The Last Garrison Video

Enter Shikari are back again with a new video for the latest single, "The Last Garrison", off their newest album "The Mindsweep" which is set to be released on the 19th Of January 2015.

The track listing for "The Mindsweep" can be seen below the video for "The Last Garrison"

1. The Appeal & The Mindsweep I

2. The One True Colour

3. Anaesthetist

4. The Last Garrison

5. Never Let Go of the Microscope

6. Myopia

7. Torn Apart

8. Interlude

9. The Bank Of England

10. There's a Price On Your Head

11. Dear Future Historians...

12. The Appeal & the Mindsweep II

Getting back into the swing of things!

Hey guys! 

Just wanted to let you know that I've been chasing up some more interviews, which means hopefully by the end of this month, we shall have three interviews up! That's if everything goes to plan!

I shall let you know who they are closer to the dates


Sophie x

Sorry guys!

Hey guys, I know it's been a while since I last updated but it's been a busy couple of month!

Tiffany

Firstly I turned eighteen last month, so I had a lot of celebrating to do, I've been swotting for my driving theory especially since for my birthday I had a little Citroen C2, who I called Tiffany because she has orange interior. Who is a beaut to drive and I honestly can't wait to drive without my dad sitting next to me barking instructions at me! 

One of the many selfies I took that night!

We then had a joint birthday party for me and my uncle who has just turned 30 as well, which meant that there was doubly the celebration and doubly the amount of alcohol drank! Included shots of very very cheap vodka which tasted like nail varnish remover and I swear burned the inside of my throat but I didn't care because I was partying waaay to hard! 
Perks of being 18 is being able to buy alcohol, however, much to my dismay my first attempt at buying alcohol I wasn't asked for any ID but the second time I went to by two bottles of wine I did and I was like "YES of course I have ID!" What an exciting life I lead haha!


 

Me, the boyf and a boxtroll...

Three days later, I went out for a 'date' with a friend, to get coffee, we then ended up having a very deep and meaningful conversation which then lead to him then asking me out and of course I said yes, because I had liked him for a while before then. So it was a win-win situation. I have never been happier to be with someone because he has had the most positive influence on my life and it's only been about a month and honestly I can't wait to see where the future takes us tbh!
I have to thank my best friend for this, as if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have had the courage to message him and tell him how I feel. She used to "ship" us so hard and wanted to make sure that we both were happy and that is what we are now. I honestly can't thank her enough for giving me the courage to tell him I liked him.
I can't thank him enough for saying yes to going and getting coffee.






However, the celebrations had to be cut short as my Great Nan died in her sleep, which shocked us all. However, it was the best possible thing for her, as she was suffering way to much and now she gets to look down on us with the biggest smile on her face because the pain isn't bothering her anymore, she also gets to be with her loving husband, my Grampy Gordan. I hope that I can do her proud in the next couple of years by getting the best possible results at my A levels, and then hopefully getting into my first choice university.
I just wish she was here to witness it all first hand, but we can't have it all now can we? She seen me in my prom dress, she seen my GCSE results, she seen my AS results and I know in those moments that she was happy.
I love you Great-Nan, you wonderful woman x

Aberystwyth Beach

I've also been to universities for open days and summer school and I've meet some amazing people during my time there. However I have come to the conclusion that there is no other university for me other than Cardiff, due to the music scene and the fact that I know what the town is like, I know what to expect on nights out and such. Plus I know that there is always going to be an abundance of jobs, especially when it comes to Rugby season, plus Aberystwyth town was lovely, don't get me wrong,
just the uni was so gray and drab. Plus it was on a hill, which would kill me especially after a night out. However I have not decided which course I want to study because I can't see myself actually in a job. If that makes sense? However, speaking of jobs, I actually managed to get my first job! I still haven't gone through my training, yet they've told me that I have the job, just got to wait for them to tell me when training is. I honestly can't wait for the money to start rolling in!

