Lets Rock Leeds 2015 Review: Bigger and better...with added sun!

Lets Rock returned to Leeds, bigger and better than ever on Saturday and even the Yorkshire sun came out to witness the oddest and greatest of the 1980’s to Temple Newsham.

Rick Astley was identified as a clear favourite from early on, his boyish charm clearly not diminished and not lost of the hoardes of now middle aged women who would later castoff their bras in the general direction of Mr Astley.

Tom Bailey however – erstwhile leader of the Thompson Twins – headlined with his new incarnation of the band. This was his first appearance in the city since 1983 ( the Quickstep and Sidekick tour at Leeds Uni fact fans)and the closest thing to a home town gig since for the Halifax born front man. A small but curious crowd initially gathered as the band came on to an instrumental take of We Are Detective – thereby ensuring that this wasn’t going to be one of the few genuine hits in the set tonight. The Thompson Twins never really capitalised on the short run of hits in 1983/4 and although their live shows at that time were spectacular they never won that mass audience appeal, arguably they never craved it. This would explain the long absence, but for those that stayed after the Rick phenomenon and those that slowly crept back, ears pricked by the opening notes of Love On Your Side, this was a rare and interesting treat.

In The Name of Love opened the set, those high pitch notes are irresistible, it’s a classic and as retro is the order of the day it ticks that box magnificently. Minor twins hits, it has to be said, do no transfer well to 2015, Sister of Mercy and Lay Your Hands on Me sound weak and though the performance is faultless, the songs lack any hooklines in the public’s consciousness.  An industrial backdrop to You Take Me Up signals the beginning of the run in that sees Doctor Doctor! revive the crowd, and just in time too. Hold Me Now, remains a true 80’s classic, still sounds relevant today and is one of those rare songs that really did and does still have that mass appeal, the crowd singing almost lovingly over the intro, a true epic, the chorus being sung long after the band finished, long after the band had left, infact, most of the way back to the car park.

Tom was genuinely touched by the reaction of the crowd, milking the applause, rightly so but please Tom, not another 32 years….

The day started in the drizzle at noon with perennial sunshine merchants, Bucks Fizz, well three quarters of anyway, who despite the seemingly unsocial hour attempted get this particular party started with a fair degree of success, a hits laden set, highlight judging by the exaggerated hand movements around us, When We Were Young. Sam Fox channelled 1985 effectively as the male audience members sauntered down. Bless her, I think she thinks it still is 1985 but it’s fun even if the slowed down classic ballad version of Touch Me feels awkward. Thankfully the regular version puts us right.


The Beat – ranking Rodger style – were a revelation, fears that the vocals of Dave Wakeling (himself touring as The English Beat) would be missed too much were greatly misplaced, Rodger, ably accompanied by Roger jnr put on a wicked show that got the whole crowd dancing, in recognition the sun broke out too, there can be no greater accolade. A nod also to slipping Rock the Casbah into the set.. 
Heaven 17, having very seldom played live back in the day have found that (fascist) Groove (thang) now, always a polished set, Temptation the obvious pull but for me the nearly not quite first hit Let Me Go is sublime (especially as Temptation is performed lending more from the 1992 Brothers in Rhythm mix


Jive Bunny, what can you say – my 15 month old son loved them, well the big bunny anyway as he had his noise cancelling headphones on. Sonia wins the award for shortest dress of the day and most knicker flashes since Susanna Reids first days on Good Morning Britain…. That’s to take nothing away from the pint sized pop princess who supplements her own back catalogue with some solid gold hits, Betty Boos set is short but sweet, and perfect to watch and listen to while queuing for a wood fired pizza I find. Where Are You Baby is a perfect example of late 80’s (well actually 1990) girl pop rap that was so successful.




T’pau have never really stopped, since those heady days of 87/88 Carol has toured the band in one form or another and as she told us in our recent interview with her, she still loves performing those songs, seeing the crowd sing them back. Another faultless, though all too brief performance crowned with a mass China In Your Hands singalong. Check out their new album if you ever had any love at all for the band, classic T’pau for 2015. Five Star are always a big draw whenever they play up here in the North as it seems to happen so infrequently. A huge hit catalogue, slick dance routines, whats not to love, Rain Or Shine, Cant Wait Another Minute, The Slightest Touch, Systematic, it never dropped and this was another set that just needed another 10 minutes or so.

I never get the impression Midge Ure enjoys these kind of things, I always get the impression he would rather be playing obscure Slik b-sides with oodly guitar bits rather than Loves Great Adventure, Hymn or even indeed the sublime Fade To Grey (which he wrote for / as part of Visage). That said, the consummate pro, just lacking that bit of 80’s fun, go on smile Midge…  Here’s a quick question for you, has there ever been an 80’s festival at which Go west haven’t played, are the contractually obliged to appear everywhere. Has to be said I have become ambivalent to them and their cover of Sex on Fire. I appreciate they have a legion of fans who let the record show, enjoyed it.

