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May 27th, 2012
02:07 am
I still haven't forgotten the NY blog, but I'm still busy. Tonight I typed up Wednesday's Forever The Sickest Kids interview. I still need to make it into an article and get it laid out. But I just got a song from Slade of Anarbor so wanted to post that here. He is currently offering people personal songs for $40. I got him to write a little Black Velvet one. You can hear it here...
If you're interested in having a song written - maybe you want to give it to a loved one as a gift, or have your own independent company/organisation that you'd like a little ditty for, there's more info over at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.con/news.htm on how to get in touch with Slade and have one made.
Current Mood:  busy
Current Music: Slade Echeverria
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May 25th, 2012
12:08 am
I've got an update to write for New York but a bit too busy at the moment, so here's a video for the time being instead. I'll post about New York when I've got a bit more time (or feel like wasting a bit of time).
Have a visual flick through the pages of the latest Black Velvet:
Current Mood: busy
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May 3rd, 2012
11:44 am - Lostprophets, Strangle Kojak, The Used, World Day & more.
Last week was crazy busy. In fact, I'm going to be crazy busy until nearer the end of May. I'm crazy busy most of the time, but last week, it was crazy, crazy busy.
Last Monday I went to Birmingham to interview Luke Johnson of Lostprophets. I was told on the previous Friday that the interview would be at 1pm - so had to get the day off work. The interview was at the band's hotel too, for a change. I haven't done an interview at a band's hotel since the round table interview with Garbage back in 1999. Weird I'd been thinking about that lately. That was back when my questions were lame and I was still nervous about doing interviews.
So I met Luke and we did the interview. I'd asked to interview Luke as he's my fellow Redditchian. It's awesome that he's having a blast being in Lostprophets since he's been working hard at his craft for a long time, is very talented and on top of that, a nice guy. After the interview I then had over five hours to kill before doors. I went to LUSH to sign their 'Fighting Animal Testing' petition and sign their window, and also went to PHB (cruelty free cosmetics & skincare store in the Pavillions). Read about PHB over at http://www.saveascream.com/recommended.htm. And then finally to One Earth Vegan Shop where I sold them some SaveAScream wristbands to sell in the store. I took the new Black Velvet to Newspoint newsagents too.
It was good to see Lostprophets again as it'd been over two years since I last saw them. Photos are at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/lostprophetsphotos.htm
Tuesday I did a bit of dayjob work before going to Birmingham for Strangle Kojak's videoshoot. They'd asked for fans to be in their video - but I went to take photos of the videoshoot instead. I put some photos up at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/stranglekojakphotos.htm
Wednesday was my one day at home (after dayjob work). It was the day I announced the new issue - so I was busy updating the website, facebook, tweeting etc etc.
Thursday, after dayjob work, I went back to Birmingham for The Used. I interviewed Jeph at 3.30pm... and then had another few hours to kill before doors. I was kicking myself for not taking my usb card reader for my mini laptop as I could have transferred the photos of Jeph and interview to my laptop. I went to a pound shop and discovered that they sold a card reader - although it only read sdhc and other small cards and not compact flash cards. I went by the canal and decided to transfer my Jeph interview to the laptop - and then realise how SLOW the card was. It took about 40minutes to transfer the interview. My other card reader at my house did it in 2 minutes! I guess that's what you get for a pound...
The Used's show was good. Amazingly we were told we could use flash for the gig. This enabled me to get a few jumping shots of Don Broco. http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/donbrocophotos.htm
Think I took a million photos of Bert when he was kneeling down on the stage... he probably regrets letting us use flash, the amount of times my camera probably went off in his face, but it was good to get a few decent pix for a change. I was up till 5.15am that night going through my photos. I was a little slow, due to the discovery that Roadrunner Records UK was being closed down by Warners. That stunned me a little. Shocking and sad news.
Friday I had ushering at my local theatre - I'd put my name down to do Doctor Dolittle. I entered the raffle and it turned out that I won a bottle of Advocaat. For a vegan straight edger this is not really the best prize... since I don't drink and it has eggs in it. Ew. I passed it on to my mom... Interestingly it's the second out of two raffles that I've won in the last month. I won a 'How To Make Poems Sell' book in an animal sanctuary fundraising raffle the other week. Another ace prize... (Although maybe it will help me sell Black Velvet! You never know... I'm too busy to read it at the moment though. I've got a growing pile of books but no time to read them.)
