Stereoboard Tour of the Week – The Bluetones
A few weeks ago, we made Ocean Colour Scene our Stereoboard Tour of the Week for their forthcoming ‘Moseley Shoals’ 15th anniversary dates. Now it’s time for another group of Britpop survivors, although these ones have decided to call it a day. That’s right, it’s The Bluetones. After seventeen years, six albums and thirteen Top 40 singles, this London quartet have announced that their tour in September will be their last. Earlier this week, the band’s MySpace page read: “We're afraid the time has come and we must say farewell. We will be playing a career-spanning set of songs as a way to say thank you to our loyal supporters and hopefully signing off with a bit of a bang. We hope we'll see you all in September.”
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 01 April 2011
'Fowl Play' A Feature By David Evans (Rockness Feature)
Draw up a list of legal addictions and it’s a fair bet that at some time or another I’ve caved in to the lure of at least two, and in the unlikely event of you including something to do with vinyl records, I could chalk up a hat trick.
Written by: David Evans | Date: Thursday, 31 March 2011
Stereoboard Rejects Proposal To Cap Resale Prices of Concert & Festival Tickets
With Reading & Leeds festival tickets going on sale yesterday the argument about ticket resale has surfaced once again with the assumption being that tickets for the festival would have sold out in double quick time and secondary websites would have had highly inflated tickets for sale almost immediately.
Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Leader Of The Starry Skies – A Tim Smith Tribute (Tim Smith Feature)
The name Tim Smith will probably elicit, from the majority of people who claim to be in the know about all things music, nothing more than a mere shrug and question of “Tim who?” Whilst he will never go down as one of the most successful and famous musicians of his era, Cardiacs frontman Tim Smith will always be one of the most influential and the calibre of artist present on this tribute record proves this to be the case. Featuring contributions from the likes of The Magic Numbers, Oceansize and Steven Wilson, this record raises money to help Tim with the condition he currently faces. Having suffered a serious stroke in 2008, Tim’s health is still in a perilous position and it is still unknown whether he will ever take up his musical career again. Thus many bands who recognise his influence and his importance have taken on the task of celebrating the amazing career he has already had.
Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 21 March 2011
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Ryan Adams
Don’t you mean Bryan Adams? No – definitely not. This particular member of the Adams family (they’re not actually related) is not at all fond of being confused with the Canadian rocker. Anyone that has heard about his infamous run-ins with fans certainly won’t be making any such mix-up in the near future. There have been several reports in the past regarding alleged occasions where Ryan Adams has had concert-goers thrown out and even fought with people that have dared to request ‘Summer of 69’ during one of his shows. Thankfully, according to an interview with Spin Magazine a few years back, the singer has since sought help for his anger issues: “I had to go into therapy because of the whole Bryan Adams ‘Summer of 69’ thing. I turned that into such a negative thing that it paralysed me. So now it’s not like someone’s not going to shout ‘Summer of 69’, but I can choose to not let that ruin my evening.”
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 18 March 2011
How To Make Money From Music (Feature)
Following the recent announcement of a heavy drop in attendance at concerts across the UK’s major arenas and the issues facing smaller music venues (as discussed in Rob Sleigh’s feature here) I got to thinking about how artists actually make a living from music these days.
Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Support Your Local Gig Venue (Feature)
Following the recent rescue of London's 100 Club and the optimistic progression of the new Live Music Bill, we're taking a look at the current state of Britain's live music scene and of the smaller venues around the nation. We want to hear from you about your favourite local gig venue and we don't mean your nearest arena. We're interested in those nearby little places with a bit of history and character about them. Somewhere you can watch a band in relatively close quarters and get a drink for a reasonable price. Leave your comments at the end of this feature and, in the meantime, here are a few words to whet your appetite for low-key live music.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Stereoboard’s Fantasy Festival 2011
It's that time of year again – the time when we have to decide which of this year's countless music festivals to spend our hard-earned pounds on. No doubt many of you have already splashed out on one of the few summer events that have recently released tickets, such as T in the Park and the V Festivals. However, there are still plenty to choose from and, with all the speculation surrounding the bands that are still to be announced for the various line-ups, it could prove to be a difficult choice. With the Reading and Leeds line-up soon to be revealed, more artists being confirmed for Glastonbury and tons of bands still to be added to the host of other festivals, we decided to find out what your hopes and predictions are for 2011's summer of music. So we asked you for your dream festival performances and here are the results. We've compiled a virtual line-up of some of your expectations, over-optimistic or otherwise, as well as a few of our own for this year's Stereoboard Fantasy Festival.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Monday, 14 March 2011
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – The Kills
Three years after the release of their third album ‘Midnight Boom’, transatlantic lo-fi duo The Kills are to return next month with their latest offering entitled ‘Blood Pressures’. Following a previously-announced UK live date at London’s Heaven venue on 31st March, just a few days ahead of the album’s release, the pair have now revealed details of a full tour for May and June, including a slot at Newcastle-on-Tyne’s Evolution Weekender festival on 28th May.
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Ocean Colour Scene
Britpop is back. Or so it would seem. Pulp and Suede are reforming, Blur are still umming and arring about whether or not to record any new material and Liam Gallagher is attempting to find out what life would be like without big bro. Also, speaking of Brother, one Slough-based group going by that very name have been accused of trying to revive the same genre and have even hooked up with Blur’s old producer Stephen Street to record their debut album. So who’s next?
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Monday, 07 March 2011
Sound & Vision (Peter Wyngarde, David Soul, Joaquin Phoenix Feature)
If you think about it, acting is a strange way to earn your daily crust: one moment you’re playing the role of a greenhouse gas in a Hackney council funded play about global warming; the next moment you’ve landed the leading role in a Bollywood version of “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo”. When your acting makes you a household name, the temptation to cash in on your fame must be strong. Some actors have dipped their toes into the waters of music with varying degrees of success. Back in the mid- 80s Kylie Minogue was just an Australian soap opera actress; these days she’s a global pop star. However, some actors haven’t been (to paraphrase Kylie’s song) “so lucky“ when they have tried their hand at music.
Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Tuesday, 01 March 2011
Whatever Happened To Cool Cymru? (Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Feeder, Stereophonics Feature)
With it being St David’s day today and local radio playing anything and everything they can find by Welsh bands, it reminded me of the term ‘Cool Cymru’ that was thrown around a lot around the mid 90’s and got me wondering what ever happened to that whole scene?
Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 01 March 2011
Oceansize - A Tribute (Feature)
It is sadly a rare thing in this day and age. Rare indeed for a band to have the strength and determination to be everything they want to be without caving in to the inevitable financial pressures and lack of mainstream recognition. It is even rarer, not just in the world of today but in the whole of modern musical history, for a band to be anywhere near true musical perfection. Yet Oceansize, in the minds of many including myself, achieved this elusive state. The elusive state in question meant that it was never a case of the band possibly writing anything bad but instead of writing things that were slightly less amazing than everything else they wrote.
Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 01 March 2011
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Frank Turner
Let’s face it – Frank Turner could probably be voted for Tour of the Week every week. As anyone who has been a fan of the singer since he started his solo career five years ago will confirm, it seems that the former Million Dead frontman is very rarely not on tour. Having just completed a string of dates, which included his own NME Awards Show, it’s unsurprising to discover that the travelling folkster wasn’t going to hang around long before announcing his next bunch of gigs. Lined up for May, in the run-up to his fourth album ‘England Keep My Bones’, Frank Turner will tour the UK once again for almost the entire month, making stops in most parts of the country. Despite the constant reappearances, we’re certainly not getting bored of him yet.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 25 February 2011
Why Beyonce Is NOT A Bad Booking For Glastonbury Festival 2011 (Glastonbury/ Beyonce Feature)
Since the announcement earlier this month that pop diva Beyonce Knowles will be the closing headliner for 2011’s Glastonbury festival, internet forums have been buzzing with people hammering their keyboards with every reason imaginable why the booking is terrible and a travesty. Something I’ve read several times is 'it’s not Glastonbury’. For me Glastonbury is absolutely about this sort of booking.
Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Born To Be Mild (Hot Chip, Kraftwerk, Devo Feature)
If you want to see sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll in one place, you could become a roadie for Daniel O’Donnell or just watch the documentary “The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years”. The film (a documentary about the Los Angeles heavy metal scene from the mid to late eighties) is littered with rock and roll clichés: Kiss’ Paul Stanley is interviewed on a bed, surrounded by scantily clad lingerie models and a drunken Chris Holmes from WASP, confesses to ‘4 women at a time’ sex sessions and pours vodka over his head. However for every Keith Moon in the world of rock and roll, there’s also a geek. The likes of Kraftwerk and Devo wouldn’t look out of place at a Dr Who convention but have become established, revered figures in the history of pop music.
Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Stereoboard.com Launch Access All Areas Anti-Scamming Viral Film - Watch Here!
After months of production, Stereoboard.com have launched their eagerly-anticipated 'Access All Areas' short film. 'Access All Areas' was premiered before a music industry audience at the Royal Hotel in the heart of Cardiff last night, with the film launching earlier today at 10am.
Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Friday, 18 February 2011
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – The Airborne Toxic Event
There aren’t too many LA-based groups that choose to spend an entire month of their lives over here in the UK, playing a gig every single night just to entertain their British fans. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that we’d be lucky to have a week’s worth of gigs to pick from by one of our transatlantic friends. However, that is exactly what The Airborne Toxic Event did a few years ago. Back in November 2008, a few months ahead of the UK release of their eponymous debut album, the alt-rock five-piece were kind enough to grace us with their presence for the whole month. During their 30 Shows in 30 Days Tour, as it became known, the band travelled up and down the country, visiting all four corners of the UK and returning to London each week for a gig at Camden Town’s iconic Dublin Castle.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Thursday, 17 February 2011
Access All Areas Anti-Scamming Viral Film Set For 'Royal Premiere'
After months of production, Stereoboard.com will launch their eagerly-anticipated 'Access All Areas' short film this week. 'Access All Areas' will be premiered before a music industry audience at the Royal Hotel in the heart of Cardiff tomorrow evening, with the film launching online on Friday February 18th at 10am.
Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Wednesday, 16 February 2011
For The Record (Music Downloads Feature)
In December 2010 a second HMV store opened in Cardiff city centre. My limited understanding of big business is based on watching the ‘Who shot JR?’ Dallas episode so this new store opening made me think that HMV was an expanding business. However, in the following January HMV announced that it would be closing 40 of its stores in 2011. In the last few years high street record shops have been threatened by a combination of Internet downloads, supermarket chains selling cheap CDs and online shops like Amazon. This leads me to ask a number of questions: What will be the future for the music format? Is downloading killing the beloved CD and ultimately the high street record shop? Why did it take so long to axe ‘Last of The Summer Wine’ from the BBC schedule? Ok, maybe not the last question.
Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Food For Thought (A Bing Ji Ling Feature by David Evans)
Talk about living on cloud-cuckoo land: there’s me thinking that just because I made a point of not being sidetracked by all that cookery jizz-jazz, everybody would sit up and take notice. Yeah, well, serves me right for being cocky …
Written by: David Evans | Date: Monday, 14 February 2011
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Primus
For many British music fans, Californian funk-metallers Primus are probably only known for being “that band that do the South Park theme tune” and you’d be forgiven if that’s as much as you know. After all, the trio have hardly given us a chance to get to know them over the past fourteen years, having not performed here on a single occasion in that time. 1997, the same year that they recorded their now famed contribution to the then brand-new satirical cartoon, was the last time that Primus visited these shores to play any gigs. And their UK fans have since had a very long wait to catch them in all their live glory again.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 11 February 2011
Don't Be Told What You Want. Don't Be Told What You Need (John Lydon/Iggy Pop Feature)
Back in the good old days Public Image Limited’s John Lydon sneered at the system with the lyric of “Big Business is very wise. I’m crossing over into enterprise”. Thirty years on the same spokesman for a disaffected generation has appeared in a butter advert. Lydon isn’t the only punk to be labelled as a corporate shill. Iggy Pop is now maintaining his lust for life by doing car insurance adverts. The way things are going Thomas Cook adverts will be accompanied by The Sex Pistols’ ‘Holidays in the Sun’ and Iggy’s 'Passenger' will be used to promote mobility scooters.
Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Wednesday, 09 February 2011
Why Government Legislation Of Secondary Ticket Resale Would Be Bad For Music Fans (Feature)
Anyone who has been attending concerts, sports games or any other ticketed events for more than 10 years will have noticed a significant drop in the number of dodgy looking blokes wandering around outside venues mumbling to anyone passing ‘buy or sell, anyone need tickets’ but a Labour MP is claiming this is a bad thing.
Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 08 February 2011
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – The Vaccines
After previously being confirmed as the opening act for Crystal Castles, Magnetic Man and Everything Everything at this month’s Shockwaves NME Awards Tour, it seems that London four-piece The Vaccines have already surpassed the prominence of the other bands on the bill before the tour has even begun. Over the past couple of months since the tour was announced, The Vaccines have managed to create a buzz that can be heard up and down the country and has now reached a deafening level that is almost impossible to ignore. That’s no small feat either. Especially when you bear in my mind that they are yet to release an album.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 04 February 2011
What's My Name Again? (Stage Names Feature)
So you want to be a pop star? Right you need to have some of the following things : your own songs, a measure of talent (unless you’re on X Factor), an image, a good manager and a great stage name. Why should a good stage name count for anything? I mean John Logie Baird’s invention of the television wouldn’t have commanded more respect in the scientific community if he had worked under the pseudonym of Zak Wonderpants.
Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Tuesday, 01 February 2011
A Few Reasons The Black Eyed Peas Should Phunk Off
Clubs. I bloody love clubs...obviously. I love the chunky bouncer who gets to third base with you before you’ve even entered the building. I love paying a crisp ten pound note to get in and then nigh-on five pounds for a pint of Fosters-flavoured water. I love getting evil looks from the man in the toilets for washing my own hands. I love being hugged by sweat-drenched strangers. I love being guilted into putting my hands up for Detroit and I love to superman dat ho...obviously.
Written by: James Conlon | Date: Monday, 31 January 2011
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Big Audio Dynamite
It’s been a busy few days as far tour announcements go and this week’s winner has faced some steep competition from the various bands that have been revealing new live dates for the next few months. One of the main ones, of course, is the new tour from Liam Gallagher’s Beady Eye. Everyone’s eagerly awaiting February’s release of their debut album ‘Different Gear, Still Speeding’ to find out what Liam can do without big brother Noel. Their live dates in March and April are sure to add some extra excitement to all the hype. Then there’s the confirmation of a huge post-Libertines’ reunion tour from Mr Pete Doherty himself, as well as more dates from hotly-tipped Slough indie-rockers Brother.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Monday, 31 January 2011
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – The Black Crowes
Last year, after over two decades of playing and recording a kick-ass brand of bluesy Southern rock, the Black Crowes from Atlanta, Georgia celebrated their 20th anniversary with a huge US tour entitled the ‘Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys Tour’. Well, the good news is that, this summer, the long-haired rockers will be bringing the tour over to the UK for three dates in Manchester and London. Unfortunately, the bad news is that the ‘Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys Tour’ isn’t just a clever name. After the string of European shows, the Black Crowes will indeed be saying “good night”. For now anyway. The six-piece have confirmed that the tour will be their last for a while as they prepare to go on an indefinite hiatus to spend time with family and to work on other projects.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 21 January 2011
Money Changes Everything (BRIT Awards Feature)
In the 1980s there seemed to be some certainties in life: the Tories would win the general election; I would never get to own a Commodore 64 and Annie Lennox and Phil Collins would get a nomination in the Brit Awards. Many pop videos were only shown on cable channels that few people had access to in the 1980s. You’d have to wait until at least the early evening to listen to some good tunes in the evening on Radio One (eg John Peel or Annie Nightingale). In those days to mention bands like The Smiths or other alternative music on mainstream TV could lead to hideous tortures such as death by Orville (being set alight in a huge wicker replica of Keith Harris’ loveable bird puppet).
Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Thursday, 20 January 2011
Stereoboard’s Top 10 Worst Cover Versions Revealed (Feature)
Following the response to the recent Christmas Number One, a cover of Biffy Clyro’s ‘Many of Horror’ by X Factor winner Matt Cardle, which saw thousands of people around the country either embracing or snubbing the decision, we decided to ask you to come up with your worst-ever cover version by an artist. And here is the result. To coincide with this week’s ‘The Cover Version: Hasn’t It Had Its Day?’ feature, we’ve put together a list of ten of your least favourite covers. Whether you thought that the original was sacred or just that the cover was too horrendous for words, here is how you responded.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Monday, 17 January 2011
The Cover Version: Hasn’t It Had Its Day? (Feature)
The cover version. Pay dirt for every pub band and fledgling teenage rock group around the country. Or alternatively, and more commonly these days, a quick way for a fame-hungry popstar wannabe to grab a few minutes in the limelight and for a mega-rich music exec and TV producer to get their hands on more of that much-needed wonga. After the recent Christmas Number One, a reworking of ‘Many of Horror’ by Scottish alt-rockers Biffy Clyro, which also happened to be the fourth X Factor Christmas Number One cover version in a row – excluding Rage Against the Machine’s brief stint at the top spot at the end of 2009 – is seems that it is now virtually impossible for an aspiring pop singer to come up with an original piece of music, even with an overpaid team of professional songwriters behind them. So what does this mean for the future of British pop music? Ignoring the dreadful thought that we may have to spend every Christmas from now until the end of eternity listening to one of Simon Cowell’s minions singing a god-awful, dreary love song while we eat our sprouts, it also means that there is a pretty good chance we will be forced to listen to a second-rate version of a track that was perfectly fine as it was. Come on, Britain – isn’t it about time we said no?
Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Bright Eyes
Four years on from their splendidly well-received Glastonbury set, their critically and commercially successful seventh album ‘Cassadaga’ and their less well-received cancelled UK tour dates, US folk-rockers Bright Eyes are back with a number of small shows announced for next month. Following their previously-announced date at the Royal Albert Hall, which has since sold out, the band have now revealed three new dates that will coincide with the release of their new album ‘The People’s Key’ and includes a show at London’s Scala venue on 14th February – the day the album comes out.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 14 January 2011
The Big 4, Blink 182 & Foo Fighters Listed In Stereoboard's Hottest Tickets Of 2011 (Feature)
With Christmas and New Year now well in the rear view mirror, it’s time to start looking forward to what promises to be another spectacular year of live music. With hot new bands popping up everywhere you look, plenty of current artists continuing to get bigger and better and a welcome return from several old favourites, we felt it was time to look at the 10 tours we, at Stereoboard, are most looking forward to in 2011.
Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2011
The Duke Spirit – Stereoboard Tour of the Week
Happy New Year! Hopefully by now, the hangovers, belly aches and New Year’s resolutions are beginning to wear off and you’re ready to get well and truly stuck in to another year of gigs, festivals and good, old fashioned rock’n’roll-type fun. Yes, that’s right – after a couple of weeks off for the oh-so short Christmas break, it’s time for the new tours of 2011 to start rolling in so that the ticket-buying British public can see what’s on offer this year.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 07 January 2011
Black Rose - A Rock Legend (Phil Lynott Thin Lizzy Feature)
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the death of Ireland’s first true rock star Phil Lynott. Most famous for his work in Thin Lizzy, Lynott stood out as one of the most unique performers and musicians of his era and his legacy remains to this day. One of the few black Irishmen in Dublin, he was instantly recognisable to Dubliners and it was this fame, rather than any great musical ability which won him a place in Brush Shiel’s Skid Row which also featured Gary Moore on guitar.
Written by: Daniel Lynch | Date: Wednesday, 05 January 2011
Why The X Factor Doesn't Get My Vote (Feature)
Cast your mind back to the end of 2009 and the United Kingdom was split into 3 distinct groups: those who wanted the X Factor winner to get the Christmas number one ; the anti-X Factor brigade who wanted the protest Rage Against the Machine single to get the position and those who didn’t give a toss either way. I must confess that I was in the “I don’t give a toss” brigade at the time. X Factor was no more than an annoyance to me and I always found Rage’s teenage angst chorus a bit laughable. It turned out that Rage got the number one which must have shaken the foundations of the Cowell empire for such a blink and you’ll miss it period of time that a new unit of time measurement called the Cowell was created.
Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Tuesday, 04 January 2011
Stereoboard Reveals Their Top Tips For Success in 2011
Another year is nearly up and it’s time to have a quick look back at 2010 before we have a long look forward into 2011. As we left the Noughties, 2010 brought us another exciting and eventful year in music. Bands like Mumford and Sons, The Drums and, of course, the xx have been among the new names that have given us plenty of good reasons to head out to the nearest gig venue or download another great album to our iPods. On the other hand, we've had old favourites like the Libertines, Biffy Clyro, Rage Against the Machine and Guns n' Roses, who have reared their ugly heads and, once again, astounded us - for the right reasons or otherwise.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Monday, 20 December 2010
Warpaint – Stereoboard Tour of the Week
As 2010 draws to a close, the last few tour announcements for 2011 are still coming in. This week’s stand-out tour news is almost certainly that of all-girl LA rock troupe Warpaint. It’s been only a few weeks since the release of their widely-acclaimed debut album and already the four-piece are beginning to stir-up a great deal of interest in their biggest UK tour to date. Following the recent announcement of their NME Awards Show at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in February, the experimental rock group have confirmed details of ten new dates in May, including one in Dublin. Looking back at the initial excitement that Warpaint have managed to create over the past few months, it is likely that this will be one of the most sought-after tours of the spring.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 17 December 2010
Lady Gaga Reigns In Stereoboard's Top 20 Tours Of 2010 & Top 10 Tours For 2011 (Feature)
Stereoboard have compiled a list of the best selling, and most in demand, tours that took place in 2010. We've dug out our extensive sales data over the past 18 months, covering over 44,000 UK events and hundreds of thousands of ticket sales, to bring you the definitive list of what events the people of Great Britain and Ireland have splashed the cash to see live this year.
Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Wednesday, 15 December 2010
A Fool And His Money (Bon Jovi Feature)
Rather than risk getting sidetracked by requests for recipes and handy hints, it’s probably best if I don’t dwell on my previous life as a cook.
Written by: David Evans | Date: Tuesday, 14 December 2010
The Rise Of The Eccentrics (Lady Gaga Feature)
Now I don’t normally ask a lot from people, but please could you do this one thing for me: The next time you’re on a night out and see a man wearing a bowtie, hit him with the nearest blunt object you can find. I’m not even joking on this one: beer bottle, chair leg, hammer – anything capable of ending his evening early will do.
