely known, and musicians are generally more respected artistically than actors. Unlike when prominent bands such as Metallica spoke out against music piracy, actors will not find the same sympathies. Especially when the struggling student, low paid shift worker and debt ridden post grad hears a lead actor who earnt $20m for a movie asking not to download it for financial reasons.
It is also harder for ISPs to crack down, as before they could act based on high download and upload figures for an IP addy. However, with the rise of digital delivery for software and online gaming, it can be hard to distinguish a genuine high traffic user from a rampant pirate.
I am not defending what I do. I know that legally it is wrong, however the crime is viewed by many with an amount of non-chalance. This is how I choose to view my media, and it is not provided by official channels. Film and TV studios need to see the struggle record labels went through before realising they needed to embrace, and not fight, new distribution channels and business models. There are those who do steal because they don't want to pay, but many others do it as a matter of convinience.
Although, as most studios have no intention of adjusting themselves to suit customers needs, the only way to control the current form of media sharing would be to laws similar to prostitution. Do not make it a crime to download, however make it a crime to solicit. Each time an illegal stream is caught broadcasting copyrighted material, and each time a poster places a torrent file to copyrighted media, punish them. This will lead to fewer users risking uploading, providing less chances for those to download and start to put studios back in control."
"I first started downloading illegally in the Napster era. Then into the Kazzaa, then Limewire and now into the Torrent era.
In my experience, although there will always be a hardened core who will, music downloading is no longer a big issue. Back when albums cost £15 for their first 6 months of release it was rampant, however with ease of delivery and better pricing, music downloads aren't a major issue. The only downloads of Music I have made in the last few years has been to replace albums that have been lost, stolen or damaged.
The problem with downloading TV & Film, which is what the lions share of modern downloading is, is caused by two underlying problems and both of them are at the studios end.
The first is odd program scheduling. If a film is released in the UK a week, or even at all, after a USA or Japan release then studios cannot expect hardened audiences to wait for a release when the film will be available online. The same for television, as most series are broadcast in the UK 6 to 12 months after the USA, and so asking audiences to wait when the media is available online is highly naive.
The second is archaic delivery techniques,an issue that the Music industry took far too long to correct. Instead of fighting hard to keep current distribution channels open, they need to embrace new ways to spread, and profit from, their product. Any look at the number of seeders and downloaders on a torrent site shows how popular they are, along with the viewers on streaming channels.
However, this is the crux of where the problem lies. US Studios do not have agreements in place with distributors to allow them to broadcast better online, and they do not have good deals in place with Unions in terms of online royalties. They have tried to meet halfway, with sites such as Hulu, however it simply won't come to pass. End users do not want to catch up on last weeks show, or see selected clips, or see an advert for next weeks. They want to watch their show, whether it be the the latest episode or the first ever broadcast. Turning a profit from advertising embedded in online film and TV should also be much easier than the failed attempts to do so with media, as audiences are used to seeing advertising on television.
Changing the culture will also be harder. Music acts finances aren't as widely known, and musicians are generally more respected artistically than actors. Unlike when prominent bands such as Metallica spoke out against music piracy, actors will not find the same sympathies. Especially when the struggling student, low paid shift worker and debt ridden post grad hears a lead actor who earnt $20m for a movie asking not to download it for financial reasons.
It is also harder for ISPs to crack down, as before they could act based on high download and upload figures for an IP addy. However, with the rise of digital delivery for software and online gaming, it can be hard to distinguish a genuine high traffic user from a rampant pirate.
I am not defending what I do. I know that legally it is wrong, however the crime is viewed by many with an amount of non-chalance. This is how I choose to view my media, and it is not provided by official channels. Film and TV studios need to see the struggle record labels went through before realising they needed to embrace, and not fight, new distribution channels and business models. There are those who do steal because they don't want to pay, but many others do it as a matter of convinience.
Although, as most studios have no intention of adjusting themselves to suit customers needs, the only way to control the current form of media sharing would be to laws similar to prostitution. Do not make it a crime to download, however make it a crime to solicit. Each time an illegal stream is caught broadcasting copyrighted material, and each time a poster places a torrent file to copyrighted media, punish them. This will lead to fewer users risking uploading, providing less chances for those to download and start to put studios back in control."
Monday 15 June 2009
First of all, we'd like to say a huge thank-you to everyone who came along on Friday. The album launch was a huge success, and we couldn't have done it without your support! A big thank-you also to our support acts Matt Wellard and Naama Hillman for providing wonderful music (check out their websites if you haven't yet!), Al Heslop for doing a great job with the sound, and Tom from Tomodo for coming along and taking some great photos. I'm sure I've forgotten lots of other people, so thanks to all of you too!