One of the Two weddings!

I also had two weddings, which was very fun and very tiring. However, it was a good excuse to get drunk and look hot whilst doing so. It's also another excuse to buy about 4 dresses and only wear two, God I am such a girl!
One was for family, the other was my best friends mothers(she might as well be family, I've known her that long!) I honestly couldn't have been happier for either of the two couples, as it gives me hope that not all relationships will crash and burn and completely destroy everything around them.
Plus it was my first wedding in a castle! Imagine that! Plus many episodes of Doctor Who was filmed there so I was in my zone fan-girl wise! It was such an amazing venue, even with the bats flying over my head during the night just added to the whole feel of it being in a castle.

Plus my A2 workload has increased hugely, like I didn't notice it at first but now looking back on it I have been swamped under, between revising for tests and exams to having to decide what I'm going to do my coursework on. Not including trips to Cardiff for coursework related trips and trips to court and prison. I'm so tired all the time because I've been using all my effort in college.

So I apologize for not being as active as I should have, that will change! I promise!

Love Sophie xo

Blue Banana

As I have now become an affiliate of Blue Banana, so if you're looking for band merch or hair dyes or anything to update your wardrobe then click on the following link :)

Framing Hanley return!

After what seemed like a life time wait for any new music from Framing Hanley, they released a brand spanking new music video for their single Criminal from their new album The Sum Of Who We Are, which is available to buy from stores and itunes now.

The band posted a video explaining that they have left their current record label and was using kickstarter to create their album, which was successful and lead to the production of The Sum Of Who We Are

Framing Hanley previously had hits with Hear Me Now, You Stupid Girl and their cover of Lollipop which Nixon said "Three years later when one song that they are remembering you for is a cover song, it kinda leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” which shows that they weren't exactly happy with the frame that they gained from covering it. 

Fair to say it's almost as if they never left, picking up from where they left off. Catchy chorus which I have to say, had me singing along after hearing the song only once, it's definitely going to be a song that it's going to be stuck in everyone's head for a while. I know that 'cause it's been stuck in my head since I first heard it.

Kerrang! Tribute album to American Idiot

As American Idiot, the second and the most well known Green Day album, has celebrated it's 10th anniversary, Kerrang! has decided to release a tribute album, which is packed to the brim with amazing bands and some amazing covers! 

Here's the track list

1. American Idiot - 5 Seconds Of Summer
2. Jesus Of Suburbia – Rise To Remain
3. Holiday – The Blackout
4. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams – Neck Deep
5. Are We The Waiting – You Me At Six
6. St. Jimmy – Bowling For Soup
7. Give Me Novocaine – Escape The Fate
8. She’s A Rebel – Falling In Reverse
9. Extraordinary Girl – Frank Iero
10. Letterbomb – LostAlone
11. Wake Me Up When September Ends – The Defiled
12. Homecoming – Lonely The Brave
13. Whatsername – New Politics
Bonus tracks:
14. Welcome To Paradise – State Champs
15. Basket Case – The Swellers

Some may argue that 5 Seconds of Summer should not be on there, solely because they are linked with One Direction, but that does not stop them from absolutely smashing American Idiot, and making it one of the best covers I have ever heard. So don't start running your mouth unless you have truly given it a listen.
Plus there is also a cover from Frank Iero, who was previously the guitarist for My Chemical Romance, before they split. I have yet to listen to that cover but I know that it will be another amazing one, and I'm not just saying that because I was and still am a massive MCR fangirl, but because Frank truly is an amazing musician.

Each band has put their unique spin on each track and essentially made it theirs without changing the true Green Day roots.

Happy 10th Anniversary American Idiot!

Interview with SilverbySkyline!

I've had the pleasure of interviewing Scott, the lead guitar from SilverbySkyline.

