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Since the first Oxjam in 2006:

36,000 musicians 750,000 people 3,000 Oxjam events £1.2 million in total 10,619 emergency shelters 48,000 goats

705 classrooms

Oxfam’s music festival running through to the end of October with

hundreds of events around the UK – all organised by people who

know and love their local music scene, and all in aid of Oxfam.

If you want to play a gig, offer your venue, organise your own event, publicise events, whatever, please get in touch. We’re organising the West London sector, and we need your help! Email us... itsallhappening_music@hotmail.com

www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved

ISSN 2040-5472

July/August 2010 hot town, summer in the city FREE

2

the beginning Ciao, This will be more of a notelet than a letter, a tweet

than an email, a hi rather than hello as we’re sitting in a

pile of socks, t-shirts and cheap vodka, trying to pack for

Glasto! By the time you’re reading this we’ll be back,

and like many of you, enjoying a Blighty summer soaking up

the sun, the music and the cider. (The latter two are

definite.) Let us know who you’re seeing and have seen, what

you’re listening to, who you’ve uncovered, likes, dislikes

news and views by emailing itsallhappening_music@hotmail.com,

visiting our website itsallhappeningmusic.co.uk and following

us on Twitter twitter.com/IAH_music We’re looking to expand our team to make sure we can

cover as much as possible of the new music out there, so if

you’re interested in writing, website graphics, or putting on

a gig, let us know! Enjoy the magazine – we’ve had a superb/stressful time

compiling it.

Much love, Dan & Cesca

3 new and exciting cables cause fires

wilder on the beat

4 time to shine delays

6 norway harry’s gym katzenjammer

7 twee veronica falls

9 what went wrong the pipettes

10 beauty and the beast liberating creativity manifesto

12 high fidelity banquet records

14 welly time isle of wight festival truck festival lounge on the farm

16 musing reviews 1, 2, 3

pains of being pure at heart othello woolf malachai man without a country the keys fire inside

19 careers music business school

20 amazing opportunity oxjam

19 Promotion

Music industry veteran and established educator Steve Melhuish is launching a new concept for music business education in the UK. His Music Business School will offer intensive fast track courses covering all practical aspects of the business to professionals seeking to build their knowledge. Teaching starts on Wednesday 15th Sept 2010. The unique course, Music Business Fast Track, distils into 12 day-long classes the knowledge a conventional Commercial Music BA course teaches about music business and management. Dispensing with knob-twiddling and song-writing lessons, Melhuish’s course focuses on up-to-date issues within the music business, with lectures on the digital age, mobile and the new ways of building fans and developing revenue streams offered by the DIY model. It will give graduates in other fields, young entrepreneurs starting out and those changing careers a fuller understanding of copyright, management deals, labels, contracts, touring, publishing and all related areas, delivered in informal face-to-face classes. Each class will feature 6 hours of teaching, which will include up to 2 hours’ input each week from a guest speaker, who will be an established expert in the relevant field. Stiff creator Dave Robinson will share the ins and outs of founding a record label; MMF CEO Jon Webster will speak on artist management. Also speaking will be PPL/MusicTank’s Keith Harris, Saul Galpern of Nude and founder of the Brixton Academy Simon Parks, and publishers Paul Scaife (ROTD) and Chris Cooke (CMU) among others still to be announced. There will also be a selection of Melhuish’s ex-students now working in the music business, discussing how they made it and what they are now doing. Visit http://musicbusinessschool.co.uk/ for all the information

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The press release doesn’t excite me. Sound of ‘Beatles-esque pop’. Well so has any band who ever played a G chord follow by an A. ‘Influenced by The Velvet Underground.’ You show me a band in the last couple of years who don’t have that on their CV. ‘Recorded for John Peel.’ Now don’t get me wrong, the man was a musical master, but he had his fingers in more band’s pies than Russell Brand had his in girl’s….pre Katie days, obviously. ‘High quality Welsh guitar pop.’ Oh god, Stereophonics. But then I do what all good journalists and music fans alike should do, toss the press release into the recycling pile and put the CD on. And it’s good! Psychedelic jaunts fused with angles so sharp you could build a house with them, this diverse collection of songs that never lose their momentum. First single ‘Fire Inside’ is a giddy arsenal of classic guitar riffs, and on ‘People Meet People’ the beats are almost tectonic in the way they command your feet to stomp. The antidote to this is lazy evenings and BBQ embers conjured up on ‘Valley Sun’, and the inspiringly titled ‘I Am The Breeze.’ Weighing in at only 8 tracks, this is a flaming introduction to The Keys – one just hopes the short length isn’t because they burned out too soon. FB

