'I'm an Imagineer I see as I say'

The Imagineers, a band based in Glasgow and at the forefront of the evolving music scene, are set for great things. Their name coming from the 20th century word 'Imagineering' used to describe the interface of imagination and engineering adds to the enigma surrounding this band.

 But there is no real mystery to them. They are great musicians and they put on a unique show. Having met them and seen them live I would describe them as having old fashioned songwriting style but with a modern twist. One thing you will notice straight away is their Scottish twang when they sing. I think this is a good thing and I like hearing it in local bands. I can hear a lot of old influences in their music such as Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.

Last year they joined fellow Glaswegian music titans Kassidy on their tour. On top of this they have made various festival appearances and played frequently in the legendary venue King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. They are one to watch and have already left their mark on the Glasgow Music Scene.

The boys will be returning to King Tut's once again on the 15th of June. Give it a shot, it won't disappoint! ;)

Tickets are available here: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/The-Imagineers-tickets/artist/1642737

Also their first EP 'Say as I see' is available now on Itunes.

In Rockness we trust?

So as I go about my daily life, there is one word that I keep hearing. Rockness. 

The winner of NME's Best small music festival 2012 takes place at Loch Ness on the 8th to the 10th of June. But what is it that makes this festival so popular with the youth of today? Perhaps young travellers go in the hope that they will catch a glimpse of the magnificent Loch Ness monster? Or maybe because of the world class scenery? Nah probably not, I think it's more because of the music and the chance to break away from home life and go nuts with your mates.

So i talked about the rival festival T in The Park earlier in my blog, but how does it compare?

The Headliners are:

Friday: Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran.

Saturday: Deadmau5, Justice.

Sunday: Biffy Clyro, Friendly Fires.

Amongst all this is a tonne of random electro? acts that I have never heard of. So this festival isn't really doing anything for me. But as I always say whatever tickles your taste buds. So if this sounds like your neck of the woods I'm sure it will be a laugh and definately better than the abysmal T in The Park Lineup. Tickets are £160 so not too bad price-wise eh?

I think the only reason I would go would be to find out what on earth this thing is!? 

?

Anyway to get a sense of what the atmosphere is like, here is a clip of last years Sunday headliners Kasabian playing the main stage.

A chance to see a real Blues Legend

Joe Bonamassa

Hey People! So American blues legend played in the HMV Picture House in Edinburgh last night on the 27th of March. You may be asking what has this got to do with Glasgow? Well, Joe is coming to Glasgow on the 4th of April to play the prestigious Royal Concert Hall! But that's not all folks, to get you in the mood I interviewed my friend and bandmate Craig who travelled all to Edinburgh to see him the other night. He told me all about the gig. Below is a wee question & answer session. :)

So is this the first time you've seen Joe Bonamassa live?

C: No I have seen him a few times before. Once before as a solo artist and twice in his band Black Country Communion. So four times altogether now. 

How did this performance compare against previous performances?

C: It was the same high standard. He's been great every time I've seen him. He is a phenomenal talent, It's great to watch as he plays guitar and sings at the same time. I was right at the front so got an amazing view of the show.

What was the atmosphere like at the gig?

C: Really good. It was an exciting show. Everyone was really enjoying it.

What was your favourite song of the gig?

C: One of my favourites was when he played a song from his band Black Country Communion called 'Song of Yesterday'. It's great live. I also really enjoyed the song 'Sloe Gin'.

Any other highlights worth mentioning?

C: It was amazing, I caught the drummer Tal Bergman's drumstick!

Finally, would you recommend people to see him in Glasgow on the 4th of April?

C: Yeah definitely, if blues or classic rock is your thing then it is a must see. Even if it's not I'm sure you'll be impressed by the high standard of music.

                                    

Tal Bergman's drumstick caught by Craig!

             Above is a video of Joe Bonamassa playing 'Song of Yesterday' in America last year.

Australia's finest visit Glasgow!

Parkway Drive

 

Parkway Drive L to R: Luke Kilpatrick (Rhythm guitar), Jeff Ling (Lead Guitar), Winston McCall (Vocals), Jia O'Connor (Bass), Ben Gordon (Drums)

Hailing from the hippy loving Byron Bay, New South Wales come Parkway Drive, one of Australia's biggest recent music exports. Flying the flag for modern metal, these beach loving surfers have taken the world by storm having toured in the UK, USA, Europe, Australia and across Asia. The band have released 3 full length studio albums, a DVD, 2 split E.P's and an E.P to date. Their latest album 'Deep Blue' released in 2010 reached number 2 on the Australian Apple i store download chart, 4 hours after it's release.

Parkway Drive also released a live performance DVD in 2009. Parkway Drive: The DVD had equally high success and was crowned ‘Best Music DVD’ at the 2009 Rolling Stone Awards. Check out a clip from their DVD below!

