Robyn Writes

Live: Frank Turner – Cheltenham Town Hall, 23/7/09

Through attending this gig, I have learnt that Frank Turner is a very nice man. Why? Because due to not being able to attend the 2000 Trees Festival as he was supporting the Offspring in America, he decided to put on a very cheap gig afterwards to make up for it. At £5 a ticket, how could I say no? However, it wasn’t the cheap ticket price that lured me in. If you read my Gaslight Anthem review, you’ll know that I thought Frank Turner was the best thing about that show. And this time, I’ll tell you how he fares as the main attraction.

First though, a couple of thoughts on the venue. Cheltenham Town Hall is actually a surprisingly good venue. It’s big, the stage is raised up enough so short people like myself can actually see what’s going on, but be warned, the drinks are extortionate. Even so, I’d definitely consider coming back here if someone good was playing. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really happen because… well… it’s Cheltenham.

Two acts supported Frank tonight, and first up was Joe Summers. Joe Summers looks a bit like a British Kevin Devine, and wore a roguish hat. However, he is no Kevin Devine, and the roguish hat merely served as a distraction for his watered down folk tunes. It was pretty, but it was also self indulgent. Generally, he was a pretty weak act. If you’re into acoustic stuff though, you might like him. Next up was Jim Lockley and the Solemn Sun and they were a lot better! If I could think a genre, I’d say pop-folk? Either way, their songs were catchy and I liked them. My boyfriend, who is ever the cynic, thought they sounded like McFly. Maybe, if McFly were singing about poverty and journeying instead of girls. They did have a lot of unnecessary ba-da-da’s though. And roguish hat man played in this band as well, and he had a tambourine and essentially did… nothing at all!

Both bands were as politely received as possible, but everyone was there for Frank. And I mean everyone. I saw people from all walks of life – even grandparents and their grandkids. Not really to be expected at a gig from the former singer of Million Dead who likes to use various profanities in his songs, but we can go with it. The thing is, I just can’t say it enough – Frank Turner is a fucking genius and one of the best live acts I’ve ever witnessed. He wowed me even more than when he played just by himself at the Gaslight Anthem show, and I thought that was impossible. With a full band, the songs just sound so much fuller and richer. He played a great set, including some songs from his upcoming album ‘Poetry Of The Deed’. Civil Liberties was one such example, as well as new single, The Road. Both of these songs sounded just as impressive as the rest of his extensive back catalogue, and I’m highly anticipating the new album in September. As well as the new stuff, he played a wide range of fan favourites, including The Ballad Of Me And My Friends, Substitute (my favourite!), Casanova Lament and Photosynthesis, all of which went down great with the fans. Frank himself is a very happy and smiley man, and this made everyone else happy and smiley, especially when he came out and played for much longer than he should have done! All in all, it was an absolutely fantastic gig. Go out and see him in October, I promise you won’t regret it.

Review: Francesqa – Ghosts

Normally, I’d take one look at a band like Francesqa, make a slightly repulsed and knowing face, and then swiftly leave them to their trendy clubs and smoky faux-Parisian cafes. Once you’ve clocked the (inevitably ‘Topman’ branded) checked shirts, manhood-destroying skinny jeans and ‘ironic’ hairstyles, it’s easy to dismiss them as yet another ‘trendier than thou’ indie, city band, with the odd nose piercing and buffed winkle picker. But, thanks to a series of unexpected events, I found myself listening to Francesqa’s new EP straight through, without any prior knowledge of the band’s ‘easy on the eye’ image or musical direction.

‘We Lived’ is a dainty little EP whose outward appearance bears no suggestion of the musical achievements within (the cover is a fabulously artsy ‘desolate land’shot) but has proven to be one of my personal musical highlights of the year. For a relatively new band, they’re already making waves in the alternative music scene; with their videos already playing on various music channels and impressive features in printed media, you’re sure to be hearing more of them soon.