The Keys Fire Inside

Here

We

Go

Magic

Here We Go Magic are unlikely to change the world, but will certainly e n h a n c e t h e experience of it, their sugar shock pop converging with austere meditations, a picture of wasted summers spent in a mixture of boozy bonhomie and back p o r c h p h i l o s o p h i s i n g . H a v i n g b e e n criticised by some m o r e s e r i o u s straight faced critics for there lack of depth, one can only presume that these critics are the same who used to ruin children’s parties by shouting that the magician didn’t make a rabbit appear – he had a hidden pocket. Don’t dissect, just enjoy. FB

Man Without A Country

Tomas Greenhalf (synths and samplers) Ryan Owen (vocals, guitars and fx pedals) and Gareth Price (percussion) Iceberg is the most shoegazey of the lot (I need to stop using that word, but trainerstarey isn’t the same), its long and winding ending perfect for sun setting slots at festivals. Closet Addicts Anonymous successfully c o n n e c t s e p i c ins t rumenta l ism wi th e l e m e n t a l e m o t i o n , although not until 1.33 and the soaring chorus does the electricity really kick in. From these songs, through to the lullaby intro of King Complex, so soft and whistful in a song suggesting meglamania, to the processed disco beats of Ebb and Flow, Man Without A Country can claim to be men of all countries, blending the d i s p a ra t e i n t o t h e harmonious. Incidentally, they’re from Wales. FB

track by track

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On a sunny afternoon killing time around the hell hole that it Oxford Street, my feet started a tapping and I found my self following the music, like a rat and the Pied Piper, into On The Beat on Hanway Street. A perfect little music shop, full of second hand records, curled edge posters, and dusty t-shirts. I suggest you do the same.

We’re not the first to have spotted Wilder, the Bristol four piece having already supported The Maccabees and Julian Casablancas, as well as signing a four album £150,000 deal with Rough Trade, but we’re perfectly happy to jump on the Wilder bandwagon, as it looks like it’s going to be a hell of ride. A combination of

physical energy and digital creativity, Sam’s vocals on lead song ‘Girls v Boys’ have a come hither vulnerability, and ‘TBT’ (acronym for Thoughts Be-come Things) fuses Black Rebel Motor-cycle Club scuzz with MGMT joyful chanting and jet propulsion of The Whip. So hot off the press we’re strug-gling to find details of live performances, so sign up to their mailing list to be able to say ‘I was there.’

Their myspace says: Cables Cause Fires are a brand new five piece from Leeds, UK playing out original jams with the influence of Radiohead and the

Mars Volta, think colossal and explosive.

We say: Unabashed glinting rock, oscillating between ska-flecked jams and chunky chords, Cables Causes Fires are an example of how emo American music can be converted into something good, when filtered through the ears of Yorkshire lads. ‘Love This Torture’ is delivered with indolence, ‘Two’s A Laugh’ reminiscent of neighbours Little Man Tate, and the soft piano melodies of ‘The Talk’ excitingly incongruous with the thick leathery accent that opens the song, giving way to a propulsive cho-rus. Currently gigging in and around Leeds, check them out at http://www.myspace.com/cablescausefires

new

4

Recent Delays shows at the Water Rats in North London sold out in hours, and keen to see the band, we had to claim to be journalists in order to get a ticket. Whilst we were at it, we holed up in a fairy lit bunker with Aaron Gilbert and Colin Cox to discuss album number four ‘Star Tiger, Star Ariel.’

Waves of nostalgia sweep over the record, and Aaron feels that the port town that i s home has been particular ly influent ial . ‘We’ve gone, not full circle, but there’s definitely a sense of trying to figure out how Southampton influences our music.’ Despite this, it was in the secluded farmland of Monmouth where recording took place, ‘very much where you can isolate yourself, a place where you can escape.’

First single ‘Unsung’ is the track most likely to gain recognition outside of the core fan base (and Mexico, where Delays have an a lmost Beat les -esque following, which they hope to take with them as they tour Japan, Chile etc, ‘like bird flu’), as a stirring journey of arresting melodies, guitar riffs lacerating the soul and

Greg’s falsetto voice soothing in an instant.

Listening to ‘Star Tiger Star Ariel’ it struck me that what I have always said is ‘happy’ about Delays music is actually adrenalin. Aaron questions whether happy is a word that should apply. ‘I’ve can understood how people call our music happy, per se, but I’ve never got that.. There’s some really melancholy lyrics if you listen. There’s always an undercurrent. Our gigs are quite euphoric, we’ve had some great shows.’

‘Hold Fire’ opens with the familiar ooh ahh and the simple piano scales over laced with the vocals that first wowed me from Faded Seaside Glamour pierce the heart until I fear the arrow must be visible. ‘It’s great that it causes an emotion though’, says Colin. ‘That’s a wonderful thing. But it’s funny when people apply labels. I mean, one of the singles off the last album, which we didn’t want as a single, but the record company did, is one of the happiest tunes you could ever hear (Hooray from Everything’s The Rush, but is actually about OCD (Greg

suffers). That’s not happy.’