And so we are back to Rick Astley, the common consensus around me was that he should have been headlining, I guess scarcity value saw Tom get that gig, not that Rick will have been bothered, a more self-depreciating pop star cannot exist. He knows how to entertain and if that’s at his expense he doesn’t care. Add in a healthy sized swag bag of solid gold hits and its winning formula. Anyone who has seen Rick over the last few years will know he has a habit of dropping current or out of character songs into his set, so previously we have had The Smiths and Pharell covers, today, Uptown Funk and a bit of Clean Bandit, the latter proving difficult to sing as Rick swiped his IPad too quickly and lost the lyrics… It has to be said at this point the stage was looking like something from an Ann Summers clearance stall with bras of all shapes landed on the stage. Feigning embarrassment he whimpered “I’m a married man! Before declaring whilst holding one particular item that there “are some big girls in Leeds”. Of course the money shot was Never Gonna Give You Up although Together Forever and Cry For Help were almost equally as well received.

As we left it was confirmed Lets Rock Leeds will return for 2016, we see it as a very welcome addition to Leeds’s rich and varied music landscape and we hope to work with them next year to bring you more interviews, features and deals ahead of showtime. Til then keep an eye on Lets Rock and subscribe to this blog to ensure you don’t miss a thing

Thanks to Steve Haywood for all his assistance.

Review: The Rolling Stones - From The Vault: The Marquee, Live in 1971: Should be a bonus disc.

The latest release in the Rolling Stones' 'From The Vault' series comes hot on the heels of the remastered and expanded reissue of their seminal 1971 album 'Sticky Fingers'. While The Marquee gig is a great companion piece to that album, as a stand-alone release it feels slight by comparison. It's by no means a 'cash-in' as this performance has been on the bootleg circuit for years, and deserved a proper release. However, it may have been more suitable to package it alongside 'Sticky Fingers' itself, in isolation it feels like a forgettable curio, although I must stress that everything here is well worth your time, no matter how brief the contents are.


In essence, you get a 38-minute live performance of 8 songs that were taped for an American TV special and then re-cut at varying lengths for transmission around the world. That this classic line-up of the band (Jagger, Richards, Watts, Taylor, and Wyman) was performing in such an intimate and historic venue on London's Wardour Street makes this an artefact of interest. Add to that essentially four songs in the set list that many viewers around the world wouldn't have heard: 'Brown Sugar', 'Bitch', 'Dead Flowers', and 'I Got The Blues'. It's understandable why the fan community have wanted a proper release for this show for the last four decades. My problem then is not really with the show itself, rather that it feels lightweight when you compare it to similar archive series releases from other heritage acts.

Compare, for example, the plethora of material that Bob Dylan's 'Bootleg Series' has released in recent years. Even Neil Young or The Beatles' Anthology have presented sought after performances in bumper packages. 'Live At The Marquee' could have been bolstered by audio performances from The Roundhouse or any other of the UK shows in the month preceding 'Sticky Fingers'. While the University of Leeds show was presented on super deluxe version of that studio album earlier this year, perhaps it would have been more beneficial to include it here. Whatever the logic behind this release and its array of different formats (CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and combinations of all), 8 tracks (no matter how good they are), a couple of outtakes of the same songs to ensure camera angles were covered, and a solitary Top Of The Pops mostly mimed performance of 'Brown Sugar', do not add up to a bumper package or value for money. There's an hour and change of performance here, it really does feel like a bonus disc at best.

The sound quality throughout is exceptionally good, as is the video. It actually works better as a CD because the performance itself seems to lack a little atmosphere (the crowd are very low in the mix and are hardly ever visible). The fast cuts on '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' and 'Bitch' attempt to compensate for this to varying degrees of success. It's only when you listen to the audio in isolation that you start to concentrate on Richards' guitar rather than Jagger's crooning and fashion choices (including a wonderful hat), it's certainly the musicianship rather than the visuals that are the main selling point here. Particular highlights for Richards are 'Dead Flowers' and 'Brown Sugar'; more of these moments would certainly have made this release essential rather than a footnote to 'Sticky Fingers' itself.

The material presented here is good then, certainly a lot of care has been taken to ensure the quality is far superior to the bootlegs that have been doing the rounds for years, but I also can't help but feel disappointed. This was a perfect opportunity to document the entire 1971 Farewell Tour of the UK. That it isn't an overview of that tour, when material from many of the shows was recorded by the band itself feels half-hearted. Fans will no doubt rejoice at the opportunity to re-live this rare performance - the various formats are aimed squarely at them, but the more casual listener may feel differently and I think that's more than understandable. My advice is to invest in the excellent 'Sticky Fingers' re-issue first and only opt for this if you need more afterwards.

