Virgin

Its been a while since the Calgary Virgin Festival, but there is still one performance that plays over and over like Family Guy repeats in my head; Matthew Good. I can’t stress enough how incredible Matt Good is as a musician, writer and performer. After losing himself in a drug addiction, Good spent time in a mental health facility recovering from an overdose and learning to deal with his recent diagnosis of bipolar disease. While undergoing treatment Good continued to write music and produced one of his most emotionally charged and powerful albums, Hospital Music. It is impossible not to listen to the album and be haunted by the meaning and power behind each song, and it is for this reason that I couldn’t wait to see him.

On that sunny day when Virgin Festival rolled in, Matthew Good lit up the stage in a way that not many people could. He was energetic, passionate and sang each and every song like he was living in the moment he had written it. Those of us at the festival were incredibly blessed to be there that day as it had been quite some time since Matthew Good had performed with a full band. It was amazing, absolutely amazing! If you ever get a chance to see him, do !!! You won’t regret it!

Check out his MySpace

Also, please take a look at his website. He’s incredibly intelligent and has some wonderful things to say about what is going on in the world:

www.matthewgood.org

check out SoggyFrog’s Flickr photostream for more Matthew Good photos

Much love !

Looking forward to the UK VFestival in a few weeks? Chelmsford and Stafford here we come! In the meantime - get a feel for how they do VFestival on the other side of the world. Check out this little film here which goes some way to capturing whatever it is that’s in the Perth water that makes the VFestival rock so much in Western Australia. Those guys know how to throw a party (but maybe it’s me - three cans of Bourbon & coke and I’m anyones). And if you fancy a bit of VFestival Australia style next year then all you have to do is enter the Global VPass competition to win an amazing worldwide rock’n'roll tour of VFestivals in Australia, Canada, US and UK. Then it could be you blogging your VFest adventures across the world VIP style for this very site… enter the Global VPass competition now

Unsigned bands quivering in their Converse to find out if they’ve won the Road To V competition to open up this year’s UK VFestival might want to look up Little Red - the brilliant band who won Australia’s equivalent Garage To V contest a few months ago. These harmonising punk rockers from Melbourne took it all in their stride - as I found out when I cornered them in the Virgin Mobile Venue at the Gold Coast VFestival just after they came offstage. Little Red have since released their debut album ‘Listen To Little Red’ and are about to go on tour across Australia with Vampire Weekend, The Holidays and Andy Bull - and now the world is their proverbial oyster. Take note young Road To V-ers, watch, listen and learn… check out this little video interview here and then go and take a butchers at Little Red’s MySpace.

Well what would you do when confronted by a dominatrix from the Gold Coast brandishing her hefty whip? Granted - this was not what I expected to find at your friendly Australian VFestival - but hey, maybe this is how they like it on the East coast? I was merely content mooching around asking lovely people ’so what band are you looking forward to seeing?’ when suddenly I find myself being challenged to receive a major arse whipping by this hard-as-nails girl who looks like she’d have me for breakfast, spit me out, pick through the leftovers then chew me up all over again. Fully self-aware and secure in the knowledge that I am a major wuss, I let my trusty deputy step in and take my place for the money shot in this S&M fantasy. Nice one Henry (and yes he had a big red mark on his back for the rest of the day, but I get the feeling he kind of liked it). Gold Coast girls - you scare me… But, naturally for a cowardy-custard, when asked if I preferred to give rather than receive - yeh of course! I was happy to comply. So I did.

Another surreal and humiliating experience for me as I infiltrate the puntership at VFestival Perth on the mission for that perfect voxpop. Hey, I know - let’s get get those kooky Japanese girls to big up VFest in a kooky Japanese type way… oh - they don’t actually speak any English and don’t actually know where they are. Who is that weird guy pretending to translate for them? Has he kidnapped them? Strewth - call the police… somebody help.

So what was the best thing on the menu at the VFestivals in Australia? Duran Duran? The Presets? CSS? Queens Of The Stone Age? Cut Copy? The fashion? The virgins? The nutters on the Gold Coast? Well - watching those video clips and then this clip here from Perth, I think the answer is as obvious as my burdgeoning pot belly (the essential festival look this summer for the lads)… chips, chips, chips. Mmm, Simon, Billy Josh or chips? CHIPS!