The thrilling and direct ‘Lakes Can Be Lethal’ is a tumbling density of emotion, the kind which years in the music industry have thankfully not knocked out of the band, despite an element of disillusionment. ‘Much of the music business is a crap chute’, says Aaron. ‘It’s so cold, the way these people speak about music, the inception of writing a song. . . they’ re so far removed from that. How can you put a price and try to understand what something means to someone, when they don’t even know themselves.’

However, they know they cannot be too hypocritical. ‘It’s always a slightly grotesque thing to make a business out of something creative, but the thing is, once you’ve signed the record deal you’re in the bus iness , you have voluntarily made yourself part of it. You have to take all of that as it comes. You can choose to make music in your garage, but you have chosen to be part of a business and industry.

deserved, Star Tiger is not a

time to shine

delays New album Star Tiger

Star Ariel is out now

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‘Ugly Side of Love’, the latest offering from the Bristol duo, is tearing the seams with individuality and excitement. Made to the recipe of the handful of highlights of musical history,

lashings of creativity, and a healthy heap of self indulgence , all mixed with vivid imagination Malacahi have yet again deviated from the cookbook, and succeeded in their experiment. A textured tapestry, this is both uplifting and enigmatic. The ethereal opening of first track Warriors had me hiding behind the sofa expecting Thriller like zombies, until the trippy meandering beats kick in, and I found myself kicking back with hazy visions of the sun setting whilst the band jam, man. Shitkicker moves along like a marble down a chute, albeit infinitely more of a propulsive groove , whilst Snake Charmer has a Lucy In The Sky psychedelic kick. As well as The Kinks influence on woozy love song Another Sun, we are treated to hints of Ian Brown and Beck. Fading World would not sound out of place behind John Wayne, until the mixing decks kick in and the cinematic scene changes to the desert island. Although it seems as the perfect soundtrack for a game of ‘name that tune’, only two pieces of the puzzle are actually samples, and the rest of the mix cleverly crafted by Gee and Scott themselves. There is no coherence, and although initially bewildering, this is exactly what works. No one wants a whole album of whooping singing, and if all the songs sounded like The Kinks Malachai would be criticised for, well, making songs that just sound like The Kinks. Like a box of chocolates, the magic is in the mix, and Malachai is the wondrous Willy Wonka. FB

Malachai Ugly Side of Love

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Apparently sampling a roundabout whirring slowly like it’s batteries are dying, ‘Confetti’ is a deceptively dark song, which whilst appearing bland on a first listen, cleverly uses its drumming monotony to stealthily wedge itself in the head. Lyrically it seems as though 1,2,3 are trying their utmost to be deep and meaningful, but their assertions that ‘7 billion people living under the stars. Most you'll never meet, they'll never know who you are’, are far from profound. Listening is like being trapped in a strangely enjoyable yet nightmarish fairground. However, just like the teacups, too many goes makes you feel sick. FB

Last year was THE year for Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, their neat distillation of all things pop managing to wow critics and fans alike. The latest offerings, ‘Say No To Love’ and b-side ‘Lost Saint’, available as free downloads until the end of July, have not lost any of the youthful exuberance that moved their debut and made them a gem amongst many similar offerings; or a pearl button on a grey twee cardi. Intense bursts of immediacy suggest unplanned flashes of inspiration, disaffected vocals an uncaring nonchalance, wrapped in an air of inexperience all belyi the talent behind this careful crafting of well honed fuzzed guitars, hazy shimmering loops and tight drums. Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart continue to wear their multitude of influences proudly, but the five piece transform what could be a black and white photograph of a genre into a glorious Technicolor aural joy. FB

Pains Of Being Pure At Heart 1, 2, 3

Say No To Love Confetti

‘Othello’ is a word usually associated

with tragedy, thanks to a certain Bill Shakespeare writing about racism,

jealously and betrayal. That, though, is set to change. Othello Woolf will

release this fantastic double A side on

5th July and it’s a whole lot more upbea t a f fa i r t han wha t Mr

Shakespeare wrote. ‘Doorstep’ is laid back yet jazzy funk whilst ‘Deep Water’

ripples with a sexual vibe that blends soul with swoon. Othello combines

blues with synth and new wave with

outright pop, but it works. This Othello is sure to be a story of success. DP

Othello Woolf

Doorstep / Deep Water

5

Whilst it is high time they got the recognition so well deserved, Star Tiger is not a radical enough departure from the first trilogy to suggest a marked change in how it will be received. Colin puts this down to the simple fact of a lack of radio play. ‘Politics’, he spits ‘We don’t live in London, our face doesn’t fit, and we don’t hang with the right people. We’re as indie as can be.’ The diversity of styles that p e p p e r s S t a r T i g e r demonstrates how the band draw from themselves, rather than the fashions around. The pulsating opening riff of ‘The Lost E s t a t e ’ , i s q u i c k l y compounded by the drum beats and an electric charge, which the fluctuating depth of vocals only serves to keep the fires burning, whereas ‘Rhapsody’ seizes the soul more surreptitiously, the softness of the lyrics like a vocal blanket, gently enticing the listener into a state of semi consciousness. Colin believes this varied and various collage air due to the fact that the writing process isn’t a conscious one. ‘Which is probably why people find it so hard to put us in a bracket and pigeon

