GLASTONBURY 2015

Its took two days of weeping before i could pluck up the energy to re open my faithful friend of last week, the 2015 Glastonbury festival app, unlike my many beers, the many friends i camped with and more importantly the weather, this handy device never let me down. It served not only as a location specialist at many times of need but it was also my memory's external hard drive, reminding me of where i needed to be and when. This was crucial at the festival that offers so much but so little time to do it in. It even worked in flight mode, it actually was the best thing since bread was offered up in slices. Perhaps most importantly though, without this handy tool i would probably not remember half the people i went to see and therefore would not be able to give you this stellar review of my week. So with a little help from my friend, here it is.

Fred Stitz - Lizard Stage

What a way to start the festival. Fred is a fantastic blues guitarist, full of slide technique and it really is just a show off of skill. If you are a guitarist like me though, its a delight to watch and eased me nicely into the festival on that Wednesday afternoon. 3 out of 5 (65 popcorns)

Prosumer - NYC Downlow Radio Room

It sounded boss. That's about as much as i can say, though the room it was in was far too small and sweaty to be in for longer than 15 minute spells. Braving the sweat though, the tracks he was blasting at our lobes were great, and i ended up meeting him the next day and getting a picture with the Steed. For that reason alone i think he's sound! 3 out of 5 (60 popcorns)

Wilko Johnson - Williams Green
Been giving Wilko a lot of air time since the lineup announcements were made, and his stuff with Roger Daltrey is bloody great, and live it was a good little set to get you in the mood for the rest of the day. Back in the night being a particular sing a long fave, it was short but sweet 4 out of 5 (80 popcorns)

Man Power - Beats Hotel

I don't think i have ever danced in Beats Hotel when its been empty. There was so much space to pull all my shapes that i had a blast. And I don't know much about Man Power, and in all honesty i cant actually remember much about the tracks that were played, but i know i had fun. so I'm giving it 2 out of 5. Not cos it was crap. because it almost certainly wasn't. but more because my old failing memory cant give it the same as the sets above. so 2 out of 5 (40 popcorns)

Gerd Janson B2B ATA - Beats Hotel

Beats hotel was a bit more full later on. And it was time to break out the steed, Steed was in his element. He even managed to bum an ostrich on a stick. We danced on tables and under orbs, and the tunes were bloody awesome. 3 out of 5 (70 popcorns)

Marcus Brigstocke - Cabaret

Wasn't sure what to expect from Marcus. I have seen him on panel shows on the tele box and thought the guy was humorous enough for sure, but stand up? Well the guy didn't let down, plenty of jokes about Glastonbury itself to make you laugh out loud uncontrollably and this would definitely make me want to part with some money to see him again away from the festival. 4 out of 5 (80 popcorns)

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Park Stage

This was simply fucking boss. Only just started getting into this band just before getting to the festival and they just rocked it. I was swaying like a lizard king. Possessed and lost in their delightful psyche styles. 4 out of 5 (85 popcorns)

Leon Bridges - John Peel Stage

Smooth as poo! A throwback to the good old days of soul and Motown music, it sounds authentic and classic though modern and fresh, it blew me away in all honesty and i will definitely be keeping an eye on this guys career as it progresses. He may as well take all my money now for when he tours 5 out of 5 (95 popcorns)

Alabama Shakes - Pyramid Stage

This woman's voice is just spiritual. I have a full and frank apology to make to this band because for about 3 years i dismissed them completely and didn't listen to them purely because for some reason i had them pegged down as one of those boring indie bands NME bang on about. I could not be happier for being so wrong, great set. THAT VOICE! 4 out of 5 (80 popcorns)

Tom Binn - Cabaret

I actually lolled. Lots. This guy is so funny it made my sides hurt. Basically he plays the character of a hospital radio DJ, who is playing tracks for people in the wards. The best joke is about the man he tells us about with the He-man figurine stuck up his arse , he then starts playing "There's something inside so strong" well that's plain genius for me. Actually brilliant 5 out of 5 (90 popcorns)

Lulu - Avalon Stage

To say i wasn't expecting this to be my highlight of the weekend is an understatement. But she was absolutely bloody fantastic, I couldn't help but love her to bits. Her stories about dating Marcus Gibb perhaps the only irritant, but in all honesty she could tell me about Mr Gibb as much as she liked if she was going to play like this. It really was boss. Obviously the moment of the set had to be Shout and it was my standout moment of the weekend. It was just so much fun, i could have stood there, danced and sung to this song for the rest of the bloody week and I'd still be asking for more of it 5 out of 5 (10000000000 popcorns).

Phuture - Genosys

Didn't know much about Phuture, as ever my handy pocked sized hipster Dave was on hand to push me in the right direction for this one. Early creators of acid house or something, well i fancied a boogie. The setting could not be more perfect either. Genosys is a remarkable looking set up, a tall monstrous looking building with flashing lights everywhere, it really is an epileptics worst nightmare.  The tunes were as monstrous as the stage, big belting thundering tunes that you were forced to dance to. 4 out of 5 (85 popcorns)

Jagz Kooner - Jag'z Acid Lounge

Had no idea who this guy was, we just stumbled in as something to do between Phuture and Erol Alkan later on, but what an introduction, we walk in to 20th Century boy blasting out, followed up by some Primal Scream, followed by I Feel Love by Donna Summer. Hook line and sinker. This was some blissful filler 3 out of 5 (65 popcorns)

Erol Alkan - Genosys

When it gets to 4:30am most people would probably safely say, I've had a decent night, might be time to get back to the tent and rest for the next day, But Erol Alkan says NO, don't be a bad whopper and dance to this. It takes a special DJ to keep everyone dancing till 6am. But the whole field of people who stuck it out know they got a treat. There were definitely some frazzled looking people toward the end but it was definitely worth it. Even Florence was there dancing away at the front. Evidence below

