Pictures

LAF Night at the B2

Last night's gig at the B2 in Norwich turned out to be a fantastic success.

Elliott Islington (www.myspace.com/elliottislington) opened the night with his first ever gig, unsurprisingly nervous, Elliott managed a brilliant 30 minutes, and set the scene for a fun-filled evening! His choices of cover versions were welcomed by the crowd, and his own songs were accomplished and well crafted.

Sam Rodwell (www.myspace.com/samrodwell), a good friend of Elliott's continued the evening, belting out a strong set, again with some great cover versions. A man with a set of lungs and not afraid to use them, and fantastic skill with a guitar.

Next up was Sam James Hill (http://www.myspace.com/samjameshillmusic), whose looping and crazy sound effects absolutely wowed the crowd, a set which was impossible not to be mesmerized by, full of quirks and surprises, coupled with luscious Sigur Ros style melodies and unmistakably English vocals.

Finishing the evening were the only full band setup of the evening, Harrowdown. The Norwich 3-piece played a great set reminiscent of some of the heavier, grungier Sonic Youth material. A fitting end to a wondrous evening!

My thanks to the venue, artists and everyone who helped, get on down to the next Load Aim Fire night, again at the B2, on the 25th of August this time! (I should really get that sorted out shouldn't I?)

Pics to be uploaded very soon.

Peaaaace

Ben

LAF 

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Glastonbury 2009

What a year for Glastonbury it turned out to be. I think a lot of people are getting caught up in some competitive element between festivals and their lineups, personally, I think they should all be celebrated- we all love live music, right?

As ever, Mr. Eavis provided us with controversy, diversity, and most importantly, damn good tunes! So what were Load Aim Fire's highlights?

4. Ghost Town- The Specials

They've still got it! A song that resonated through a country in such dire straights when it was released has its chance to shine again, so fitting, and so well delivered.

3. White Lies cover Dancing in the Dark:

A cheeky cover version from a band causing big waves in 2009, performed during their slots on both Friday and Saturday.

2. Deadmau5!

A late addition to the Glastonbury lineup, this guy's reputation is really starting to grow, and the fact that such a forward thinking musician can be included in this festival displays a hunger for new music at festivals as well as the old classics. We're hoping the problem of so few videos floating around online is eradicated soon!

1. Blur. I'll say no more...

A Changing Music Industry

Well it's what we're all about. Load Aim Fire wouldn't have ever been established if the industry weren't in such disarray, but I'd hate to dwell on the negatives with so many positives finally rearing their head.

I was at a party recently and found myself fascinated by the way the music was rigged up, no stereo (so outdated, of course), not even an iPod dock, no, two speakers and a playlist on Spotify, which attendees of said party were encouraged to add to. Genius. Spotify, and similar services, are providing people a way of finding music without being asked to pay £10 not even knowing if they'll like it that much. It's the same vision we have here at L.A.F, just executed in a different way, with streaming music rather than downloads. Not only is this great for fans, it's great for the musicians too. It's all great promotion for them, and royalties are starting to be paid now too, and just this week, Martin Talbot of the Official Charts Company said it was only a matter of time before online streaming music could count towards chart positions. It really is a sign of the times, new ways of finding and listening to music, and it's acceptance as the norm. Exquisite!

Spotify also announced this week that their music was to be streamed at CD quality too, even better.

So, it's festival season (inevitable blogging to come), the sun is out, some great tunes are being played on the radio (I know, hard to believe), and things are getting exciting I hope you'll agree. So, why not watch Wimbledon in the sun and listen to some tunes? (Maybe you could even stream them!)

Peaaaace

Ben

Load Aim Fire

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