Josh Warrington defends his title in Leeds

WARRINGTON TO DEFEND TITLES AGAINST BRUNKER ON SEPTEMBER 5

Josh Warrington has certainly captured the attention of our readers both here and in Just Music and Just Families. We have seen huge click throughs, we were delighted to host a pre fight get together earlier this year and expect once again our unbeatable hotel rates to sell out as Josh Warrington defends his WBC International and Commonwealth Featherweight title against Joel Brunker at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on September 5. 
Live on Sky Sports, Warrington makes the third defence of the title he claimed in Hull in November 2013, and will look to add the challenger to the impressive scalps of Rendall Munroe and Martin Lindsay.

Brunker is no stranger to British shores having faced newly-crowned IBF champion Lee Selby in London in October, and Warrington believes the Australian will bring the best out of him. “I’m delighted to be defending my Commonwealth title at the First Direct Arena again – it’s my home and Joel Brunker is the perfect opponent for me,” said Warrington. "I think it will be a very good fight against Brunker, he’s a come forward fighter, busy and will make it difficult for me – but I’m ready for whatever he can bring. I’ve watched Selby’s fight with Brunker back a few times and to be honest until Lee stopped him, it wasn’t his best performance – I’m confident I can put on a vintage performance and go one better. I was happy for Lee to win the World title, good on him – but I’m not thinking about him yet, Brunker has my full attention.


“It’s another significant step-up for me, but every time I’ve stepped up a level, I’ve won titles and delivered – from British, European, Commonwealth and now heading to World level. Since my last fight I’ve had some much needed time off. I boxed in Berlin and Leeds in quick succession. To be honest I haven’t had a break from camp since the European Title fight against Davide Dieli. It’s given me some time to focus on my house and get engaged to my girlfriend in Mexico – my batteries are fully recharged and I’m raring to go. I can’t wait, I’ve got such a buzz already in training. The whole city will be buzzing with the news and I can’t wait to hear the crowd roar me on to victory on September 5.”

Tickets are on sale from midday on Tuesday June 30 to Matchroom Fight Pass members from www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £30, £40, £60, £100 and £150 for VIP tickets.

Tickets go on general sale from midday on Wednesday July 1 from the First Direct Arena on 0844 248 1585 and at www.firstdirectarena.com. VIP tickets priced at £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com.

Hotel room rates will be posted to subscribers on 1st June who will have exclusive access until 8th June. Any remaining room rates will be generally available on this blog from 9th June at 8am

Jurassic World Review: Heart quickening fun

First things first, parents need to know that Jurassic World is more violent and terrifying than the original Jurassic Park. Since the titular theme park is actually open and filled with visitors, the ensuing body count when the dinos run amok is much higher than in the previous films (including some major supporting characters), and there are many intense scenes of sustained terror, suspense, and peril (including kids in danger). People are eaten, torn to shreds, trampled, and severely injured. Language is infrequent (occasional use of "shit" and "damn"), and there are a couple of kisses and suggestive remarks. And you can expect a lot of overt product placement -- from Coca-Cola, Apple, and Mercedes to Jeep, Beats, and more. Mature tweens and teens who are fans of suspense/action (and still fond of dinosaurs) will be thrilled -- just make sure they can handle the truly jump-worthy scares.



Jurassic World may not meet the expectations set by Steven Spielberg's original, but it does surpass the underwhelming sequels, and it has enough visual thrills, humor, and memorable performances to make for a fun (if occasionally terrifying) franchise reboot. Director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) smartly doesn't try to mimic Spielberg, but he does stay true to the master's ability to make the movie's moments of suspense even more terrifying than the actual people-eating. Pratt plays Owen like Star Lord mixed with a Navy SEAL -- funny, clever, courageous. His chemistry with Howard's Claire is breezy and full of banter (and not nearly as sexist as some critics were worried about).

The references to the classic films are there. Two kids arrive to visit an estranged relative on staff at the park. Said kids eventually end up attacked by a dinosaur in an upside down safari vehicle. The main attraction is reluctant to show itself until it comes time to make a daring escape. The male and female leads arrive in time to get out of a car and tend to a sick dinosaur. The island is overseen by an eccentric billionaire. The heroes at one stage swap out their cool modern transport for a classic jeep.

That said, this is definitely a big-budget blockbuster: It's loud, thrilling, and full of intense sequences that will make viewers jump -- or possibly cower, depending on their age. Indominus is a mean, scary, killing machine, and the devastation she leaves in her wake makes the original movie's death toll look positively tame by comparison. The boys are both accomplished young actors, and they poignantly and realistically portray kids who are alternately impulsive, courageous, and frightened out of their minds. It's not groundbreaking in the same way Jurassic Park was, but if you're looking for heart-quickening fun, Jurassic World clearly delivers.