Saturday was World Day for Animals in Laboratories - so I had to get up at 7am (after going to bed at 3am). My friend was due to get to mine at 10am - but turned out to be an hour late (cue stress by me... I hate lateness!). Thankfully we didn't miss anything and got to Victoria Square before the speeches started. The march began around 1.30pm. I sold a Black Velvet to a friend, met a long-time Black Velvet subscriber, and took photos while on the march (although had camera issues, and almost broke it when I dropped it at one point! At least it was only my cheap camera...). Photos are at http://www.saveascream.com/features2012wdail.htm
Since then I've been typing up interviews, writing gig reviews, putting photos online, mailing Black Velvets out, and other good stuff. I'm off to Birmingham again this eve for another gig (bit of a bummer as Lostprophets are filming a new video in London today and I'd have loved to have gone down for that, but alas, plans had already been made...).
Current Mood: busy
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April 25th, 2012
11:41 am - Black Velvet 72 Out Now
Issue 72 of Black Velvet Zine is out now and includes:
Interviews with Halestorm, All Time Low, Shinedown, Sixx:A.M., Seether, InMe, Boyce Avenue, LostAlone, Sulpher, A Day Overdue & Matthew Koma
Concert reviews including All Time Low, Steel Panther, Shinedown/Halestorm, Theory Of A Deadman, Kill Hannah, Zico Chain, Octane Ok and StakeOut.
Tons of album, single and EP reviews such as Brigade, Crash Street Kids, Oh No Not Stereo, Mayday Parade, The All-American Rejects, Lostprophets, Summerlin, Dear Superstar, InMe, Shinedown, Halestorm, Twelve Clay Feet, D*A*D, 7 Day Weekend, Zico Chain, and This Is Freedom.
BV CV - the section where someone in the music industry tells us what they do and why they do it. This issue we feature Tom Bingham, Luthier.
Paul Frost of Zico Chain writes a tour diary in this issue's 'A (Musical) Note From...' column.
All the usuals such as Supersonic Future Superstars (featuring Daedalus' Right Eye, The Detours and Soulicit) & DVD reviews.
Advertisers this issue are: Oh No Not Stereo, Estrella, Dirtswitch, Sunset Riot, Skarlett Riot & Dirt Box Disco.
To get your copy:
ORDER ONLINE FROM:
(UK)
http://www.fourdogsmusic.co.uk
http://www.ethicalwares.com
http://www.punkrockshop.co.uk
http://www.beeunique.co.uk
(USA)
http://www.atomicbooks.com
http://www.quimbys.com
Or find in one of the stores listed at www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/shops.htm
More info at www.blackvelvetmagazine.com
Current Mood: busy
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April 3rd, 2012
10:44 pm - Mayday Me At Five
This weekend You Me At Six played two shows at Birmingham Ballroom. I went to the second show on the Sunday. For a change I did an interview with Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade for SaveAScream.com (at 5pm). Derek told me at a previous interview that he was vegetarian, so I asked him a few vegetarian related questions as well as some music based ones. As it was for SaveAScream, and I've started videoing a few interviews I decided to put the full video up (although still typed it up for good measure too!). You can either go to http://www.saveascream.com/maydayparade.htm to see the interview, or watch via this youtube embedding...
Derek tells us how he thinks music is alive and well, what he last did that was outside of his comfort zone, how he’d like to make the world a better place and what exactly is too crucial to ignore.
At the show I took photos of Mayday Parade (http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/maydayparade.htm), Kids In Glass Houses (http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/maydayparade.htm)
and You Me At Six (http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/maydayparade.htm). I would have taken photos of The Skints too but the box office had a problem with the photopasses so I was told to go inside and go back later to pick it up.
A review of the show will be in issue 73 of Black Velvet.
Current Mood: busy
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March 31st, 2012
05:28 pm
On Tuesday I headed to Birmingham for Steel Panther's show. It was their first show of the 4 date UK tour. I'd arranged to do an interview - which was to be at 6.30pm, and had told my friend I'd meet them outside at 6.50ish (thinking I'd only have 15mins for the interview like when I'd interviewed them in 2009). I met their press officer who said I could get some band photos first. I actually hadn't asked if I could get photos as I'd imagined they'd be busy and I wouldn't be able to get any - so I was a bit surprised (pleasantly of course). They were doing a big photoshoot already, up in the balcony (which was a bit intimidating, as I was there just with my camera). After they finished that one they came over and I got a few quick pix.