So while Duran Duran are impressing Europe with their major gigs in Paris and London, swanning around with Mr Mark ‘TheCoolPerson’ Ronson, let’s take a look back through the rectangular window at that moment backstage at the VFestival in Melbourne when I tried to not wet my already moist knickers even further as the legends that are Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor cosied up on the sofa next to me for a nice little chat. It seemed that the very proper and polite Duranie chaps were doing acceptably for gentlemen of their procilivities (I didn’t even flinch when Mr Rhodes said that) and like a real smooth smarmy sycophant I managed not to get on the receiving end of a Rhodes right hook when I described them as evolving beautifully (when touching upon that subject of how long they’ve been on the scene). Which was nice as, being a genuine fan and willing arse-licker, I so didn’t want to offend them. It was all quite surreal but I hope I got enough juice out of the truly awesome Duran Duran for you all to enjoy here. And I am most miffed that even after all that arse-licking I didn’t get an invite to the Mark Ronson gig in Paris. It was on my birthday as well. Bastards.

Well, it’s been just over three months since the V Festival bandwagon rolled out of Sydney and looking back over the wealth of reviews that have been published since I’ve noticed one name distinctly lacking. There’s one band that hasn’t been getting much coverage, and I can’t decide whether it’s because not many people are fans or whether their performances simply slipped under the radar. I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of The Jesus and Mary Chain, but I knew enough about them to want to see them on the day. Judging by the amount of people who were there, they certainly have at least a dedicated cult following (btw are fans called Jesus freaks?)

The Chain performed on the Blue stage between Modest Mouse and Queens of the Stone Age, but they were faced with some sizeable competition by the likes of Roisin Murphy and The Rakes playing at the same time. With Modest Mouse leaving the stage, the crowds seemed to diminish a little but that still left plenty of punters eager to see what the Scottish indie band had to offer.

A few minutes before they started playing, lead guitarist William Reid wandered onstage and started playing around with the sound of his guitar through two stacks of beautiful Orange amps. This struck me as kind of odd, as most set-ups are configured by the guitar techs before the band walks on stage. It was nice, though, to see that The Chain have overcome their rather turbulent origins to become truly articulate performers.

Their early history has become the stuff of indie music legend. During the 80s, The Chain became notorious for piecemeal sets that would sometimes last no longer than ten minutes, often ending in violence that left stage equipment trashed, and the crowd whipped into a riotous frenzy. The band would often refuse to address the audience at all, and onstage intoxication was not uncommon. It was inevitable that such ferocious energy would eventually peter out, and by the 90s they had calmed more than a little to become a formidable live band. Their reunion and subsequent live performances have managed to maintain that level of competency and restraint and this made their appearance at V quite captivating.

The Chain played a not-too-varied set, strongly favouring tracks from their debut Psychocandy album, but there were enough surprises to keep things interesting. ‘Blues From A Gun’ was treated with a loose, experimental turn that left Jim Reid, lead singer, bemusedly commenting that all they needed now was Miles Davis.

When they played their first reunion concert at Coachella last year, actress Scarlett Johansson famously joined them on stage for the song ‘Just Like Honey.’ It seems there were no starlets available for the V Festival, so rhythm guitarist Mark Crozer performed the back up vocals, and managed to do a fair job of it. ‘All Things Must Pass’ is the first song to be released since the band reunited, and it involved a strong catchy guitar riff leading the way over a somewhat more upbeat track when compared to some of their earlier offerings.

There’s an almost effortless power to their music live, with the combination of Reid and Crozer’s feedback driven guitar work forcing the sound across the arena. On record, their emphasis on feedback can sometimes be quite distracting, but live that same feedback was used to great effect to add body and strength to their sound.

Personally, the band demonstrated some of the pure elation I expected to see from the Pumpkins; genuinely grateful they were still playing. They reminded me somewhat of Bob Geldof’s performance at Live 8, where he thanked the audience for allowing him the pleasure of playing ‘I Don’t Like Mondays.’

The Chain was solid all the way through. They had a real stage presence that oozed retro-indie charm.

It was an interesting juxtaposition to have The Chain and The Smashing Pumpkins on the same bill, as they were both a part of a similar era in indie/alternative music. Whereas The Pumpkins moved on to achieve international fame, it seems The Chain have been relegated to the position of more of a sidenote. Their performance at V was for me memorable, and the timing was just right as a precursor to the monstrous sets to be witnessed later in the evening. I wonder whether their significance might have been lost a little on the crowd at V. I don’t know… are there many JAMC fans still out there? Let me know what you think about their relative omission from the reviews. With Jim Reid confirming that a new album is in the works, it will at least be interesting to see how the JAMC present themselves to a new century and a new, younger musical audience.

This is your chance to become a music journalist on this very site! Want VIP tickets to the upcoming VFests in your part of the world? Want to blog your heart out for music? Want to go on a crazy worldwide rock’n'roll tour of Virgin Festivals in 2009? Enter the Global VPass competition now and you could spend the next year writing all about your local music scene for this website and getting travel, accomodation and VIP access to Virgin Festivals in the UK, US, Canada and Australia. So if you want to take part - all you have to do is submit an album or gig review now. Prove to us what a brilliant blogger you could be and a world of VFests is yours for the taking…. enter the Global VPass competition now!

