Pick & Nix setlist 23/02/12

After a week away I have returned with a selection of top tunes
Can't Stop Won't Stop - Up and Away (feat. June)
Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
Kaiser Chiefs - Little Shocks
Daft Punk Medley

The Song You May Have Forgotten
Tom Novy - Your Body (Niels Van Gogh & Daniel Strauss Remix)

Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know (Allen Walker Re-write)
Reverend & the Makers - Bassline
Sleigh Bells - Comeback Kid

Two New
All The Young - Welcome Home (live)
The Enemy - Gimme The Sign

Young MC - Know How
Kavinsky - Roadgame
Metronomy - The look
Los Campesinos - By Your Hand
Michael Kiwanuka - I'm Getting Ready
Awolnation - Sail (WhiteNoise Remix)
Mystery Jets - Show Me The Light
Wu Lyf - Dirt
The Prodigy - Stand Up

Gig Etiquette

     1.     Beer is for drinking not throwing.

Everyone is hot and sweaty in a crowd; you’re all in the same boat, then suddenly you feel a cool liquid splash the back of your neck. It’s mildly pleasurable until the realisation hits that it is someone’s pint they have thrown. The ale has now run down your back and is sticky, not pleasurable anymore. I’m not even sure why you would do it; you’re wasting a perfectly good beverage that your hard earned money has bought, frankly ludicrous behaviour.

2.     Manners don’t cost a penny, but could get you to the front.

I enjoy standing at the front of the stage as much as the next man, however there really is no need to just barge your way through as though if you don’t get to the front the band won’t come on. Just politely ask the person in front if you can get past, I’ve seen it happen in the past and it works just fine. But walking straight into someone doesn’t end fine and also make you look like a complete knob.

3.     Know your place.

If you’re six-foot plus don’t stand right at the front. It’s not your fault you’re freakishly tall however for midgets the world over kindly stand aside. You could even be a gentleman and look behind you and if you see a small lady cowering in your shadow, politely ask them if they would like to go in front of you.

4.     Know your hand signals.

The standard rock hand gesture if fine for heavy metal or actual rock concerts, by standard hand gesture I mean the index finger and baby finger pointed whilst all others remained closed. However it seems rather out of place at an indie concert, or a dance gig or any event which isn’t rock orientated for that matter. The usual hand in the air waving in time to the music or the always trusty fist pump should suit most occasions. You could even put your own twist on it and display the peace sign, or perhaps just the index finger. Why not be mad and produce the middle finger just for variety.

5.     Don’t just stand there.

There’s nothing worse than everyone in a crowd going mad for it only for one kill-joy to be standing folded armed with a face on. If you’re not enjoying yourself you’re more than welcome to leave. So have a drink and enjoy yourself, you grumpy bastard.

6.     Personal space.

This works two ways; firstly don’t start laying into someone who has accidently bumped into you whilst they were jumping to their favourite song and also don’t start busting a move in the middle of the floor, arms flailing smashing some poor girl in the gob. Although you may feel as though the band are playing to you alone, unless you’re at the world’s most intimate gig, they’re not so take a little time to minimise that moonwalk and consider others.

7.     Attire

I’ve always found it a bit strange when people wear t-shirts with the band you’re about to see’s name on. I know which band I’m seeing, you know which band you’re seeing, and I don’t need your t-shirt to inform me. You also look a bit of a loser and that this is the only band you like and you should probably get out more. I can see why you’d do it if you have just purchased a bit of merch and you where it out of ease but otherwise no, don’t do it. Also don’t look like your idol, when I went to see Arctic Monkeys, I saw a boy who must have been about thirteen, slicked back, black hair, leather jacket and winkle picker shoes. I nearly ran over for an autograph of Alex Turner until he turned round and I saw that his face resembled not so much as the Arctic Monkeys lead singer but more the face one would expect to find on a garden gnome.

Kaiser Chiefs, Manchester Academy, 18/02/12

Day-Glo letters displaying the words ‘Bates’ on an Orange guitar amp and ‘Out’ on the bass amplifier, shine through the dark room of Manchester Academy as Indie anthems from The Smiths, Stone Roses and the like are played to a crowd made of various different stereotypes. Leather clad Goths rub shoulders with at least six-foot tall, Mohawk-haircut men, who would look more at home at a BNP convention. These inebriated ‘lads’ stumble into middle aged partners, who are next to teenage couples locked in a firm embrace, the boy with a ‘Justin Bieber style’ haircut and the girl wearing stripy tights and looking like a shy ‘emo’ . The teenage couple shoots a fleeting glance, when they aren’t otherwise occupied with each other’s tongue, at a twenty-something lady with a full face of makeup and party-dress who would be more suited to a nightclub in Essex than a gig in Manchester.

