Live Review: Newton Faulkner supported by Sam Brookes

Hello there, and welcome to my second gig review of the week! I have quite the jam packed schedule at the moment in terms of live music, with Bastille and Bombay Bicycle Club still to come next month! Excited. 

I actually saw Newton Faulkner back in October 2012, also at the 02 Academy in Newcastle; my cousin Mathew is a huge fan, so when the tour for his new album 'Studio Zoo' were released, I was expecting a text saying that we had tickets! I'm not strictly a massive fan of Newton's...I have all the albums and do listen to them now and then, but would never have gone to see him live if Mathew hadn't wanted to. However, saying that, he is definitely one of the best acts I've ever seen live, and thanks to 02 Priority, we got to be in the front row for the second time!

If you're familiar with Newton's music, you will know that he pushes the boundaries of what is possible when playing the guitar, and uses his incredible technical ability to create sounds and melodies that you can barely believe are coming from just one man! He uses the guitar as both a percussion and string instrument, providing booming rhythm and basslines from thudding the guitar in various places, and even changes the tuning of strings during some songs! The mind boggles. I think I prefer seeing him live because that's the only way you can witness the full impact of the genius of his guitar playing and effortless vocals, as well as his endearing and witty personality (I love the fact he makes cups of tea between songs!).

Also, in a rare occasion, Newton had some people accompanying him on stage! There was Beth Porter on the cello, support act Sam Brookes on guitar, bass and backing vocals (more on him later), and brother Toby Faulkner on vocals too. They didn't join in with every song, but having a group feel to certain numbers really lifted the whole show and, in my opinion, improved it from last year. 

There was a mix of tracks from each of Newton's 4 albums, with most being from his newest one, 'Studio Zoo', but also the big numbers he's probably most well known for such as 'Dream Catch Me', 'Teardrop', 'Clouds' and 'Write It On Your Skin', which was my personal highlight of the night! He always drops some unexpected covers in there too, and, not to spoil it for anyone seeing him soon, his rendition of a certain Justin Timberlake tune is both brilliant and hilarious. 

As previously mentioned, the support act was Sam Brookes, who definitely deserves a mention. When he walked on stage and started with a beautiful love song (the name of which I'm not sure of!), you could hear a pin drop as everyone in the venue was enchanted by his dreamy vocals and Newton-esque guitar playing. We even met him after the show to buy his album 'Kairos' and get our tickets signed! Support acts are really bringing it lately!

Sam Brookes

A brilliant performance all round, and someone I would definitely recommend seeing live!

Are you a fan of Newton Faulkner or Sam Brookes?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie.

The 1975: Gig and Album Review

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Hello there!

I've actually been meaning to write a review of The 1975's self titled debut album for a while now, but after booking tickets to see them live I thought I'd wait to include my thoughts from the gig too!

The 1975 first came onto my radar last summer, when their big singles 'Chocolate' and 'Sex' seemed inescapable! It felt like they shot to stardom overnight, especially when their album was released back in September and went straight to number 1 in the UK album chart. 

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This album was like nothing I have ever heard before; a little bit 80s (saxophone solo, anyone?), a little bit the indie of the 90s, and the rest melancholy electronica (XX-ish), the 1975 use a mix of sounds and influence to create something that is, to me, thoroughly new. From the dubstep beat of 'The City' all the way to the beautiful yet warped piano ballad 'Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You', this album fits perfectly together to make something that I just cannot stop listening to. 

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My favourite of the bunch is most definitely 'Talk!'; it's a cacophony of off-beat drums, atmospheric sound effects, wandering bassline and high pitched guitar strums, with lead singer Matt Healy's dreamy but angsty voice and relatable lyrics over the top. Just so cool. A close second is 'Heart Out', with a middle 8 to die for and the most cliche yet totally necessary saxophone solo I've heard in a while. My other personal highlights of the album are 'Settle Down', 'Sex' and 'Pressure', but to be honest, it's all pretty darn good.

On to the gig!

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I managed to get tickets to their sell-out show at the 02 Academy in Newcastle, Matt Healy's home town! And in homage to that, the lead singer wore the Toon Army black and white stripes (this caused some booing, which was immediately quashed!). The sound balance was all wrong at first and you couldn't hear the vocals at all, which got me in a panic! But it got sorted pretty quickly, and the show was a cracking one, playing most of the album as well as earlier tunes from their EPs. I wasn't sure what to expect of the band live, but they absolutely brought the songs to life, taking them from fairly easy listening to a really stage-worthy sound. 

The 1975 are big on visuals too, and that had a huge impact on the show; they've created a whole aesthetic around the band, with black and white imagery, grungy androgynous style and old school lighting that really brought the feel of the gig together. 

(There was also one support act that I feel I just have to mention; I'd never heard of Wolf Alice before Monday, but I'm definitely their newest fan! I recommend you all listen to them. Immediately.)

Here's a final gratuitous image of the rather beautiful Matt Healy.

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Probably the coolest guy in music right now.

Are you a fan of The 1975?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie.

My Trend Report for Jewellery Moments!

Hello everyone!

Just a brief post to say that I have written a SS14 Trend Report blog post for the website Jewellery Moments outlining the key trends of the new season and which catwalks they were seen on, and it would be amazing if you could give it a read!

Simply click this link!

Jewellery Moments is a website ran by the lovely Alice Thompson selling all manners of bespoke, unique handmade jewellery, and her new collection for the summer will be launching in a few weeks, so get yourselves there!

Thanks,

Sophie.