hole us if you’ve got four individuals in a room, with f o u r d i f f e r e n t l i f e experiences, which they’re going to have then it would be really fake, clichéd and contrived to go oh we’ll sound like this. Why do so many bands sound the same? It’s ridiculous. If they were honest they wouldn’t sound like that, they’re just trying to fit in a bubble. We’ve never done that.’ This rawness of the writing process means that lyrically, t h e s o n g s a r e a n autobiography: ‘our own personal troubles. In a way we find it kind of cathartic to write a more euphoric melody with a darker subject matter.’ Despite their insistence that juxtaposition is the key to the Delays music, Star Tiger Star Ariel continues to offer the aura of opportunity that really elevates the Delays. ‘Brilliant Sunshine’ sounds exactly like that, when the sun rays of God seem to be peeping through the clouds, and even the exclamation of frustration 3 minutes in is not enough to dash the headlong pursuit of life that propels their music.

The hopeful element of Star Tiger Star Ariel is a philosophy that the boys seem to take to life. ‘I can’t wait for the World Cup’ exclaims Colin. ‘We’re having a party.’ A a r o n e c h o e s h i s enthusiasm. ‘What I love is that there ’s al l the opportunity, and none of the disappointment.’ Distilled into the latest album is this complexity of emotion, a potential rollercoaster, with a kind of holy hedonism pervading, just like England always take to the World Cup. Fortunately, Delays follow through, and come July 11th Star Tiger Star Ariel will continue to shine, one of the best albums of the year and a perfect progression in the band’s career, exposing their talent for conveying tension, tenderness and thrills. In short, being the epitome of an amazing band, and top of the table. Unlike Capello’s boys.

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The Norwegian seasonal cycles of six months of darkness followed by six months of light must do weird things to the mind. The evidence of Harrys Gym suggests that it must also do wonderful things for the music. In equal parts forbidding and frozen and delicate and personal, the hazy vibes of this four piece encapsulate the raw reality of the human experience. New single ‘Attic’ is a narcotic swirl of forceful intimacy that pulses along with intensity. Synths are enmeshed in a soulful swirling of slow guitars, and the captivatingly androgynous vocals intertwined are muscular and poetic, like a gossamer metal, or something equally incongruous. The bleak terrain of ice and all its frosty desolation has never been so appealing.

Take four captivating girls, thirty odd instruments, at least a dozen genres, stir it all

together, chuck in some sparkle, and what do you have. Katzenjammer! This feisty

raucous hodgepodge of folk, pop, Balkan, Mississipi country played on the tuba,

balalaika, banjo, kazoo, glockenspiel, amongst others is wonderfully energetic,

serotonin in a song. Hugely talented, Turid, Anne, Marienne and Solvig rotate

instruments between and during songs, their scintillating charisma connecting with the

audience, and ensuring that the

sea shanty esque ‘To The Sea’ or

farcical ‘A Bar In Amsterdam’ fall

as far from gimmickery as they

potentially could be. Single ‘Tea

With Cinnamon’ is a sprightly and

scint i l lat ing twee take on

heartbreak. Katzenjammer’s kooky

caberet is a reminder of the way

entertainment once left audiences,

before gloom became cool -

beaming like the Cheshire cat on

E, effervescent with excitement,

loving life, and exclaiming

‘Paaartyyyyyyy!’ FB

Norway. Officially titled Kingdom of Norway, this northern European country of 4.5 million people is best known for its beautiful fjords, cold climate, having the highest GDP in the world...and being a hot bed of musical talent? Harrys Gym and Katzenjammer are two very different, and more than very decent, bands to emerge.

Harrys Gym www.myspace.com/harrysgym

Katzenjammer www.myspace.com/katzenjammerne

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SOMEWHERE In A Field

In Kent Alright!!

The garden of England. In these here fields the wind blows through hops , the shepherd wanders the field herding his sheep...and in a field near Canterbury, 5000 revellers will enjoy the weekend of 9th-11th July indulging in rambling revelry at Lounge On The Farm, this joyous gem of a festival that has everything from baby reiki to beatboxing, kite making to comedy....and 180 bands. These are some of the brightest apples in the orchard....

Every night bands play The Flowerpot in Camden, and we’re looking forward to seeing if they keep their fingers on the pulse despite a move from the streets of London to the fields of Kent. Headlining their stage are Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, with their fervid rockabilly take of a mishmash of

genres. We probably won’t go and see Silver Columns, but that’s simply because we recently saw

the scintillatingy cinematic synthpop duo at the folky Green Man Boat Party, and are pleased to report they set the vessel a rocking, so you definitely should!

The word original is too often used, and too often wrongly used, but James Yuill’s blend of folk and electronic is truly remarkable, the banjo blending with the beats. Imagine a game boy

doing the tunes of a celidh. Fortune tellers of music often get it wrong, and the bands that they cite as in January as being the ones to watch fade into obscurity by the summer. Upbeat and endearingly erratic Slow Club have bucked this trend, and their chaotic stage mis-en-scene of cutlery and chairs ensure a

visual as well as aural delight. Champions of all things local, Lounge On The Farm doesn’t just support local burgers and

cider (all food is sourced within a 20 mile radius of Merton Farm), but new music, and You Say They Play has given three dozen bands the opportunity to play at the festival this year, so we’re

looking forward to seeing some home grown talent, particularly Tom Williams And The Boat It’s the blend of crowd pleasing pop, undiscovered gems, cool comedy and electric theatre

that ensure that the event can, and does, please the whole posse.

Visit http://www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk/album.htm for a download album to whet your appetite.

Truck Festival – Oxford 24th and 25th July If you fancy a more chilled affair than the big festivals such as Reading/Leeds, then Truck is the place to go. Truck sits somewhere between the laid back Glastonbury vibe and the feel of a local village fete – indeed, the Rotary Club runs the main food stall and all of the festival’s profits go to charity. Despite the great atmosphere, there is still a need for good bands and again Truck deliv-

ers. Last year was headlined by Ash and Supergrass, this year bands include Teenage

Fanclub, Mew, Blood Red Shoes, Chapel Club, Good Shoes, Los Campesinos, Stor-

noway, Darwin Deez.. and many, many more. The main stage was originally a back of a

truck (hence the festival’s name), the second stage is an existing farm barn and other

stages include ‘the beat hive’ which is a small, geodesic dome. As I’m sure you can

gather, this festival is pretty unique and that’s why we keep going back for more..

THIS....IS TRUCK

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The Isle of Wight is a beautiful island, and it is perhaps unfortunate that the majority of the 50 000 odd festival goers that have travelled from the mainland won’t see more of the Isle than the journey from the ferry to the camp site. It is, however, unlikely that many of these festival goers left the island disappointed. The three headliners of Jay-Z, The Strokes and Paul McCartney offered great variety to appease the diverse crowd. Jay-Z is a natural entertainer and from his Friday night performance it is easy to see why he was c ho se n to h ea d l i n e Glastonbury in 2008. At IoW Jay-Z was joined onstage by Kanye West as well as Mr Hudson, who had performed on the main stage earlier in

the day. Hockey also deserve a mention for playing a stand out set on the Friday to an early afternoon crowd. The highlight of the Saturday was undoubtedly The Strokes who played their first gig, with the exception of an intimate warm up gig two days before, in nearly four years with a storming set that included ‘Last Nite’, ‘New York City Cops’ and ‘Hard to Explain’. Biffy Clyro had the unenviable task of playing during the England v USA world cup match (and for this reason I’m not in a position to comment on the S c o t t i s h b a n d ’ s performance). Bombay Bicycle Club blew away a bustling big top on Saturday afternoon with a set that shows why their stock is

rising at such a rapid rate. The final day of music was closed on the Main stage by Sir Paul McCartney which was full of classics such as ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘Live and Let Die’ and ‘Hey Jude’. It was a great way to finish the festival with the huge crowd in good voice. After a rainy week in the build up to the festival the weather changed for the better on the Friday and the glorious sunshine was only broken in the last hour of the Sunday when the heavens opened during the latter half of Macca’s set. Isle of Wight is a great festival attended by families, teens and anyone else with an interest in music. Don’t let the ferry

put you off!

the welly section

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‘WE DON’T EVEN LIKE C86 BANDS.’

If you’ve formed your opinion of the Glaswegian four piece Veronica Falls based upon industry hype and press reviews, this statement seems as shocking as Noel Gallagher claiming he’s not a fan of The Beatles. It’s hard to agree with the dewy vocalist and guitarist Roxanne that ‘We don’t

sound anything like those bands...’ when you hear the Velvet Underground-esque woozy scuzz vibrating out.

But if the guys don’t see themselves slotting into the 80s shambling ethos, backstage at 93 Feet East, it seems that they’re not particularly keen to be dropped into a category with contemporaries either. ‘To be honest, we don’t like many current bands,’ says James, the d r u m m e r . H i m a n d

Roxanne, the more vocal and vehement half off the group try to bounce ideas off one another, but conclude that it is in vain. N o t e v e n L o s Campesinos, or Bright Eyes, bands whom the twee tag has also been applied to?

‘TWEE?’