     The anthems stop, the lights go down followed by a roar from the crowd and the intro to Money for Nothing by Dire Straits begins. Kaiser Chiefs take to the stage lead by frontman Ricky and they go straight into Never Miss a Beat full of gusto. The gig consists of all classic songs, Every day I Love You Less and Less, Ruby, Modern Way all go down a treat, there seems to be every hand in the air when asked to raise them and every lyric is sung back at the band on request. Ricky darts about the stage during every song, bashing everything in sight be it cowbells, tambourines, drums or even his own chest with a microphone. Guitarist, Whitey, stands dressed head to toe, full on mod, nodding knowingly as his hands curl out the recognisable riffs, Peanut, the keyboard player, has his moment of dedicating a song and they all look as though this is still the most important thing in the world to them.

There is even the football banter as a Leeds United scarf gets thrown on the stage and Ricky affectionately mops the sweat from his soaked his head then drapes it over the keyboard, to raucous chants of ‘Leeds scum’ and boo’s from the Mancunian crowd. The band laughs it off and point to the Day-Glo letters, a reference to their displeasure of Leeds United chairman, Ken Bates.

We are treated to two new songs which sound slightly heavier than previous Kaiser records and without anyone in the crowd knowing the words they are still met with the same passion as the songs they know and love. But none go down quite the same as I Predict a Riot. I thought that this might have been their final song but upon seeing the insanity of the crowd during it, I’m quite glad it wasn’t otherwise I think an actual riot may have taken place. Semi-full pints of beer were chucked, every hand was in the air, palms aimed at the band and everyone, myself included, shouting the words at the top of their lungs.

The evening ends with a microphone thrown over the rigging, dangling centimetres out of the grasp of the crowd with Ricky whacking it about with the mic stand. Whether Kaiser Chiefs have had their day or not is question best left unanswered, but on the back of this performance they still pack out venues and put on quite the spectacle.  

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die Review

Let’s forget all we know about Lana Del Rey, all the aspects that have misconstrued her as an artist and focus solely on this album. Forget about Lizzie Grant, the wealthy father, the horrendous Saturday Night Live appearance doing the rounds on YouTube and the fact she doesn'y write her own songs. Let’s just go for the album as a whole shall we?

The first single off the album, Video Games, is very different to the rest of the album in my opinion. Its slow stirring vocals and scarce use of piano and harp, is a contrast to Blue Jeans with its sampled man hollering, the spaghetti western –esq guitar, thudding beat and keyboards ,the two could be done by different artists if it were not for Del Rey’s vocals purring the lyrics through those Jagger-pout lips.

Through listening to this album I found myself actually enjoying it in places, although every cell in my body was telling not to because of my disgust of similarly manufactured pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna and the other lot who deserve to be in the bargain bin of a rundown record shop for all I care. Off To the Races, Diet Mountain Dew and Blue Jeans all had me nodding my head appreciating the fact that the lyrics weren’t just another dully obvious innuendo used to appear ‘edgy’.

Of course there were parts I thought were bloody awful. The title song and second single from Ms Del Rey, Born to Die and National Anthem are dreary and I’m not entirely sure if she does it on purpose but it’s a bit of a pastiche to say “money is the anthem, of success” if you do take into account that her Daddy funded her trips to the recording studio because he’s got loads of money. Also I got bored quickly of hearing about her being kissed. “Kiss me on my open mouth” (which must be the most awkward way to kiss someone), “kiss me hard before you go”, “let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain”, I know what those lips are for but really, Lana, you don’t have to keep reminding me.

Also she’s a moody so-and-so throughout the whole album! I’m waiting desperately for the moment she cracks a smile, which might well be impossible with that beak, and she realises actually life’s probably pretty good with her Million Dollar Man and she should be thankful for what she’s got.

