My first festival - Bloodstock 2012 (Festival Survival Guide)

As you well know from the previous post I experienced my first proper festival including weekend camping.  Thanks to my boyfriend and other friends who have a lot of experience with festivals I got some hints and tips from them and I also learnt a few myself. I welcome you to my festival survival guide.

Festival Survival Guide

1. Valuables

Keeping valuables safe is very important to everyone - money, keys, phone etc. Although there were lockers on the site to keep things in but I much prefer to keep things close to me. If you're like me and like to keep things in a bag, make sure you keep it with you at ALL times; I also found it reassuring to check my bag every time I'm somewhere new so I know I haven't dropped anything on the site. 

At night back in my tent before I went to sleep; I placed them at the bottom of my sleeping bag. Whether it's your sleeping bag or under your pillow always be sure to place valuables somewhere you know nobody can take them without your knowledge.

One more thing; NEVER put your valuables in open pockets, if you do keep checking constantly.

2. Hygiene

In some people's eyes that word seems non-existent at festivals; but there are other ways of keeping refreshed if you don't feel like standing in a long queue for the shower block. I found dry shampoo and wet wipes were the key things that kept me refreshed all weekend; I used wet wipes for my face and hands. I found it was quite fun not having to worry about a shower; I appreciated the shower much more when I came home after the weekend.

Nine times out of ten the portaloos on site aren't likely to have loo roll so make sure you have packets of tissue or loo roll when going to the toilet; I personally preferred packets of tissue because they are small enough to fit in your bag and take them everywhere you go.

3. Food and Drink

A lot of the food and drink at festivals can end up emptying your purse/wallet because it costs a lot of money; you can't take your own food into the arena but you can bring your own food onto your campsite so stock up snacks from shops near by to avoid getting caught out on high prices for food. I brought croissants and small cartons of juice for breakfast so I only really had to worry about lunch and dinner.   If you do need to buy food make you have enough money to cover it. I would say twenty pounds a day for lunch and dinner, perhaps a bit more for breakfast.

I didn't drink alcohol at the festival but a tip from the Bloodstock guide stated drink responsibly and don't drink too much; you want to be able to remember your festival experience and since too much alcohol is bad for your memory don't drink too much. 

Drink plenty of water; especially on hot days, keep your water bottle topped up. There were water taps on site where you can do so.

4. Most importantly

When you first enter the festival they usually do a bag search so anyone with bags should be ready. 

DO NOT FORGET YOUR TICKET; it grants you access to the festival so no ticket no entry.

Relax and enjoy yourself; just remember these tips and hints either from this guide, from elsewhere or what you know already and your weekend should run smoothly without glitches

Well that's my guide to surviving a festival; whether you're a first timer like me or experienced all the festivals I hope you enjoy reading this.

My first festival - Bloodstock 2012 (Bands)

I am back from a fantastic weekend at Bloodstock Festival; here I want to share the experience of the festival, what bands I saw and some hints and tips I have learnt along the way. I had been to Reading Festival before but for the day; since then I have always wanted to experience a full weekend including camping. Up until now I didn't have the time or money to do so. I was very nervous packing my stuff ready to go; I had hints and tips from my friends who have experienced festivals on what to bring and to expect that helped. I wanted be sure I had everything I was going to need; tent, sleeping bag, food, drink and most importantly your ticket so once I had everything prepared I was on my way.

Arriving at the site at about ten; my boyfriend and I picked the camp site Hel, a more than perfect spot and set our tent up. We then headed to the main arena since my boyfriend wanted to watch the band Malefice; from what I heard they didn't sound bad at all, would have paid more attention if I hadn't been spaced out and tired since we left very early that morning. The main stage saw some very big names in metal on stage such as Iced Earth, Dimmu Borgir, Dio Disciples, Testament and many others. The bands I enjoyed the most this weekend were Pythia, Behemoth, Hatebreed, Rising Dream, Kobra and the Lotus, Dimmu Borgir and Alice Cooper; I loved how theatrical Alice Cooper and Behemoth were.