Courtney Barnett - Pyramid Stage

I like Courtney and i thought it was OK this set, but it didn't grip me. At times it almost felt too big for her this stage. I might be being harsh as i thought it was nice enough. but after being well and truly spoilt by the acts the day before, for me this one fell a little flat. 2 out of 5 (45 popcorns)

John Fairhurst - Glade

God damn i was not expecting this one. From what i had heard of Fairhurst when i checked him out before the festival, i was expecting a much mellower affair but what he served up was an onslaught of Hendrix style rock songs. It was guitar wankery at its absolute finest. 4 out of 4 (75 popcorns)

Men in Coats - Sensation Seekers

A cheeky little 20 minute slot for what was in essence kids humour. But as I'm a big kid, i loved it. Some of what they did was a little bit too similar which is probably my only criticism. But for a little bit of fun to break up the day of music, it was a nice little act 2 out of 5 (40 popcorns)

Burt Bacharach - Pyramid Stage

Excuse me while i put on my velvet smoking jacket and fix my cravat, i am ready for the smoothest of 60's tunes to grace my ears, Burt did not disappoint. This was a glorious run through of some of the best songs of that era. Its easy to forget how many of the songs of that time he was responsible for and its humbling really to be in the presence of the man himself to take you through them all. 4 out of 5 (85 popcorns)

Todd Terje & The Olsens - West Holts

 After seeing Terje in Liverpool only a month previous at an incredible venue like the bombed out church, it was worrying me whether he could live up to that night again. It started slow and sluggish for me. and 3 songs in i was a little worried. But thankfully it did pick up. I think the problem was that some songs worked better at the church in that setting, though one thing is for sure bringing the NYC Downlow drag dancers on for Norse was absolutely brilliant. However i still preferred the church so 3 out of 5 (70 popcorns)

The Moody Blues - Acoustic Stage

While most of the mugs were off to argue about whether Kanye West was actually good or not (And after watching it back when i got home, i would have to say its a resounding NOT) I opted for the Moody Blues, a choice i could not be happier with now. They were incredible, going from hit to hit effortlessly, Nights in White Satin was a heavenly moment. And then they brought the great man out himself for the encore, Michael Eavis, joined them on stage to rapturous applause. No cherry pickers or ridiculous light structures needed. Sometimes if your that good, you just don't need gimmicks to play a legendary slot Mr West. 5 out of 5 (100 popcorns)

The Mothership Returns: George Clinton, Parliament, Funkadelic & The Family Stone - West Holts

Half of this clashed with the Moody's which was a bit shit, but i caught about 30 minutes as they ran way over there time slot, and  I'm glad they did as what i saw was one quality funk out. Standing on my jack jones with a party steed under my arm, i danced away merrily. I got the funk for sure. I would probably be scoring them more had i seen the whole thing from a bit closer but i will have to give 3 out of 5  (70 popcorns)

Jon Hopkins - Park Stage

Sadly despite a mad run across to the other side of the festival i didn't see enough of this as i would have wanted to, when i got there tho i was greeted to a visual orgasm of lights. It was something to behold and tho i cant score it that highly as i only caught about 20 minutes. It was more than enough to make me want to see him again. 3 out of 5 (60 popcorns)

Patti Smith - Pyramid Stage

Sometimes you just know its going to be awesome, and i had a feeling when she first got announced that this was going to be a belter. And anyone who saw it surely felt they were not let down in any way. Patti was incredible. And definitely lays claim to some of the best quotes of the festival, after falling on stage, instead of letting it affect her, she rises to her feet and screams "Yeah i fell on my ass at Glastonbury cos I'm a fucking animal" Its just sensational from first moment to last. 5 out of 5 (100 popcorns)

Lionel Richie - Pyramid Stage

I think its safe to say after walking around Glastonbury for a few days that one of the names on every body's to see list was Lionel. There was even a bar in Shangri-la that was Lionel themed, the aptly named Shrinel Lionel. Could he possibly live up to the hype? Easy!  The ballads were beautiful and when he turned it up a notch with dance favourites "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "All Night Long" the whole field would be bouncing. It would simply have been a sin not to get up and dance. Lionel himself looked giddy with the reception he was getting from the crowd and this added to the fun atmosphere. 5 out 5 (95 popcorns)

The Zombies - Avalon stage

Perhaps my biggest disappointment of the weekend. I don't know what it was, had i been previously spoilt by others over the weekend or did they simply just fail to live up to my expectation, maybe a bit of both. Whatever it was, i didn't click with this. even the hits failed to stir. Absolutely gutted as i love the Zombies on record. I refuse to believe its just "cos they're old" as plenty of the old guard have give me plenty of amazing sets over the years, but on this day, it failed to live up 1 out of 5 (15 popcorns)

The Who - Pyramid Stage

This was a hard one. This was a good set. It had plenty of great sing a long moments and plenty of stuff to cheer about, so why do i feel like this was disappointing. I almost felt let down by the lacklustre ending. Where was the WOW? i just watched the fucking Who at the Pyramid. I saw them at Liverpool Arena a few months prior to this, and on that night, i got the WOW. Tonight, i didn't, it was a good set but it just wasn't a great set and in all honesty afterwards i wish i had opted for Chemical Brothers instead so for that reason 3 out of 5 (75 popcorns)

2 Many DJ's - Arcadia

In all honesty this was all about just standing under a magnificent mechanical spider that fires out flames, laser beams and beats. Its simply incredible to look at. Music was OK but its all about Arcadia itself here 3 out of 5 (70 popcorns)

I could have mentioned far more of the other stuff you get at Glastonbury within this. But i would never remember half of what i saw and to be fair you just need to go to experience how amazing it truly is. The detail that goes into the bars/clubs/stages is actually insane. And words cant do it justice. Its festivals within festivals and its truly special. I Shared my time with truly incredible people as well. And i would encourage anyone who has never been. Even if you don't like " the music" Come for the experience. Join our party. Dance under our steed. I guarantee it will be the best week of your entire life. Till next year. PEACE AND LOVE xx

Greg Wilson - Williamson Tunnels - Freeze - May 31st 2014

It was in a tent called Stonebridge, at the back of Glastonbury festival last year, that I first heard a set by Greg Wilson. My friend, an ever reliable source of information on all things danceable, had suggested we all make the journey over to this tent and I had no fear I was in for a decent night. This was far from a decent night; this was one of the best nights I have ever had in my 28 years on this earth. It truly felt special in that tent. My friends and I still constantly listen to this set when going to other nights to get us in the mood and I listen to it at work to get me through. In truth I will find any excuse to give it a cheeky listen. From the opening swirls of the Fatback Bands "I Found Lovin'" to the Rolling Stones "Honky Tonk Woman" at the end. I instantly feel happy and ready to dance. 

