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The frontman power

The Amazing Race frontman Phil Keoghan, a loyal Cantabrian, was feeling the pain of Christchurch yesterday as he walked its streets.

 

He is in the city to film a personal reaction to the quake which will screen tomorrow on the prime time news bulletins of US network CBS, the channel which screens his hit show The Amazing Race.

 

"You are never going to take the fight out of a Cantabrian – but people here are really scared. This is brutal."

GOD PERVADES ALL.ALL KNOWY SAID NOT HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY I ALL KNOWY AM OR AM HERE TO CHECK POWER WITH YOU OR BE DECIMATING YOU TO PROVE IT THE POWERS I HAVE ALL THE TIME BUT KNOW THE WE AS A LIMITS AS THE LIMITLESSEST.WE GAVE YOU ABSOLUTE ZERO THROUGH ULTRA--EINSTEIN HIS CO-INVENTOR RELATIVITY------INREACH AS A OBSERVER HE DESCRIBED IN HIS ESSAYS ONE AS A CHILD OF ONE BRINGING HIM TO BE THE RECORDER FROM ASSISTANT IT.OPPOSED BY SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AS A THINKER OF THE RELATIVITY NOT BUT ZERO REPORTS AS A WRITER WHO HAD BECOME WISER THAN MANY SO THEY WANTED HIM REPLACED TO MOUNT THE EMPLOYMENT PROVIDER POSSIBLE AS EXCELLENT IN AREAS THEY FELT NEEDING RESEARCHES TO MAKE THIS EARTH A AMNABLE PLANET TO LIVE LIKE A HEAVEN..POLATED BY THE WE AS A WRITER DOCTOR SSKOHLI IN THE YEAR NINETEEN THIRTY IN AN ESSAY DENOUNCING GANDHI'S AS A ASS AS A TAKING GOAT'S MILK OF NO QUALITY GOOD AS A ASSY AS A SHEPHEARDS AS A SAY AS A IS TO GIVE WEAK KNEES TO STRONG KNEED AS ASS TO BE TAKING THREE TOO LIKE LACED PARSIS DESECRATED AS MOST CHARMING TOO AS A SHY AS A LASSES LIKE A HUNGRY WOLVES LIKE PASTED ON HE BY WE NOT ENGLISH.

 