Here is the links to the bands Facebook, website and youtube, feel free to check them out if you are on the hunt for a new band to fall head over heels with them. 
Facebook Website Youtube

Firstly, tell everyone a bit about yourselves?We're SilverbySkyline - an alt rock (ish!?) 5 piece from Aberdeen, Scotland.  We technically formed 5 years ago under a different band name, with a different singer, drummer and bassist, but over time our sound changed, and so did some of the members.  Around 2 years ago we settled on our final line-up, changed the band name and started writing new songs from scratch (to reflect our new sound) and here we are!

Whats the story behind your band name?
I wish we had a more exciting story behind our band name, haha.  We used to have a pretty emo band name (I blame Wayne!) which really didn't reflect how our music sounded, so one day at practice we decided we weren't leaving until we came up with a new name.  After loads of potential names getting shot down we saw a horse in the grand national called "Silver by Nature" and we thought it sounded pretty cool!  So we stole the name, replaced the word nature with skyline (as Aberdeen is known as the granite city and all the buildings are grey).

How would you describe your sound in five words or less?
I'd say our sound is "Sort of alt-rock kinda".  When people say "what sort of music do you play?!" I always struggle...

How does it feel seeing your song on Scuzz?
It feels amazing seeing our songs on Scuzz!  The coolest thing is when I'm just doing my own thing and my phone says we have a new tweet, and it's someone messaging us out the blue saying they just saw us on tv and loved our stuff - it's so crazy to think people are out their listening to our songs in different places at different times.  Our video for "Somewhere in time" managed to stay in the Scuzz top 10 for 6 weeks, and even reached number 2 - that's probably our biggest achievement to date!

What's the hardest thing about being in a band? I think the hardest thing about being in a band is being unsigned.  To fund band stuff we all have full time jobs, and Fraser is still a student too, so trying to arrange practice/gigs/recording around 5 guys schedules when they all work at different times, have different holidays, etc, isn't easy!

If you could record one song with any musician dead or a live who would it be and why?
Speaking for myself, I'd have to say I'd love to record something with Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy.  FOB's music started to get big around the time I first decided to learn guitar, so without some of their catchy riffs I would have probably got sick of it and given up, haha.  Also, I think Patricks voice is unbelievable!  He has such a massive vocal range, and his song writing ability is so amazing.  Definitely Patrick Stump.

Would you class yourselves as celebrities?
I'd definitely not class ourselves as celebrities.  We're just 5 normal guys, playing music for the love of it, and trying to get it heard by as many people as possible.  It only ever seems to be Wayne who gets "recognised" for being in the band...  I think he's bribing people, or paying them to come up to him!

Furthest away from home you've played? Did you get home sick?
To be honest we've never played too far from home, just all over Scotland!  In the time we've been together we spend most of our time writing, then recording, and shooting videos - as we feel the best way to build a fan base is online.  Having done that for 2 years, and now we have 5 unreleased songs in our hands, we're about to focus for the first time on gigging further afield - aiming for England and Wales.  The furthest we've ventured as a band was Cardiff to record in Longwave studios with Romesh Dodangoda.  We have so much fun together, and recording music, I definitely wasn't home sick!

Do you remember you first gig? How did it feel?

I remember our first gig pretty well!  It went great (I think) - but it's always hard to tell if what you're hearing on stage is the same as what people in the crowd are hearing!  I think I was pretty nervous for our first gig, as you never know how people will take to you, but a few songs in we hit our stride and massively enjoyed ourselves.  I'd say I'm more nervous about gigs nowadays as some of the band are hugely clumsy and we've had pedals being unplugged mid-song, people falling into drum-kits and pints being spilled!  We always recover though, and the unpredictability of a live setting adds to the fun!

Any upcoming gigs?
No upcoming gigs planned yet, but as of today we're starting looking for anything and everything we can get!

Bbc Radio 1s Big Weekend

Unfortunately I was unable to attend, much to my heart break, especially since some of my favourite bands were playing. All on the same day bar one band. How gutting is that? Plus the tickets were free. 