ITV Drama: Black Work Preview and Sheridan Smith Interview

ITVs BLACK WORK 3 PART DRAMA PREVIEW AND WE TALK TO ITS STAR SHERIDAN SMITH

Sheridan Smith, Matthew McNulty, Douglas Henshall, Geraldine James and Phil Davis star in ITV’s new riveting three-part thriller Black Work starting 21st June. Black Work is written by Matt Charman (Our Zoo, Suite Francaise), produced by Mammoth Screen, makers of Endeavour for ITV and is backed by Screen Yorkshire through the Yorkshire Content Fund. 

Following her critically acclaimed roles in Cilla and Mrs Biggs, Sheridan plays police woman Jo Gillespie whose world is thrown into turmoil when husband Ryan (Kenny Doughty), an undercover policeman, is shot dead in mysterious circumstances. She resolutely sets out to discover who murdered him and has to confront difficult truths about her family life and her marriage to Ryan. Police officer Jo is mother to 7-years-old Melly (Honor Kneafsey) and stepson Hal (Oliver Woolford). Understandably Jo is emotionally distraught and heavily conflicted as she unravels the last six months of her husband’s life. She’s grieving and wracked with guilt following an attachment to Ryan’s colleague and fellow police officer DC Jack Clark (Matthew McNulty), which puts further strain on her grieving family. 

Writer Matt Charman shed light on his inspiration for the drama: “Sheridan Smith is a dream to write for because as an actress there’s really nothing she can’t do. And Black Work is a story that pushes her to the limit – it makes her character, Jo Gillespie, doubt herself, her family, her friends, everything she’s always taken for granted in her search for her husband's killer.”

Thanks to ITV, Sheridan tells about filming in Leeds and her character.

What appealed to you about Black Work?

“The writer Matt Charman got in touch with me, explained the premise of Black Work and why he wanted me to play Jo Gillespie. She has two worlds: Her family life and then her police family. Jo is strong and tough but goes through so much turmoil and mental torment. It was different to anything I’ve done before. I like trying different things and challenging myself and Matt is a really clever writer, so I said yes.”

Who is Jo Gillespie?

“Jo is a police constable married to Ryan, played by Kenny Doughty, who is a police detective. They have a young daughter Melly (Honor Kneafsey) and Ryan has a 16-year-old son called Hal (Oliver Woollford) from a previous marriage who also lives with them. It’s a modern family.”

Ryan has regularly spent time away from home?

“There’s a strain on their relationship evident right from the start. Ryan has been working away three days a week training CID officers. At least that’s what Jo thinks. In fact he has been working undercover on a secret special investigation. Jo and Ryan haven’t been spending a lot of time together and hardly talk anymore. He’s a closed book and she’s become guarded and conflicted. But they both adore the children.”

Jo’s relationship with Jack Clark, played by Matthew McNulty?

“Jack is also in the force and is best friends with Ryan. Jo and Jack have become close. His son and her daughter Melly both go to swimming together. So Jo and Jack would see each other there every week and would sit and talk. And it was just talking. It never developed into anything more. But because Jo’s relationship was so strained, and so was his with his wife, they felt they had no-one to talk to and they’ve just become close. It was something they needed.”

Sharon Duce plays your mother-in-law Barbara?

“Sharon was also my mother in The Royle Family. It was lovely to see her again all these years later. I was 19 when I was in The Royle Family as Emma and Sharon played my mum Valerie who came around to the Royle’s house and they all admired her lovely coat. It was great to work with her again. She’s so much fun.”

Jo’s world is turned upside down when her husband Ryan is shot dead in mysterious circumstances and she discovers he had a separate life working undercover?

“It must be a horrible feeling to trust someone and then find out they weren’t who they said they were. Jo thinks she knows Ryan and then her world falls apart. She trusted the police force to look after its own family and now she’s not sure of anything. Jo is finding out all this information about somebody she thought she knew everything
about. And it turns out she doesn’t know him. I can’t imagine the state of mind you would then be in. To have to take all that in. She doesn’t know who to trust or turn to and fears for her family.

“Jo is figuring it all out as she goes along in the same way as the audience are. It’s a psychological thriller and a whodunit. There are so many twists and turns and you really don’t know what’s going to happen.”

We have seen a preview and the funeral scenes are very moving?

“We were in a beautiful cathedral and holding Honor’s hand as Melly and having to walk behind the officers carrying the coffin was really powerful to film. There’s a speech at the funeral about the risks police officers take every day. I have so much respect for people who do these jobs. I’m simply playing a role and acting it out. They have to do it for real.

“I remember being asked once by some paramedics if they could have a photo taken with me. And I said, ‘I’m embarrassed. You save lives. I just say lines.’ Police, firefighters, the emergency services, they go out every day and do a dangerous job. It must be scary if you’re the wife, husband or partner of someone who does that. It’s really commendable. I am in awe of people who do that.”

