Yet Another Muddy Festival Has Come And Gone

OK, The Isle of Wight festival was a bit of a wash out this year but that doesn't mean it was a failure. After all, it was on the same weekend as Glastonbury normally is and that is always a mudfest! The line up for Isle of Wight this year was the best it's been for ages, in my opinion. So instead of remembering the terrible traffic, murky mud and wet wellies, let's remember it for the great music that was on offer over the weekend.

If you went and you're looking to relive some of the artists on show then this is your chance. If you didn't go this year then here are a few of the artists you missed out on.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - American Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNgt7U9QrFQ

Tom Petty is a musical legend and thoroughly warranted his headline spot on the Friday. I stumbled across this live version of American Girl on the Old Grey Whistle Test. According to the show, The Strokes stole the riff for their song Last Nite.

Pearl Jam - World Wide Suicide


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq-pA4R_EMM

Another legendary head-liner, this time on the main stage on Saturday. Pearl Jam have been making great record after great record for years. This is a lesser known single but it just shows the depth they have and how much they've changed over their 22 year career.

Best Coast - The Only Place

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoPoRuNTo9U

They played The Garden Stage on Friday and are completely at home in the festival scene. Their feel good indie folk is adorably catchy and suits a drunken sing-a-long. Something about this song makes me think they love living in California.

Primal Scream - Loaded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O9sLkn3nz0

Why they weren't on the main stage is slightly baffling but they still never disappoint. Once voted Scotland's greatest ever band (yes, they beat The Proclaimers) it is easy to see why.

Miles Kane - First of my Kind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5qz8TGH7yA

The one in Last Shadow Puppets that isn't Alex Turner is creating a great name for himself on his own. After leaving The Rascals, Miles Kane is now solo. He was on The Garden Stage on Saturday performing tracks from his debut solo album, Colour of the Trap.

Dry The River - No Rest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iUHfAChgBA

Yes, it seems folk is popular again, with a sudden influx of bands such as Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver. Dry The River are the latest to try their hand at the genre but with an indie twist. They were on just before Best Coast, their American counterparts. It's easy to tell the difference in moods from the citizens of California to the citizens of London.

So there we have several highlights from The Isle of Wight this year. Yes, I know I've missed a lot of great artists, but I don't have all day. We all know how good Bruce Springsteen is and Biffy Clyro and Noel Gallagher and Elbow and you get the picture. There was lots more going on besides this. To sum up, here's to a great festival season and to a sunny one next year.

I Have Been Working On A Script.

I'm quite proud of a television pilot I've been working on and I thought I would give you a little peak in to what it's all about.

In short, it's a mockumentary about an acting group from Milton Keynes who are putting on a musical about the reunion of the 90s pop band, Steps.

Obviously I can't put the whole script up but, to give you a taster, here are the first couple of pages. Due to formatting, it's easier by picture...

So there you go, that's all you're getting.

As for other things, I was sad to hear the news of Brian Hibbard passing away this week so in honour of him I feel I should put up an A ccapella song or six. A few of these were featured on Lauren Laverne's 6music show so thank you to her for playing them. A true musical legend, may he rest in peace. Enjoy...

The Futureheads - Beeswing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUghLcfXUGg

The King's Singers - I'm Yours
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PdABx0Xats&feature=related

Hans Zimmer - Spider Pig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R828rFd2aI

Anchorman - Afternoon Delight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-YZqH0vX_o

The Flying Pickets - Under The Bridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXI_IkDO4C0

The Flying Pickets - Only You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgDKtLPp46s

Some Cover Songs That I Like And Are Also Really Good...

There are a lot of songs around these days that sample older songs, blatantly ripping them off and tarnishing artists reputation (some prime examples being Stronger by Kanye West using Daft Punk, Professor Green using INXS - Need You Tonight, there are many more). However thankfully there are some brilliant covers out there by bands and artists that make the song their own without ruining the original.