However it’s relentless and after a while her voice, that I initially liked, drones on and I became ever closer to beating my head on desk in front of me. The sample of the man yelping, I at first liked, it was a sort of throw out to hip-hop, however it’s used on about six tracks and I found myself longing for the producer to just tell him to give it a rest.

 I get what she’s trying to do; it’s an accusing finger pointing at the girls who were only after the money, the slutty ones chasing the older men. I get that, but it’s just too much. One or two songs would be adequate on the subject, and like I said in four songs I actually liked this album, nevertheless that’s four out of fifteen and the other eleven all seem to merge into the same “my man’s old and rich, I’m not happy” mould and it’s boring.

If eventually we do take into account that she seems to have a number of factors against her i.e. the wealthy father funding the recording, whilst she sings about a hard life was never going to do her any favours. The disastrous Saturday Night Live performance showed she wasn’t any good live and the fact she changed her name, which actually isn’t that big of a deal (anybody remember Reginald Dwight or Stephanie Germanotta?), all seem to leave a sour taste in the mouth.

Poor Lizzie.

1.5 stars

The Song Remains The Same

“Isn’t the state of the charts at the moment shit?” “Isn’t guitar music dead?” These are the sort of accusations that are flying around at the moment from most music based publications i.e. NME and The Guardian and I personally have to say, “Well, no, not really”.

I think it’s some sort of myth that’s has been circulated and we’ve all been somehow brain-washed into thinking this sort of thing has never happened in the past. If I look at the iTunes singles chart right now eight out of the top ten are pop songs in one way or another. In my opinion that’s what the charts are for. I don’t think The Sex Pistols ever did that well in the charts however they are still looked at as icons.

Guitar music isn’t dead. Fact. I’m sure this point has been put across many times recently but I’ll say it again, The Maccabees latest album got to number four last week and as far as I’m aware they play guitars. The Black Keys’ latest album, which is fantastic, did reach a very disappointing 29 in the album charts but still their live shows have all sold out and one of them plays guitar. Guitar music, be it rock, metal, even pop a la Ed Sheeran, will not die, ever.

I think it was Tony Wilson who said that music is like a double helix, two waves that intertwine. Whilst one musical movement is in the descendant another is in the ascendant (I can’t be sure if it definitely is Tony Wilson, but definitely Steve Coogan playing Tony Wilson in 24 Hour Party People says that). I don’t think that sort of analogy applies more than at the moment in music. Whilst Rock and pop is having a bit of a stinker, there is some fantastic stuff being made elsewhere. Dance music is brilliant at the moment and I’m not talking about that god awful but black-magically addictive David Guetta tripe either.

I’ve also so seen people who are in rock bands say, “Well the charts don’t matter” and unfortunately they do. The charts in this day and age, represent people who are actually willing to pay for the music they like even though they know that they could get it for free elsewhere. The charts show that people like your music that much that they are actually willing to spend money on the stuff that’s come from your imagination. Of course the charts matter.

Another point is that the subject matter of most of the songs that occupy the charts at the moment has been around pretty much forever. The subject of love is always there. The Beatles, who in my opinion are the godfathers of the pop song, made about three albums solely on this emotion.

The charts aren’t that bad, at least they’re credible in the sense that at least Bob the Builder, The Teletubbies or Crazy Frog isn’t occupying the number 1 for the time being.

You may not like the way it is at the moment and I’m not sure I really do either but as the late George Harrison once said ‘All Things Must Pass’ and this era of piss poor pop will do just that as it has done countless times before.

Keep the faith.

Pick and Nix on Radio Hudd 02/02/2012

Good show tonight, I personally think I played some good songs, but then I would say that wouldn't I. Anyway without further a do, here's today's set list

Tourist - Placid Acid
The Bar-Kays - Too Hot To Stop
Jacques Lu Cont - Reload
Furious 5 - Step Off

The Song You May Have Forgotten
Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You

The Black Keys - Run Right Back
Heavy D & The Boyz - Now That We've Found Love

Two New
Django Django - Default
Beware Wolf - Don't Trust The Crows, They Work For Mordor

Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
David Guetta ft. Sia - Titanium
The Wanted - Glad You Came (HML Remix)
Rizzle Kicks - Mama Do The Hump
The Jam - Going Underground
Jamaica - Jericho
The Beatles - Come Together
New Order - Vanishing Point

just 17 songs this week however there are some crackers in there, hope you enjoyed x