What more could a girl want?

But the line up was amazing and the coverage of it across all platforms was even better. No matter what you preferred to watch or listen to it on the coverage was wow!

I'm fair to say I fell asleep during Coldplays set but not because they bored me but because the music is just so soothing and relaxing and I just couldn't resist relaxing in bed listening to them and BAM I'm out like a baby and fair to day I slept like a log that night. 

I then managed to stay awake for the other bands that I wanted to see on the Sunday, the likes of which included Kings of Leon who brought on Chris from Coldplay and then later on The 1975 both of which put on an amazing show and the fact that I could watch KOL despite not being there just made me feel so better about not having tickets to see them in Swansea. 

Overall, I really wish I applied for tickets and went but sadly I didn't so hopefully next time I'll be able to try and get tickets and that the event is a little bit closer compared to all the way up in Glasgow. But what a wonderful way to kick off the festival season which is slowly approaching. 

Save The Fleece From Closure

The independent and extremely adored The Fleece is facing potential closure. If that itself isn't bad enough, they're thinking of turning it into a bunch of flats!

Chris Sharp, owner of The Fleece, says

'The Fleece has thrived as a venue for 32 years. One of the key factors in its success is its location. The lack of residents in the surrounding streets has meant the venue has been able to offer live music 7 nights per week and club nights until 4am at weekends without disturbing anyone. During its entire history The Fleece has not had any issues with noise complaints. If the huge office block located right next door is given the green light to be converted into approx 80 privately owned flats we would anticipate a deluge of complaints as soon as people move in.'

I know it may seem like there isn't a lot everyone can do to save it, however, that is where you're wrong! There is a petition which needs 64,300 supporters, and it's about half way there! 


So if everyone could sign it and help save a much loved venue, one that is close to many peoples hearts and has helped established many local bands

Click here to save The Fleece

Foo Fighters turn to documentary!

Foo Fighters have been in the studio to record their 8th album, due to release in the fall, to which they are recording a documentary which will be released on HBO. 

However instead of having it as one massive documentary this will be an eight part series, in which they show the journey across 8 US cities to record the album.
Front-man Dave Grohl, shows us that he is once again multi-talented, as he is the one directing the whole thing.

Chicago, Austin, Nashville, Los Angeles, Seattle, New Orleans, Washington, DC and New York. Within these eight cities, FF delve in to the music roots and culture heritage, whilst they record songs in the most legendary studio of that state.

If that doesn't make things any more unique, they're recording one song per city and too add to the excitement and sheer fact that they have legends of the local music scene sitting in and listening to them as they record the new album.

Grohl, left the lyrics to the last possible moment, adding to the uniqueness of the album as he wanted to ensure that he drew on the cities inspiration as much as he could, his inspiration came in the form the experiences and those that he talked to throughout the album.

The series is to be released on the eve of the bands 20th anniversary

Docu-drama on Kurts death.

As we have recently approached the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's front-mans death, there was been a release for the trailer of the docu-drama on his death; Soaked In Bleach.

Everyone has their theories on iconic rock God, Kurt Cobain's death. Some believe that it was suicide, others however believe that Courtney Love, the front woman of Hole was the one pulling the trigger, all because she wanted to inherit his money.

Soaked in Bleach takes the stance that it wasn't suicide and retells Kurts final days through documentary footage and reenactments. The main narrative belongs to Tom Grant who Courtney Love hired to find him when he vanished from rehab.

It stars Tyler Bryan as Cobain and Sarah Scott as his wife, Love.

There is not set date for the release of Soaked In Bleach.

Little update

Hey guys, here is a little update, just because I thought you should know what is going on.

I'm coming up to my exam period, so that means for the next month, until the second of June I will be completely swamped under with revision, I already am, but I can cope haha!

So there will be limited posts for a while, I'll try and post as much as possible but I can't promise anything.