Let’s forward to now. May 2014 and Greg is playing in the Williamson Tunnels, Liverpool. Just walking around Liverpool at the moment seems to give you a buzz. We are being blessed not just by some fantastic football this year, but also by a thriving scene that is showing no signs of slowing down. We, in truth, are starting to get spoilt by some of the events being put on in this quite incredible city. I can’t be the only one feeling blessed to be around while this seems to be happening around us. The Williamson Tunnels is a cavernous venue. The dance floor seems to suck you in from the back of the room until you have helplessly shuffled your feet to the front. It feels like every note of every track bounces back off the walls of the tunnel and straight into your ears. So in many respects I could not have wished for a better venue for the second coming of Wilson in my life.

Freeze Event Poster

I'm not sure whether it’s coming across to you. But I had built this one up in my head long before this evening and sometimes there is no living up to the hype you can create. But it seems the dance Gods were with us for this one and not only had we already assembled a decent size dance crew to attend this evening, but a couple of extra mates were thrown in last minute after winning even more tickets. The Party Steed as ever would also be in attendance and so, conditions were suddenly perfect for another evening of Greg Wilson magic to occur. 

We arrive around 11ish and Derek Kaye is on before Wilson. This makes the night a little more exciting. At the Stonebridge set last year, Greg dropped a Derek Kaye remix of "Ain't Nobody" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, again it's one of those tracks that has stuck with me ever since that night. So I had been looking forward to what Derek had to offer. He didn’t disappoint. He started with Carly Simon's "Why" and over the first 60 minutes he gifted us more beautiful tracks; "Thinking of You" - Sister Sledge, "I'm Goin Out of My Head" - Late Nite Tuff Guy and then just before the hour mark he dropped my track of the night: "Suck My Sausage" by Voodoo Whiskey. 

I was already uncontrollably flailing and thinking "I’m John Travolta" by this point. Even before I heard "Turn the Music Up" by the Players Association but then he well and truly finished me off with "Soul Power" by Space Echo. It’s a stunning and mesmerizing 1 hour and 45 minutes. It's hard to believe that this isn’t the main act. It is that good. He did more than enough to convert me into a fan and I will be looking forward to any future opportunities to dance in front of this man.

Party Steed

It hardly seemed fair that after such a fantastic couple of hours already we were now to be treated to another couple by Greg Wilson. But I’m a greedy, greedy man and I was now salivating for the next part of this night. He continued where Derek left off playing those disco classics. "Oops up side your head" by The Gap Band and "Saturday Nite" by Earth Wind & Fire. But it was within moments of gracing us with his presence, Greg dropped  "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers. This was truly the special moment of the night. One of those times where you could feel everyone’s euphoria over a simple laid back track. Everyone can put their arms round each other and sing away. It's a simply flawless pick.

Wilson then began to shift upwards through the gears. We flowed effortlessly from the 4th gear disco vibes that had been the theme of the night to 5th gear. Absolute dance floor classics. "Good Life" - Inner City followed into hyper drive "Strandbar" - Todd Terje. I would happily dance to this song if it was on a two hour loop. Its pulsating bass line sends the heart racing, its samba beat sends you into a dancing fever and then that piano hits you and your body just loses control. It was hard to believe anything could follow this, but the tunes just kept on flowing. "Chime" by Orbital and "Blind", a Frankie Knuckles remix of Hercules and Love Affair.

Now reaching the final stretch, we were flipped back again to those classy disco vibes with Patrice Rushden’s "Haven't You Heard" before sending us out of this world with a psychedelic mix of "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles. Finally leaving us on America's "Horse with No Name". It was a perfect way to end by Wilson, as again we were left swaying and singing along. It was simply breathtaking to witness, a joy to be a part of and lived up to whatever hype I had set out previously. 

Whoever you are and whatever music you enjoy listening to, I find it hard to believe that you can't come to a night like this and let your hair down to music like this, played by DJ's who clearly know when and what songs to spin at any given moment, in sets as wonderful as these. I was converted last year and I’m sure anyone who was there on Saturday night was converted this year. Did you miss it? Fear not. Greg is playing another set in Liverpool at the Bombed Out Church in July. I would encourage you all to come along and have a dance. It may just change you in the way it changed me. I'll be the one at the front, in the dodgy shirt, thinking "Tonight, I'm Travolta"

You can listen to both sets and also the Glasto set by clicking the links below:

Derek Kaye's set  https://soundcloud.com/dj-derek-kaye/derek-kaye-live-set-freeze-williamson-tunnels

Greg Wilson's set https://soundcloud.com/clubfreeze/greg-wilson-freeze-williamson-tunnels-liverpool-310514

Greg's Glasto set https://soundcloud.com/gregwilson/glastonbury-stonebridge-27-06

FACEBOOK - Friend or Foe?

Facebook - FRIEND OR FOE?

It was perhaps on the first night i visited Pontins in Southport for Bugged Out that i understood how dominant facebook has become as part of general life. Only when i could not access it and the withdrawal symptoms occurred all weekend did i have this epiphany. In this far flung corner of Ainsdale, there was absolutely no signal running through my allegedly smart phone. I mean come on, surely in this glorious age of technology there would be a tiny whimper of signal anywhere on this globe, barring maybe the Sahara desert and in the middle of an ocean. But it certainly got me thinking about why i wanted access to it so badly.