The opening track on ‘We Lived’ is their most successful single release, which is also accompanied by an increasingly popular video. While strangely not being the title track of the EP, Ghosts is clearly the strongest. The sheer power and craftsmanship behind the opening track is nothing short of breathtaking, showing Francesqa to have the sound of an arena band trapped in a small band’s body. Francesqa’s sound is tricky to pin down, while boasting high octane rocky elements, there are many instances where pop and more indie influences are displayed- the bouncy chorus in ‘Ghosts’ is proof enough. Surprisingly, the band never seem rest on their laurels, even for a beat- each note, each bar has been meticulously composed and considered, and it’s very telling- the song is relentless in its innovative and fun nature.

If each band’s release is to have a ‘wild card’ song, or one that would divide opinion, then ‘Hopeful’ fills that description. ‘Hopeful’ is a bit of an odd one, although that’s not to say it’s displeasing to the ear. Overall, the track continues in a mid-paced poppy vain, and proves to be another showcase of Francesqa’s distinctive musical capabilities. As with each track on ‘We Lived’, ‘Hopeful’ has its own distinctive sound and setup; it builds well, has great breaks where vocalist Ashley Wilkie’s capabilities can be explored to a far greater extent and features brief anthemic outbursts of ‘I feel brand new’ which would work particularly well on a live platform.

‘Years’ would have to be the self-indulgent song of the EP, being over 5 minutes in length. While initially it seems rather ‘ballad-ish’, it soon builds to a big, if brief, chorus. This is the music of musicians, not of a flash-in the pan, T4 trendy rock group. Through tracks such as ‘Years’, it becomes easy to be pulled in to Francesqa’s world, and their lyrics- within a few bars, you can find yourself hanging on each word. With each track, another of the band’s compelling qualities is introduced to the listener, as though they were taking part in an overly complicated, musical striptease.

‘Crooked Little Sun’ is by far the most upbeat and rocky offering from ‘We Lived’. The powerful guitars and copious cymbals conjure up memories of a very early Lostprophets. Although shorter, and poppier than other similar ‘alternative’ songs that have graced the commercial charts in recent months, ‘Crooked Little Sun’ provides an energetic, danceable, chart-friendly offering while still retaining its integrity. As with the other works on ‘We Lived’, once again Francesqa’s lyrical skills are nothing short of wonderful; while often being poetic and ambiguous, each word flows and fits- which really is an unusual quality to see in a band who has already displayed such confidence and skills in other musical areas. Francesqa, irritatingly, do seem to have the whole package – young, talented and eloquent.

The EP closes with the title track, ‘We Lived’, a slow, simple and distinctly honest song. The music is not complicated or convoluted by intrusive production or unnecessary vocal acrobatics, and it really does pay off. With simple, quiet verses, ‘We Lived’ proves to have the simplest and most effective chorus, which features huge soaring group vocals and chants of ‘We Lived’. While beginning quietly, ‘We Lived’ finishes its run with increasing rocky elements and soaring guitars, with the climax being an expert blend of faultless vocals and feverish guitars. ‘We Lived’ends as fuzzy, distorted guitars gradually fade out to silence, leaving the listener feeling that they really heard something special.

Spanning so many genres, Francesqa have it made; if ever I saw a band to keep tabs on, then this is it. If their next release is even half as good as ‘We Lived’, the world should be very excited; No doubt about it, Francesqa are set for greatness.

4/5 high fives!

Fight With Tools by soufex

Originally posted by soufex in 2009.

I was stacking shelves with my manager the other night, and Flobots’ Rise came up on my shuffled playlist. He said to me, “what are those kind of bands going to do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, what are they going to write about now they have a new President?” And that kind of made me smile because it’s funny how the world thinks everything is fixed just because we’re in the Age of Hope and Change. Now, I am in no way slighting Team Obama’s battle to overthrow a global spirit of fear, because I think, and I always thought, that was awesome. But that we can just give up fighting our own personal, social, moral, civil battles because there isn’t a big bad man in power? That’s not what should be happening. It’s too easy to suddenly assume everything is fine now.

