Big venues vs small venues for concerts (UK)

 We had to do a feature for Radio on anything we wanted to do with the music industry. I did a voxpop of fans outside Leeds Cockpit and Interviewed support band The Swellers.

Cue:

There has been much discussion over the years as to what size venue is best for concerts. Smaller venues suggest more intimacy between fans and the band. But some people feel a bigger venue makes the band feel more accepted and that they have finally ‘made it’. Smaller venues bring the better sound and sell tickets quicker whereas big venues allow the artist to put on more of a show as space allows them to do more on stage.

INTRO: Deaf Havana fans outside Leeds Cockpit, Bar staff in gig venues and American band The Swellers talk about their opinions on this topic.

Journalistic Writing exercise 4

Hopes Die Last
Who are they? A five piece, post- hardcore/screamo band from Rome, signed to Standby Records. They formed in 2004 and although released 2 ep albums have been kept pretty quiet on the music scene. Their first ep released in 2005 consisted of six songs and they were classed as pop punk/emo, it doesn’t surprise as emo was one of the biggest genres around in the rock industry at this time. ‘Your face down now’ EP released in 2008 is the album that is classed as Post hardcore/screamo. After playing a few dates in America and Europe, the bands former vocalist Nick decided to leave the band claiming on Myspace he loved them to bits but he wasn’t happy playing that kind of music anymore.
‘Six years home’ is the 2009 album that includes new singer Daniele Tofani. Only one music video ‘some like it cold’ was released in promotion of the album. They have also done covers of songs such as Katy Perry’s- fireworks. The band are working on a new album out later this year and are promoting it by going on a UK tour supporting American band Attack Attack! A tour in Europe follows.
For people who like. The devil wears prada, Chiados, Asking Alexandria.

You Me At Six plus supports Live review.

Date 28^th March 2012
Venue: Manchester O2 Apollo
Line-up: The Skints, Mayday Parade, Kids In Glass Houses, You Me At Six.

London’s own reggae/ska band The Skints come onstage just fifteen minutes after doors open. They bring the rap vibe onto the scene straight away singing so fast it’s impossible to hear what is being said. To play to a 7,000 strong crowd there for mainly You Me At Six, it is hard to please the majority. The only song that seems to get the audience moving is a cover version of Katy B’s – On A Mission.

Next up are Mayday Parade, the only American band in the line-up.  They are the first band to get everyone psyched for the night ahead. With microphone tricks, hit songs and a good interaction with the crowd they live up to expectations. The only disappointments are that they don’t play one of the better known songs ‘Miserable At Best’ and that the twenty minute set isn’t long enough.

Kids In Glass Houses have been on the rise since the fresh pop rock scene of 2006 and seem extremely grateful to be back in Manchester. Halfway through the set list, singer Aled Phillips appears to have a torch in his hands which is in fact the microphone stand. He uses it to separate the crowd and form a wall of death before the heavy guitar riff to ‘Fisticuffs’ fills the room and everyone goes crazy. The atmosphere in the room is on a high, Kids In Glass Houses are definatley crowd pleasers.

It’s been a great year so far for You Me At Six. Their 2010 album ‘Hold Me Down’ went gold earlier this month. ‘Sinners Never Sleep’ got a top ten spot in the album chart and three of the band members have their own clothing lines. They’re becoming extremely successful and this is their biggest headline tour to date. In fact so big that they added extra dates to the Manchester leg of the tour.

For the first time in a while the band have added effects to the show. From a silhouetted curtain drop to dry ice from the beginning it looks like the venue are in for a treat.

They kick off the set with intense, quick riffed ‘Loverboy’ and the energy stays put for the rest of the show. Josh Franceschi has a great stage presence about him and creates a special connection with the crowd. Halfway through, the band takes a break from the fast tempo songs and plays some of the slower ones. ‘Crash’ proved most popular with fans holding up lighters, phones and getting on shoulders.

Following ‘Crash’ is the encore, from the front to the back for the final three songs everyone in the Apollo is bouncing and singing along.  The only things people could possibly complain about was a lack of songs played from their first album ‘Take Off Your Colours’

You Me At Six show they want to move away from the pop route to a rock sound, they finish with ‘Bite My Tongue’ with Josh belting out the screaming part that belong to Oli Sykes and the crowd mosh pitting away. All in all it is a great gig with nothing to be faulted.