So how do you do this? The best way is to take a song and completely change the way people look at it. Change the style of music, slow it down, speed it up but most importantly add your style to it. Why cover a song and make it sound exactly the same? It's pointless and it's boring. If you are a punk band and you want to cover Beyoncé, go for it, but make it punk. Don't change your style to match hers.

Also, don't sample a song. It's an easy way out. It means you've written a song but you need to borrow a hook or a chorus or a bass line of another artist. Easy. Anyway here are a few cover songs that take the original and completely change the way you look at it. Some of them make you forget the original and you might not even know that some of them were covers. Enjoy...

The Futureheads - Hounds of Love (Originally by Kate Bush)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcMAM9B7yAA

Originally a Kate Bush song, this propelled The Futureheads in to the charts. Taken from their first album this turns the wailing banshee's classic in to some melodic Geordie punk.

The White Stripes - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (Originally by Dusty Springfield)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp6A1KeXDC0

A brilliant blues rock cover of a Dusty Springfield classic that Jack White completely makes his own. What could be more perfect? Oh yes, Kate Moss pole dancing in the video. I forgot about that.

Cancer Bats - Sabotage (Originally by The Beastie Boys)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrlPuveLAAw

I love The Beastie Boys and I must admit to a sense of trepidation when Cancer Bats came out with this cover but it is fantastic. Yes, it's heavy, but it achieves everything The Beastie Boys did back in the day. They wanted to annoy people, they wanted to create chaos and they did back then. This is chaos for today's generation.

José González - Heartbeats (Originally by The Knife)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4_4abCWw-w

Yes, this song is a cover. Originally done by a Swedish electro pop band called The Knife. The difference between the two versions is monumental and the original is well worth a listen just for a comparison.

Jónsi - Time To Pretend (Originally by MGMT)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdBYv4e5XlU

Anything he sings is unique. This is a beautiful cover of an MGMT song performed in the live lounge on Radio 1.

Jamie Cullum - High and Dry (Originally by Radiohead)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otvsMONDksA

Jamie Cullum has done quite a few covers in his time but this one has always stood out for me. Turning an indie classic in to a piano driven jazz piece.

Queens of the Stone Age - Everybody's Gonna Be Happy (Originally by The Kinks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z68SxtmSzP4

Ray Davies is a genius. One of the greatest song writers of all time has one of his greatest works transformed in to an american punk gem.

Little Roy - Come As You Are (Originally by Nirvana)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1aEo4SkOWg

Who knew you could turn a Nirvana song in to a Reggae jam? Well, Little Roy did obviously. He made a whole album of Nirvana covers called Battle For Seattle. You should also check out Lithium and Heart-Shaped Box if you liked this.

So there we go folks, proof that not all cover versions ruin the original. It can be done. There are loads more and these are just a select few, feel free to add your own and hopefully one day people will stop sampling others and go back to the good old cover version. If you're going to do something, do it properly.

I Downloaded 2006.

Yesterday I decided that I was bored with the 4000+ songs on my iTunes so I started to download songs that I hadn't heard in a while. It began with Have Love, Will Travel by The Black Keys, a song that was ruined for me by the stupid LV adverts, however I felt the need to revisit it yesterday. Then, as youtube tends to do, it offered me suggestions about where to go next. I ended up revisiting my 16 year old self and thoroughly enjoyed it. Most of these songs were on NME compilations back in the day so if you were like me and listened to these bands about 5 years ago or you're looking for some new music, here are links to a few songs you may have never heard or you had forgotten all about...

First we have Elle Milano - Laughing All The Way To The Plank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_3oUp2NMXc

Secondly we have Milburn - Let Me Go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95wwjSEJ8Zs

Next is Boy Kill Boy - Civil Sin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXY7uTKciDE

Next is Bedouin Soundclash - When The Night Feels My Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlsBPH8O7q8

Also I downloaded Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You're Dead
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Fb4cEVyLU

If you enjoyed any of these songs you are my friend. Congratulations.

A Film That I Made With Other People

This is a film I made with 5 other people for university project. We got a great grade and some excellent feedback from people that have seen it. If you have a free five minutes and fancy a laugh then this is definitely for you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgNPgsVOHJg