Life update & vegan travels: Morrissey, Cookies and Scream & Vegfest

The weekend of March 27th I was a busy bee and did a bit of traveling and exploring with Jake. During the weekend we got to see Morrissey in Birmingham, pop to Camden and eat too much at Cookies and Scream, we finished our weekend at Vegfest in Brighton...

On the Friday we travelled up to Birmingham to go see Morrissey at the Barclaycard Arena which was such a good night. I had never seen Moz live unlike Jake and Sam (who also came along with us) so I was really excited. The strange thing about seeing someone like Morrissey is you forget how old they are until they come out and you realise that they don't look the same as they did 30 years ago! As most people know, Morrissey is very vocal about animal rights and has taken part in many Peta campaigns; it was cool to see that the venue was only selling vegetarian food at request of the artist and that Peta had a stand to flyer! There is something quite spectacular about Morrissey's stage back drops and the moment that the animal cruelty videos started playing, the atmosphere completely changed; one bloke even passed out. I think it's great that someone with such a high profile can use it to spread the message about animal cruelty. The performance itself was great too, Moz played a mixture of old & new tunes with a few of The Smiths' tracks thrown in too. His general persona was not half as miserable as you would expect! It is certainly something that I have crossed off my bucket list. 

On Saturday we were just in London for the day so decided to visit Camden and pop to Cookies and Scream as I had heard so many great things about it. Oh my...it was so good! We all had a milkshake and a little treat each; I picked a chocolate brownie milkshake & a peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie. I can honestly say that since turning vegan I have never had such a tasty treat and I definitely plan to go back! The boys had vanilla milkshakes & Jake had a chocolate orange brownie which I had a little taste of and it was incredible. The only thing I would recommend is to maybe save some for later as it's very sweet and it wasn't long before we were all full up! 

Sunday we headed over to Brighton for Vegfest; it was a bit of a long journey and the weather was naff but it was still a good day. First off we stopped off at Kensington Gardens for a coffee and vegan breakfast which set us up for the day. Then we braved the wind and rain and headed to Vegfest which was in the Brighton Centre on the seafront. Unfortunately my camera was playing up so I couldn't get any photos but there are plenty up online and over at the Vegfest Facebook page. Vegfest was home to a food hall and stands where you could pick up some delicious food; I had a crepe with chocolate and coconut and a Jamaican patty, yum. There were a ton of charities holding stalls where you could buy their merch or just have a chat; Sea Shepherd were of course there! Vegfest holds different dates around the country, next stop being Bristol. Hopefully I can go again in the future.

What a busy weekend! I could have slept for a week afterwards. 

Here's some Facebook links so you can check out these places:
https://www.facebook.com/vegfestuk

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cookies-and-Scream

 BB

For The Oceans

P.s Keep updated via Facebook for info on new posts etc. at https://www.facebook.com/boolieblog some recipes coming soon!

Florence and the Machine release new track off upcoming album

....and boy, oh boy am I excited about this?!

Florence and the Machine have announced that their third album 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' will be released on 1st June 2015 and is produced by Markus Dravs who has previously worked with the likes of Arcade Fire and Coldplay. 

This album is something that myself and many other fans have been waiting a long time for; Florence and the Machine's last release, 'Ceremonials' ,was released October 2011. I was unsure whether the new album would be as spectacular as the previous two, however, from the sounds of things I certainly anticipate that the finished product will meet expectations. 

Florence and the Machine also kindly released the track listing for 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful' which is as follows:

Ship To Wreck
What Kind Of Man
How Big How Blue How Beautiful
Queen Of Peace
Various Storms & Saints
Delilah
Long & Lost
Caught
Third Eye
St Jude
Mother

The band have posted their new video for 'What Kind of Man', along with a lovely little note on their Facebook, both of which you can view below.

What are your thoughts on the new track & album?

What Kind of Man - Florence and the Machine

Is Morrissey Vegan Yet? Iceland Show Cancelled After Venue Refuses to Turn Veggie for a Night.

Morrissey has cancelled his show in Reykjavik, Iceland after the venue refused his wishes for the concert hall to be meat-free on the night. 