Other than that there's not a huge amount to say really. We've got LOTS of gigs planned over the summer, up and down the country, so please come along to some of those - there's a list on our website. Also, one more plug (yes, I know, it seems to be all that we've done the last few weeks...) - as the album is now officially released, you can buy your copy in any of a multitude of ways - at www.allthingsconsidered.org.uk, from Amazon (hard copy or MP3), and from iTunes, as well as of course from any gigs that we play. Make sure you get your copy soon, as copies are currently quite limited, so they may not be around for long!
Anyway, thanks again, and we hope to see you all again in the very near future!
Other than that there's not a huge amount to say really. We've got LOTS of gigs planned over the summer, up and down the country, so please come along to some of those - there's a list on our website. Also, one more plug (yes, I know, it seems to be all that we've done the last few weeks...) - as the album is now officially released, you can buy your copy in any of a multitude of ways - at www.allthingsconsidered.org.uk, from Amazon (hard copy or MP3), and from iTunes, as well as of course from any gigs that we play. Make sure you get your copy soon, as copies are currently quite limited, so they may not be around for long!
Anyway, thanks again, and we hope to see you all again in the very near future!
Friday 12 June 2009
The Time Is Now
Yes, that's right, it's the day of the launch party! We had a slightly shaky start to the rehearsal, with Adrian turning up and announcing he'd had pretty much the worst day imaginable - ask him for the full story, but when a band member turns up and announces "I crashed my motorbike today" and you have a big gig the next day it certainly makes your heart race! But, once we had got all of the gossiping out of the way, we got down to work, ran through the set a few times and pretty much nailed it. Lets hope that we can manage the same tonight...
So, with just a few last minute jobs to finish off (I've been sent on a string-buying mission by Adrian!), we are just about as ready as we can be. And we hope that you all are too!
Anyway, there's not much more to say really, other than we hope to see as many of you as possible tonight! Advance tickets are no longer available, but if you haven't got one yet there will be a limited number (so turn up early!) available on the door, at just £6. Here's to a great gig this evening!
So, with just a few last minute jobs to finish off (I've been sent on a string-buying mission by Adrian!), we are just about as ready as we can be. And we hope that you all are too!
Anyway, there's not much more to say really, other than we hope to see as many of you as possible tonight! Advance tickets are no longer available, but if you haven't got one yet there will be a limited number (so turn up early!) available on the door, at just £6. Here's to a great gig this evening!
Monday 8 June 2009
The Final Call...
Hello!
Well, if you didn't know already - this Friday (12th) is our album launch party at Jagz in Ascot, where you can for the first time buy copies of our debut record 'Scarecrow'.
We've had a great response from people buying tickets in advance, but there is still some space available before we reach capacity . So, if you're up for coming along and haven't yet got your ticket - head over to www.allthingsconsidered.org.uk and book now.
There are likely to be some pay on the door tickets available, however this will strictly be on a first come, first served basis. The cheap album deal we are running with pre-ordered tickets will not be available on the night - where album's will be sold at normal gig selling price of £7 (although as its a launch party - feel free to haggle to an extent, it'll be fun!).
Further dates past this of note are this coming Sunday, when we support the hughly talented 'nu-folk' artist Lisa Knapp at South Hill Park in Bracknell, and also festival apperances at The Big Day Out, Walton Soundfest and Weyfest during the summer.
Thanks a lot for your continued support - it really is appreciated.
Hope to see you on Friday!
Cheers
All Things Considered
Well, if you didn't know already - this Friday (12th) is our album launch party at Jagz in Ascot, where you can for the first time buy copies of our debut record 'Scarecrow'.
We've had a great response from people buying tickets in advance, but there is still some space available before we reach capacity . So, if you're up for coming along and haven't yet got your ticket - head over to www.allthingsconsidered.org.uk and book now.
There are likely to be some pay on the door tickets available, however this will strictly be on a first come, first served basis. The cheap album deal we are running with pre-ordered tickets will not be available on the night - where album's will be sold at normal gig selling price of £7 (although as its a launch party - feel free to haggle to an extent, it'll be fun!).
Further dates past this of note are this coming Sunday, when we support the hughly talented 'nu-folk' artist Lisa Knapp at South Hill Park in Bracknell, and also festival apperances at The Big Day Out, Walton Soundfest and Weyfest during the summer.
Thanks a lot for your continued support - it really is appreciated.
Hope to see you on Friday!
Cheers
All Things Considered
Thursday 4 June 2009
The Thursday Night Ramble
Well then its 5pm, nobody has a fresh idea for a blog post so you lucky, lucky people get to here me (that is Ben... We should really identify ourselves better) rant and rave for a few hundred words. Aren't you lucky!?
