Just Music Launches its blog

Just Music today launches its blog.

Its not a replacement for the near 200,000 emails we send several times a month. Its more my blog, things that wouldn't normally go into either of our publications, thinks that need to go out now and cant wait. And just plain stupid rants cos thats what I am good at. Apparently.

It also means that we can more easily and quickly provide links back to our wonderful p.r. peeps with links for them on twitter. 

In the next few weeks we will be introducing you to to the JM and JF team as again we want people to know that the mags are not just me, a lot of hard work goes in to them.

We wish everyone a very Happy 2014, a year of big changes here at Just Music, but for you, make it what you want, whatever you want will rarely land in your lap, in the words of the Wedding Present, Go Out and Get Em Boy.

Review: Paul Heaton - Live -The Plug / Sheffield

Apologies for poor pic, I was rather "happy"

THE biggest surprise of this one off show was the generous helping of both the Housemartins and Beautiful South back catalogues. It was welcome too.

Part of the reason was the special guest appearance of the former ‘South’ singer, Jaqui Abbott, she of Rotterdam fame. And it was the same song that immediately followed her introduction on stage; the rendition was unsurprisingly sublime too. Heaton had already sung Old Red Eyes, the second number into his set. The bulk of the solo offering was from the most recent album Acid Country and a forthcoming collection of new songs which he regularly referred to as “Next year’s album”.

It was not billed as a Christmas show but it was conducted in a party mood. We Housemartins fans were damn near delirious with the inclusion of Happy Hour, Build, Me and the Farmer and Caravan of Love'. Heaton was clearly enjoying himself. By that time his enthusiasm may have been partly due to the bottle of water that he reached for after each number; its contents may well have been something other than water after all.  

The outstanding moment was the performance of the ‘South’ ballad Dumb featuring Abbott’s delightful counter harmony to Heaton’s main vocal line. He regularly confirmed that she would be heavily involved in ‘next year’s album’'. It was a subtle move to recruit his former bandmate, even her backing vocals made the sound of this group special. 

As the performance got closer to the curfew time, when the venue became a late night DJ event, he gave his thanks to everyone and in line with the celebratory mood, apologised for being drunk the last time he played the Plug. He said he was so upset about it that if he had been a band he would have split up from himself there and then. 

It was not clear if this show was a prelude to a tour, a seasonal celebration or just an opportunity to play live. At the end judging by the jovial atmosphere, it didn’t matter but it was an important reminder of the quality and uniqueness of Heaton’s songwriting.

Jesse J Summer Forest Gigs Announced

Jessie J has announced summer dates for 2014 as part of Forest Live, organised by the Forestry Commission, where concerts are performed in spectacular woodland locations around the country.

There hasn’t been a career in recent memory that has taken off so fast, so spectacularly and so all-consumingly as Jessie J’s. Highlights have included No 1 singles and two hugely successful albums that headed straight for the top with millions of sales worldwide, show-stopping performances in front of a global audience of billions at the London Olympics, a full-blown Saturday night prime-time TV career, extraordinary acts for charity that hit the headlines, Glastonbury festival and the Diamond Jubilee Concert. 

 

With Jessie’s multi-platinum debut, ‘Who You Are’, she achieved the accolade of being the first UK solo artist to have six top-ten hits off one album including two No 1 singles: ‘Price Tag’ and ‘Domino’. Success continues with the 2013 release of her second power-pop album ‘Alive’ featuring the hit singles ‘Wild’, ‘It's My Party’ and ‘Thunder’ alongside a sell-out UK arena tour. 

Forest Live is an independent programme organised by the Forestry Commission bringing music to new audiences without commercial branding or sponsorship. Income from the concerts is spent on improving the woodland for both people and wildlife.

Commenting on the concerts, Jessie J said, “I made my Forest Live debut this summer with just one show which I loved so it’s great to be taking in another four Forest Live dates next year…………….see you there.”

Jessie J plus guest will be performing:

Friday 13 June: Sherwood Pines Forest, nr Edwinstowe, Notts. 

Friday 20 June: Bedgebury Pinetum, nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent. 