In a statement he said: "I love Iceland and I have waited a long time to return, but I shall leave the Harpa Concert Hall to their cannibalistic flesh-eating bloodlust"

As many will know, this is not the first time Morrissey has attempted to make venues comply with his Vegetarian beliefs and he has previously succeeded however, will this be the last time or should we expect similar situations to occur on his upcoming UK tour? 

I am indeed a Moz fan myself but, my real question in all of this though is one that many have pondered upon; If Morrissey's beliefs about vegetarianism and animal rights are so strong that he is willing to disappoint so many fans by cancelling a show, then why is he not a vegan?

He has previously worked alongside PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) on many campaigns and has made his feelings about animal cruelty very clear in the past; even his merchandise reflects his opinions:

Of course this is on my wishlist! 

Personally as a vegan, I appreciate the message that Morrissey gets out there regarding animal rights and I think it's great that he does not shy away from speaking his mind however, this latest step may be a step too far in my opinion. I myself have got a ticket to see Morrissey when he plays Birmingham and I am extremely excited therefore, I cannot help but feel sorry for the fans that are now missing out due to Morrissey's ridiculously high expectations! 

We still love the work you do though Moz! 

I would really love to know whether there are any specific reasons why Morrissey is not Vegan, perhaps he just loves cheese too much?! 

You can catch Morrissey on tour in the UK in March:

13th Nottingham Capital FM Arena 
14th Bournemouth International Centre
18th Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
20th Leeds First Direct Arena 
21st Glasgow SSE Hydro 
27th Birmingham Barclaycard Arena

My Top Album of 2014; More Than Life//What's Left Of Me

This was a reasonably difficult decision as there was a lot of good music to come out of 2014 however, there was a clear winner for me;

More Than Life - What's Left Of Me  
Released in April 2014
This was a highly anticipated album for me. More Than Life have always been one of my favourites and I was so gutted when they announced a split after their last release, Love Let Me Go in 2010, luckily I managed to catch them on their 'last ever European tour'.

When they updated their Facebook status in 2012 I was over the moon;

The first track released off What's Left Of Me was Do You Remember and at first I was unsure as the style was quite different in comparison to More Than Life's previous records however, I soon learnt to appreciate the song as it's own thing rather than comparing it with the likes of Daisy Hill or Brave Enough To Fail. The online responses to the new track seemed to be very positive and everyone seemed to be excited for the new album release.

What's Left Of Me was released in April and blimey, I was blown away. This album packs such a punch and each track is filled with emotion. The album is quite dark and seems to sound more along the lines of previous More Than Life releases. The lyrics clearly relate to real life experiences and this allows listeners to relate to the tracks and feel closer to the music in general. I bought the album on vinyl and listened to it on repeat for a few days; it is one of those albums that is not just background noise, it's an album that I will put on and just listen to without any other distractions. There is not a single track on this record that I dislike and I feel it was certainly a good move for the band. 

The cherry on top of it all was when More Than Life announced a couple of dates and I managed to grab a ticket for the show at The Borderline in London. The show certainly hit all expectations and the band were more than up to scratch despite having some time off. but you can read a bit about that in my 9 weeks 9 shows post! 

You can check out More Than Life on their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morethanlifeuk?fref=ts

Or stream What's Left Of Me on Holy Roar Record's Bandcamp: http://holyroarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/whats-left-of-me

Do you have a favourite album of 2014? 

9 Weeks, 9 Shows - Part Two

Continuing on from my previous post, next up on my gig list was....

Jake Bugg//Alexandra Palace//21.10.2014

This was another one of those last minute decisions for me,I actually bought a ticket from a very kind stranger who had travelled over seas for this show, I hope she had a good time! This was my third time seeing Jake Bugg this year however, the previous two shows were at British Summer Time (BST) in Hyde Park & Reading fest, so it was great to catch Mr Bugg at an indoor show. I have to admit, when I originally heard his music I was not overly impressed however, after seeing him at BST I was converted. Seeing him at Ally Pally was a completely different experience to the previous performances; the set list included all of my favourites and a couple of them I had never heard him perform live before. In comparison to Reading, the atmosphere at Ally Pally was fantastic, everyone was there for the same reason and there was not a single person who looked as if they were unwillingly dragged along. For someone so young, Jake Bugg is extremely talented and his sound is so versatile. This show was certainly worth the last minute rushing!