In little more than ten years, if that, this behemoth of a website has immersed itself so far into modern day life. It is kind of difficult to remember the times we didn't have it. But of course we did. And before facebook, there was Myspace and before that my personal favourite as a horny 18 year old was MSN messenger. But in the glorious days of old, i certainly dont remember access to these sites being so universal, and it now feels that everyone and their mums has a profile page, and if you haven't got someone on facebook who lives within a ten mile radius, its hard to imagine they even exist.

 Obviously the improvement in technology has meant that every detail of your life can be posted within mere seconds, and for many of the people out there, this means our walls are constantly filled with gossip, bitching and general bullshit. But we soak it up every day, we can't get through a dinner break without a quick skim over our newsfeeds and we cant get through a train journey without posting a status about it.

But is this everyday essential really a positive addition to our lives. Or is this actually having a negative impact on our social lives. We speak to our friends through instant messages, we can tell them everything that happens over the web but sometimes this can stop us from actually making plans to go and see people and tell them our stories face to face. You can sit in any bar on any given day and you are likely to see a group full of friends. Sitting with their phones out probably talking to each other over facebook. But no words are heard from their actual mouths.

And obviously another advantage of facebook is that we can do mass invites to all those parties/gigs/events we want all our friends to go to. Right? Wrong. And what do we do? We hit that maybe button. Poor turnouts can be found at any night that rely on facebook advertising. The best way to fill a room is still to spread the word yourself by talking face to face with people.

I could probably list a whole host of other things that grind on me every day when looking at my facebook news feeds, i hate how many kids photos are put up of kids doing fuck all with the hash tag bobbies first gargle, i hate it how now when celebrities die the rip bandwagon drives through my feed all day, i hate seeing those attention seeking girls posts that reads "OMG i am just so pissed off with life right now" and hate it further still when those creepy guys comment back "HUGS", i hate how many shit meme's are posted with the words "FUNNIEST THING EVER" above it and don't even get me started on Necknomination.

With all that said, there must be some redeeming features, and of course there are. Last months incredible no make up selfie campaign which raised all that money for Cancer research being a prime example of how good facebook can be when used in the right way, but my point is that so often we abuse this gift. We are all completely connected with each other every minute of the day, And too often our lives our full of the junk that is posted and the good shit is forgotten about, wedged between a post that reads "22 problems all people with resting bitch face will understand" and one that reads "Like and share this to win a free domino's pizza"

But hey, i am no facebook saint. i want my like count to rise and rise just as much as the next guy. And that really is the sad aspect of facebook. Too much is set up for people who just seek admiration on every detail of their life, instead of actually finding the admiration of that moment in their life. Is this rant a complete hypocrisy. The cynics among you will undoubtedly be saying "yes it is, as you are putting your views out there to see if anyone else shares it and clicks that glorous like button" And i couldn't really argue. Such is the nature of facebook, everything you say or do or share, is constantly scrutinised by your facebook acquaintances and yet we still do it.

Perhaps the point of this blog is purely just to see if anyone else is as frustrated as i am, at how much we cant live without this website that most of us will probably say we hate 50% of the time. But will i be deleting my account? No! Will i go and check my newsfeed now i have finished this blog? Yes. And to quote Mark Zuckerberg "The question isn't, 'What do we want to know about people?', It's, 'What do people want to tell about themselves?' I implore anyone who reads this though to make sure we don't waste what facebook can offer us, and use it for good, and for pity sake if i write a status. Hit Like!

The Answer, Liverpool O2 Academy, Thursday March 20th 2014

The Answer – Thursday March 20th 2014

I awake from my slumber in the afternoon after a rather heavy night out in Ormskirk the night before. I had accidentally attended a night dubbed “Rock Night” at Styles in Ormskirk. I will always admire people who get up and do something like run their own night, when most people, myself included, always ramble drunkenly about setting up our own nights, but never actually go out and do it. But I do wonder when looking around the room of this bar last night at the very small congregation of people, none of whom look entirely interested in rock music, whether the organiser thinks it’s worth it. Poor song choices like a truly awful metal version of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky that I care not to hear any time again, it gets me to think has Rock had its day? There are crowd pleasers though. Alien Ant Farms cover of “Smooth Criminal” and songs I haven’t heard since My Chemical Romance went swiftly out of fashion. But the problem is there is no crowd to please.

It is this lingering feeling I have mused on the night before that gets me apprehensive about my plans for that evening. I’m off to see one of my favourite modern rock bands. Generally within the last 20 years this has been a genre that has fell out of fashion, and usually it is only the bands that were there in rocks heyday that can actually pull off a decent show. There are thankfully a few exceptions and the Answer are most definitely one of those bands. Great live with some terrific classic rock songs that actually don’t sound outdated, they may not be as big as the behemoths of 70’s rock music. But their songs sit comfortably alongside them on my Ipod.

I had seen them numerous times before. The first time thanks to a particularly poor line-up at Download Festival, where I stumbled on to them in the early stage of their career. In a small tent with not many of us knowing who they were or what we were in for, they completely blew everyone away. It was enough to make me rush out and buy their debut album Rise. The years passed and 3 more albums later, I have caught them 3 times since and every time they have surpassed my expectations. But now I sit here wondering what fate was in store for rock music and rock nights after the poor showing the night before.

Doors are at 7pm. fashionably late we arrive at Liverpool’s O2 Academy at 7:45, fully expecting to walk in and be ready for the first act. Entering the room, the small turnout can’t be ignored. My fears of the previous night realised. Rock just does not draw big crowds anymore. Undeterred my buddy and I head for the bar, small crowd or not, we were here to drink beer and give support to a great live act. And who turns up for a support band anyway, the people would come later. My next big shock comes after getting a pint put in front of me and the bargirl stating “That’s £4.50 please” I will never understand how venue’s like this feel they can hike the prices up. It is little wonder why most of the crowd have opted to come later and enjoy a beverage somewhere else until The Answer come on.