Carrion performed live at Byron Bay. 

Parkway are coming to Glasgow next month! They are playing at O2 ABC on the 9th of April. I've got my ticket! I've seen them in Glasgow twice before and each time they've given an amazing performance. Definately a must see. Get your tickets here! http://www.tickets-scotland.com/artists.html?event_searchtext=parkway+drive&event_method=search&city=

To get you in the mood, heres their latest video for the song Karma of of 2010 album 'Deep Blue'. It's them on the beach surfing, in their element. It looks amazing, I wish I lived there.

See you in the pit!

Gies more T

Hello people.

Need I say more? It's that time again, the days are longing the the bees are buzzing. Summer is fast approaching and that means one thing... festivals!
T in The Park held at Balado, Kinross-shire , Scotland's largest music festival is on the horizon and set to be bigger than ever. But that all depends on the line up. Lets see whats in store...

Friday

Artists kicking off the festival include:

Snow Patrol

Tinie Tempah

New Order

Florence and the Machine

Example

Kaiser Chiefs

Plus many more...

Saturday

You've reached the half way point, but plenty more to come.

The Stone Roses

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

David Guetta

Calvin Harris

Jessie J

The Vaccines

Amy McDonald

The Maccabees

Plus many more...

Sunday

The grand finale. To finish off the festival.

Swedish House Mafia

Kasabian

Elbow
Nicki Minaj
Chase and Status
Skrillex
Twin Atlantic


Plus many more...


So there we have it. One of the worst line-ups I have ever seen for a festival. I am struggling to find something that I would want to see! However there will be plenty of people interested so they will be wondering things like... if sunday night headliners Kasabian will pull off a better performance than last years headliners Foo Fighters? I doubt they will. Foo Fighters are way better! Look below for a glimpse of the atmosphere with Foo Fighters from 2011 and you'll see what I mean.


The eagle eyed amongst you may also have spotted that Glasgow's own Amy McDonald and Twin Atlantic are both performing the main stage so it's good to see some Glasgow acts doing well.


Apparently, playing at T in the Park is an honour. Noel Gallagher, previously of Oasis, now with his High Flying Birds recently said 'Nobody does it like the Scots'. I would agree with this statement!
So if this years line-up happens to float your boat, grab a full weekend camping ticket for £190. 


Gies more T. I'm fine thanks, but for those to which this festival is aimed, I'm sure you'll have a blast.

                         Foo Fighter's performing sunday main stage T in the Park, 2011.

Scotland's Metal Heroes

Scotland in general produces a wide variety of talented artists, bands and groups. Every music genre under the sun is represented here, in Glasgow especially. Flying the flag for the more 'underground' music scene is Scotlands very own metal gods, Bleed From Within.

Left to Right: Craig 'Goonzi' Gowans (Guitars), Davie Provan (Bass), Scott Kennedy (Vocals), Ali Richardson (Drums), Martyn Evans (Guitars).

Formed in Hamilton, just outside Glasgow in 2005 Bleed From Within quickly made a name for themselves in the Glasgow music scene by supporting touring bands. They showed great work ethic and played gigs relentlessly up and down the UK and organised their own tour of mainland Europe! This lead to them becoming an internationally recognised band who have headlined gigs across the globe. So far they have released 2 E.P's, 2 studio albums and are currently working on their 3rd which is due in the coming months. I would definately recommend that you give them a listen! They show good musicianship and creativity in their music and from what i've seen from their tour blogs and interviews, they seem like a great bunch of guys that love to have a laugh. :p

 They are in my opinion the dark horses of the Glasgow music scene. Due to the fact that their music is not exactly mainstream, I'm sure that most of you won't of heard of them but they are in fact one of the most successful music acts to come out of Glasgow in recent years. Even if you don't appreciate their music I'm sure you can appreciate their drive and passion for doing what they love.

A few months back I was walking down Union street in Glasgow on a friday night. I was on my way to meet a friend and I saw Bleed From Within standing outside Chopstix chinese restaurant eating noodles! It shows you that the success hasn't got to their heads and they still love a Glasgow night out and more importantly fast food. :) On top of this they go to the same gigs as me and make regular appearances in my favourite club Cathouse. So i've seen them about a good few times. I've always been too shy to say hello but next time I definately will ;)

Bleed From Within playing Groezrock Festival Belgium in 2011.

 Metal music also happens to be my passion and they are a huge inspiration to me. They have achieved everything that I want to achieve and have the music career that I have always dreamed of. The fact that they are from Glasgow makes it even more incredible to me and makes me proud to be Scottish! Keep an eye on them though, Scotlands metal heroes move speedily and are constantly growing as a force. Check them out next time they're in town. Nothing better than supporting some good homegrown talent eh? I can't stop thinking though, if they can do it, why can't I?

Music video for 'The Healing' off of the album Empire.