Well we are T-minus 8 days till the album launch. We all got given our advanced copies last night at rehearsal and they are officially amazing. That means if any of you haven't headed over to www.allthingsconsidered.org.uk to order your copy (along with the tickets to the launch next Friday) then you need to do it. Now. It's okay, I'll wait...
...good. Other than that, we have no news to report. We have been working hard to ensure that we are on top form next week, and for the rest of our gig run. I'm sure there is other news I should be reporting, but frankly its sunny and my thoughts are firmly entrenched on a pint of beer.
Oh, and don't forget to go out and vote today. It takes three seconds and makes you cool. Anyone who turns up at the launch at Jagz with proof that they voted gets a free kiss on the cheek from Emma. Luckily for me, I voted 7,281 times...
Well we are T-minus 8 days till the album launch. We all got given our advanced copies last night at rehearsal and they are officially amazing. That means if any of you haven't headed over to www.allthingsconsidered.org.uk to order your copy (along with the tickets to the launch next Friday) then you need to do it. Now. It's okay, I'll wait...
...good. Other than that, we have no news to report. We have been working hard to ensure that we are on top form next week, and for the rest of our gig run. I'm sure there is other news I should be reporting, but frankly its sunny and my thoughts are firmly entrenched on a pint of beer.
Oh, and don't forget to go out and vote today. It takes three seconds and makes you cool. Anyone who turns up at the launch at Jagz with proof that they voted gets a free kiss on the cheek from Emma. Luckily for me, I voted 7,281 times...
Tuesday 2 June 2009
Festivals, sun etc....
It's official. I've checked every available data source possible and everything is coming to the same conclusion. It's summer.
Yes indeed, it's that special time of year when office workers the country wide stop smirking at those working outside in the rain and start looking on with longing desire. The 3 till 5:30 dead zone of the working day becomes even longer with the sheer will to get to the pub, and the whole shebang is done with a glazed over brain as the nights get far too hot to sleep.
Or, as we prefer to say, welcome to festival season! These days there are more on than ever, with seemingly every farmer with a field that isn't filled with dung more than happy to fill it with artists and fans. Its a glorious time – sunshine, beer and good times follow. Oh, and have I mentioned that we are appearing at a few of these festivals? Of course we are, you didn't think I could go a whole blog posting without a cheap plug did you? Starting this Saturday, we are at a few. A full list can be seen at the ever present website.
Other than the news that for the next 3 weeks Britain will grind to a halt as people head outside to worship the sun, there is nothing new to report. We are putting the finishing touches to our set for the June 12th album launch at Jagz, and gearing up for our biggest gig run to date. You will be seeing an awful lot of us in the coming weeks. Hopefully, you will also be hearing an awful lot on the radio, however more on that as it happens.
Oh, and also just to use the communal band blog as my own personal soapbox, you have got to love Gordon Brown. Yesterday, a poll put Labour 3rd in the popular vote behind the Lib Dems and Torys and only just ahead of UKIP. Today, to address this disturbing situation on the brink of a bashing at local and European elections, the embattled PM went onto GMTV to talk about Susan Boyle.
Till next time folks...
Yes indeed, it's that special time of year when office workers the country wide stop smirking at those working outside in the rain and start looking on with longing desire. The 3 till 5:30 dead zone of the working day becomes even longer with the sheer will to get to the pub, and the whole shebang is done with a glazed over brain as the nights get far too hot to sleep.
Or, as we prefer to say, welcome to festival season! These days there are more on than ever, with seemingly every farmer with a field that isn't filled with dung more than happy to fill it with artists and fans. Its a glorious time – sunshine, beer and good times follow. Oh, and have I mentioned that we are appearing at a few of these festivals? Of course we are, you didn't think I could go a whole blog posting without a cheap plug did you? Starting this Saturday, we are at a few. A full list can be seen at the ever present website.
Other than the news that for the next 3 weeks Britain will grind to a halt as people head outside to worship the sun, there is nothing new to report. We are putting the finishing touches to our set for the June 12th album launch at Jagz, and gearing up for our biggest gig run to date. You will be seeing an awful lot of us in the coming weeks. Hopefully, you will also be hearing an awful lot on the radio, however more on that as it happens.
Oh, and also just to use the communal band blog as my own personal soapbox, you have got to love Gordon Brown. Yesterday, a poll put Labour 3rd in the popular vote behind the Lib Dems and Torys and only just ahead of UKIP. Today, to address this disturbing situation on the brink of a bashing at local and European elections, the embattled PM went onto GMTV to talk about Susan Boyle.
Till next time folks...
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