are Radiohead tickets worth £65?

it is kind of a big deal that Radiohead have announced a bunch of arena tour dates.

it is a big deal when Radiohead announce anything whatsoever.

whether it is the aforementioned tour, a from the basement video-cast or cryptic clues pointing to a new album.

Radiohead occupy a unique space within the musical hemisphere, having gained enough popularity and respect so as to be as experimental as they desire and tackle the industry on their own terms, and still be praised every step of the way. They are the musical equivalent of an eccentric recluse and we still love them for it, which means that any public appearance is something to get excited about.

The Bends, OK Computer and Kid A form my own holy trinity of Radiohead releases that changed the way that i viewed music, discovering that there was more than just commercial radio and pop hooks in this world, the progression of Kid A in particular shaped my perception of music, leading me to develop eclectic new tastes and also proved inspirational when i eventually came to create music myself.


Although i believed most of the upcoming tours set-list would be drawing heavily upon King Of Limbs and In Rainbows, i gave myself enough time to consider how this band have impacted upon me so greatly in my life, and having been blown away by live videos of the band performing, i knew that i had to be there, i had to join the legion of clamouring fans that would be clogging the ticketing site come 9am on friday.







that was until i read of the pricing structure.

standing tickets would be £65.

with fees, the cost of a single ticket exceeds £70.

and full of disappointment, i decided that i was not going to be paying that.

there are a small number of acts that i would expect to charge phenomenal prices for tickets, and as such, on principle, i would not pay to see, included in these are Madonna and Paul McCartney, and before his death, Michael Jackson, as much as i may have wanted to see all of these acts live, i just can't reach that far into my pockets.

more recently i was shocked to see that tickets for Kanye West and Jay-Z's Watch The Throne jaunt at the O2 would be as much as £65 before fees for a standing ticket, but having witnessed the first leg of Kanye's Glow In The Dark tour some years back, presumed that the outlandish cost would be in order to cover the massive overheads involved with such an equally outlandish stage show.  regardless, i declined the chance to purchase tickets.

and now it seems Radiohead have hauled themselves into this pocket universe of exorbitant entrance fee commanders alongside Madge and Macca and the double-teaming rap power vehicle.

when In Rainbows was released on a 'pay-what-you-feel' manner to download, Radiohead were seen as forward thinking and innovative in their business model, whilst others moaned that only a band that had reached an enviable level success could even contemplate such a practise without hemorrhaging money, and in the years since we have seen Radiohead play an intimate free gig in Brick Lane, Thom Yorke personally hand out promotional newspapers on the streets of London and collaborate on DJ sets in support of the Occupy London movement and overseas alongside Flying Lotus, and Radiohead (either whole or in parts) have played surprise sets to well-informed crowds at Glastonbury.

yet now it seems that anyone wishing to see the band live in an arena environment on a proper tour are the people that are quite literally the ones that will be paying the price for Radiohead's recent flare for an unorthodox departure from the music business' grinding gears of commerce.

Gift Lions - Indian Summer EP

In those fleeting moments of much-heralded British sunshine, it is important to pick your listening pleasures wisely.

Thankfully, Connecticut born Jordan Blatchley, in his guise as Gift Lions, has got that covered for you, debuting 5 tracks of hazy, warm audio breeze, on the aptly titled Indian Summer EP.

Opener, Enough Said, glistens with its simplicity, capturing the catchy surf-pop sound of The Drums and stripping it of their overblown theatrics, showcasing Gift Lions musical approach of going back to basics and allowing for the focus to shift to a songs atmospheric tones, as on the down-tempo and Doves-esque All and Watersong.

The sprawling, near 8 and a half minutes of Brighton Beach give a refreshing take on the resurgence of singer-songwriters and Mumford style folk as the slightest twist of psychedelia chimes out before the calming lull of a tide slowly moving into shore eases us into the delightfully gentle Running that rounds out the release.

An ethereal glow washes across the EP, capturing a lo-fi dreaminess seen through rose-tinted glasses and creating a sound that is nostalgic, yet timeless, perfectly encapsulating the essence of the Instagram generation that use latest technology view the world through retrofitted filters.

And perhaps this trend for sentimentally is befitting for a collection of songs released on limited edition cassette by fledgling North London label Njord, although those that have long since abandoned their Walkman for an iPod can also find the EP as a more socially acceptable mp3 download.

