Sounds of an Eccentric

My ethos with music has always been orientated around giving everyone a chance to showcase their talent, no matter what their background is. Music is the personification of emotions and the soul. Whether that be a heart felt power ballad or just a jazzy, lighthearted groove, no song is truly impersonal. Tynemouth Surf Cafe are the epitome of such an ethos. Situated on the beautiful Tynemouth coast, they've become a fantastic place of opportunity and many a brilliant night out for musicians and music appreciators alike.  Characterised by the eclectic and quirky decor ( with planes and bicycles having from the ceiling and tables embellished with idiosyncratic memorabilia), to the best nachos you'll ever eat, its a place you've got to see to appreciate. Even if its just for a casual cuppa during the day, its still an amazing place and one of my favourite establishments in the area. The staff couldn't be more amiable or more passionate about the local music scene. They...

Starting off Saturday night at the Dog and Parrot was the grunge vibes of Devils Night. Their second performance at the venue drew parallels with early Nirvana material and the funky riffs of modern Greenday tracks (especially Carpe Diem). The band came into their element with their original music, experimenting with various styles. From alluring bad boy rock to garage to funky blues, they incorporated quirky and diverse elements from a variety of genres. No what matter your tastes, there was something that everyone would enjoy from this four piece. Second up and straight off the Sheffield Radar was the superb The SSS. Gritty, edgy, sexy indie guitar rock. The five piece are the epitome of the suave effortlessly cool vibe.They are the quintessential Northern indie band, that will become anthem innovators  in no time - especially their gritty show-stealers 'Snake in the Grass' and 'Find a way'. I've them loop from Soundcloud since the gig.  Their sound has su...

This Friday the charming and bustling Telegraph pub played host to a showcase of brilliant acts, if you like your music loud, this was the place to be. The acts and their supporters arrived in a uniform of long hair and denim and leather waistcoats lovingly embellished with every band patch known to man.  This was no place for chirpy indie vibes, expectations of loud, classic rock and metal were evoked. First up was 'My Cold Poison' a specimen of good old school bluesy, folk rock from a bloke and his guitar. His sound combined endearing lyrics that romanticised the mundanity of real life and genuinely interesting guitar riffs that reeled you in . Despite just having a guitar, the sound was deep and full from the bluesy riffs  with a prominent strong beat and got the whole room jiving along to the sound of his  angst fuelled lyrics. There's a fine art in creating a lively ambiance from lyrics about 'coffee stained teeth'. This was enchantingly contrasted by his wel...

This week the quirky and lively venue of the Dog and Parrot pub in Newcastle, played host to an intimate array of promising new bands. The bijoux environment allowed the acts to indulge in powerful sounds, build banter fuelled rapports with the audience and actually relax and enjoy performing. Kicking the night off was Hawkeye Roadshow , a delicious mix of blues-meets-funk guitar riffs, classically clean drums and sexy 'slap that bass' lines. The band's full sound was a middle ground between the indie vibe of Bombay Bicycle Club and the blues of the Black Keys , creating a grittier more rustic Model Aeroplanes -esque sound. Their strongest number was Lucy , concocted of vivacious guitars, coupled with a rich bass lines, making it the perfect song for bopping along to without a care on those lazy Sundays. Next up was the feel good tunes of Watercolour . Or at least half of them, due to two of the band members being unable to  attend. Despite this, the somewhat depleted b...

 Fangirling.  We're all guilty of it. The on-line jungle that is social networking has made it excessively easy to do so. Twitter can send you notifications every time your favourite star spiels on in 140 or less characters. Tumblr is a platform for 'fandoms', where the novel of choice is 'fan fiction' and the hot gossip is who's the latest 'shipped' sweethearts. Instagram plays host to countless 'fan accounts', which immortalises celebrities through an array of photographic shrines. Then there's the stars themselves. One of the most distinctive methods of evaluating a star's popularity is how many 'followers' or 'likes' they have. Justin Bieber has more twitter followers than there are people in Canada. Lady Gaga has 4 million more twitter followers than Obama (mind you - Barack  never made an appearance in a skimpy meat number).The United Nations scrapes a minuscule 1.7 million followers, whilst Harry Styles...