musical youth

Florence & The Machine @ Union Chapel was a fab concert!

…and no, I’m not talking about the group who once wanted you to pass the dutchie to the person on your left.  Although, the fact that song is the first thing that springs into my mind when the words ‘musical’ and ‘youth’ are out together probably gives some indication of my age!

I’m old…oh so old.  I don’t feel as old as I am though, and after a brilliant conversation with someone I’ve known for 3 years who said that they were more than old enough to be be mother, and then shockingly discovered that I am only actually 10 years younger than them, I like to think I don’t look it!

So, an ongoing row with me and The Man is the fact that he reckons that I am ‘trying to recapture my youth’ as I am very into finding new music, new bands etc.  I feel jittery if I don’t have at least one gig booked (and I only have one booked at the moment, so I’m, not altogether happy just now!).  I love music, and I love live music especially, and the fact is that there are a hell of a lot of talented young people out there, with a huge amount of enthusiasm and animation.  And cosier venues are brilliant (I love Scala and Koko) and let’s face it, they’re cheaper!

I don’t think embracing new bands (as well as still retaining love and respect for the old, I hasten to add) is me trying to recapture my youth – in fact, I think him playing nothing but The The, Fatima Mansions, The Damned and stuff like that is HIM trying to retain his youth and pretend that life hasn’t moved on.  I must admit though, in the last few years, I’ve managed to find some new bands on his wavelength, and he’s really liked them and we’ve seen them live – The XX and White Lies to name just a couple – but now I’m worried that he’s gone in a totally new direction.  He’s having a folksy, bluegrass stage.  He ADORES Mumford & Sons and Seasick Steve and went to see a local bluegrass band playing a couple of weeks ago and was absolutely raving about it.

So – am I just refusing to grow up?  I must admit, I didn’t go to gigs much when I was younger – I was into house music when it first came out – and raves weren’t really the same!  And then I bought a house when I was 18, married at 19 – so I was skint and married and not very happy at all, so I didn’t go to any gigs then either.

Or am I just accepting of my eclectic tastes, and happy to give anything a chance?

I believe I am part of the generation that refuses to admit that we’re adults – and I never feel old at gigs – there’s always a lot of people who look a lot older than me (or perhaps they’re just unfortunate and are really only 26!) – and I think that music really is a great leveler.

It can’t only be me who feels this way!

things i do when i should be working

Ellie Goulding - 'The one to watch' in 2010

Well, apparently Ellie Goulding is top of the BBC Sound of 2010 list which means she’s destined for big things this year!

This news has given me a new excuse to procrastinate today while I’m working from home.

I don’t know whether it’s just me, but when I’m working from home, I tend to get a lot more done, but feel a lot more guilty when I’m not actually doing any work.  In the office, me and my boss laugh and joke and show each other stuff on the internet – I’m quite happy to have Facebook open permanently (I CAN multi-task).  I also have a work Twitter account, which also throws up some interesting stuff.  Then I get phone calls and have meetings and there’s so many distractions.  Plus I have to travel there and back.

When I’m working from home, I tend to start looking at emails and stuff at about 8am and end up doing far more actual work, and yet when I’m not working, I keep feeling like I’m going to get found out!  I wonder why that is.

Anyway, Ellie Goulding – as of today she’s suddenly got her name all over the news and the internet, and so I spent the last 10 or 15 minutes looking through YouTube videos of her at the Union Chapel gig in November.  Mainly to see if I can see myself.  Ahem.

I wonder how many other people do that.  When they’ve been somewhere that they know has been recorded, they go and look at countless videos just to see if they can spot themselves a nd if they do, then moan OH MY GOD – do I look like THAT?!!?  Was I dancing like THAT??  I look SOOOOOOOOooooooooooo pissed/stoned/fat/slutty/mental/like my mum*!!”

*delete as applicable

I’m sure that’s not just me.

Anyway – it was a brilliant gig, but Ellie was WAY down my list of favourite acts that night.  Obviously I went for Florence & The Machine mainly (3rd time I saw her last year) who is perfect far the fantastic acoustics of Union Chapel (which is the most amazing venue), but close on her heels were the amazing Rodrigo y Gabriela – who I had never heard of at the time.  they just completely fired the crowd up – and again, they were perfect for the venue.

Ellie had a good voice, but it was nowhere near as powerful or controlled as Florence, and I think Under The Sheets especially sounds far better once it has been produced etc, as I quite like the single, but live it was definitely lacking something.  All of the Union Chapel gigs were acoustic and I don’t think that was really her strength.