Unfortunately then, support act Black wolf take to the stage with not many people to encourage. It is a decent enough effort from all involved on stage though, in particular a fine display from the drummer who hammers through the set and makes sure those in attendance are thumping to his beat. You can’t fault the enthusiasm shown. Perhaps a little lacking in their own style and sound they more than make up for it with the energy needed when playing for a smaller crowd. Half way through song “Moving Mountains” the song turns and with some delicious guitar lead, I am now more than a little interested. And the highlight of their set is new single “Keep Moving On” This is what we want from rock music, great riffs and a good groove to move along to. And then a chorus that makes singing along inevitable.

Endlessly they try to pep up a lacklustre crowd but to be fair they are hardly inspiring with very standard shouts of “Sing after me HEY HEY HEY”. Unless you are James Hetfield, this just sounds a little forced, and clearly shows this band although clearly rich with energy have perhaps not found their own sense of identity yet and when the singer attempts “Sing after me WOAH” which in all honesty sounds very flat. Again it shows a band and a vocalist with limits. There are enough good riffs and certainly great lead guitar moments to carry this band through though. And with their debut album just released, there’s plenty of room to improve.

Forgivingly when I turn around at the end of the set I do realise now the crowd has started to arrive. Still nowhere near as many as I expected but more none the less. Some overpriced lager later and the excitement builds as we await the Answer to arrive on stage. I wonder whether I am about to witness the same level I have seen previously with this band. Within moments of frontman Cormac Neeson taking to the stage, all worries I have are long gone. Exploding into new song New Horizon from the new album of the same name, there is now a new energy within the crowd that had failed to be seen previously in the evening.

Glorious use of the harmonica, every frontman’s favourite accessory, in song “Trouble” you understand quickly that this bands secret is that they clearly love playing this music. This is a band smiling throughout. And when crowd pleaser “Under the sky” takes the night to a dizzying high, the crowd are smiling too. All the elements you come to expect from a live rock band are thrown in. A Drum solo intro into new song Concrete performed impeccably by James Heatley on the pots and pans. Followed by a cover of Rory Gallagher’s Cradle Rock, which in all honesty is just an excuse for lead guitarist Paul Mahon to show off his incredible talents. All the elements you expect from a live rock act but not over the top or tedious as with some lengthy interlude solos.

Nowhere Freeway, refreshingly done with just acoustic melody, sends shivers down the spine. Its delicacy is a really great moment sandwiched within the harder rock anthems. Upon saluting the whiskey drinkers within the building and gliding through the superb “Memphis Water” and crowd shout out favourite “Come Follow Me”. Inevitably the band retire to backstage while the crowd chant and cheer for the encore we all know we were going to get. Surprisingly they reappear with the song “Comfort Zone” for me the only mistake in an otherwise glorious set. This slower number for me not right for an encore but its more than made up for with the next song. My personal favourite “Preachin” and to be fair, it’s the song of the night. Not only does the slide guitar in this song inspire the entire room to be swinging their hips, banging their head and singing the last of what their throats will offer. But we are treated by a remarkable touch of class from Cormac who not content with just singing at the front of the stage, climbs over the barrier and into the crowd, singing within the middle of his captivated audience. He lowers everyone down to the ground for the tender middle of the song before jumping us back up when it crashes back in. It sends the crowd into biblical euphoria as he continues his preaching sermon “I'm gonna get me religion, ooh I'm gonna join the Baptist church” It’s a rapturous ending and will send everyone away with beaming Cheshire cat style mouths.

On reflection, rock may not be in the forefront of the album charts anymore, but I for one am pleased that bands like The Answer are still flying the flag for this type of music. And I encourage anyone who is into this genre of music to show their support and get down to these gigs. I feel too many rock fans are apathetic with their support and it’s such a shame amazing bands like this can’t fill smaller venues out. I will be back next time The Answer come to visit us, will you?

Check out The Answer http://www.theanswer.ie/

Check out BlackWolf http://www.ukblackwolf.com/

A Bugged Out Weekender - Sunday March 9th 2014 - DAY 3

A Bugged Out Weekender – Day 3 – Sunday 9^th March 2014

The 3^rd day of a festival is often accompanied by the missing of my bed, the longing for a wash and is usually the day I start to long for home. Tired and running out of money, I say to myself that I shall take it easier on this third day knowing full well I’m in work the next day and that I have to drive to get there. But as with the other days I soon realise this is a different type of festival and that in turn means I feel slightly different about the day ahead.

Awaking from my slumber as the clock hits 3pm. I have optimistic thoughts of what we can do this afternoon before getting tucked in to some glorious dancing once again. Again I immerse myself into the luxury of getting a shower in the morning and freshening up. Why can’t every festival come complete with a private chalet? And Unlike most festivals where my money starts dwindling the closer I get to the end, I am astounded to look into my wallet and find a handsome amount of cash. This is no doubt due to the price of a beer being £2.30, half what you would pay at any Leeds, Reading, Download type festivals. And there was no reason to part with my hard earned money here by throwing it away on fair rides and overpriced beef burgers. Here at Pontin’s, the mini golf, the go karts and the family bikes are all free.  

The weather slightly gloomy but staying dry, it is time for the chalet mini golf tournament. We grab the clubs from reception, one a toddler’s size and one slightly larger but about as straight as a banana. Hey it’s free, what did we expect. We make our way over to the course. And looking ahead at hole 1, it is clear early on that this is well in need of a lick of paint and some of the obstacles should probably have been condemned long ago. It suddenly dawns on me that this is a mini golf course that hundreds if not thousands of kids must come to play on every summer season. But what we find on our way around is ramps that don’t work, holes that look like they have been cut through by a blind man and perhaps most disturbing are the dolphins which seem to have been mutilated and left to rot. Not the most children friendly environment and I’m sure many a kids dreams have been haunted by the sight of those dolphins upon a visit to Pontins. No score card was kept on the way round, but I’m confident I won, though I’m sure this may be disputed by the other players who all claim they won too!