You filmed Black Work close to your family roots in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire?

“Yes. We filmed in Leeds, Lincolnshire and all around my home area. I was able to use my own accent. Black Work started just after I had played Lisa Lynch in The C Word and my hair hadn’t really grown back that much at all at that stage. We spoke about maybe wearing wigs but then we thought, ‘Why not just go with how I am at the minute?’ So Jo has short black hair, which also fits in with her being a police officer. It made me feel very different to other roles.

“I feel so close to me when I’m doing my own accent so it’s quite tricky to turn off my own emotions. When you’re playing someone like Cilla and you’ve got a different accent you still bring a lot of yourself to it but it just removes you slightly.

“It was lovely to be back home and hear my accent all around me. Although no-one really recognised me with my hair like that. I had to stay in Leeds during filming and even when we filmed in Goole, just down the road from my mum and dad’s, you’re on tight 12-hour days and 6am pick-ups or whatever. But I did manage to get home on my day off.”

Have you played a police officer before?

“No, I’ve never played a police officer. I played a character called Janey Giles in The Bill but she was on the wrong side of the law. Black Work is not like your usual police drama. A lot of the time Jo is in her normal clothes, although I did get to wear the uniform sometimes. I found the police uniform very empowering.

“Jo is a PC in the force, only just starting out, and she doesn’t realise how clever she is. And that’s the journey she goes on as she tries to figure things out. That’s why it’s nice that you sometimes see her in uniform but mostly in her own clothes.

“Filming out on location was interesting. Usually when people see a film crew they might come over and ask what’s going on. But seeing all the police cars and me in uniform, that’s probably why no-one came over to me. They probably thought they’d get into trouble.

“When you’re playing someone like Cilla or Mrs Biggs you get all these research packs. I watched all the interviews of Cilla from the 1960s and so on. Of course with this you can’t just go into a police station and say, ‘Can I watch what you’re doing?’ But I got enough information to know where to pitch my performance as far as what it’s like being in the force.

“I have a cousin in the police force. I’m hoping she thinks I’ve done a good enough job. Or she’ll be on the phone straight away!”

Filming in and around a cottage in the countryside?

“We were really out in the moors. It was very muddy and wet. All the camera trucks
were getting stuck in the mud. Not glamorous at all. In one scene Jo has to run
through some woods and that was exhausting. I was slip-sliding about trying to run.
How I didn’t slip up in the air and land in a big muddy puddle, I don’t know. We were
jumping over logs and tree stumps. I’ve never done that type of thing before so it was
nice to do something different and a real challenge.”

You did your own driving for a sequence where off duty Jo is chasing a
suspect?

“I love driving. Every time they had a double there I was like, ‘No, please, I want to do
all the driving myself.’ I full throttled it and loved it. The back end of the car would spin
out as I drove away so the crew would all stand back. I was thrilled to play a police officer speeding off and chasing people.”

How about a scene where Jo immerses herself under the water in a bath?

“I’m not a great swimmer although I’ve had to do loads of water scenes in the past. In
Jonathan Creek I was dropped into a 20-foot tank of water. But there were divers down there to grab me. They bought me a T-shirt which said, ‘I do all my own stunts,’ because they knew how terrifying it was for me.

“On every take for the Black Work scene, the water would go up my nose and come down the back of my throat. So I’d shoot up out of the water coughing and choking. Then I’d sort myself out and we’d go for the take. But I made sure each time I managed to get all the way under before I panicked. I love how they shot it. The director Michael Samuels has a really good eye for interesting shots. It’s done in slow motion and looks like a mask over Jo’s face.

“Jo’s daughter Melly is a swimmer and takes part in competitions. Honor, who plays her, was amazing. She just jumped in the swimming pool. I was thinking, ‘Wow, I wish I could do that.’ I’m not a swimmer.”

Melly pushes her mum Jo around and around on a children’s playground roundabout?

“That was the very last scene we shot for Black Work on the final day in a little play park. I wasn’t too dizzy. It must have been worse for the guys sat on the roundabout with us - the cameras and the sound. They had someone helping Honor to push because there were so many people on the roundabout trying to film it. They were much dizzier than I was. But it does discombobulate you a bit. And because it’s a 360 degree shot the rest of the crew had to hide so they weren’t in vision.”

Black Work also features a scene shot across a the Trinity shopping centre in Leeds?

“We filmed in a shopping mall when it was open to the public. It’s hit and miss when you do those scenes. We did one massive long shot where we go down some escalators, across the shopping centre and then down another set of escalators. I felt guilty because it’s a scene where Jo is paranoid and she’s looking at people in a strange way. So some of the shoppers would recognise me and smile while I’d have to stay in character because I was being filmed. I wanted to find them afterwards and say, ‘Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t smile back because I was in the middle of a scene.’