Basement//Electric Ballroom, Camden//29.10.2014

You know when you are young and you count down the days until Christmas? Yeah, that's how I felt after I managed to get tickets to see Basement. Seeing Basement live is such an incredible experience, the majority of the crowd are enthusiastic which can often make a show 10x better and after the band's hiatus, the small handful of shows announced all sold out pretty speedily. The set list consisted of a mixture of old and new, including a couple of tracks off their latest release Further Sky. I was lucky enough to spend this show with two of my favourite people, one being my best mate who had been waiting to see Basement for a really long time; it was worth going just to witness his excitement! The only disappointment at this show was when it ended and I was left with Summer's Colour playing over in my head for the rest of the night. 

The Specials//Roundhouse, Camden//13.11.2014

A selfie with dad is always important.

Seeing a band that I have listened to since before I can remember was a strange but very cool experience. Naturally I took my Dad to see The Specials with me, after all he was the very person who introduced me to Two-Tone. (You can read a tiny bit about that here) Of course the band is no longer made up of original members - for example Steve Cradock from Ocean Colour Scene is now filling in on lead guitar - but this does not take anything away from the performance. The amount of energy that is projected from the band is impressive considering the age of the members. The musicians are so talented and their sound is so tight; a couple of times I closed my eyes and there were moments where I felt like I could have been at home listening to the record, but then I open my eyes and it's 100x better than that. The crowd was made up of so many different generations where the music has been passed down & it is sad to think that one day there may be a generation that are unaware of such a spectacular band.

Bloody Knees//The Owl Sanctuary, Norwich//15.11.2014

This was possibly the smallest venue I have ever been to but I quite liked that. This was a cool, chilled out, pay on the door show and I hadn't listened to the bands much previously however, I left with some new bands to listen to when I got home. The line up was Teen Brains followed by Radical Boy and the night ended with Bloody Knees; all bands showed a ton of enthusiasm & I think we will be hearing more from them all in the near future. 

The Jesus and Mary Chain//Troxy, London//19.11.2014
Once again, another last minute show not that I'm complaining! This gig was part of the Psychocandy tour and naturally they played through the album from start to finish. It was a sold out night as expected, therefore I was over the moon when I was invited along. If you have never listened to this band before then I highly suggest you do, then I suggest that you buy a ticket to one of their shows as soon as you can. As a live act they hit all expectations and more, my only complaint is once again being a shorty I couldn't see anything, sad times. I believe that they are playing a few more shows here, there and everywhere so hopefully I can catch them again.

To summarise, I've had a smashing few weeks & wish I could re-live it all over again....I urge you all to support the live music scene whether it's your mate's indie band down the local or Black Sabbath in Hyde Park (Oh yes, I was there!) go along, drag your mates, enjoy the bands, buy the merch!

Peace out.

Gnarwolves release Bottle to Bottle video

Yeah, you read that right; clips from Reading & so much more, looks like they had a pretty dreamy summer if you ask me! Have a look for yourself...

http://www.huckmagazine.com/art-and-culture/music-2/top-picks-music-2/gnarwolves-premiere-bottle-bottle-huck/  

9 weeks, 9 shows - Part One

I'm back finally! I know I have been away for a while however a lot of changes have occurred in my life and I have been unbelievably busy, I finally feel like I am at a good place to sit down and write, hooray! 

So, I am sure you are all desperate to hear what I have been up to and as per usual; gigs, gigs & more gigs, so here is a breakdown (part one) of some of the shows I have been lucky enough to attend! 

Gnarwolves//The Black Heart, Camden//15.09.2014
I was extremely lucky to attend this intimate debut album release show, and of course Gnarwolves did not disappoint. The excitement of the release really shined through in the band's stage presence and this was reflected when the packed-in crowd erupted. If you are familiar with this band then you will of course be aware that no Gnarwolves show is complete without stage dives and crowd surfs, and having no barrier certainly allowed more than the odd stage dive. 

The Libertines//Alexandra Palace//28.09.2014
You can imagine the surprise when I discovered an email confirming that I had won tickets to see The Libertines, especially when I had forgotten that I even entered the competition! After a bit of faffing I managed to confirm that the tickets were legitimate and off I went. What an incredible night! The anticipation for the band to come on could be felt seeping out of the surrounding fans and when they finally did arrive there was not a drop of disappointment. Everything from the sound to the back drop was spectacular and the shorties like myself certainly appreciated the live cameras projecting onto a screen directly behind the stage. The Libertines steamed through their set and pulled out all the classics and most certainly ended their third night at Ally Pally on a high note.