Behemoth's opening was very haunting and atmospheric with the band members appearing from out of the blue, one minute there was an empty drum kit, the next there was the band's drummer Inferno; along with a passionate performance and incredible stage props that gave an indication of what they were about. This performance was particularly important to Behemoth; they were due to play a couple of years ago unfortunately had to pull out since frontman Nergal was in hospital receiving treatment for leukaemia at that time. Luckily he is clear; so it was a touching moment when he shouted out to the crowd 'It's fantastic to be alive'. 

Saturday's headliners Machine Head just didn't quite do it for me; compared to Behemoth's performance the previous night I found the performance from Machine Head to be quite bland. It may have also been to do with all the hype and suspension around the fact they were the mysterious headliner that weren't revealed until June. I think they are fantastic musically; but their live performance wasn't quite what I expected it to be. 

I had seen Alice Cooper before and remember his theatrical stage tactics; he first appears on a huge tower with a jacket on that had six metallic arms attached to the sleeves as he performs The Black Widow. It was great that he performed a varied collection of songs; the setlist included brand new ones such as I'll Bite Your Face Off and classic anthems such as No More Mr. Nice Guy, School's Out and my personal favourite Poison. Definitely the perfect end to a great weekend and well worth waiting for. If you missed his spectacular performance at Bloodstock then you do not have to worry as he will be back in the UK for a tour in October.

Other great stand out performances for me came from Pythia, Hatebreed and Rising Dream. Pythia's admiration for gothic literature really was reflected through their medieval costumes and very well scripted passages in between, Emily Alice Ovenden's vocals were so powerful and clear that made their set more magical. I loved how Hatebreed got all the crowds pumping and showed so much energy. Rising Dream's style of music was very unique to me; the front woman Ines Tancheva sang the verses in harsh growls and the chorus's in clean vocals that took me by surprise. I also enjoyed Dimmu Borgir and Kobra and the Lotus.

Well that was my experience of the bands; in my next post I shall share some hints and tips that I have learnt about festival survival that made my first festival experience generally fantastic.

Photos:  Peter Russell

Interview with Dead PinUps - Sam and Jamie

Entering The Suite Studio in Havant I was politely welcomed by Samhain from local unsigned band Dead PinUps as he with fellow band member Jamie were currently recording their brand new EP; here is their interview I did that very day where we talk about their new EP, performing and who they would appoint in charge of a magazine. I also tried something new in this interview that I will be doing again.....a quick fire round of questions as shown below. I think though next time when I ask different band members the quick fire round questions I'll mix the questions up each time or maybe ask a few at a time; other than that the quick fire round seemed to go down well with zombie rock band Dead PinUps.

QuickFire - Sam

Charlotte:  Beer or tea

Sam:  Cider

Charlotte:  Kopperberg or Strongbow

Sam:  Strongbow

Charlotte:  Lady Gaga or Lady and the Tramp

Sam:  Lady and the Tramp

Charlotte:  Ketchup or Brown Sauce

Sam:  Ketchup

Charlotte:  Ice Cream or Ice Ice Baby

Sam:  Ice Ice Baby

Charlotte:  Brighton or Bahamas

Sam:  Brighton

QuickFire - Jamie

Charlotte:  Beer or tea

Jamie:  Beer

Charlotte: Carlsberg or Becks

Jamie:  Carlsberg

Charlotte:  Lady Gaga or Lady and the Tramp

Jamie:  Lady Gaga

Charlotte:  Axl Rose or Freddie Mercury

Jamie:  Axl Rose

Charlotte:  Ketchup or Brown Sauce

Jamie:  Ketchup

Charlotte:  Ice Cream or Ice Ice Baby

Jamie:  Both

Charlotte:  Brighton or Bahamas

Jamie:  Bahamas


Charlotte:  Where did the name Dead PinUps come from?

Sam:  A drunken night out; it was going to be a London band with all London people but then we moved it Portsmouth.