As for the interviews, it shouldn't be long before I upload the first one for you all to read 

Spanking New Look

As you can probably tell, the blog has had a make over, all thanks to my wonderful mother!

So this is what the book is going to look like for a while now, especially seeing as I'm incredibly impressed with it!

So would like ot say a massive thanks to my mother for making my blog fantastic!

Here is a link to her website if anyone wants anything done by her, just tell her I sent you! ;)

http://milnedesigns.co.uk/

Interviews

Hey guys, got some brilliant news for you all!

I've managed to score some interviews!

I shall be sorting them out and getting them posted so keep an eye out!

Albums that influenced my music taste

Everyone has those albums that have shaped their music taste and have molded them into the person that they are today.
So I thought that I would share mine, despite how cringe worthy and shaming they are. Some of these I wouldn't even tell my closest friends about - yet here I am posting them for the whole internet too see.


Spice Girls - Spice
What can I say? I grew up when the Spice Girls were at their biggest and like every other girl who I knew, I loved them. I literally idolised them, yet I couldn't decided which one was the best, sure Posh had the best taste in fashion back then and Baby Spice was adorable but they all captivated my heart in different ways.
This album contained Wannabe, which too this very day I know every word too. No shame.
Sure I wouldn't listen to them now due to my music taste changing and growing over the years. But if I ever feel nostalgic I take a trip down memory lane listening to all the other cheesy 90s pop bands that I used to adore.


Jonas Brothers - Jonas Brothers
Another cringe worthy one...
This was the first album that I bought with my own money when I was about 10 or so from the Woolworth online just after it went bust, it cost me about £14 with postage. When it arrived I was ecstatic, I literally could not contain my excitement. Imagine what I was like when I opened it and found that it came with a poster!
I used to believe that I would one day marry one of them, but God forbid if you asked me which one if it would be, I'd always reply with a sarcastic "Which ever one wants me the most/which ever one wins the fight for me". Fair to say I soon grew out of their music within a year or so, but if I hear any of their old music played about I will sing my heart out.


Green Day - American Idiot
When this album come out, it was massive, my mother had always been a big Green Day fan and when this came out she transmitted her love of them on to me. Plus American Idiot was such a catchy tune that it was played at all the time at school discos even with the children not knowing what the lyrics meant.
After investing in this beaut of an album I then went on to delve into their other albums and fell in love with them, I'm still dying to this day to get to see them and I will make it happen.





Evanescence - Fallen
This is where my music taste started to change, some may say for the best...
I had stumbled across Evanescence when I was trawling through Youtube, I found Bring Me to Life and I fell in love instantly, there was something about them that just clicked and made me love them. I was singing them around the house when my aunt was over and she knew what song it was straight away and offered to lend me her CDs, so I said sure and then I got them and I fell in love with the whole band and I had the BIGGEST girl crush on Amy Lee, she has the best voice I have heard to date. And no matter how long I can go without hearing any song by them and will always go back to them without a hesitation.

Nirvana - Nevermind
When this album first came out, I wasn't even born. So you may say "How can an album that was released before you were born influence your music taste?"
But this album, is just one of Nirvanas albums that have influenced my music taste and lots of other peoples music taste worldwide.
My mother again, got me into Nirvana, she had their CD constantly playing in the car, so I obviously enjoyed their music and picked up on the lyrics and the music before I even realized what Kurt was singing about and as I grew a soft spot developed in my heart for this band, and when I was old enough to know that Kurt had died, I was devastated because I had always wanted to see them live, and that is never going to happen. Smells Like Teen Spirit has to be one of my all time favourite songs, and I'm always requesting this album and others by Nirvana to be played in the car.