“After we’d filmed the close-ups of that scene they hid the camera up high and we’d do the scene again for a wider angle. It looks great on screen but people then don’t see the camera at all as we mingle with the crowds.

“On one take this lovely girl wearing headphones stepped on the final escalator just before us. It was really intense and we’re thinking, ‘Yes, we’re nearly through it.’ Then she turned around, pulled her headphones out and said, ‘Were you just filming up there?’ Of course she didn’t realise we were still filming and we had to carry on talking. She looked a bit freaked out, wondering why we were ignoring her and put her headphones back in. Then as we got to the bottom of the escalator and they said, ‘cut,’ we chased after her and went, ‘We’re so sorry. We were still filming and weren’t ignoring you.’ It must be strange for the public walking around thinking, ‘What’s going on here?’”

You went to Buckingham Palace in May to receive your OBE from Prince William?

“I was very surprised and honoured to be awarded the OBE. I still can’t believe it. I went with my mum and dad and my brother and it was a wonderful day. It’s just surreal when you’re there. Another world for me and so exciting.

“I had been at the Palace before and met the Queen. That was for the National Youth Music Theatre. Prince Edward is their President and that’s where I started. So I was
asked to go along with the NYMT as one of their patrons and got to meet the Queen then.

“Prince William was lovely. He said he had seen some of my roles and that he likes Gavin and Stacey. He asked what I was doing at the moment and I explained I was filming The Huntsman movie, which is a sequel from Snow White and The Huntsman and that I was playing a dwarf. He asked how it was done and I explained some things. It was just a short chat. I said what an honour it was and thank you.

“There were the most incredible people there getting honours and I met so many of them that day. Lovely people from all different walks of life who had done so much work for charity and other things. That was, to me, really inspiring. To be sat among people like that and be the actor among them. 

“Afterwards we has lots of photos taken in the Buckingham Palace courtyard and you also get to keep a video of the day. It was all really special and I felt so honoured. Then we stayed at the Mondrian Hotel in London where the staff were wonderful. When we arrived they had spelled out ‘OBE’ on a table in red, white and blue Smarties along with a marzipan depiction of the actual medal. My relatives from Wales also came over and so we were all celebrating together.

“An unforgettable day. Absolutely magical, like a dream. I will never, ever, forget it.”

Lawson - interview with lead singer Andy

With the recent release of the first single from their highly anticipated second album, Lawson's vocalist, Andy, took some time to talk to us about how a little band from Liverpool ended up recording at one of the most prestigious studios in the US, along with touring with Take That, and explaining how their song writing is getting better and better.

Hi Andy, how are you doing today?

Good, thank you! I've got a day off so I'm chilling at home, which is a nice change to being out on the road. We've been promoting the brand new single so we've been a little bit busy over the last month or so. 

Ah great, so you've been playing gigs too?

We've done some gigs; we did a couple of dates with Take That. Basically, we've just been roaming up and down the country, doing a few bits and bobs. 

You're getting ready to release your second album - how is it coming along?

It's all finished up. I'd say it'll be out towards the end of the summer; we haven't got a definite release date yet, but we're thinking end of August/early September sort of time. We're very excited about that. It's got a vibe on there for everyone and a lot of big, anthemic pop-rock tunes. Because we've been writing for the last year, it's something that we've spent a lot of time crafting and making sure that it was absolutely perfect.

'Roads', the first single from your album, came out at the end of May - how long has it been ready?

We've had the single ready for probably over six months. We took a year out to write the album and probably wrote about thirty songs, and 'Roads' is one of the first ones we wrote, so it has been ready for quite a while, which is good because it's always been one that's stuck out.

The song has a really cool sound to it - what were you trying to go for when you were writing it?

I think it's just about writing a song with an uplifting melody that you think people are gonna be able to sing along to at the end of the day - that sort of seems to be the key for me. We like to write melodies that you can stomp your feet and nod your head to, and I think 'Roads' ticks those boxes, it's got a lot of energy from the get-go. That's the feeling behind it, and the rest of the album follows that vibe as well.

For those people who've been living in a bubble for the last few years and haven't heard Lawson's music, how would you best explain it? 

I'd say it was acoustic guitar-led pop-rock with meaningful lyrics and big sounding choruses. Similar to bands like 'One Republic', 'The Script', 'Maroon 5' - that sort of thing. We aim to write songs that are memorable and that people will like.

The album was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. What was it like to work there?

Nashville is such a fantastic place for music, so to be able to experience the culture there - which is very music-led - is inspiring. Everyone in some way, shape or form is a musician. Going into a bar, the bartender is probably an awesome guitarist and that's just how it worked; everyone is into the music. Everyone is so friendly and the night life is amazing, there's live music in every single bar you go into. It's something you don't really get in this country, and we feel it's something there should be more of.