After seeing the standard and maintenance levels displayed on the golf, we decide to body swerve the go karts so that we don’t die and instead opt to part with some of our cash by getting a clay oven pizza for £7. I can’t stress enough how delicious this pizza was, worth every penny! Then we decide to drink away our disturbed thoughts over those maimed dolphins in the pub next door. Unsuccessful we then head to the chalet to plunge more alcoholic concoctions down our throats in order to make the last night as good as the others. It works and by the time we head out we are nicely merry ready to dance the heels further off my Chelsea boots.

Leaving a little later than planned the first act we get in to watch is Boddika. Upon entering the room it is obvious that this is a harder techno than what had come the previous nights. And in all honesty I am not convinced that the weary souls on day 3 of a festival can handle the harsher tones being served up. I head to the bar, a mistake in itself, I time from the minute I get my body to the bar to the time I get served. 35 minutes. It’s utterly ludicrous service and to be fair most of the staff show their discontent towards the crowd, rather than wear a smile on their face. Deciding to make a point half way through being stood there, I attempt to alert a staff member to my long wait, he decides to ignore my complaint, instead grumbling about how the staff did not know this event was taking place before the weekend and that they were not happy. Like it matters, it’s your job to serve drinks, now where is my pint dickhead?

Somewhat forgivingly, eventually I get my lager, and I’m away to the dance floor, I had heard a lot of Boddika’s set while grumbling at the bar, and I soon realise that perhaps this was the perfect musical accompaniment to a last night. Tired souls and tired legs would probably be flaking out had the music been slightly less aggressive, and the thumping techno beats certainly woke me up. A new Radioslave tune is served up called “Don’t Stop” it isn’t released yet but it explodes through the room, look out for this one when it comes out. Boddika ensure that no weary passengers are thinking of an early exit this evening.

Intoxicated with the techno and booze and putting all my energy into my ridiculous dancing technique, I miss the point Boddika finishes and Joy Orbison starts. Embarrassingly turning to my friend to ask “What time does Joy Orbison start mate?” “Er… he came on half an hour ago” How the fuck did that happen. The techno was melting my brain. Sure enough we had brought the steed out to the big disco again and sure enough everyone flocked to him to say their farewells and let him guide them to a glorious last night. Hoisted upon high, and pumped hard up and down to the bass, he was looking after me now and not the other way around.

After Joy Orbison comes Carl Craig. One of the big Detroit techno names and certainly the act I was looking forward to most on this final evening. I am not to be disappointed, this would be a glorious release of my inhibitions as I throw my hands in the air on numerous occasions, the energy in the room is not tailing off one bit. The room is like a furnace and the sweat is dripping off our faces but everyone there loves every moment, Carl plays “Blackwater” by Octave One and sends the whole room in to euphoria. “How to play our music” By Reece and Santonio further mesmerises the captivated disciples in the room, it’s an incredible penultimate set.

And then as the hours were falling away we come to the last act on a quite remarkable weekend of dance music. And entertaining us at the very end would be Dave Clarke, a name which perfectly fits Bugged Out and its anniversary celebrations. Picking up the energy immediately where Carl Craig left off. There is no time to rest as the set starts off with the same intensity as the previous acts. Everyone in attendance determined to give it their all for the last act, the room is bouncing. Dettman’s remix of Bad Kingdom by Moderat sends the steed sky high once again, and then All Day by Gingy & Bordello remixed by Robert Hood finishes any ounce of control I have left. With every beat my body is more and more lost to Dave’s control. It is a stunning end.

As the set ends and the crowds start to disperse, I try and find fault with this Bugged Out Weekend and I honestly struggle. It has been one hell of a journey the last three days and inspired by some great DJ’s and some awesome new friends on the dance floor and of course our very own party steed, every soul walking away that night can start their journeys home the next day with smiles on their faces. And so it’s a congratulations to the organisers on converting me completely to this festival. I will be there next year for sure. Perhaps it won’t be at Pontin’s Southport, as to be fair the only criticisms would be aimed at their lacklustre staff and dodgy mini golf. But wherever it is, I’ll be there, with the heels of my Chelsea boots fixed and ready for another stellar weekend.  Roll on next year!

A playlist of tracks from this night can be found here http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJGKdp0TfS-cqPJ7FKWYjtaE8uuRZOKCP

A Bugged Out Weekender - Saturday March 8th 2014 - DAY 2

A Bugged Out Weekend – Day 2 – Saturday 8^th March

It is when I awake on Day 2, I realise what a glorious situation we had found ourselves in at this festival. No scrambling around in a small tent, with the almost impossible task of brushing teeth with a water bottle while hung over to buggery. Here I arise at 11am, from an actual bed, with an actual pillow and perhaps somewhat fortunately no banging headache. A little groggy I delve right into the shower the chalet provides. The shower room light flickering away like a bad horror movie, I am undeterred and absorb myself into the luxury set out before me. I suddenly realise the gods have smiled down at me, I am clean and I feel fresh and best of all, no hangover!

After awaking my chalet mates and telling them of the good news. We set out to find the pub on site, The Queen Victoria. Today is FA Cup Quarter Final Day and I am a big Everton fan and we are playing Arsenal for a chance to go to Wembley. I have bought a scratch card from the shop and won £3 (It Cost me £2) and feel this is a good omen, victory is all but certain. Upon finding the pub, we are met with a blank screen, and most people are still sat down having their breakfast. It’s a little early and kick off isn’t for half an hour. So we order our pints and decide to wait. It is here we first realise that perhaps not everyone was feeling as fresh as ourselves, with our party mascot “The Steed” in tow. We realise that carrying around a horse this early was not the best tonic for the people who had over immersed themselves into the substances the night before.

