ALUNAGEORGE SINGLE LAUNCH @ OLD BLUE LAST

With this post you may begin to think I am setting myself up to become an AlunaGeorge fan-site, so I would like to assure you I am not... However, I am a fan, I went to this last night, and I feel they're good enough to merit 2 posts. In a row. My next post will be about something completely different, honest.

SO ANYWAY: Sunday night, Old Blue Last, AlunaGeorge single launch. Unfortunately I was running a little late, but I did manage to catch most of Throwing Snow & Py, who were pretty damn good. Lacking in the crowd interaction front maybe, but musically I liked it alot.. There are definite similarities with AG which go beyond the producer-with-female-vocals-on-top theme, but that is in no way a bad thing. In fact this is probably why they both have releases on/coming up on Super.

Up next were Aluna & George, complete with band. Here's a (blurry) picture for your enjoyment:

seriously need a better camera

Once again they smashed it. It's not often I go to see a band at OBL and see people look like they're actually having fun, (although I could be going to the wrong nights) but tonight they definitely did. The band were tight as fuck and everything just worked together really well. AlunaGeorge sound great on record but live it's a completely different experience and I personally much prefer it, even if their sets are a little on the short side.

I think I've spoken about these guys enough for now. Seriously, just go see them. You'll love it.

ALUNAGEORGE

St. Albans' AlunaGeorge make noise that's so catchy it hurts. Combining vocals à la Sharon Woolf on Sweet Like Chocolate with melodic hooks and syncopated rhythms, they come out with bright pop that's pretty much irresistible. By cherry picking the best bits of garage, R&B and pop, AlunaGeorge make music that sounds seriously fresh; it's deep enough to keep you coming back for repeated listens, while using that magic spark that pop has to instantly grab the ear.

AlunaGeorge by AlunaGeorge

Producer George Reid, formerly of Colour, maintains a great sound throughout their recordings. The songs themselves are pretty eclectic; ranging from the radio friendly Analyser to the far more difficult, progressive sound of Double Sixes. He has though managed to mould a sound which ties the whole thing together, keeping the emphasis on the bounce, and using plastic synths throughout that suit the vocals perfectly. Songs like the smooth, mid-tempo Body Music may trick you into thinking you know what to expect from the outset, but the textures used give everything a bright, complex sound that just keeps giving as you listen.

On vocals we have the lovely Aluna Francis, whose voice is distinctive yet familiar, harking back to the days when garage was king. Combined with the synths we get a sound that verges on artificial, yet comes straight from the vocal chords. This isn't a voice that brims with passion; as Aluna instead aims for a more conversational style of singing, using her voice to show character above all. This all adds to the charming, at times sickly-sweet sound, which I personally can't get enough of.

On Saturday AlunaGeorge were the opening band for the launch night of Lemonade, at the Nest in Dalston, and they were great. George and Aluna were joined by a drummer and bassist (of Colour and Tubelord respectively), and they fucking smashed it. On record, they're great. Everything sounds perfect, but live with a full band they're even better. Songs like You Know You Like It are transformed with the addition of live instruments, and the sound at the venue was spot on.

Aluna makes a great front-woman; stunning and talented, expressive and strong, and the band as a whole looked like they were genuinely into what they were doing. They communicated with the crowd, and got a great reception back. It's not often I go to see a band I haven't previously heard and enjoy it as much as this, so I seriously recommend you get down and see these guys ASAP. Failing that, their first single is out now, and next single You Know You Like It is out on the 22nd.

CLAPTON + WINWOOD @ THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

As Tuesdays work was drawing to a close, I got a sudden invitation to attend Eric Clapton with Steve Winwood at The Royal Albert Hall (cheers wig). How could I turn that down? I still had a few bugs to go, so I stuck on EC's Unplugged, and hastily finished up my work.

These guys may have been playing the circuit for quite some time now, but they've definitely still got it. Winwood started out on the organ, and was great. Clapton's guitar playing was flawless, and both main vocals were spot on. The sound in the place was MASSIVE, while managing to be crystal clear throughout.

They played for about 2 hours in total, (including an unexpected 20 minute cover of Voodo Chile) and even managed to rouse the audience of baby-boomers onto their feet for the electric finale. I didn't know all of the material they covered, but I actually enjoyed that stuff more than some of the stuff I'd heard before. The low point of the set was probably Layla, which just felt a bit flat and overplayed. Wasn't expecting that to be the case.

After the set we went to the bar, and paid £4 for a bottle of beer. Seemed a bit excessive, so we left shortly after that. All in all it was a good night with two of the greats, both of whom I never expected to see live. I'm glad I did.

SNOOP DOGG @ KENTISH TOWN FORUM

Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle has been one of my absolute favourite albums for such a long time. It's actually pretty close to being my all time top record. I seriously love it. Everything on that record sounds amazing, and (with the exception of Pump Pump) they're so easy on the ears.



So on Tuesday I got to actually go and see the man himself. I was pretty apprehensive, his recent releases being far below the high bar he set with his debut. I was preparing myself for a massive let down. In the end though, everything turned out great.

First up was Beardyman, a beatboxer from London via Brighton (whey) who I also had never seen before, and he started out well. He can make an amazing range of sounds using only his voice, and his set varied from hip-hop through DnB to Dubstep. The hip-hop was great, the dnb was ok, and the dubstep was pretty average, but he did good as a warm up. He got pulled off stage eventually, and to take his place we had about 45 minutes of Snoop tracks playing through the sound system, which was pretty unorthodox... This went on for so long that by the time Snoop appeared they crowd were booing and whistling.

yep, that's a QPR top

Eventually though, he did appear, and he was great. He played a load of classics, Gin and Juice being my personal favourite, a fair few covers ranging from Biggie to Tupac via Nate Dogg, and a couple of new ones, which fell pretty flat tbh. Fortunately he didn't dwell on these for long though, so overall it was a great night.

Rapping along to tracks which I've rapped a hundred times before never felt as good as doing it at the same time as the man himself, and it was an experience I'll never forget. He did a great selection of tunes, the sound was pretty good (way better than Wu-Tang anyway) and it was quite a show. The whole place was on their feet dancing and rapping, even in the upper seated section, and the vibe of the place couldn't have been better.

This was definitely the best gig I've been to so far this year (closely followed by Entrepreneurs). I might have to get a Lovebox ticket now, as he's playing Doggystyle IN FULL! If you're a fan of Snoop, and get the chance to go see him, just do it. It'll be worth it I'm sure.

BEACHED

I know it's a massive cringe to take this photo, everyone's seen it hundreds of times. But I had such a good time lying here that I couldn't resist.