Skindred - Union Black

Who would I be if I didn't place a Welsh band on this list? As you know I've spoken about Skindred a few times now on the blog. But they're a big part of the music I'm into now, seeing as I've seen them three times and counting, the first time that I saw them live was back in 2011, when I was 15, it was fair to say that they blew my mind. The sheer stage present that they had was unreal, no other band to date has lived up to their stage present or managed to get the crowd as excited which is a good thing because that's what you want when you see a band live.
I can still remember for each time that I've seen them live I've been on the barrier and even in the mini-documentary that they did about the one off show they did in their home town, you can see my mother and everyone on the barrier.
When I saw them in Merthyr Rock, Mikey threw his plectrum into the crowd right were we where standing, bearing in mind that there was at least twenty of us trying to find it in the dark and in the mud, we soon lost hope that one of us would have it. That is until my mother goes shopping one day and empties her handbag to find her purse and out tumbles it. Fair to say that plec has now gone to all the other Skindred gigs and even to a Fall Out Boy gig!

Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree
I have been a Fall Out Boy fan for as long as I can remember and this album is what set me off really, it contains hits such as Dance Dance and Sugar We're Going Down.
From the moment that I fell in love with them it spiraled into an obsession with the band, don't worry though, it's a healthy obsession(if there is such a thing)
They had been there for me no matter what and I could always find my way listening to them after a hard days work.
When I was old enough to go see them I found out that they were on hiatus, fair to say my little 12 year old heart shattered into a million pieces. But when I found out that they were back and that they were releasing an album, 12 year old me went absolutely nuts, and because I was definitely old enough to go, and my luck was rolling in, because I found out that they were touring in Cardiff, so I begged my mother and she said because she knew how much they meant to me that she'd let me go as long as I found someone to go with me, so I asked my aunt and uncle and they said yes. So I got to go. On the 15th Of March 2014, my dreams came true and I got to see the band that I loved for years, and it was the best night of my life, well besides the night that I saw Mayday Parade but that is a story for another time!

Sorry guys!

Hey guys, sorry I haven't been posting recently, I went away to make good use of the long weekend, however I am home now and will be uploading a post soon, I just gotta type it up and find all the relevant details.

Also there will be some changes coming to the layout of the site soon, so I'll keep you updated with that!

Hope every one has had a brilliant Easter and that the Easter bunny spoilt everyone rotten and you got to indulge in a copious amount of chocolate.

April Album Releases

2014 is said to be a big year with a lot of musicians releasing long awaited albums, it's fair to say that the music scene has been on edge for some of these albums.

On April 19th Green Day is set to release their first album, Demolicious, since they released the trio named ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré! in  2012.
April 19th is also record store day which seems fitting as they are releasing the album on a variety of different formats such as double vinyl, cassette tap and of course a CD. The album will consist of  eighteen unreleased tracks that failed to make it to the trio in 2012. It also includes an acoustic song called 'Stay The Night'.
According to Mike Dirnt, who said on his instagram, that the album is 'how ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! and ¡Tré! would have sounded if we were still on Lookout Records.'

Overall it is looks like it's taking Green Day back to their previous sound, which may please those who weren't that impressed with the change of sound in 2012.

On April 22nd, Neon Trees are releasing their third studio album Pop Psychology, with the single Sleeping With A Friend  released in January earlier this year, the tone has been set for yet another great album from the band hailing from Utah, the second single,  I Love You(But Hate Your Friends) was released, a lot closer to the album release, in March of this year. The album contains songs such as Voices In The Hall and Teenager in Love.







Miss May I are all ready to release their fourth studio album, Rise Of The Lion on the 25th Of April.Vocalist Levi Benton recently said in an interview that the new album is very 'fan based'. He also stated that 'All the lyrics are letters back from letters we’ve gotten from fans and haven’t been able to write back',
which suggests that this album is going to have an extremely personal touch.
The album include songs such as; Heroes With No Names, and the two singles Gone and Echos.


Overall late April is set to be a good time to be a part of the music scene, with all these bands releasing new albums that can only mean one thing...

TOURS.

