Concert Art: iPhone @ Arctic Monkeys, Finsbury Park 2014

Imagine Dragons: indie success

Hard to make a difference as Indie bands seem to  grow at exponential rates...what is it then? Is it the voice of a lead singer? The tune? The Looks? The lyrics?
Imagine Dragons seem to have it; whatever the X FACTOR. We all felt like in 'Hear me' at some point in our life: that state of mind where you feel completely misunderstood and where the world around you doesn't seem to realize it. You want to scream, but you know you won't be heard, as if you were trapped within a dream.
'Amsterdam' is a beautiful introspective journey: you are conscious about what you've done, but you are hopeful for what will come next and you know that time will come.
And then you experience 'On top of the world' and 'Cha-Ching': two exotic recalls to ethnic rhythms where Reynolds goes wild on stage with his tambourine and an insatiable energy.
But what's probably even more catchy and touching is the band's attitude: a sold-out show before the official release of the album is exceptional, especially in a foreign country. They still seem to be unaware of their talent and potential: like shy kids who still try to figure out what's going on and what's happening to them. Reynolds cannot seem to stop thanking the crowd, creating a magical atmosphere whereby everyone seems to be there to share their passion for music: two hours to forget the outside world and let loose, two hours dedicated to a unique experience.
The Vegas kids have it: it is not only the talent, but the attitude towards music, the authenticity of the lyrics and the genuine behavior towards the crowd. I can only predict a great success for Night Vision's world Tour!

Indie: the beauty of the web

Spotify has become my new best friend: accompanying me on the tube with my Starbucks' every morning, almost making me regret my half-an-hour-ride was not actually longer...
And yes that sense of emptiness when my Beats are not on and the sound of music is not around. An enjoyable experience that goes far beyond reading the morning paper when like me you are craving for new lyrics (yes, I am one of those who actually listen to what people sing...).
My greatest pleasure? Finding out about emerging talents and searching for them on Spotify before sharing their albums with all of my friends and following them on Songkick! Surprisingly enough the best ways seem to be social networks and sometimes 'not so othodox' websites...
Recently I found out about the Mutineers on Twitter, the 1975 on MySpace, TwoLights and YoungBlood on SoundCloud...and Ch!nch!llah on the landing page of the Piratebay (I know I should not admit that I have been browsing it occasionally). Guess what? The Mutinners led me to be followed by more indie bands on Twitter!! seems so easy!
And yes, of course, my subscriptions to RollingStone, NME, Empire are a must: the experience of reading, finding out, becoming curious and ultimately searching on Spotify is wonderful and addictive. Sometimes I am worried that I will never find the time to listen to everything I want, but in the meantime I stay tuned mornings and evenings...Tuning in right now!

Chuck rocks with you

From basketball to Rock 'n' Roll: that seems a long way to go, but Converse has achieved a popularity that goes beyond these kinds of boundaries.
It is not about purpose anymore, but style and symbolism rather. We don’t say ‘basketball trainers’ any longer, but when we say your  ‘Chuck Taylors’ we know exactly what we mean: they haven’t changed, it’s the same colored twill flat that you were wearing when you were 16 and it’s the same you are still allowed to wear at 40. Because like Coca Cola it has become so universal that it’s made history! Affordable, it’s been reworked to suit all narcissistic needs of our ‘fashiony ‘ society: from leather to sequins to limited editions and studs.
And even designers have become worried as we see Louboutin, Choo, Martin Margiela and Jacobs coming up with their own version of the ‘Basketball’ flat to tap into this Converse universe.
Well, the smartest thing to do might then have been MAG's idea to work collaboratively with the trainers’ brand guru to create dedicated Chuck Taylors for the music industry and not quite any music: Rock and hard rock.  That seems to make perfect sense given that most of the performers already wear them: no way you could fly like Ashba with cowboy boots, that’s for sure!
I love the last edition of Richard Fortus

Rock ’n’ Roll still rocks

I made one of my dreams come true when I managed to buy tickets to the Guns n’ Roses gig at the O2 in London. As a super last minute buy I cannot tell you how much my hope to see Axl was long gone.

On that Friday morning I had the great idea of checking out Ticketmaster and was lucky enough to grasp a few tickets.

When I entered the O2 I couldn’t help but smiling: like a kid queuing to get in at Disney World (I still do get excited about that). I was very curious to see those ‘old generation’ guys who nevertheless marked the era of Rock forever: musicians motivated by a quest for perfection and experimentation and a lead singer playing with his voice and pulling on extraordinary energy.

Axl is now the last one remained from the very original band, Slash is gone, but Bumblefoot remains and the last two additions are certainly no mistake, in every way! Dj Ashba and Richard Fortus have an amazing stage presence and you wouldn’t believe one is 45 already and the other close to his forties..

They obviously love what they do and definitely know what they are doing! I was mesmerized by their solo performances and the numbers of Gibsons carried on stage: a ‘Guitar runway show’.

Dj Ashba relies on a caricatured look: big hat, torn jeans, very sparkly guitars, black khol, striking blue eyes…Richard more on the Ronnie Wood's side of things: very skinny and fit, shorter hair, great smile, laughing eyes,..

And there it goes: it all helps me remember why I love Rock so much! I am now definitely going to take those guitar lessons I’ve always wanted to.

They are truly inspiring artists: looking for perfection, they are not signed exclusively with Guns’ , but they also play in other bands, showing their quest for perfection in what they do. They are not ‘tabloid junkies’, they are professional inspiring artists who make me respect what they do even more.

Growing in small towns and coming from almost nothing and very modest backgrounds they perfectly embody the American dream, but they are also the proof that one needs to believe in his/her dreams. The only true questions are: ‘How bad do you really want it? How hard are you ready to work for it?’. Nothing is impossible.

Thank you Guns n’ Roses for this very inspiring moment!

Noah and The Whale

A Monday night at the Royal Albert Hall is a great alternative to any Monday night.

Watching Noah and the Whale perform at THE historic hall was quite touching as well: I discovered them three years ago in Berlin while doing the opening of the Phoenix tour and Charlie’s voice has been unforgettable since.

They have grown up, Charlie’s brother has left the band and their looks ensured they would come out as the “Noah and the Whale” accomplished generation: from tie dye jeans to tailored suits, waistcoats and red socks. Charlie’s baby face is also gone to reveal sharper cheek bones; his confidence is the one of a proper lead singer and his voice? The voice of a winning talent. The young band from Twickenham found a true niche for themselves: an inspiration from Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Chris Rea that perfectly ties together an indie rock and folk style. Definitely a band inspired by different form of arts and we know it because of the drawings projected at the back of the stage as a surrealist movie during the gig. These guys are a new generation success and I can’t wait for the next album: well done to NATW!