Carry The Weight Fest//The Parish Hall, Brighton//05.10.2014
So, this was a very last minute decision I made. My best friend was travelling up this way for CTW Fest which meant I got to see him & some cool bands all in one day, plus I will always take up the opportunity to visit Brighton. Despite the long, rainy journey, this was a really enjoyable day. It had been a while since I had been to a Hardcore show and I only knew a couple of bands on the bill however, I came away with more than a few new bands to add to my playlists. Negative Approach headlined and Violent Reaction, Breaking Point & Renounced were in my top three bands for the day, every band showed buckets of enthusiasm. One of the top points of the day was the general atmosphere, everyone was super friendly and chilled. Also, I must add that the Vegan kebabs that were made on site by Beelzebab were INCREDIBLE. 

More Than Life//The Borderline, London//19.10.2014
I anticipated this show for so long! The last time I saw More Than Life before this show was on their 'last ever tour' and I travelled from Cornwall to Brighton for one night! This time it was a lot simpler, the train from Chelmsford to London is pretty easy. I don't handle excitement very well and can tend to be quite a hyperactive person therefore, you can imagine how I am when waiting to see a band that have been near the top of my list for a good few years now. I was pleased to see that Up River were supporting as I saw them a few years back and after their last performance they made their way onto my iPod. When More Than Life finally came out I was ecstatic, they played a substantial mixture of old and new tracks and could not be faulted on their set list. In all honesty, I don't think they could be faulted at all for their performance that night. Front-man, James, oozes emotion when projecting powerful vocals and the last song played, Love is Not Enough, was dedicated to his mum who had previously passed away a few months earlier; this hit me like a ton of bricks and the repetition of the line 'let me take away the illness that is dragging you down' resulted in a tear or two being shed by myself. More Than Life have continued to create excellent music and have built up an impressive fanbase. Musically, I believe that their sound was a lot tighter than when I saw them a few years ago and I think they will only improve. I will definitely be keeping my eyes and ears open for any more tours or one-off shows.

Buzzin' after More Than Life
Guest appearance from my best mate Jake.

Mr Wilson's Second Liners

Due to lack of plans, I went into Chelmsford town with my 'rents on Saturday to do some shopping. 

Whilst in town, we noticed all of these unusual activities going on, street performers and Morris dancers etc. however, the one act that stood out among the gathered crowds was Mr Wilson's Second Liners. 

This colourful 'marching band' put a whole new spin on the bog-standard bands that you see in the street. Sporting outfits in bold colours, different types of hats and beards, Mr Wilson's Second Liners played a mixture of different dance tunes using your everyday brass and percussion instruments; Some of these covers include Massive Attack and New Order. 

The band got the crowds dancing and certainly brightened up your average, grey Saturday in Chelmsford town centre. We later discovered that the events were all linked to a Uni open day.

I have a video however, it is not the best quality, so you can find the band on YouTube but also they have a website which I will link below. The band are available for bookings & will definitely be on my list for special occasions.

http://mrwilsons.org.uk/

The moment we've all been waiting for....

Finally, the much anticipated Gnarwolves debut album is available to stream on Sick Chirpse. 

Here is the link, you're welcome:

http://www.sickchirpse.com/exclusive-stream-gnarwolves-record/

Reading 2014: 'Gnarwolves Cru, Fuck you'

The bank holiday hits and everyone needs something to do, right? This year I joined all the school leavers and GCSE passers (or not) and spent my Saturday at Reading Festival. 

With my itinerary already planned I headed backstage at 10 o’clock to greet Gnarwolves who seem rather chilled considering they are about to play a show that could change their career path more than any other show so far. Opening the main stage at Reading and Leeds is something that these Cornish - migrated to Brighton - punks never thought they would achieve let alone being offered this spot only three years after forming. Their self titled album is yet to be released however, pre-orders are flying out the doors.
Midday hits and the nerves have finally kicked in, Gnarwolves take to the stage as I take a spot on the side balcony; what a view! Such an incredible turn out with dedicated fans sporting various Gnarwolves tees and a couple of fans have even taken their time to create banners which do not go unnoticed. 