Many of these bands will be going on tour to promote their new albums, so keep an eye out at and I shall keep you updated with tour dates and ticket prices when I am aware f

Merthyr Rock 2014

At the end of the summer in 2011 & 2012 there was a large crowd gathering at Cyfartha Castle in Merthyr Tydfil for what would shake the South Wales Valleys rock scene, for years to come! Merthyr Rock was and once again is an upcoming event which is rock music lovers from all across the UK have come to love.

In August/September, 2011, the three day festival included bike stunts, fireworks and a DJ set from Ian Watkins(Before it all came out that he was not a nice person), The Blackout, Goldie Lookin Chain, Funeral For A Friend,  Skindred.
The weather was brilliant for the festival and the standard was set for years to come, with the beer flowing and the sun shining, it could rival some of the bigger festivals, and the price was a lot cheaper than the larger festivals with some of the same bands playing them, so what was not to like? Nothing in my eyes, it was a brilliant atmosphere, the staff was friendly and you had numerous chances to meet the bands and win competitions.

Embracing the sun in 2012

Then that time of year came around again in 2012, when Merthyr Rock was back to rock n' roll like there was no tomorrow. This year you had the opportunity to gain an internship, this was a must for anyone who was looking to get into the music scene. However I went to apply and found out that I had to be 16, god damn being 15 at the time!

An ex and I meeting Sean Smith from The Blackout in 2012

The line up this time included once again Skindred as they were a massive hit from the year before and really knew how to get the crowd going! It also included Kids In Glass Houses, Saves The Day, Yashin and Deaf Havana. The crowds were larger than the previous year as news had got out that it was a brilliant, day or three depending on how many bands you'd want to see. But for the one day with twenty bands playing for a ticket price of £20 you can't exactly go wrong with it working out at £1 per band!

Both years were a massive success or so it seemed, but come 2013, we got told the news that there would be no Merthyr Rock this year due to 'economic problems' this came as a massive shock to all the previous goers and those who they informed that it was a good time and that there would be one this year without a fail because of the sheer success of it all.
Later in 2013 we then found out that there was no need to worry as it was coming back in 2014! As you can imagine, for months on end fans of the festival have been on edge wondering if they are true to their word and who will be on the line up for 2014.

The first four bands of the line up so far have been announced and it looks like it's set to upstage previous years with Taking Back Sunday doing an UK exclusive and Anti Flag celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year! However, there is one or two downsides this year, and that is that it is only for one day instead of the three, and the price has been put up. But in light of previous problems it is totally understandable. They've also pushed the date from the last weekend in August to the 17th, which can only mean one thing! More sun!

On the barrier for most of the night in 2012

Overall I'm excited for this years and can't wait to see what other bands are going to be added to the line up!

Newport Helicoptour

Welsh rockers Skindred, played a one off home town gig, with an usual name which plays homage to a move that they've put a claim too - The Newport Helicoptour. The one off gig which was held in The Newport Centre featured a line-up of Continents; Feed the Rhino, Hacktivist and The Blackout.
Continents started the gig and got the crowds pumped with songs such as Idle Hands, Pegasus Pegasus, Inhale and Regrets. After the crowd had sung along to the songs that they knew off they went and on came Feed the Rhino who took it up to a whole new level with pits at every corner of the room and the crowd jumping so hard that you could feel it in the seats! Feed the Rhino played songs such as their classic Tides.

Once everything calmed down and they finished their set on came Milton Keynes rockers Hacktivist, with their unique sound and the ability to get the crowd hanging off their every word caused them to put on one hell of a show and definitely got everyone pumped for the next support act, The Blackout. They had everyone in the crowd raise their middle finger in the air just before they played their most well-known song, Elevate. Even if you didn't know the lyrics before that, after the song you'd be singing the chorus for the rest of the night trying to resist to raise your middle finger once again. They covered Jay-Z and Kayne West's song ****** In Paris which for fans of the band and those who knew the original couldn't help but to sing a long too.