The word ‘twee’ t r iggers even more tetchiness than ‘C86.’ ‘It’s become so fashionable to c a l l bands ‘ tw ee ’ ’ , complains James, ‘but what does that even mean? There’s no definition.’ ‘A lot of the bands lumped together don’t even sound similar,’ Roxanne agrees. ‘Oh, they’re wearing cardigans, they must be twee.’ Based on this criteria, they most certainly are – 75% of the band are dressed in button up jumpers.

On stage Roxanne is dirty doe eyed, the girl next door with a dark secret, and having heard that the band are less than forthcoming in interviews we fear that this ethereal aloofness that suits the vibe of songs such as ‘Found Love In A Graveyard’ an ‘Beachyhead’ so well on stage may make this post

Brick Lane curry interview slot a little slow. Not so. Whilst James and Roxanne

8

dominate proceedings, it’s clear there is an affable understanding an mutual respect in the band.

Having comes from the remains of numerous other bands (Your Twenties, The Royal We, Sexy Kids) we wonder if this was something missing from the previous groups. We put it, however, more bluntly.

‘ S o wh y w i l l Veronica Falls work when all your other bands haven’t?’

‘It’s just so fun now!’ exclaims Roxanne; the f i r s t g e n u i n e n o n nonchalance of the night.

‘All being into the same music helps too.’ says Patrick, even if they’re not too sure how to define that.

‘It’s a breath of fresh air to be all working towards the same thing. In other bands I’ve been in it’s always been a bit of a battle, a constant fight. It’s nice to p lay someth ing tha t someone actually agrees with!’

Ma r i an ne , t h e bassist, is the exception, having not spent her formative years in dark bedrooms leaning chords, or busking around village halls, jamming until fingers hurt, but being asked to join the band before she could even play the bass, and only subsequently learning her craft as she goes.

‘Have I learned it?! I think I’m still learning now’ she smiles, shy eyes hidden behind long hair. In fact, the first time we see Veronica Falls, supporting Two Door Cinema Club at The Garage,

Roxanne on occasion leans across to help Marianne, and the boys’ winks of encouragement give visible confidence.

So why join a band when you can’t play an instrument? She shrugs. ‘It seemed fun.’

And has it been? ‘Yeah.’ Fun isn’t the first

word to drift in front of your eyes upon hearing Veronica Falls, with their shoegazey sound and lamenting lyrics. They’re bloody good, but not a bubblegum blast.

‘Your lyrics are quite dark – do you write about anything in particular, or find yourself returning to specific themes?’

‘We don’t look to write about any one topic, I wouldn’t say that there’s a plan or genre’, says Roxanne.

J a m e s v i s i b l y shudders. ‘Genres, labels, we’re not into all of that.’

P a t r i c k g e t s involved. ‘The majority of what we write about is circumstantial; you know, boys, girls, beaches, cars. Just whatever we’re doing at the time. it’s cool to look back and see what we were doing, or feeling. A bit like a record of our life I guess, a diary.’

‘WE WON’T BE

W R I T I N G A B O U T GRAVEYARDS FOREVER.’

‘Yeah, don’t worry,’

grins Roxanne. ‘We won’t be writing about graveyards forever. I like happy sad

13

them new releases and gigs that we may be putting on etc.

Who is your favourite band that you've had in store?

Personally, my in stores have to be The Futureheads and Los Campesinos. The Futureheads are great at

what they do, they are so funny and watchable as well as bloody talented. I just remember laughing

constantly (for all the right reasons) throughout the two in stores they have played for us. Los Camp are a

fave band of mine, so to see them do a stripped down, acoustic in store and still be brilliant is a sign of a great

band in my eyes.

You started in 2005...did you think that 5 years on all music would be digital, with possibly no need for a

music store?

Definitely not. Granted, a lot of music is available online now from iTunes etc, but there is still a big

demand for physical releases. And Banquet offers so much more than just selling you the record (such as

gigs and in stores) that I think we'll be around for a long time to come!

What makes a physical record special?

For starters, you can hold a physical release in your hand, you've got the artwork, something to keep for the

rest of your life. Downloads can be lost so easily such as if your lap-op crashes or gets stolen. So many

people collect physical releases, especially vinyl, that downloads just cannot compete with that aspect. The

whole shopping experience when buying a physical release makes it special too, hunting through rows of

releases to find the gem you are after, it's a satisfying feeling!

What's next?