Charlotte:  You are currently recording a new EP at the moment; I hope that's going well

Jamie:  It's going really well; because last time we recorded an EP it seemed really quick but this time was enjoyable

Charlotte:  Could you describe your EP in three words?

Sam:  Death, doom and filthy

Charlotte:  You have some songs on your online pages such as Facebook, Soundcloud etc. Are these going to be included on the EP or is it all new material?

Sam:  This EP is totally new, it's full of porn samples and it's all about sex, drugs and rock 'n roll really.

Charlotte:  What inspirations come to mind when writing and creating music?

Jamie:  For Dead PinUps inspirations as we mentioned in a previous interview; B Movies and really sleazy rock 'n' roll.

Charlotte:  You recently appeared on the cover of Unsigned Muso, congratulations for that. If you were in charge of your own magazine, who would you appoint as editor, photographer, weekly columnist and agony aunt/uncle?

Sam:  Bruce Dickinson for all of them
Jamie:  And Ron Jeremy

Charlotte:  And your reasons why?

Sam:  Bruce Dickinson is just awesome; he's in Maiden.

Charlotte:  You have all performed at Sonisphere along side Corey Taylor?

Sam:  Yeah that was myself and Jamie; he was my sound tech for the gig.

Charlotte:  How would compare that to performing your biggest headline show?

Sam:  I don't know, each gig is different that you have to take with a pinch of salt. We try and perform to the best of our abilities whether it's five people or a thousand people; those people have come, made the effort, paid the money to see your show. Just because there is four other people apart from them, they shouldn't have a lesser show

Charlotte:  What's your best gig you have ever done?

Jamie:  I really liked Halloween at the Intrepid Fox.
Sam:  That was a really good gig; tiny, really really disgustingly hot and sweaty gig dressed up as zombies.

Charlotte:  You describe yourselves as a zombie rock band?

Sam:  It's hard to define yourself in a genre these days because there is so much going around. Try not to pigeon hole yourself.

Charlotte:  Finally; what advice would you give to unsigned bands starting a music career?

Sam:  Don't jump on the band wagon; it's all too easy.
Jamie:  Don't look for a label; because labels are a downfall at the end of the day.
Sam:  Especially with this EP we're doing it ourselves for ourselves; we're really enjoying it on how it sounds and if someone else doesn't like then we are not going to be too disgruntled because in a few years time we'll look back and hopefully have a raging stonk on by listening to it. Especially the porn samples.

Interview with Russ Diapper

Well hello everyone; you may have noticed I have not posted for two weeks! It was because I was in Florida for two weeks. Before I jetted off to this sunny place I conducted an interview with up and coming blues rock artist Russ Diapper, where we spoke about his charity single, where he would like to play a gig and who he would invite to a dinner party. Here is the interview as follows.

Charlotte:  What are your musical influences?

Russ:  Well you know, its Like I've always said, I was born into rock. Not in a 'Hey my Dad is John Lennon' kind of way, I grew up listening to my mum's vinyls of The Who, The Beatles, AC/DC, Sammy Hagar, Queen etc, so I took a lot of influences from all areas. Guys Like Sammy Hagar, Roger Daltrey, of course Alice Cooper is the master. I love David Lee Roth and I'm a drummer too, so in that dept its Keith Moon all the way. I like guys who are different and set a blue print. As John Entwistle said, 'What really makes you different is the DESIRE to be different'. In terms of musical style...I love blues and classic rock...so all sorts! It's a massive bag of worms that I'm not gonna devour right now.

Charlotte:  Excellent; as well as a musician you also film videos for bands, is there a balance between the two?

Russ:  I've always been into film making so its a perfect balance. I used to separate the two, but I thought hey I have all this HD Video equipment, so why not use it? To help others? and its Business venture at the end of the way. I love meeting new musicians and going to shows. Not many young bands can afford their own multi-angle HD DVD of their show...so I offer it at a price where at most, each band member has to chip in a tenner. It's a hobby for me that compliments the music, plus I have an obsession with filming my own gigs and archiving performances. Its a good way to learn and see if your hitting your marks on stage.