Blackbird studios has had some incredible bands record there in the past like Kings of Leon. Maroon 5 were there recording their latest album whilst we were there too. It's a wonderful place, and it's somewhere we'd love to go to for the next album. It's such an iconic place and I think we really created an awesome sound in there.

What was it about recording at Blackbird that made such an impact on the sound?

It definitely made us make music in a certain way. I don't think you'd go there to make a dance album because it's very orientated to live guitars and drums. The drums in there were amazing; they had reverb chambers where you could create huge soundings. We definitely had that sort of vibe in there - the Imagine Dragons-esque drums and Genesis era Phil Collins and we tried to emulate that too. The record is also a little country-influenced, country music is so big in Nashville. But mainly the way it's produced, it's so well polished. We all love the sound of a really well-polished album and that definitely seeped into the tracks. 

Who produced the record for you?

It was John Fields who was fantastic. He's worked with some of our favourite bands like Goo Goo Dolls and Jimmy Eat World.

Having such a successful first record, do you feel a pressure to live up to or surpass the first album?

I think it's pressure in a good way, really. The second album is always a tough album to make as a band. The first album has gone platinum so it's very important to make an album which betters that, and for us that is a pressured atmosphere that we thrive in. If we didn't feel the pressure, it wouldn't mean enough to us. It has definitely helped us to make an even better album. 

Despite you guys being from the UK, I think you've got a very American vibe in your music - is that something you're doing intentionally or did you just want to step away from the generic English band?

I think it's a bit of both, really. We love American music; some of our favourite bands are American and we worked in the US with American producers on both records so I would say that we definitely did have an ear on the American market. 

We're about to release 'Roads' over there and it's the first time we've ever released in the States, we really wanted to make sure that we waited until the time was right. Things can take longer over there because it's a slower build, when your song goes to radio, it can take a year before anyone reacts. At the end of the day, it's a marathon, not a sprint.

So you think Lawson is an ideal band for the US market?

I think so. Obviously I have some bias but I definitely think that it is something that American people will relate to. We're just really excited to get people to hear it.

You seem to love spending time stateside, would you consider relocating?

I'm not sure, to be honest. I think I'll always live in the UK because this is my home and this is where I was born and raised. Who knows what'll happen in the future, but I think for the moment I definitely won't be moving over there; that's for sure. 

Your first album contains a single featuring B.o.B - have you got any more collaborations lined up for this one?

We actually haven't got any collaborations on this album, no. There were a couple of songs where we thought about reaching out to some people and maybe getting a collaboration, but in the end we wanted to do an album that was all us. We got some help from a couple of musicians out in Nashville, like this outstanding banjo player who came in to play for us. Joel, our guitarist, can do it but we thought it was good to get this guy in as a lesson because he's played for some of the biggest bands in America. He came in for a day which was cool.

So is there anyone you would like to work with in the future?

We haven't really thought about it, to be honest; I think our dream collaboration would be something like what Kanye West has just done with Paul McCartney - I love it. I think that was awesome. Paul McCartney is one of my idols, imagine doing a collaboration with a Beatle! That would be unbelievable. My ultimate dream would be someone like him or Stevie Wonder.  

You mentioned supporting Take That, did you feel that was a good fit for you?

I do think it was a good fit actually, yeah - we really went down well on those shows and the audience really responded to our music. Take That are obviously a band who have been around for years and have continually delivered. At the end of the day, if you don't make consistently great music, you're not gonna sell-out 10 nights at the O2, are you? 

Obviously with the first album going Platinum lots of people know your songs, but do you think they relate those songs to Lawson as a band yet? 

I don't think that people know that we sing the songs we sing. For example, with 'Juliet' and 'Standing in the Dark' lots of people know every single lyric, but I get told all the time 'I had no idea you even sang that song!', so I think it's all still building for Lawson. You've just gotta keep releasing music and hope that you have that one huge song that just sends us over the edge that can just translate worldwide. I don't think we're too far away from that now.

What's been your biggest gig to date?

I think our biggest gig would have been at Wembley stadium, which we did last year or the year before, we did a multi-bill show with Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran in front of 85,000 people. That was unbelievable! B.o.B. joined us onstage to do 'Broken Heart' and we did his song, 'Planes', it was a lot of fun.  

When it comes to touring, how do you keep yourselves entertained whilst traveling around? 

We just write songs on the road; we have a little backpack that we take with us which contains all the equipment we need to make an album. So we do a lot of writing and jamming, but to be honest, we're really busy. We never really have to keep ourselves entertained because we're in a new city so we'll walk around a bit and then have a sound check and then eat and go onstage. We always have something to do.

If there's one place that you haven't played at yet but really want to, where would it be?