Thom, Charlie and Max steam through a forty minute set opening with Melody Has Big Plans and ending with Limerence; both tunes off their latest EP; Funemployed. The crowd stay with them the whole time and although stage dives are near impossible, the endless circle pits and crowd surfers soon make up for it. 
The band give it their all knowing that this could be a make or break moment for them; there are certainly some important people watching and Gnarwolves do not fail to make a good impression. 
Vocalist/Guitarist Thom Weeks' comment 'This is madness!'  is more than enough to show how this band are feeling in this monumental moment of their career. 

The band could not be faulted for their sheer effort and enthusiasm. The set list is made up of a real mixture of songs from all three EPs and a couple of songs from their debut album are thrown in, including their latest release,Smoking Kills; it has only taken a month since the music video was released for the dedicated Cru to learn the words. 
Every song played is a fast paced banger, even the songs that seem to begin slow build up to exactly what the fans want; fast beats, heavy bass lines and raw vocals. 

In a moment of excitement, Charlie drops his bass at the end of the set and heads directly for the crowd only to throw himself into the arms of the loyal Cru; who says you can’t stage dive at Reading, well, kind of. 
As the band leaves the stage, the crowd begins to chant 'Fuck You' inspired by Gnarwolves themselves and their 'Gnarwolves Cru, Fuck You' catch phrase.

I caught up with bassist, Charlie, after the set who told me: "That was the most unbelievable experience; I think I'm in shock.

"We are so used to playing in tiny pub venues and even then we are often amazed by the turnout, but this was just something else entirely, main stage; madness!"

After this midday, opening performance the future can only look bright for Gnarwolves and I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more from them in the future. 

Gnarwolves’ debut album is available to pre-order here:
CD/LP: http://smarturl.it/gnarwolves-preorder 
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/gnarwolves

I was nominated...

...on Facebook, by a very good friend of mine, to list ten albums that shaped me. It was difficult and after some intense decisions, I managed to narrow it down to twenty. I thought it would be interesting to explain why and how these albums shaped me. Here is five of the twenty albums:

1. Bring Me The Horizon - Suicide Season
This decision was the easiest and the first album that sprung to mind. I first discovered Bring Me The Horizon in 2005 (roughly) and I can honestly say that they have been the most influential band in my life so far. This album was my favourite but also it is the one album that holds the most memories for me. Embarrassing as it is, when I first saw this band, they played the song Suicide Season from this album and I cried uncontrollably. I still truly feel that this is an excellent album with so much emotion. Bring Me The Horizon were everything to me, without even knowing they dictated how I dressed, what other music I listened to, how I acted and how I lived my life. 

2. More Than Life - Love Let Me Go Whilst on the note of emotions....This album is really close to home. It is one of those albums that I purposely listen to when I am feeling low because it suits my mood. Daisy Hill was the first track I heard and it then led me to play this album over and over and it even became my 'lullaby' for a long period of time. How many times have you closed your eyes and listened to the rain beating on your window, falling in to a deep sleep, I never wanted to wake up to reality, with a blank expression on every face.

3. Joy Divison - Substance
Love Will Tear Us Apart is a brilliant song...Too many music critics slate it because it's commercial, but it is commercial because it is good! Joy Division loved to release different versions of their tunes and this album includes some of the best. I watched Control, I read Touching From a Distance, and I am a sucker for a tragedy however, it was not the film or book that hit me the hardest, it was listening to this album after truly learning about Ian's struggle. You can feel his pain and the lyrics speak so openly of Ian's gloomy life. This album screams out the pain of Ian's existence....and love really did tear him apart. 

4. Pearl Jam - Ten
Eddie Vedder. Do I need to go on?.....On a serious note, Pearl Jam have been part of my life before I can even remember. My Ma's all time favourite band and a band that I could have never escaped even if I wanted to. My Mum is such a strong, incredible woman and I strive to be like her, every time I listen to Pearl Jam I am reminded of her and what a cool lady she really is, that is why Pearl Jam will ALWAYS be in my top ten.

5. Avril Lavigne - Let Go
Some may cringe at this but, all I can say is that if it was not for this tame 'rock chick' I would have never listened to some of the incredible bands that I have discovered over the years so, Avril, I thank you for showing me that there is better music out there than yours!