Charlotte:  That sounds amazing; do you help film your own music videos?

Russ:  Being an independent musician isn't easy. And by Independent I mean indie in the way of self funded/managed. Not indie in the bland, 3 chord British music way. I've always overlooked and produced nearly every aspect of my music and merch/promos. So I direct all the videos. They are whipped up quick, just something to put an image and some promo out you know? We just have fun with them. Like the new single and video 'DoomsDay' is a dark track, quite a different style to the rest of the record. The video was great fun to do, there's 3 different themes explored in there and I got to wear a tonne of make up, which is always fun. I could get someone else to do the video, sure. I will sometime...but right now, I'm happy working on all this stuff. I want to take it as far as I can on my own, so one day when someone else starts doing some of the work for me, its going to feel like a breeze!

Charlotte:  The video for Doomsday is very dark and quite spooky. Do you plan to make a music video for another song off the album Kingsnake?

Russ:  Well thanks, that was the idea. I'm a horror film maker when I do film stuff mainly so..without falling into the trap of turning into a misfits tribute (I've been there before and I'd love to again but I'm avoiding temptation!) I wanted to do something a bit darker with a horror element. the video was knocked up in about 2 days..made up of pieces I had shot for a horror film, and new material which was track-specific. Doomsday is the last single from the album, so no other video's now until the charity single, I'd imagine anyway!

Charlotte:  A charity single? Tell me more

Russ:  Well....we all need to raise money for charity. I could spend all year working on projects for charity's and only just touch the service. A proud member of Save the Children, Greenpeace, PETA etc...the list goes on but something personal for me...and statistically 1 in 3...is Cancer so I chose to release a single to raise money for Cancer Research. I've done some charity stuff before but I'm hoping this will be different. Some people make cookies and cakes....some hold events...I thought I would release a single, and give the money to charity. I'm working with David Lee Roth's old studio/touring guitarist on it also, he's playing lead and he's a monster player. I'm very exited about it and its going to be a great release. I'm hoping to squeeze a few bonus tracks on there also, so you will get just enough bang for your buck..and its a good enough cause to help you sleep well at night knowing you have done your bit, in the best way possible. I wrote a song that has lyrics that aren't too soppy, on the nose and at the same time...they aren't too happy either. I really hope people listen to the lyrics and really like them, and see what I'm saying. its a bittersweet song with a bridge that says 'Hold on tight, don't let go! Life goes on (and so does the show)'. That's all I'm giving away until its finished but I've laid down all the vocals and the keyboards etc and Its sounding epic. I just cant wait to unleash it and see how much I can raise for this great cause. Its with full support and blessing of cancer research UK which is nice. They sent me free t-shirts and everything! Which make me look sexy I will say...I'll wear them with pride! 

Charlotte:  That sounds like a fantastic thing you are doing; are you planning to hold a launch for the single and when are you planning to release it?

Russ:  Well I hope people appreciate it for sure. To be honest, I'd like to hold an event for the release, but it will honestly be more of a networking party, rather than an event I will play at. If I did, it would be an unplugged event or something like that, not a full gig. I just wanna get the word out and rather than holding some big event for it, I just want to release the song and start raising cash for charity and getting people enjoying the music with a good message that we should all listen take to heart. As for releasing, I will release the single as soon as Its finished! Its taking a while and its been in the works for a longtime, but the legwork is done. So not long I hope. Definitely no later than Autumn I hope. The track isn't even in our set for the new tour at the moment, its spiritually a separate entity from me and the band. Speaking of which I have the best band joining me on the road for the next set of gigs, some of which have been announced on our Facebook page.