Here's the obligatory pic with Black Velvet:
The band photos of them minus the Black Velvet will be in issue 73 along with the interview.
I then went to interview Satchel and Lexxi. They were mad as always. This time (in issue 62 I had interviewed Michael and Lexxi) they seemed to talk back and forth between themselves a lot. It was almost like I'd given them a line and they'd act out a little scene of a play. I've typed it up and it'll go in issue 73. I'll probably leave it in dialogue form as they speak back and forth too much so it's hard to make it into an actual article.
I had almost finished issue 72 - the only space I had left was for the half page gig review - so I put the Steel Panther show review in, and am keeping the interview for issue 73. So it'll be a bit of a wait for the interview, but it will be worth it.
Issue 72 has now just gone to the printers.
I ended up getting out from the interview at 7.15. Thankfully my friend was patiently waiting outside by the doors, so we then went back in for the show. I've put Steel Panther live photos up at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/steelpantherphotos.htm - big ups for Steel Panther for tweeting the link and posting it on their facebook page too. :-)
The show was awesome. These guys are super-fun. I can't wait for the next time I can catch them live again. If you haven't seen them live, you must.
Here's a pic I didn't put on the page (PS. They had AWESOME lighting. Yay for good lighting!):
Current Mood:  good
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March 15th, 2012
02:47 pm
Last Friday I headed to Birmingham, first to interview Matthew Koma and then to go to the Kill Hannah show. Matthew Koma was playing Birmingham Academy as support to LMFAO on the Cherrytree Pop Alternative tour. I've known Matthew for a while although this was his first tour in Europe and it'd been a while since I last saw him (over in the US). It was great to see him.
Here's Matthew with Black Velvet 71:
Doors for the LMFAO show were at 6pm while Kill Hannah doors were 6.30pm. I'd been wondering whether there might be any possibility of catching Matthew's set before heading to Kill Hannah. As luck would have it I discovered that Matthew was on stage at 6.30pm since it was an early show, just for 20 minutes - so I figured I'd be able to stay, take photos of him and then head over to Kill Hannah. Matthew's tour manager put me down for a photopass, so after our interview I went outside, gave some flyers out and eventually joined the queue. Photos of Matthew are over at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/matthewkomaphotos.htm
I left the Academy as soon as Matthew's set finished, met a friend and we headed to the Institute for Kill Hannah. And as luck (again) would have it, discovered that doors had not opened! There was a sign saying that doors had been delayed until 7pm. Wow, did they know I'd be running slightly late!? LOL. It's actually interesting as when I saw Kill Hannah in Chicago the other year and had a flight to Chicago that day and was worried I was going to get to the venue late, when I got there I discovered doors hadn't opened. They must hear that I'm held up and keep doors shut until I arrive! Haha. Or maybe there's some other reason they are always behind schedule... So I managed to get in and see all three bands. The show was up in the Temple, the small room at the top of the Institute - which has almost no photopit. The barrier is almost right up against the stage. I did manage to get into the photopit for Kill Hannah (I didn't try for the support bands as it looked too much trouble!) and took photos for the first 3 songs. Photos are up at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/killhannahphotos.htm. A review has been written for the next Black Velvet.
Then this week I went to see Zico Chain on Tuesday at The Flapper in Birmingham. They were supported by Isolated Atoms and To The Bones. I wrote my review last night, although haven't laid it out yet. Photos are at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/zicochainphotos.htm
I'm looking forward to catching up on sleep this weekend as I've had too many late nights (as always). Need to work on getting some more pages laid out for the next issue. I might write some CD reviews too.
Current Mood:  exhausted
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March 3rd, 2012
06:12 pm - Things you do at 5.30am instead of sleeping...
I was up till nearly 7am making this little thing...
Inspired by the fact that Slide.com is shutting down. Used to make a little slideshow showing each issue. After trawling the net and finding that the best slideshow sites you had to pay for over 30 seconds or x amount of photos, I decided to just make a little video instead and put it on YouTube...
Current Mood:  cheerful
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March 2nd, 2012
08:40 pm
Happy birthday to Jon Bon Jovi who's celebrating his 50th birthday today.