The lineup for the UK VFestival’s ‘initimate’ Virgin Mobile Union stage is out! Richard Hawley, Guillemots, Sia, Echo & The Bunnymen, Siouxsie, The Long Blondes, Tokyo Police Club, Beth Rowley and Noah & The Whale are among the latest confirmed acts to grace the small but perfectly formed stage. And if you’re a customer of Virgin Mobile then you’ll be granted access to the union garden VIP area where you might get to rub shoudlers with the union acts.  How’s that for special treatment? In addition to the merry throng above, you’ll also be able to catch Little Man Tate, Tom Baxter, Roots Manuva, Drive-By Truckers, The Dykeenies, Goldie Lookin Chain, Paul Heaton, Jack McManus, The Like, Runaway Sons and Sam Beeton. Chelmsford, Stafford, August 16 & 17 - see you there ;)

Here’s more Perth VFestival hilarity at my expense. A abject lesson as to why, in a relatively sober state, you should never attempt to infiltrate a bevvy of err… ‘hyped up’ lads and ask them sensible, probing, intelligent questions about their Virgin festival experience. It all comes down to girls, girls, girls. These Perth lads are just a salivating pack of horny hounds sniffing out potential mates among the throng. I even tried to call their bluff - thinking that no lass in their right mind would respond to their animalistic balls-out desperation. Oh boy was I wrong - for along came Lisa. Don’t pity poor Lisa - she knew what she was getting in to… watch it and cringe. Share my pain.

So how did Perth handle this year’s VFestival? They took it by the teeth, shook it like a rag doll, spat it out, danced round it, set it alight and worshipped it. All this in one park in the middle of the city. No expanse of green fields, no showground stadiums - just one big park, three stages in cosy and convenient proximity and a full and pumping Virgin Mobile Venue tent (on a parr with Sydney’s impressive standard I reckon) with a little Duran Duran, Smashing Pumpkins, Queens Of The Stone Age, Presets, Cut Copy, Roisin Murphy, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Modest Mouse and more thrown in to the lethal mix. This was my first time in this part of Australia so excuse me if I look a little overwhelmed - I thought it was quiet and deserted on the West coast? I needed a few bourbon and cokes to get me up to speed (did I mention that before? Bourbon? Coke? In a can? Genius! I think that makes me an Australian chav) but still you crazy Perth guys left this seasoned festival go-er looking a little wide-eyed and innocent. Check out the first in a series of VFestival Perth video clips, you’ll get the drift…

Lostprophets, The Hold Steady, Leon Jean Marie, Talo Cruz and Gabriella Cilmi have all been added to this year’s UK VFestival lineup. They join Muse, Kings Of Leon, The Verve, Amy Winehouse, Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks and The Prodigy at the two day festival over the weekend of 16 & 17 August at Chelmsford and Stafford. Combined coach & weekend camping tickets are still available from National Express - check out the VFestival website for more details. But better still - nab yourself some free tickets for either Stafford or Chelmsford VFestival by entering our hysterically easy competition. You also get the chance to win a Sony Ericsson W890i Walkman phone and 100 runner up prizes - nice. Win VFestival tickets now!

Check out more Lostphrophets photos like this at Eric Luyten Photography’s Flickr photostream

Muse are apparently planning an onstage collaboration for the headline slot at the UK VFestival this year at Chelmsford and Stafford. The VFestival takes place on the weekend of 16 & 17 August and tickets sold out in a matter of minutes. What with rumours abound about onstage collaborations concerning Jay-Z and Coldplay at this weekend’s Glastonbury, it sounds like Muse have a little mashup magic of their own up their sleeves. So who do you think it could be?

In the meantime - if you didn’t manage to nab tickets for this year’s VFestival, fret not - for we have a pair of tickets for both Chelmsford and Stafford to give away, along with a very nice and shiny Sony Ericsson W890i Walkman phone and 100 runner up prizes. Hurrah! Enter the competition now!

Thought VFestival tickets had all sold out? Thought you’d missed your chance? ‘Course not. We’ve managed to pinch a couple of pairs of weekend with camping tickets from those Virgin Mobile types - one pair for Chelmsford VFestival and one pair for Stafford VFestival. We’ve also got our hands on a shiny shiny Sony Ericsson W890i Walkman phone. Music? Phone calls? One device? What will they think of next? We’ve even managed to get a hold of no less than 100 much sought after Virgin bags to give away to 100 runners up - perfect to carry your festival essentials round in all summer long. All you have to do is answer a VFest related question and your name’s in the virtual hat to win, win, win. Easy as that - so go for it… enter now!