The Brits 2012

while much can be said for the annual flag-waving and chest-puffing of the Brit Awards, it just doesn't do it for me anymore.

quite why i felt any excitement, pre-awards, this year, i'm not entirely certain.


i think part of it may have been down to the guessing game, invented last year, of 'match wHe0wfo9wartist to the award they will win'

Coldplay's opening set was traded in for a Best Band Award, with similar accolades going to Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and of course Ed Sheeran and Adele.



but sadly, the reality of the Brit Awards was that it just wasn't as exciting as the pancakes being flipped in my kitchen, and that is a damn shame, considering this should be our chance to fly the flag for the UK and revel in the momentous spectacle of it.

instead we got a handful of 'shocking' moments to be blown out of proportion by twitter and the media.

'OMG! James Corden interupted Adele'

'OMG! Adele flipped the bird'

'OMG! Blur sound rubbish'



and yet no-one is calling out the largest embarresment in this years Brit awards.

no, not One Direction laying claim to having the Best British Single, but the Brit Award itself!

while last years statuette, designed by Viviene Westwood, was a very understated and graceful redesign, seeming to drape the figure in patriotic red, white and blue, for the 2012 ceremony, Sir Peter Blake, yes, he of Sergeant Pepper cover fame, decided to produce a far brighter overhaul, daubing the primary colours boldly as he went, which may have worked fine, if only he had held back and not felt the need to spell out the word BRIT in large descending block-capital letters, presumably just incase anyone was unaccustomed to the   long established and recognisable trophy.

so while Ed Sheeran may be immensely proud of his first Brits win, scooping Best British Male and best British Newcomer, i dare say that they will both be pushed to the very back of his trophy cabinet.

Ed Sheeran

seriously, who is Ed Sheeran?

the mainstream may recognise him as as the rusty haired troubadour that has made significant inroads with his radio friendly hits, catapulted into the spotlight with the gentle lulls of The A-Team (a surprisingly un-radio friendly song about prostitution, drug abuse and death, that hit big regardless) and is likely to be the only possible contender to be putting paid to an all out Adele whitewash at next weeks Brit Awards.

but the truth is, this is only just scratching the surface, as well as hanging around with the likes of Rizzle Kicks and reportedly writing for One Direction, Sheeran's street credentials are boosted somewhat when his no.5 collaborations project EP, released early last year, is taken into consideration, featuring a handful of grime artists and rappers including Devlin, Wiley, JME, Dot Rotten and Wretch 32.



Ed was rejoined by a handful of his collaboraters for a special live session for BBC 1xtra last December, and since then it seems that he is showing no signs of slowing down or allowing himself to be pigeonholed easily, as various sources throughout December and January confirmed that Ed Sheeran had been recording with American rapper Yellawolf, and has also recorded duets with both Example and Jessie J.

and this week saw Sheeran leak the aforementioned 4 track collaboration with Yellawolf, from the comfort of his twitter feed, racking up more than 100,000 downloads in under 24 hours and throwing another curveball to those that expect him to follow pop formulas since his debut album hit the UK top spot upon its release last September.



so while music snobbery may tell you to hate on those that become popular, Ed Sheeran still maintains his integrity and remains an anomaly.

Tinnitus Awareness Week 2012

i don't buy the red tops on matter of principle

but many people that i know do, and i will still find myself flicking through the pages of absurd, lowest common denominator news and celebrity tittle tattle

so it is with some surprise that i occasionally find The Sun actually broaching a serious subject that more people need to be aware of, it is just such a shame that the real story they should be covering is always so brief

and as we near the end of another Tinnitus Awareness week, i thought i should do my duty to highlight the problem again, after my initial piece published in 2010

it was also in 2010 that i read a short article regarding Black Eyed Peas head honcho, producer and solo artist, Will.i.am, admitting that he was suffering from tinnitus, a high pitched ringing in the ears that is caused by prolonged exposure to loud music, and is common among musicians, DJs, clubbers and gig-goers

sadly the article swiftly shifted the focus onto his much-rumoured relationship with Cheryl Cole and his staunch support of that years X-Factor contestant, Cher Lloyd (an expanded article, including more name dropping, but also an opinion from The Sun doctor can be found here)



and then, just last week, almost perfectly timed to coincide with the annual campaign to highlight the causes and prevention of Tinnitus, N-Dubz lead and now solo-artist, Dappy revealed that due to his severe tinnitus he has now had small speakers installed around his bed to play soothing background noises, so that he is less aware of the constant ringing that is most obvious, and often frustrating, when you realise that you can no longer hear 'silence'.