Our website has recently been renovated to

be what we feel is one of the best music store

websites around. It's soon to be undergoing

more changes for the even better! We plan to

put on more all ages shows. We've done a

few of these before (most recently with

Cancer Bats and All Time Low) they give kids

an opportunity to see bands they love in a

safe environment in their local town. We also

plan to get more UK exclusives from

American bands, and being on good terms

with agents for all these bands means that

this is possible for us. Banquet is constantly

expanding and evolving.

new slang revellers

One thing that has struck us, is that as wonderful as Banquet is, it is rather a lone ranger in the

West London musical landscape. If you know any brilliant bands, venues, nights or shops over

West side, do let us know by emailing itsallhappening_music@hotmail.com

12

Why did you decide to take over the store? Well, the Beggars Banquet chain of shops had gone bust and the Kingston branch was about to go the same way. Jon Tolley took over the shop, along with all the sizeable debts with help from Mike Smith and other good friends. They had all worked and been around Banquet for years before it went bust, and their love of the shop and of music spurred them to make the decision to take over the shop. You've done a lot - expanded the shop, running a label, club nights and events? What skills does each require? They all require different skills but we have a big team of people behind Banquet these days so easier than it used to be. The club nights are forever getting more recognition and often getting big name bands down each week. New Slang every Thursday, our alternative and indie night has grown massively over 3 years. Recently having Vampire Weekend, Foals and The Futureheads play is just great for us. Is there a High Fidelity element?

There is a High Fidelity element in that Banquet is a fun and rad place to work, but in equal

measure a LOT of hard work goes into what we do. Everyone is welcome, we get such a

diverse range of customers, from kids buying their first record and finding out we're putting on a

free in store of

their favourite

band, to your

older customer

wondering if

we've got any

Smiths vinyls in

stock. Tons of

Banquet

customers are

regulars, so you

get to know

people's music

tastes quite

quickly. It's great

for a personal

touch when they

come into the

shop,

recommending

Ah, real record shops. Lingering over a purchase. Discovery and rediscovery. Physical objects that linger with the lust of the abstract. We chat to Molly from

Banquet, in Kingston, a multitalented bunch who as well as running the record store sourcing new and alternative music, as well as promoters of weekly club night New Slang, and showcase venue for new and established acts to play live, such as The Maccabees, Chapel Club, The Futureheads and She & Him. Let’s start at the beginning…

the banquet identity parade

9

songs, where there’s some ambiguity, and the listener has to think about the meaning, or make their own.’

Given the band’s adamant assertion that they don’t fit into any slots or pigeon holes, what do they feel that they have in common with label mates on Captured Tracks, the US label that snapped them up. Or is nepotism a dirty word?

‘Patrick just knew Mike Snipes from when in New York, so it worked that way. I guess we have similar influences, and friends in the scene.’

So what next? Planning world

domination strategies is not the way that Veronica Falls does things.

‘Er, maybe a single in the summer,’ offers Roxanne. ‘Beachyhead?’ she suggests, in an inflected tone, as though looking for reassurance. There’s a couple of labels interested too, so we might sort ourselves out.’

And when’s there going to be an album?

‘We need to write first!’ interjects James. Roxanne confirms the lack of material. ‘When we first got together we had loads of stuff, but then all these gig offers came in. Now we’ve no time to write, it’s just practise and play.

‘All we do is practise,’ nods Marianne. ‘We really need to push ourselves to do an album.’

‘What are we doing?!’

E n d o f t h e interview, and we seem to have left Veronica Falls on a brink, pondering their course of action and unsure of the direction to take. Just as we drain our cans and get set to leave, James asks, ‘Er, so what is this interview for?’ I raise an eyebrow. ‘Well we were just asked, and said yes.’

We give him the spiel, and hand over a couple of copies of the previous issue, where Veronica Falls featured as a hot tip off. Patrick is thrilled. ‘We’re on page three guys!’

As a ten minute discussion between the band members about why ’ z i nes a re amaz ing commences, suspiring utterances about the DIY ethic and the joy of sharing new music, our recorder turns off. But not before it captures James: ‘I love ’zines, that’s brilliant.’

We’ll leave the last

word to them.

The Pipettes

‘When in Rome do as the

Romans’ does not

translate as ‘when

e ve r yo n e e l s e i s

saturating themselves in

80s synths’ or ‘when the

Sugababes have more

comings and goings than

Hampstead Heath toilets’

throw your fabulous fifties

pop to the wind, discard

founder members with the

polka dot skirts. It seems

that The Pipettes have

gone for a mass appeal

approach with their new

songs and style, but that

message of boys being a

pain in the arse and

hanging with the girls

being the cream of the

c u p c a k e w a s

communicated beautifully

before, with a spring in

the heel and pout of the

lipstick. Now it will just

become diluted in a sea

of happy clappy disco

pop. It’s a shame, as they

had such promise. Now

they’re not bad. Just not

as good as in back in the

day of Pull Shapes.

What Went

Wrong?

10

Disclaimer This article was written in April. Then we had May and its political

events. It is now July. Depending on whether we have a Con-Lib-Lab-Loony coa-

lition may affect the fundamentals of ‘Liberating Creativity’. Still, I’d like to share

my thoughts.