I think New York's Madison Square Garden would be the ultimate dream venue. It's an incredible venue, isn't it? It's one of the most iconic venues in the world, really. There's another venue called Red Rocks Amphitheatre which is an incredible venue sculpted in the rocks, so that would also be a big dream of ours.

Tell us a little about your personal music tastes, who was your favourite artist/band when you were growing up?

The Beatles. They were the band that inspired me to start learning the guitar and start writing my own songs. As I got older I started listening to Oasis, Stereophonics and Travis - I love Travis - and I think they were my favourite bands when I was growing up. 

So what was your favourite album?

I was talking about this with a mate the other day; I think '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' would have been my favourite album. 'Definitely Maybe' was also great, and then there was also a Stereophonics album called 'Performance and Cocktails' that was one of my favourites as well as Travis' 'The Man Who'. Obviously, I had the whole Beatles discography, but in terms of bands still making music, I'd definitely say Travis and Stereophonics.

If there was one song written by someone else that you could have made, what would it be?

It's such a tough question, something like Adel's 'Someone Like You' which is an incredible song. It's so heart-felt and so emotional, and I love a track like that which has a lot of meaning behind it, so I think that would be up there.

What's the plan for Lawson over the next few months? Where can people hear you next?

We've got a lot of gigs coming up over the next few months; we've got V Festival, Splendour Festival, we're doing Gibraltar Music Festival with Kings of Leon in September, and then if you just keep checking out website you'll keep getting updates of where we're gonna be on the rod and stuff.

Hot Chip - Why Make Sense Review .... A Highlight?

Why Make Sense? - Hot Chip

Six albums into their career and Hot Chip present us with the chaotic and mesmerising 'Why Make Sense?' A fast-paced mix of disco, funk, electro-pop and RnB, the album is a sure sign that the band are just getting better with age.

Single 'Huarache Lights' kicks off the album and it's everything we've come to expect from Hot Chip: catchy and strangely familiar. It's a strong album opener, with hints of Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories'. It paves the way for the rest of the album, starting off loud and fast-paced, with more reflective and melancholy moments scattered throughout.

'Love Is The Future' moves into a slightly more RnB feel, with De La Soul's Posdnuos featuring on vocals. The band embraces their romantic side here, something that has always featured strongly throughout their albums. It may be fairly laid back, but it's a positive, uplifting track, and a real highlight of the album. 'Started Right' brings some great disco-influenced funk, whereas the oddly named 'White Wine and Fried Chicken' slows things considerably; a ballad in the middle of a frantic album. It's a beautiful pit stop, however, sounding Broken Bells-inspired as the band reflects on the changes found in a long-term relationship.


The second half brings more disco and funk, a high point being 'Need You Now', sampling vocals from RnB group Sinnamon. This half unfortunately isn't quite as memorable as the first, however album-closer 'Why Make Sense?' ends with a purposeful, driven crescendo. You can tell that the band enjoyed making this album purely from this final track alone. They have matured and lost any self-consciousness that may have appeared on earlier offerings. This care-free attitude has done the band wonders, making 'Why Make Sense?' a memorable, eclectic piece of work that will remain a highlight of Hot Chip's career.

Tarantinos' The Hateful Eight: Samuel L Jackson on filming..

Samuel L Jackson says 'The Hateful Eight' cast did "incredible" work on set.

Quentin Tarantino appears to have gone to great lengths to recreate a stormy Wyoming landscape in his latest movie The Hateful Eight - refrigerating the set to the extent that the actors could see their own breath.

Samuel L Jackson plays Major Marquis Warren in Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight

Taking place a few years after the Civil War, the movie revolves around a group of travelling strangers who are forced to take refuge together at a bar when a storm hits.

Samuel, who plays Major Marquis Warren, a former union soldier turned bounty hunter, spoke about shooting the movie and says the cast still text each other sharing stories about the "incredible" film.

"All of us are so anxious to see this movie because, every day, the work was incredible," he said, "It was taxing, in a very interesting way, because we were in the snow, at first, and then we get inside this room. Quentin shot on a refrigerated set, and it was 30 degrees, every day, in there. We were miserable in the environment. You could see our breath, but the stuff that we were doing was amazing. We would finish doing a scene and look at each other and just grin like, "This is incredible." And we may be blowing smoke up our own asses, but I hope it's as good as we felt like it was when we were doing it.

Released later this year, The Hateful Eight also stars Kurt Russell as a bounty hunter on his way to Red Rock, Jennifer Jason Leigh as an infamous outlaw, Michael Madsen as Joe the cowboy, Tim Roth as the new hangman of Red Rock, Walton Goggins as a Southerner who claims to be a sheriff, Bruce Dern as a former Confederate general and Demian Bichir as a Mexican who's taken over innkeeper duties at Minnie's.