of course, the newspaper was more interested in getting there jolleys by mocking his band's music and thinking up a shockingly bad rhyming headline rather than providing any real support or advice for anyone that may find themselves in a similar situation to Will.i.am and Dappy.

suffering since 2004 myself, i was relieved when i was first handed a leaflet about earplugs while at Glastonbury, not feeling quite so alone and happy to be pointed in the right direction for where to find advice and suitable hearing protection

and i believe that as a duty to fans and gig goers, more should be said about the causes and effects of Tinnitus so that people can hopefully spot the signs early enough to spare themselves the fate shared by not only Dappy and Will.i.am, but also Bono, Trent Reznor, Pete Townsend and Moby, among many others





more information about Tinnitus and Tinnitus Awareness Week can be found in this article by the great Eddy TM and on the British Tinnitus Association website

Rusko

with an upcoming collaboration EP with Cypress Hill on the horizon (the lead track of which can be yours, in exchange for your email address) i thought that now would be a perfect time to take a closer look at the musical output of Rusko.

fans of throbbing basslines will already be well aware of the impact Rusko has had on the musical landscape of dance over the last few years, yet even i was surprised quite how far reaching his influence had been.

firing up raves and hype-raising blogs with the harder edged dubstep that superseded the sparse atmospherics pioneered by the likes of Burial, Rusko was part of the charge that forged the fledgling niche genre into wider territories and onto wider recognition.

with a full length album released on Diplo's Mad Decent label in 2010, which was bolstered by the likes of the squelching, bass-heavy Woo Boost and 2-step flavoured Hold On and a follow up album, Songs, being preceded by current single Somebody To Love, Rusko has proved himself to be an in demand producer and remixer, as evidenced on a 16 track remix collection that is available to download guilt free.

having tackled and retooled heavyweight dance acts like Basement Jaxx and The Prodigy, releasing a single that splices old skool jungle with the current incarnation of dubstep, and with the first taste of the Cypress Hill team-up already upon us, i was slightly bemused to find that there was one other collaboration that had slipped under my radar.

little did i know that Rusko had taken himself completely out of his comfort zone to give girl-next-door turned sex-kitten Pixie Lott a top ten hit in November of last year, shrugging off all expectations with a far funkier affair than we are used to that proves that he is certainly an adaptable beast that can even handle pop in his stride.

the unlikely return of Nu-Metal

these are strange, uncertain and occasionally exciting times for the music industry.

the market growth and profits of major labels is not the issue at hand as far as i am concerned right now.

more so, it is the cross pollination of genres that sparks my interest.


although the liberal borrowing from a thriving genre is certainly not a new idea, it is certainly churning out some polarising efforts and unlikely collaborations from those striving to remain relevant.

riding on the coattails of the inescapable wave of dubstep that swallowed whole continents in 2011, we now see bloggers' favourites turning their hands to production duties for returning icons from a bygone musical age.

writing this specifically with Korn's most recent effort in mind, their tenth studio album most prominently featured collaborations with flavour of the month Skrillex, as well as a number of other electronic producers in an attempt to re-tool a tried and tested formula for a new generation.

and now it is the turn of Cypress Hill to foray into the realms of pulsating bass as they team up with Mad Decent alumni Rusko for a dubstep EP due out in April, having found their way from Hip Hop and through the other side of Nu-Metal, an incredible 21 years since their breakthrough single 'How Could I Just Kill A Man' was released in 1991.

i am still yet to cast aspersions on the whole of the new Korn album and whether all this band wagon jumping is manipulated by shady puppetmasters wanting to sink their teeth into new trends, or whether this is genuine re-invention spurned on by a passion for dabbling in exciting genres that are now growing out of their infancy.

but with the rap-metal fusion that both influenced and was influenced by Nu-Metal some ten years behind us, and given the cyclical nature of music trends that keep coming back around, will these collaborations inspire another attempt at returning to the mainstream by the floundering Limp Bizkit, this time on an album helmed by Caspa, or perhaps even Papa Roach teaming up with the filthy warped bass monster Borgore.

while at first the very idea of it sounded unlikely and a rather desperate attempt to be 'down with the kids', personally, i feel that Korn's  Narcissistic Cannibal is something of a revelation for me from a band that has been drifting slowly out of favour and has also created something new that is infused with the ever-more integrated dubstep sound, creating a hybrid Nu-Step which is just as abrasive as the first parent-upsetting and face-shredding riffs of Nu-Metal that hit our shores over a decade ago.