Jon's Soul Foundation charity/organisation that raises money for the homeless and those in economic despair have suggested donations be sent to them. I sent one as the clock stuck Midnight in Chelsea (and Redditch).
The total of donations for Jon's birthday to the Soul Foundation, via the Causes page is now up to over $27,000. I'd love it to hit $50,000 if poss, although maybe that's hoping for too much.
If you haven't donated, go to http://wishes.causes.com/wishes/445970
Any amount counts, no matter how small.
Hope Jon is happy with the amount that fans raise - and that he has an awesome 50th.
Visit http://www.jbjsf.org for more info on the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.
Current Mood:  hopeful
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February 29th, 2012
12:04 pm - Theory Of A Deadman, Octane Ok... and more Octane Ok
I'm currently nursing a bad cold, which I think came following Octane Ok's London Barfly show. I went down to the show on Feb 21st with Black Velvet contributors Sam & Penny. I'd arranged for them to do an interview with Octane Ok for their own website that they do when they're not busy with Black Velvet work. The interview was pushed back an hour when we got there as the boys wanted to go and eat first, so Sam & Penny got dragged along by me to inSpiral vegan cafe where I tried the tomato focaccia. We met up with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1) karen1074 who I'd invited to the show. I went with Sam & Penny when it was time for them to do the interview, and at the end got the boys to pose for a pic with some banana flavoured soya milkshakes that I'd brought them to try. They'd never tried them before but all gave them the thumbs up, which was good! I love these Provamel soya milkshakes... more people should drink them! They taste amazing and you cannot tell that it's any different to 'ordinary' milk. (You can find them in Holland & Barrett, other health stores and even some supermarkets like Tesco I think. They also come in Strawberry, chocolate & vanilla flavours, although I like banana the most).
Doors opened for the gig at 7pm and we then watched Burn So Bright, Adelaide and then Octane Ok. There's no photopit at the Barfly as it's a small room, so we had to stand near the front and try and 'claim our place' so we could get some decent photos with no heads in! I've put a few Burn So Bright photos up at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/burnsobrightphotos.htm and Octane Ok ones over on http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/octaneokphotos.htm
Met another friend at the end of the show who'd been stood near the bar. He bought not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 copies of the latest Black Velvet from me. All hail the mighty Nick Southall! Mind you, he is featured in the 'Fantastic Five' section in this issue. He proved his fantastic-ness for also telling me to keep the change on top of the 4 issues (the change being £6!).
Thanks also to Karen for buying a Black Velvet wristband!
We headed home after a quick drink and got back to my house at 2am. I edited my photos from the gig in the car although my mini laptop always makes the photos look a bit weird so when I got back home I then proceeded to stay up until about 4.15am making them a bit better. Felt a bit tired at 7.45am when I had to get up for work!
The next day Penny and my other friend Maria who came to the show both tweeted that they had colds. I didn't - although a couple of days later I started feeling like I was coming down with one. Well, it's now here and I feel awful! Yesterday and today have been the worst days. Hoping tomorrow it slowly starts to ease off. My colds always seem to creep up slowly and then stay ages. Penny's got rid of hers already - although now Sam has one! I think someone at the show must have infected us all... Karen, it wasn't you, was it!? lol.
This week Octane Ok supported Theory Of A Deadman in Birmingham on Monday night. I had seen that Theory were having a competition for the opening band slot at each of their UK shows, so told them to enter. They did - and WON! Yay! So we got to see them twice in 6 days, which was pretty awesome (I could get used to that. Can we have Octane Ok shows twice every six days??). The Crave also were on the bill, so it was a nice line-up all round. I need to actually write my review of the show. I've put a few photos of Theory Of A Deadman at http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/theoryofadeadmanphotos.htm and a few Octane Ok ones on the Octane Ok page - although the lighting was not the best for Octane Ok. It was worse for The Crave so most of my pix of them are abysmal.
Yesterday I did a telephone interview with Fabian Manzano of Boyce Avenue for the next Black Velvet. I was a bit worried I may have a runny nose and need to cough or sneeze during the interview, but thankfully for the half hour of the telephone interview, it actually held off. It was almost like as soon as I answered the phone a big healthy barrier was put up to hold away the germs and I suddenly felt ok for half an hour. After putting the phone down I went back to runny & blocked nose, coughing and sneezing.
Current Mood:  sick
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