Things are not fine.

I still can’t marry my same-sex partner in Australia, people are still afraid to walk through their own cities at night, still being refused government housing because they ‘leave of their own accord’ when kids are putting bricks through their living room windows, Americans are still fucked over by health bills unless they can afford insurance.

As individuals and subcultures and generations of people we need to band together and drive through the message of change, we need to rally our best friends and bandmates and stand tall, and as the aforementioned Flobots say, fight with tools. We need to make our housing complexes and streets and neighbourhoods safer, fight for civil liberties it’s all too easy to take for granted. Clean up after yourself in town. Build an allotment. Organise self-defence classes, write to your representatives, vote when you are given the chance, the privilege. Play a charity show. Give blood because any biological male who has ever had sex with another biological male can’t. Sign yourself up to organ donation. Form support groups for mental illnesses (remember that sharing experiences and humanising invisible monsters brings light into the darkest of minds). Hold a vigil. Wheatpaste happy thoughts. Find a common interest. Make cupcakes. Help in the smallest ways to bring change.

Regardless of what the vox populi thinks, there is always something to sing about, there is always something to fight for. That’s what punk rock is and there is always a place in the world for punk rock, in our bedrooms and back yards, suburbs and cities. The smallest voice is still a voice. If you can use it, use it. We can’t make the world we live in a better, safer place with diffusion of responsibility- the world won’t change without you, without all of us, together.

further reading
the citizen’s handbook
the icarus project
voluntary resource information
got hope? (via causecast)

Interview with Matt Davies and Ryan Richards from Funeral For A Friend

TwoBeatsOff.co.uk’s first video interview with Matt Davies and Ryan Richards from Funeral For A Friend! Filmed at the Warwick University Summer Party on the 29/6/10 by Sin Popena and Laura Morris. Directed by Sin Popena. All other content by Robyn Hardman, Kate Cherrell and of course, the FFAF guys.



Sexism And Music by ninthandash

Originally posted by ninthandash in 2009

I’m not very articulate about certain issues. I get certain feelings and I have problems expressing them. Personal issues, I’ve never had a problem with, it’s been almost therapeutic for me to write them out. But ideas about right and wrong in terms of general bandom issues — feminism, sexuality, etc. — I find harder. Which is why I like reading other people’s so much — I sit there going yes, yes, that’s exactly how I feel but I’ve never been personally able to express it.

Anyway, that’s my explanation to why this article might be a little awkward. I have a problem with something I’ve seen but I’m not entirely sure how to express it. So instead of a well-formed opinion, this is more an informal article of a teenager attempting to work through the issues that she finds herself confronted with. I find at this age, more than anything, there are so many things that you feel you should have an opinion on, but the information just isn’t within your grasp. Combine this with the ever-present media telling you constantly what you should think and feel, and it’s difficult to form your own opinion. Sometimes, things just don’t sit well, but you don’t know why and there’s just no one around you to discuss it with and allow you to fully realise your thoughts on the matter.

So I was over on a music website today — this was pretty much the first forum I ever joined, and the first time I became a part of an internet community; I’m not so involved these days but I still visit it regularly and feel loyalty towards it and the people there — and I was clicking around and I came across the thread entitled ‘The Hottest People In Music’. I don’t usually contribute to those threads — my thoughts are usually people who may not be recognised as talented musicians, but who I find good looking — and these sometimes don’t go down so well on a site like this one, and I’ve worked hard on there to avoid the stereotype of the teenage fangirl.

But I was looking through it anyway — because, hey, who am I to deny myself some hot people in music — and all was well. But then I saw this post and I was like, “wait – what?”

Basically, it had three photos of a girl in music, I’m not sure who, and ended with the line ‘I thought I’d make it fair and put live/pro photos. She should just quit the band and model I think…’

She should just quit the band and model I think.