Charlotte:  Tell us about the tour you have planned for this summer

Russ:  Well I'm exited about the tour, we're still adding new dates all the time but its getting there! Playing the hobbit for the first time and The Brook again, which is always great fun. We have a new set list with the best tracks from the last tour and some ones from the new album , plus some new covers so its going to be a lot of fun. We have a new bass player and a monster of a new guitarist and both of them I cant wait to show off, its going to be a great show for sure! Keeping the spirit of rock and roll alive, as always 

Charlotte:  Where would your dream venue take place? This can be realistic or unrealistic

Russ:  Well that's a really tough question. Somewhere like the house of blues or BB Kings. Somewhere that has atmosphere and some history, rather than 'wembley stadium'. but I would take that too! I like to play places where people 'get' the music and want to be there, rather than a huge place that crams as many people in as they can, when they might not know what they are expecting. I've played some places that have been full and the atmosphere has been dead...some places are pretty empty but it works! You never know what your going to get, and until your signed to Universal or Sony, you have to get used to that. But the fun is not knowing! I've only played a handful of bad gigs mind you. it all depends on the crowd!

Charlotte:   Which five musicians would you invite to a dinner party and why? They can be dead or alive 

Russ:  Now that's a question! The famous Russ Diapper Dinner for the Dead! Well...I'd have to have Keith Moon as the crazy host, John Entwistle as the Butler, Jim Morrison as the chef, John Bonham as the Sous-Chef and Bon Scott as the master of ceremonies. I'll cook the starters, open a bottle of Jack Daniel's, sit back, eat and watch the fireworks! If we need door security then I'll hire Buddy Rich..he has all the doorman attitude and the martial arts skills..either that or he could drum any trouble back out the door. What a party it would be..as for living dinner guests...Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, Les Claypool and Joe Satriani are all welcome.  I'd have to have my band the runaway train along also, couldn't do it without them! Now who's hungry . . .PS. Better call Buddy Guy to actually provide some background blues . . .

Charlotte:   Excellent mix of musicians; finally what does the future hold for Russ' Runaway Train?

Russ:  Ahh who knows! At this point all I can guarantee is a string of great gigs and a promise that I'll do my best to keep the spirit of rock and roll alive! Hopefully I'll raise some cash for charity also, while rocking out! Peace out, thanks for having me. see you on the road! 

Interview with Velvetine

On Monday 18th June I went to the Voice.FM studio in Southampton to interview upcoming and new band Velvetine; their time creating original sleazy rock tunes and successful live shows have brought great things to them. Being awarded for things including Best New Band and playing at great venues in England such as Southampton's The Joiners and Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms. In this interview we talk about their brand new EP, the party that will be showcasing it and who they'd like to be stuck in a lift with. Here is a print version of the interview, that I have tried my best to keep word for word as the audio,  enjoy.

Charlotte:  You have an new EP being released very soon, what are your musical influences on the EP?

Velvetine:  Hardcore Superstar, Crashdiet, Buckcherry, Hanoi Rocks, Guns 'N' Roses, AC/DC; a lot of sleaze but a lot of modern stuff as well such as The Treatment, Michael Monroe and stuff like that.

Charlotte:  What are the main themes on the EP?

Velvetine:  We don't tend to write about a specific theme, we sort of write about how we feel at the time. Different songs represent different moods and just generally overall a party vibe, we try to keep it upbeat and classy as we can. Being musicians we have our moments but it's all about having a good time.

Charlotte:  Can you describe your EP in three words?

Velvetine:  Party's one of them definitely, can rock'n roll be one word?

Charlotte:  Yeah it can be one word 

Velvetine:  Happy. So Happy, Rock 'N Roll, Party

Charlotte:  Your EP Launch is this Saturday [23rd June] at The Edge Of The Wedge in Portsmouth, tell us why people should go?

Velvetine:  It's not the EP Launch, it's a EP party showcasing it. It's £2, four bands; four great bands. We're playing with three great bands; Spartan who will be playing Live and Unsigned at The O2 Arena, White Knuckle Bride who have toured with Thin Lizzy and Dead Pinups who have literally the best unsigned band we have heard.

Charlotte:  Recently you supported The Treatment; what other bands would you like to support in the future?

