Ourgate Productions

Just an update regarding a post made a few weeks ago... Ourgate Productions have a website up and running www.ourgateproductions.co.uk
Here you can watch a showreel of work. So if you want a music video shot for your band, or pretty much anything (marketing /training video etc) then get in touch with Jules at Ourgate Productions.

Fat Of The Island

Freezing fog? Arctic winds? Black Ice on the roads? Its all a bit crap really isn't it? So thank goodness for Isle of Wight Festival organisers Solo for announcing that The Prodigy will be headlining the Friday night, 2006. So what if its technically still closer to the 2005 festival than the next one? It won't be long till we're boarding the ferry!

Isle Of Wight Festival 2006

Good times!
Looks like the first band is going to be announced tommorrow at 8pm on Virgin Radio. Hopefully it'll be a headliner, and hopefully it'll be a goodun. Apparantly Red Hot Chilli Peppers are 'preparing their 2006 tour dates' but who am I to speculate? Woohoo next summer here we come!!!

Sia -Colour The Small One

Just a quick post to recommend Sia (the occaisional voice of Zero 7.) Her album Colour The Small One was released in 2004, and is an excellent mellow /chill out listen. However, unlike the often bland repetiton associated with some chill out, Sia's is a work of beauty, with carefully crafted beats, whispy pianos, all layered underneath her distinct voice.
Its definately worth a listen, so head over to http://www.theselector.org/?p=590 to download three of her songs. Highly recommended is Breathe Me.

Pull Out The Stops

Elbow, Portsmouth Pyramids, November 13th 2005




Sometimes you've gotta be thankful for a little injustice. Like when the ball has clearly crossed the line, but the referee rules out the oppositions goal. Well tonight injustice has put Elbow at Number 53 in the charts (what the f**k?) and set them on another tour of mid size venues. But like I said, sometimes you gotta be thankful for a little injustice...
Because while Elbow remain intimate, they remain awesome. Kicking off with Station Approach and Fallen Angel, it's obvious straight away that it's gonna be a good night. The audience are in fine singing voice, as Guy Garveys voice echos and projects around the venue. Garvey is tonight confined to a stool and a walking stick (he hurt his leg 'saving four children from a burning house...don't thank me, It's my job,' he claims.)
The set is made up of hits (sorry I mean 'singles.' I don't think Number 53 constitutes a hit) and fragile tracks from the latest album Leaders of the Free World. In fact, the band play that title track with enough venom and spit that you get the feeling they were pretty gutted about its low chart position.
The boldest and most beautiful song of the night was Switching Off, which the band closed the first part of the gig with. It saw Garvey singing with only an organ to musically back him up. The sight of Garvey hunched over his walking stick, singing a song about euthanasia and death provided the most emotional moment of the evening. The temperature in the gig may be humid, but as Garvery sang the line 'You the only sense, the world has ever made' I felt all my hairs stand on end. A genuine moment.



For the encore the band treat the fans to Powder Blue, and finish on mass singalong Forget Myself. Other highlights included the musical journey that is Newborn, and Great Expectations. Oh, and Guy demanding that instead of clapping, the crowd sings the band back onstage for the encore with a rendition of 'Going to the Chapel.'
The wit and wisdom of Guy Garvey makes for an emotional rollercoaster of a gig. And the coolness and musicianship of the other band members means that Elbow have more character and talent than many other supposed 'bigger' bands (naming no names *cough* Embrace, *cough* Athlete.) So while Elbow are on such form, maybe we can live with this injustice right?