Friday 27 June: Cannock Chase Forest, nr Rugeley, Staffs. -SOLD OUT

Saturday 5 July: Delamere Forest, Nr Northwich, Cheshire. - SOLD OUT

Tickets £42.90 (including £3.90 booking fee) go on sale at 9.00am Thursday 19 December from the Forestry Commission box office tel 03000 680400 or buy online at www.forestry.gov.uk/music.

Info

www.jessiejofficial.com

Live: Kaiser Chiefs - Leeds Arena

Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Leonard Cohen have already played there to receptive sell- out audiences and positive reviews but we all know these were just a warm up for local boys The Kaiser Chiefs to properly open the new arena. By happy coincidence the gig fell on the same day as my lads birthday and what better way to celebrate.

Ricky Wilson and Co stood posturing on stage behind a back lit curtain and we were ready for business. The curtain dropped and they kicked off in style launching into Na Na Na Na Naa and continued belting out hit after hit all night. All the anthems were performed such as Ruby and I Predict a Riot as well as few new songs from their forthcoming album. Choice cuts seem to be the anthemic Coming Home and One More Last Song which I suspect will embed into my subcocncious.

Rick Wilson was his usual energetic self running around the stage and interacting with the crowd fantastically. By the second song he was off the stage and in the front of the crowd. Later on he sung one song from the middle of the crowd, infact two rows behind us in the 1st tier of seating.

The stage and arena was sparsely decorated with just a simple backdrop of the band’s name. This was however made up for by the excellent lighting. At one point a glitter ball was dropped from the middle of the arena and had spotlights shone on it throwing out atmospheric dappled light for a slower number. I also loved how the band were backlit projecting huge shadows of themselves onto the side wall.

After an hour and a half on stage and the obligatory encore they finished the night with Oh My God (mixed with a "Yorkshire" chant to rapturous applause. The local lads had shown how it’s done in Yorkshire with Ricky stating as he walked off stage “You can now consider your arena open”!

Madness Movie - Deluxe DVD Treatment

Salvo Music will release the Madness movie Take It Or Leave It on 7 October 2013, pairing the DVD with a 26-track soundtrack CD.


The film follows the origins of the band from the mid-to-late ’70s through various line-up changes, before they eventually find success. It dates from 1981 and was largely self-financed and directed by Stiff Records’ Dave Robinson.

Take It Or Leave It has been digitally restored and contains the commentary by Madness guitarist Chris Foreman and the film’s director found on the previous standalone DVD.

The accompanying CD soundtrack album features 26 songs including singles, B-sides and album tracks. Two non-Madness songs are included (Fats Domino’s I’m Walkin’ and The Four Tops’ Reach Out I’ll Be There), both of which can be heard in the film.

Review: Blondie Live - Dalby Forest

GRATEFUL though I often am for always having wellies in my car, I never thought I’d be wearing muddy green boots to a gig by New York New Wave urbanites Blondie.

The green backdrop maybe affected Deborah Harry too, as she proclaimed: “Here we are in the Dalby Florist… ah, Forest.”




Never mind; Blondie were quickly into their stride, starting off with old but recently revived favourite One Way Or Another, to the delight of a sold out happy crowd.

Debbie, Chris Stein and co were always more than just eye candy or even perky popsters; they have some seriously decent music in their back catalogue.

Ms Harry celebrates her 68th birthday today, and you couldn’t expect her to rampage round the stage like she used to. But she still bopped away a bit, did a lot of waving to the audience and if she didn’t seem to be singing the old numbers quite how she used to, well, maybe she didn’t need to when the audience was happy to holler back the lyrics at her.

The band blasted out the tracks as if to remind us of their rock pretensions.

The crowd’s excitement levels dipped for some when Blondie strayed into newer material, their loss but were only to rocket again for the likes of Atomic, Call Me and Heart Of Glass.

Oddly to my mind initially they did a version of Frankie’s Relax during their encore but it worked, it really did before ending spectacularly with Dreaming.

But if part of me was wishing I’d seen Blondie live even more in their prime, even if I was only 12 nonetheless I left the forest with a smile on my face. To tell the truth, I think I’m still wearing it now.