Something about this just didn’t seem right to me. Some inherent belief ingrained in that just hit a nerve, and I found it offensive. You know, I’m probably overreacting to this but I kind of couldn’t believe it. First off, if someone was saying that about me? I’d be kind of really pissed off. I can understand enjoying someone’s looks more than the music they make and it’s probably inevitable that it’s going to happen sometime. Sometimes good looking people made bad sounding music, I get that. Seriously, I find people hot and probably can’t stand their music at all.

But I don’t think that person should stop doing something that they enjoy in order to, what? Model?

I have issues with modeling, personally. I’m not going to pretend that my opinions apply to everyone — they don’t. As with most things, my opinion is what I personally feel. And modeling is something I could never do. Forget about the lack of self-confidence in the way I look, that’s not even my biggest problem. What it comes down to is that you are, essentially, making money from the way you look. It’s a shallow business, all about aesthetic perfection, and I’m not into that.

Also in modeling, if your face gets damaged, if you have any kind of disability or imperfection, it’s near on impossible to make it. I want to make it in an industry where it doesn’t matter what I look like because it’s about a talent that isn’t to do with my appearance. That’s a personal thing. I realise I’m probably projecting a lot of issues onto this person that they didn’t originally mean. I’m using their post as a starting point, and I realise that.

It just seems like such a stupid statement to make. I think X is hot, therefore X should stop what they’re doing in order to please me. In these situations I like to think about what would happen if the genders were switched, if a girl said ‘hey, X is so hot, they should be a model,’ and I can’t imagine it. Maybe it’s because of my own opinions or maybe it’s because I’m used to the girls in bandom who are, in my opinion, usually more mature and intelligent than a lot of the fans you get outside of the internet or in different places.

I’m comparing this situation in a context I understand and that could be the problem. I initially tried to imagine someone saying, ‘Hey, Frank Iero is so hot, he should stop playing music and model.’ And I can’t imagine that. I tried to work out why that was and I think it’s because everyone knows how much Frank Iero enjoys music and everyone that knows what he’s like on that stage can’t imagine him without that. But maybe that’s the difference, maybe this poster barely knows this girl. In bandom I do realise we are more involved with the musicians than perhaps we might normally be.

But in the same way, I can’t imagine showing a photo of, say, Frank Iero (MCR, Leathermouth) — using him as an example here — to anyone and them going, ‘Wow, he should be a model.’ But I can imagine that more if I showed them a photo of, say, Vicky-T (Cobra Starship). ‘She should be a model.’ But — and here’s where it gets complicated — I think, if it was a girl, it would definitely be meant in a different way. (I realise I’m stereotyping here and there are a lot of boys who would also mean this in the same way, I’m just generalising in order to explain this to myself.)

If a girl said, ‘Wow, she should be a model,’ it would be meant as a compliment. Maybe more along the lines of ‘She could be a model’, just, she’s really pretty. Whereas if a boy said ‘she should be a model’ they would mean it a lot more literally. Also, it’s less assumed that boys are models. When someone says ‘gorgeous model’ or even just ‘a model’, the person that springs to mind is usually female.

None of this is particularly important though, because the poster didn’t say she should be a model, they said she should quit the band and be a model and that’s what gets me the most. “She should quit the band.” Why is it his place to say that? It’s based on absolutely nothing except for the way she looks. If he had something to back it up, I don’t know, if he thought she wasn’t talented or the band wasn’t particularly good then I could understand it a lot more. It wouldn’t necessarily justify it to me but it would make more sense.

In conclusion, I would hope that my music would be taken seriously enough for people to concentrate more on that than my looks, and that they wouldn’t want me to give it up to concentrate on something else. I feel that if we let these kind of statements slip by without comment, we’re just reinforcing the patriarchal society that we live in, and it makes it OK for guys to say these kinds of things. The way we speak can, arguably, affect the world around us, and I don’t want my world to be determined by someone else’s opinion of what I should or shouldn’t do.