The Blackout, fellow Welsh rockers were up next, and boy did they get everyone going with their party based hit, Start the Party. Considering that they are the lightest sounded band on the line up with their infectious pop rock sound they still managed to get everyone on their and singing along to their songs without batting an eyelid. They also had the crowd intentionally booing them and calling them every bad name under the sun. Showbiz aye? They also played one of their most well-known hits; Children of the Night, which with its catchy chorus had everyone singing their hearts out, like their life depended on it.

Once they left the stage all that was left to do was wait for Skindred to come on, the wait felt like a lifetime. Once the lights went down, the crowd went absolutely bonkers and it didn't stop there. They came on to an Imperial March remix which had everyone singing the famous Star Wars theme as loud as they possible could with their voices already under a lot of strain from the previous bands. They started the night off with an oldie - Rat Race which got all fans both old and new singing along with the catchy lyrics and the beat which makes you want to jump the night away. Next up was a classic which all Skindred fans know off by heart - Doom Riff, this was the song that created all the pits and caused a lot of injuries from rocking too hard(if that's even possible!) They then went on to play a song of their newest album - Ninja, despite it being out for less than a year everyone was lapping up the atmosphere with the pits expanding and everyone just going bloody insane! They played another classic once Ninja finished - Cut Dem which just made everyone sing their hearts out.

After a short intermission they carried on playing with yet another oldie - Babylon, which with its simple but catchy lyrics had everyone jumping like their life depended on it and singing like their lungs were about to give in. Then keeping with the theme of the oldies, they played Bruises from the same album as Babylon, this again had the same effect causing everyone just too lose it and get down with the music. They then upped their game and played their biggest hit of the newest album - Kill the Power, this song had everyone singing along because of its catchy lyrics and the whole party vibe that it gives off, perfect for a one off hometown gig. Again keeping with the new album they played World's On Fire, which got the crowd going like nothing you've ever seen before, there was pits left right and centre, there was no where you could stand without being within a few feet of one.

The next intermission contained something that you'd never expect to see at a gig of bands of this genre, it was a remix of Thrift Shop, Don’t Stop Me Now and We Will Rock; this caused the crowd to go mental as everyone knew those songs, because let’s face it that doesn't? The crowd were sufficiently ready for the next lot of songs to be played, the song which kicked off the next couple of songs was Trouble, which yet again caused the moshers to go nuts because let’s face it, it’s a song about getting into trouble and they tend too. They then played Pressure yet another well-known song, Pressure, this had everyone singing and just generally having a good time because it’s catchy and up beat lyrics. Next up was Nobody, yet another well-known song by them, which caused everyone to sing along and unite with their love of good music, the pits died down just ever so slightly for this song, but they still were there moshing away.

Then that seemed like it was the end of their set as they disappeared off the stage, but that didn’t stop the crowd from cheering them on and wanting more. With an unanimous chant of ‘Skindred’ and ‘We Want More’, they returned, for a final two songs. Just what the crowd had asked for. They slowed it down for the first song, which was off their newest album, We Live, this song acted as almost a relaxant which caused everyone to calm down and just appreciate the music and the fact that they were stood in front of an amazing band.

The final song caused the gig to end with a bang, and gave the tour its name. Benji asked the crowd to take off their jackets and prepare themselves for the Newport Helicopter, to those who may not know what the Newport Helicopter is its where when the band play Warning, and when Benji tells you to do it, you lift your jacket/top into the air and start swinging it above your head in a circular motion, just like a helicopter.
The crowd went ballistic, with a mixture of jumping up and down, swinging their tops and jackets, singing and pits, the sight was absolutely amazing, something that you’d only ever get to see when Skindred are playing, and if you have ever seen them live then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Overall it was an amazing night and something that if you were there you’d cherish the memories of that night forever, if you weren’t too drunk not to remember it that is!