Hello Calgary! Looking forward to your very first Virgin Festival? Well how do you fancy winning VIP tickets, after show party tickets, Motorola mobile handsets, a bag of VFest swag and free tickets to next year’s Virgin Festival!? Of course you do. Not only that but this awesome competition also has the power to set you up with free tickets, travel and accomodation to Virgin Festivals in the UK, US, Canada and Australia throughout 2009 courtesy of Virgin Holidays. Beat that. This charming little video goes some way to explaining the deal. All you have to do is submit a gig or album review to prove that you could blog your music heart out for music.virgin.com and show those other music journalists how it should be done. Yes - you get to blog your Virgin Festival adventures to the whole wide world… fame at last! So be sure to submit your review here and now on the Global VPass page for the chance to lord it like the VIP you deserve to be at next weekend’s Calgary Virgin Festival…

I bought V Festival tickets way back in November – one for me and one for the dude I was sort of seeing at the time.

‘There’s no way we won’t be talking in March!’ he laughed.

‘Just pay me whenever you can!’ I laughed.

How things change. By Christmas, we were no longer talking, I don’t even know why. But I was stuck with an extra ticket to V Festival. The prospect of going on my own: not appealing. But to see The Smashing Pumpkins, Queens Of The Stone Age, Cut Copy and The Rakes, I was prepared to make the sacrifice all in the name of music.

I got lucky when I befriended a fellow I shall call Phill, because that’s his name, and when I asked if he wanted to come with me to an awesome music festival he said yes. We stopped for a burrito and a coffee, picked up ‘Overalls Guy’ then headed to Sydney. On the way we discussed various interesting topics: billboard signs; sexism in advertising; the best toilets at various roadhouses; lollies. And music, mostly of the jazz variety however – not my favourite genre, but I’m willing to learn.

In Sydney, we had the usual experiences one has when visiting: a very cool gig at The Basement; a variety of prostitutes offering their wares; drunken private school boys stumbling around the Cross; coffee in Newtown. Then a wee rest at the hotel before getting ready for V…

I watched the sea of fluoro washing down Oxford Street and spilling into Centennial Park (a LOT of fluoro). I kept checking my watch, in a slight panic that perhaps I hadn’t left enough time to get inside and meet Bob to get the low-down on my job for the festival, then missing the start of Cut Copy’s set. Having been living in Canberra for a while, the Sydney humidity was also making me sweat a bit. Mmm, sweat = not attractive.

But the journey inside the gates into the world of V couldn’t have been smoother: a free can of energy on the way in, to quench the thirst; an extremely short line-up to get in, to make me stress less; and signs everywhere, showing the way to Bob.

Once VIP passes were safely in my hot lil’ hands, it was time to evaluate whether V Festival was The Shit. How do you make a person happy at a music festival?

Firstly, signage. Initially a bit confusing, but that was because I’d printed the map out in mono, not colour, so I couldn’t initially tell whether the blue stage was the ‘Other stage’. Tip for next time: print the map out in colour. Or get the festival booklet, which has the map in it. But signage for toilets and bars was very good.

Secondly, bar and toilet facilities. These are the things that can make or break a festival (apart from the actual music, which I agree is also important). Now, I had VIP access so my experience was excellent – no waiting for drinks and clean dunnies. By all accounts from other punters, they had positive experiences with the ‘you’re special but not that special’ facilities. It helped tremendously to supply free stubby coolers and blow-up drink trays – even haters were heard to say, ‘I had to wait five minutes for a goddamn beer… but at least I got a free stubby cooler!’

Third, easy navigation between stages. This is essential to me, because at festivals I tend to move a lot between stages – so short and easy distances are very important. Again, V Festival trumps other large festivals in this regard – I wasn’t stuck in traffic, required to navigate large mountains, or detour around the whole festival site before getting to the stage.

Fourth, security staff. Unfortunately on this count, the security staff sucked. I can’t remember how many times people crawled over my, and other people’s, shoulders to get over the barrier into the mosh. And the usefuless security guys just made feeble attempts to stop them. Still some work to be done there.

Fifth, crowd and general vibe. Pretty awesome actually; no dickheads wrapped in Australian flags, random and friendly discussions between punters, and happy dancing. And for the bonus, the first festival where I haven’t seen a fight (not that I’m saying there probably wasn’t at least one).

I think the happy and shiny vibe reflected people’s experiences with the other festival elements – when line-ups to get in/drink/eat/go to the loo are quick and you get to see your favourite artists with minimal fuss, you’re going to be a lot happier aren’t you?

And finally, but most importantly, the music. I think there was something for everyone, and if you didn’t walk away at least loving one act, well, why are you there in the first place? While some acts weren’t as good as they normally are, other acts made up for it a thousand times over. A mix of old, new, young, old, cool and daggy - it was a day in musical heaven!