Velvetine:  Well The Treatment again, Reckless Love, Jettblack, The Howling; they're really cool it's Rev from Towers Of London's new band so it would be cool to gig with them  If we're really lucky AC/DC, Crashdiet or maybe Buckcherry if they came down again.

Charlotte:  Where would dream venue to perform; this can realistic or unrealistic?

Velvetine:  Sticky Fingers in Sweden, Hardcore Superstar filmed a DVD there and it's like the Swedish equivalent to The Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth or The Joiners in Southampton. Crashdiet played there and so did Vains Of Jenna, it's a really really good venue.

Charlotte:  A Facebook birdy told me you have a new app under development, what made you decide to do this?

Velvetine:  We're the first local unsigned band to have go at making something up with the modern keeping; it's quite new thing this App store that will give some more promotional value. It will have these ornaments that will keep people more interested; we've got some good ideas for it so it should be good.

Charlotte:  When are you planning to release this app?

Velvetine:  In about a week, it'll be a free download as well.

Charlotte:  You are stuck in a lift; which five people would you love to be stuck in a lift with and why?

Velvetine:  Josh Todd from Buckcherry; he's a laugh, Slash, Bon Scott, Justin Hawkins and Peter London from Crashdiet, that's a great combination. Or it might be all of Steel Panther and one stripper, that would just be carnage.

Charlotte:  Which five people would you hate to be stuck in a lift with and why?

Velvetine:  Justin Bieber, Simon Cowell, who would we hate to be stuck in a lift with; so far we've established Justin Bieber, Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Jedward, who count as two. They'd [Jedward] would be dead, we can stick them together with their hair. It is hard to think of who we don't like; we're quite nice people overall.

Charlotte:  Final question; do you guys have future plans for the band?

Velvetine:  Get signed, get famous. We're going to carry on what we are doing at the moment but the fan base is growing, I mean the most recent gig we bought just over a hundred people to it. We have another headline gig planned for the Wedgewood Rooms [Portsmouth] later this year; which we are talking to some promoters about supporting signed bands. We would also like to try and release an album, upgrade on gigs as well in that time. We would like to play Portsmouth Pyramids; we also need to do adventurous things and not do what everyone else has done.

Thanks again to Velvetine for the interview; was truly a great one and I wish them luck for tomorrow as sadly I can't attend. In the meantime find out more about Velvetine on Facebook, Twitter and their official website.

Be sure to attend the EP party tomorrow at The Edge Of the Wedge; Portsmouth, more details of the event can be found here.

Jason Munday Music

Hello everyone. How are you all?? The sun is now shining after days of heavy rain. YouTube is a rather wonderful thing to discover new and fresh music; one particular trio of musicians have definitely made me smile today after a busy day at work. Jimmy Wong, Jason Munday and Alex Carpenter cleverly writing songs about films, TV and games that release your inner nerd; their charismatic charm captures your heart instantly and leaves a huge grin across your face. If you have had a rough day and need something to make you smile listen to this song and many others they have.

I hope you enjoy this I have shared.

Find them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

Jettblack - Raining Rock

Ever since hearing the single off this very album and after witnessing the amazing sold out launch promoting it I have been very excited to listen to the album today. Starting off with a fantastic Intro leading into the single Raining Rock it was an excitable few minutes of rock to get the album underway; along the way there has been such a fantastic collection of many different sounding tracks from the beautiful ballad Black Gold to the more grungy sounding System. The particular track that caught my eye was The Sweet and Brave; being since it started with an acoustic tune that I had never heard from Jettblack before so I was very impressed when in transformed smoothly into their stadium like sound. This album has marked the growth and development in one of Britain's freshest rock bands on the scene in the past couple of years; bringing some aspects from the 80s and adding some of the modern aspects of today. Overall a fantastic album from beginning to end; cannot wait to see them in October as part of their UK headline tour.

Tuomaslotte rating:  10/10
Stand out tracks:  Prison Of Love, Something About This Girl and The Sweet and Brave
For fans of:  Whitesnake and Bon Jovi

Find Jettblack on Facebook and Twitter