@PartySteed

I’m not sure I know who to blame for the next 90 minutes of my life. But a lot of people are in the firing line. First off, the blame lies with Pontins. Firstly for putting on the wrong game for the first ten minutes, secondly for there being no sound to accompany the first half and thirdly because the expert channel hopper who eventually found the right game, did so at the moment Arsenal scored! I also have to mention that I blame Arsenal for being better than us on the day and Everton for letting me down again in a quarter final. We lost 4-1. There was now only one thing to do to get over the result, and that was go to the pool party.

I was told of a pool party earlier in the week, excitedly I packed my Bermuda shorts ready for a picturesque dance next to some scantily clad ladies in bikini’s, drinking and splashing about while 2 Bears played old school Ibiza style dance music to accompany the setting. It turns out that in my head I had hopped on a plane and gone to Ibiza Rocks instead. Upon entering the pool area, I soon realise this was not what I had envisaged. 2 Bears are playing but the music feels almost secondary as no one in the pool is paying any attention to them and instead most are throwing the rather large inflatables at each other for entertainment instead. That being said I strip to my bermuda’s and decide to take on the croc run. A giant inflatable assault course shaped as a crocodile. Kid’s stuff I snigger as I stand at the side waiting for my go. And as my first foot bounces off the crocodile I fall helplessly sideways into the pool. How embarrassing. Inevitably I do what everyone else has decided to do at this “pool party” and that is having a go at throwing the ridiculously oversized pool inflatables up into the air, before getting out, drying off and leaving.

Pool party

The second night of acts were upon us. And tonight after the success of the steeds outings to the pub and pool earlier, we decide why not take our horse with us to the big disco as well. Though inevitably going through the vigorous search process with a toy horse under your arm, certainly warranted some unwanted attention from the big burly bouncers.

Ten walls are on in room 1, which will be our first act of the night after opting to drink a lot more in the chalet this evening rather than take our chances with the bar service. I feel that this would have been better served in the early hours though rather than the 10pm time slot it was given. A huddle of girls taking selfie’s at the very front rather than listening to the music told the story of a crowd not really knowing what they were supposed to be doing. Then comes the irresistible synth tune “Gotham”. The crowd instantly more onside and paying attention, this song is one of the big house anthems at the moment and really is the highlight.

Ten Walls

We now make the move into the more preferred room 2. There is just something about this room that seems to make it a better atmosphere, the bar decked with the slogan “It’s just a big disco” and “Viva Acid House” this you feel is where the party people and the music lovers have come to let loose this weekend, and we are not disappointed when Kerri Chandler pops up next. A behemoth of the house scene, Chandler hurls us all into madness. It is tune after tune of explosive house anthem and I can’t stop my dancing feet. Personal favourite Chic "I Want Your Love" destroys all my inhibitions and forces me into a frenzy of shape making. Many ask how I dance in my Chelsea boots, well as long as brilliant DJ’s like Kerri are playing, those winklepickers will be moving fine. He ends with MK's "burning" and it is an immaculate finale, everyone throwing themselves to the vibe.

Heidi continues the party on stage and it’s halfway through her set when I first realise the attention our friend the Steed is receiving, wave after wave of girls coming to give him a kiss and party revellers taking him above their shoulders and pumping him up high, he is their party mascot for the evening and it adds to the occasion. Murmurs of a Mixmag party now start to surface around the room. This party would take place in one of the chalets we were all staying in, and as Jackmaster takes to the stage, we ask him if he is playing, he is and even he now takes the steed and hoists him into the air. This was going to be a special night!

Jackmaster

An intense build up at the start of Jackmaster’s set really increases the energy around the room. Everyone ready for the moment the beat drops and then the madness begins. Incredible party tunes from a DJ who really knows what songs to spin to get everyone dancing like crazy. There was an incredible feeling between crowd and stage as the other acts, as well as host Heidi danced away together and raised their drinks, saluting this magnificent set from the Glaswegian. Fast becoming song of the weekend Todd Terje’s “Delorean Dynamite” thrust us into a frenzy and the only downside to this set was the fact that it ended.

But all was not lost, we had been told of chalet 951. And at 6am we were on a mission to find the Mixmag Chalet party, after a couple of wrong turns, we had done it. Only to have the door well and truly shut “I’m sorry, there is already far too many people in here” Our heads down and our eyes like puppy dogs, we were about to turn away in disappointment, when in a flash the door swings open. A god of a man in a yellow basketball shirt bellows and screams “There is still plenty of room in here” we charge through the door and into the party. It is crammed, hot and sweaty but we were in.

Jackmaster had made his way over too, already stood behind the decks in this tiny room. A tequila bar stood where was once a chalet kitchen and drinks were free. Everyone in attendance revelling that they were one of about 60 people who would get to witness this special set. The door was now locked and everyone inside told “No one gets in and No one leaves” No one is bothered and a  big cheer erupts as Jackmaster explodes into “Delorean Dynamite” once again. And to truly emphasize how small this party was, it was in this moment that someone leant on a plug socket and mistakenly turned the power off. For a couple of minutes, the party was halted. “Put another £1 in the meter” was the cry showing no humour was lost. The party is soon on again, with some glorious moments, Jackmaster plays Prince’s Controversy and Purple Rain back to back for the real hands in the air moment with everyone singing along.

Jackmaster @ Mixmag Chalet Party

It is around 8:30am when the party starts to wind down, but not before Jackmaster cries the eternal words of “Tops Off” no one argues and suddenly everyone is waving their shirts above their heads wildly as we dance to the last couple of tunes. As we all leave that miniature chalet, it’s a feeling of utter euphoria. What a night this had been.  The football result long forgotten, a heel now breaking on my Chelsea boot from excessive dancing but in our hearts a love for life and moments etched forever in our memories.  It was a night that those in attendance will not forget in a hurry, this was the night we could say we were there.