Written by: James Conlon | Date: Friday, 10 December 2010
The Festivals - Stereoboard Tour of the Week
OK, so this isn't really a tour and some of us may have only just recovered from our hangovers after this year's outing to one or more summer events. However, festival season is a pretty important time on the musical calendar and, as the line-up news is starting to fly in and the earlybird tickets are about to go onsale, here at Stereoboard we're preparing ourselves for next year's summer rock excursion before the year has even begun and before we've even scraped the last of the ice from our windscreens.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Wednesday, 08 December 2010
Blink 182 - Stereoboard Tour of the Week
Considering Blink 182 are somewhat well-known for being a bit of a comedy band, with their toilet humour-filled lyrics and immature onstage antics, the last five years have seemed like more of a drama for the Californian punk trio. First, there was the break-up. Then came the awful news of Travis’s plane crash. And finally, there was the emotional reunion. You can’t write this kind of stuff. But anyway, the Blink boys are back and, after two hugely popular headlining performances at Reading and Leeds this summer and with a new album supposedly on the way, it appeared that things were, once again, beginning to look bright and cheerful for both the group and their many, many fans.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Thursday, 25 November 2010
Bellowhead Interview & Live Review - The Old Vic, Bristol - 11th Nov 2010
Late one crisp Tuesday night, long after the elfin children had been put to bed and the stars had risen to twinkle over us, Stereoboard were invited to commune with co-founder of traditional English folk troupe Bellowhead, John Spiers. Like any traditional folkster worth his salt, Spiers most likely had plans with a crafty freight of wenches not long after our interview. We tried to take up as little of his time as possible.
Written by: Richard Kemp | Date: Monday, 22 November 2010
Iron Maiden - Stereoboard Tour of the Week
Well... It’s been a relatively long time coming, but at last, it’s finally arrived. Yes, that’s right – the time has come for a brand spanking new Iron Maiden UK tour!
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 19 November 2010
Stereoboard's Weekly Roundup - Foo Fighters, Kings Of Leon, Take That
Welcome to this week’s Stereoboard roundup! Each week, we’ll be taking a look at the bands and artists that you’ve been reading about and buying tickets for over the past few days. We’ll check out each of these acts to find out why they’ve been causing so much excitement and we’ll also give you the news on what else they’ve been up to.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 12 November 2010
Kyuss Lives – Stereoboard Tour of the Week
Following our previous Tour of the Week, which was awarded to Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters, it appears that another group of Josh Homme’s former bandmates are in the process of getting back to what they do best. This time around, it’s the band he first found fame with – Kyuss.
Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Kings Of Leon And Me: A Troubled Relationship (Feature)
Remember that first time you popped ‘Youth & Young Manhood’ into your stereo? Wasn’t it totally badass? Weren’t Caleb’s vocals on ‘Molly’s Chamber’ inexplicitly dirty? There was no other band like them. They were the band that made me cool, more so at least than my Star Wars obsession and addiction to role-playing games ever could. When all my mates were listening to 50 Cent and Eminem, thinking that it was cool to listen to rappers sing about their bitch of a mother or their entourage ho’s, I was more than happy to have my favourite band be one which my mates had never heard of. And of course when that hardcore rumour of the band partaking in incest started to circulate, I, by affiliation, was also shagging every member of my family. I’d like to make it clear that I wasn’t and neither were the Tennessee foursome. ‘Youth & Young Manhood’ remains one of my favourite albums because it shaped me as a teenager, it gave me the badass streak that I so craved!
Written by: Rhys Morgan | Date: Monday, 08 November 2010
Keep Those Promos Coming (Feature)
I can’t say for certain, but it stands to reason that I don’t get anywhere near as many of those promotional emails as the big-name pundits do. But if Trish or Stephanie or Gillian or any of my other PR contacts happen to be reading this, rest assured your messages never go the way of those cyber-ads for Viagra or penis enlargement that somehow manage to worm through my spam filter.
Written by: David Evans | Date: Thursday, 04 November 2010