The end of March saw the publication of ‘’Liberating Creativity’’, a manifesto published by UK Music. Its modest is to make the UK music industry the biggest and the best, by 2020, through proper alignment with t h e g ov e r n me n t a n d businesses. The manifesto is deemed to be the first steps in a ‘grown up industrial policy’, and the words commercial, business, measurable and investment proliferate the document, which has been albeit very creatively put together in its funky colours. Although the beating heart of the manifesto is the love of music, there will still be those that argue that the words political and business should be verboten with music.

But shouldn’t the political system be used to address what is important? Far more than ‘just’ entertainment, music is a valuable asset of the country, collectively employing more people than the financial sector, although receiving a fraction of the attention and budget.

Feargal Sharkey, UK Music, cites the purpose ‘This document sets out to define what ‘the music industry’ actually is in 2010 and what we want to achieve.’

As he acknowledges, this is no mean feat. Unfortunately the music is not enough to mean that songwriters, musicians, managers, indies, publishers, A&R, producers, promoters, retailers, media, venues etc etc can work harmoniously for the same purpose and success.

As much as we may not like it, finance is needed for creative people to be able to innovate. Whilst we may harp on about the romance of music, the fact is that in 2008 25% of spend on music was in supermarkets, and between 2004 and 2008 total expenditure on music was down 32%. If we, the fans, are not prepared to support the artists and industry, where are they to look?

Key is recognising that the music industry, the music business, call it what you will, are exactly that. And has always been – even wandering minstrels hoped for a bed for the night in exchange for their light entertainment. Whilst there will be some negatives associated with following a business model of the more established industries, there are plus points, such as the funding and support, in the

guise of apprenticeships helping the industry be credited as a viable career choice, national curriculum expansion, and public sector expenditure to open up spaces for performance and rehearsal. It’s not always bad when music and business align. Carling Academies, T o p s h o p U n s i g n e d , Shockwaves, Red Stripe sponsorship have long been a way of injecting money and impetus into getting new bands exposure and providing opportunities.

Things are harder for the little men than those at the top of the ladder, and music is predominantly Liiliputian. Quite apart f rom the wandering minstrels, of the 13,760 music businesses, 81% employ fewer than 5 people, and 46% of the industry are self employed. It’s not a lucrative profession, with 5% earning over £40k. Anything that makes the profession more rewarding in a practical sense WITHOUT diminishing the creative rewards is welcome. Not all lucre is filthy; some of it pays for new instruments, studio time, sustenance for late night writing sessions. Rather than an obscurant approach to the knowledge and expertise that has built up in all businesses,

One bed - space for music, business and politics?

11

industries and public sectors, collaboration can allow the pursuit of the same goals by people who are currently not communicating, and through this should open up more opportunities. Crucial will be the proposed Creative I n d u s t r i e s C a b i n e t Committee, consisting of ministers and commercial leaders, listening to the realities of the industry and working to alleviate some of the barriers. One of the key concerns is that ‘Liberating Creativity’ is ultimately a business plan, and the demand for a clear monetary return may mean that only that music which is deemed to be commercially viable will receive support. Whilst the goal to be number one and challenge the US as the dominant force in music is exciting and, it doesn’t seem quite so great if the UK is to become that number one force only with artists from the X Factor et al. BPI data reveals that nearly one in ten artist albums sold across the USA and Canada in 2009 were by British acts – un f o r t una te l y a h i gh proportion of this is due to Susan Boyle and The Beatles, not really scoring highly on the inspiring ad innovative scale. Other creative bodies, like the Arts Council and Department for Culture, Media and Sport are regularly criticised and called upon to justify its role and p o s i t i o n . F i n d i n g a measurable way of proving the worth of investing in music, that will satisfy the profit eyed penny pincher as well as the quixotic artist will

be the main challenge. The document raises an interesting and potentially controversial point that the internet would not be where it is without music. Consider this. Music is the fuel of the internet. Music attracts communities and social networks. It drives search engines and new distribution technologies. Not such an implausible claim. And yet, music is one of the few industries where pushing f o r w a r d a n d m a k i n g technological advances doesn’t negate the thrill of the old established methods. An impromptu gig can’t replace myspace, and vinyl holds a thrill the mp3 can’t quite match. This difficulty is perhaps why a new Cabinet does need to be made. An industry which relies upon emotional impact, cognitive feelings, driving human impulse can’t be measured in the same way as others, and so the models that work for these will be a round hole to the square peg of music. Shakespeare

believed music to be the food of love , no t veh ic le manufacturing, retail, or County Councils. Music is important enough to the whole economy and society, through its spill into media, technology and heritage. It is also a shining light, and often has most powerful impact in areas where few other opportunities exist. Precisely because music is so important, and so different, is why the recommendations from the ‘Liberating Creativity’ document should be taken seriously. The best learnings can be taken from other industries, and applied to music, by people who are interested in and care about it. Joining the expertise with the emotion is, if not a perfect solution, an important way to push the industry forward without losing its magic, and ensure that it remains an exciting and innovative place to work and play. FB