A playlist featuring some of the songs from this night can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_PzTxqJEDw&index=2&list=PLJGKdp0TfS-fW5uuGGIOUglRkYeoW2GzA

A Bugged Out Weekender - Friday March 7th 2014 - DAY 1

A Bugged Out Weekend March 7th DAY 1 – FRIDAY NIGHT
I have often drove between Southport And Liverpool in my life, and on occasion this takes you down the coast road, past the old Pontins in Ainsdale, a place that from the outside, you could quite easily mistake for some prisoner of war camp that has been left to ruin. All fenced off and about as appealing for a family holiday as a rotten fruit bowl. It came as somewhat of a surprise to me when I was told that this year a reputable promoter had chosen this location to be responsible for  the festival marking their 20th anniversary .
 This was Bugged Out Weekender 2014.

This festival was boasting a rather impressive line-up, which included a whole host of reputable DJ’s and i had managed to blag a weekend ticket with accommodation in one of Pontin’s fine family chalets which I would share with 3 friends and 1 Steed (We'll come to the steed later) Despite the location being dubious, I was packed and excited for an enjoyable weekend of drinks, dancing and electronic music. So we bundled ourselves into my ever trustworthy car Betty, and headed out on the 20 minute short journey from my home in Ormskirk to the weekends biggest party.

Upon arrival about 6:30pm, we drive through the main gates of the Pontins complex, there is already a decent crowd gathering outside the main building which was housing the festival itself. After a rather strange half arsed search of the vehicle by some security men, which included opening my boot full of suitcases and declaring “I have nothing to declare sir”, we were on our way into the main building feeling fairly smug that we were  going to skip the big queue that had formed outside already, we were going straight to the press office to pick up our chalet keys. Its times like this you can feel high and mighty , almost pompous at how grand we were compared to everyone else, we are humbled back down to earth quick enough when handed our bed sheets for the weekend in a bag. We shall not be receiving too much in the way of VIP treatment here!

"Don't you know who i am?"

We enter the Chalet, room number 299, our home for the next 3 days. Its basic but convenient enough,  close to the main building, easy staggering distance back home after the nights festivities. We all agree, this would be for the best. Aside from an almost unbearable strobe effect coming from the toilet light, and a realisation that the pitiful excuses for hangers would be hanging no jackets ever again, we could hardly grumble at our new abode. Pleasantly surprised, we get pre drinks out the way and head to the main building for our first taste of the entertainment laid on for us.

It is here we realise what a thorough search involves. The security are cutting no corners here and invade our wallets, cig packets, coat pockets and any crevice we have upon our persons searching for the obvious disco biscuits the many clientele will be trying to smuggle in this weekend to accompany their night. This was to be a regular theme of the weekend for any smoker who would attend this festival and often hefty lines are formed outside the main doors. Some of us being searched 8 times an evening by the same security guard who continually asks what I plan to do with the plectrums I have in my jeans pocket. By the end of the week however most are done with gentle banter as we start to recognise each other. “You have touched me more this weekend than my girlfriend has” being a popular awkward moment killer. The security do a stellar job but it has to be said they are probably fighting a losing battle. And over the weekend it is obvious that many punters have been clever enough to get their supply in anyway.

We head to room 2 where you can count the number of people in attendance on one hand and then to room one, where there is not a soul in sight. We soon find out why, the party had started, but in room 3. In here we find Nadia Ksaiba, who plays a belter of a set and starts the evening off very nicely with digitally magnificent sounding electro, followed by LDMS (Liverpool Dance Music Society) in all honesty, its no thrills from the lads here, but it’s decent enough to get the room going.

Perhaps inevitably Friday night really hots up when we go and see Kolsch in room 2. An Outstanding set which I just could not help throwing shapes to from start to finish. From here the night continues to grow and suddenly I realise I am enjoying myself far more than I thought I would be for a festival here at Pontin’s. And despite the ridiculously poor bar service, which was unfortunately a staple of the entire weekend, the drinks flow and the night gets better and better.

Into room 1, Todd Terje is about to make his appearance. This is one I have been particularly looking forward to, it starts a little slowly, and I am nervous that perhaps this one could be a little overhyped in my mind, but with the irresistible new tune in tow “Delorean Dynamite” the set ignites. A fantastic long ensemble of another new track “Spiral”, followed closely by the heavenly bounce of “Inspector Norse” in the end this is a set that leaves no one disappointed. And I struggled to rid my mind of the beat to Eurodans well into the next day.

Erol Alkan draws the crowd into room 2 again, and unfortunately for me the set feels a little bit flat to begin and really fails to get me going up until the last half an hour. That being said, the half an hour were he picks it up, is outstanding, my particular highlight being “A Hold On Love” which certainly made me nostalgic for my old Ibiza dance CD’s.

Following Erol is Andrew Weatherall back to back with Daniel Avery, two DJ’s who separately i have seen blow me away within the last year. However this B2B session doesn’t do it for me. It feels distorted and was lacking anthem for 3am in the morning and feeling like the night was slipping away from us. It is in this moment my friend makes a suggestion about going to see Dixon instead for an hour in Room 1 and returning to catch the end of Weatherall/Avery instead.

This suggestion proved to be more than profitable. Dixon has been ranked as the number 1 DJ in the world. However I have never been overly keen, and much to my own stupidity and ignorance, had very rarely given him the opportunity to prove to me why this reputation exists. Five minutes into his extraordinary set, I saw the error in my ways and the value of having friends who steer you in the right direction. The whole room exploded into delicious dancing chaos. The smoke filled the room to the point of blindness, as the lights flashed the only colours before your eyes. This made the whole set a monster of the senses. And most of the tunes served up were the perfect tonic for anyone flagging in the early hours. Dixon expertly inspired tired souls into giving their all right to the end.

Dixon had stolen the show. Pontins had miraculously hosted an unforgettable night and Bugged Out weekend had kicked off with a very loud bang! Forgivingly with our chalet close to the main building, the drunken stumble back home could be enjoyed with the favourable memories of a cracking night. Day 2 surely could not top this opener? Or could it?

Playlist for anyone wanting to check out any artists mentioned above https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJGKdp0TfS-cysoSfLkUPWFdUWb2zlspe