OUR INVENTION IN THE ROPE ARE THREE THOUSANDS.MADE BY THE OUR FRONTMAN MISTER M.S.KOHLII ALONE-NOT WITH OTHERS-AS A DEVELOPERS------AS A WE REACHING ALWAYS FIRST SINGLY THINKING THEN PERSUADING OTHERS AS A RISE AS A WE AS A HABIT TO EVOLVE A NATION AS THE NUMBER ONE ON THE PLANET AS A BORN AS A REPORTED BY PEOPLE TWO HUNDRED IN COURT MANIFESTOS GIVEN IN SINGLE AS A SINGLE HAPPENING WITH THEY AND THE POLICE IN A SINGLE GO ASK THE ME WE AS A SEEN AS A SEES AS A WE FROM THE THIS ASS A THIEF OF OUR THIRTY THOUSAND INVENTION IN THE NOT NOTING AS A ATMOSPHERE AS A WE TO BE AS A PROJECT AS-----AS A IT WE THE INTERNATIONAL WHAT WE THE WE THE SAR ANSH ON THE THIS EARTH AS A WE AS A SAAK TO THE HOND=EXISTANCE HERE SEEING UTTER FAILURES ASSY AS A TO WE ONLT..DEATH THREAT WE AS A DELHI IN COMING IF AS A STARTS AS A THESE SINCE SEVENTY SIX AS A ASSINGS AS A WE AS A NONE AS A THEY AS A HUNDREDS AS A WE TO DULLEN SPRAYING CYANIDE BEFORE OUR CAR SO WE DAZE AND STRIKE AS WAS AS A SHEIKH'S AND DIANA-CHARLES-ELI-II'S CAR TO DONE IN A FRANCE TUNNEL'S SAFE ENCLOSURE ALLOWING THEY TO BUILD UPWARDS A CONCENTRATION REAR IN FROM REAR SPRAYING AS WE DEVISED FOR TRACTORS AS A START AS A MACHINE WE'S AS A SERTER AS A TOO TO COMBINE AS TO LOWER COST AS A FACTOR NOT ASKED BUT THOUGHT OF AS A VERY POOR MADE TILL TWO WHEELER AND STICK TILL HARVESTER WE'S -----------AS A WE TO THEIVES BE AS A SERVICES GIVEN BY THESE THIEVES AS A SHRI K.K.PAUL AS A OMITAS AS A TOO WE TO UGC AS A DESIRES THEN NOT NURSED AS A DEPOSED BY THEY THREE FOUR FROM POSITION OURS FOR LIFE ELECTED BY ALL IN THE WORLD SEEING OUR ABOVE LIFE CONTRIBUTION THAT COULD LAST A BILLION YEARS AS A THESE THREE FOUR DECIMATED IN KILLING WE TAKING OUR ID CARDS AND PUTTING U.N. AND OTHERS AS A HUNDRED SEVENTY NATIONS IN CYANIDE UNDER KILLING THEIR ASSETS AS A WHATANS USING THEY AS A HEAD OF THE UNITED NATIONS AS JUSTIN AND LICENCING AUTHORITY SUPREME COURTS ALL AS A MOUNT.HAVING FINISHED WE ON THREE COUNTS ERLIER THE THEY AS A OMITA-----A DEPUTY SECRETARY OUR RAJPAL KAUR AS ASKING WE TO WRITE AS A SOLE LANDOWNER A NOTE TO JUNIORS AS A PRESIDENT INDIA .START A ARMY AGAINST WE'S OWNING THEIR COUNTRY..CALLING SOLE LANDOWNER WITH A HANDCUFF THREAT IF COMES NOT AS A START TO EXPLAIN WHY ARMY NOT BE HEAD AS A PROTECTOR OF LAND -----------ASKING HE TO COME WITH FAMILY OR ALL BE PUNISHED------ARRESTING HE IN TEN ON ENTRY-KILL IN THROWING HE IN CYANIDE AS A DEATH CERTAIN---------SEEING HE SURVIVING AS A GOD ASSEMBLING A HUNDRED THIRTY TOO NOT A ENTIRE PLATOON OF FIVE THOUSAND.ORDERING RAPES AS A SERIOUS OFFENCE KILLING CONFIDENCE OF OUR NICE godly WOMEN IN THE RACE HUMAN TELLING THEY CALL GOD OF EARTH MENTIONED ON THE CARD OF JUSTIN UNITED NATIONS GIVING HE HUMAN AS A EXISTING GOD A POSSIBLE FLING TO A WOMAN WHO PRAYS HE TO BE HERS TOO IN PLAY OF LIFE IN HE------THINKING A COMMON HUMAN AS A FEEL WILL ARRIVE IN HE MAY BE SOME DAY LEAVING HIS AUSTERITY TO BE IN ENJOY TOO OF LIFE AS IS TO A COMMON NOW BECAUSE OF HE THE HEAVEN GIVER FIRST OF THIS EARTH.HE WE SEE NEVER WOULD HAVE AS TOO THE WISE OF THE THESE LINE PUTTER WERE AS A ENTHUSERS AS A WE AGAINST TOO IN THE SAME MOMENT ERASURE OF THE WE AS A NON-ARMY UNIFORM WEARER MAJOR GENERAL OF UNITED NATIONS(1967)DUELY INSTRUCTED TO INDIA TOO TO MAKE HE IT AS A CONSCIOUS DECISION OF THE WORLD AS ASKING IT HE HEAD IT AS A OPPOSE AS A ABSOLUTE NOT SENT AS A IT BUT DONE IN PERSUE OF TWO AWARDS TO WE OF THE ORDER OF THE ARMY GENERAL BY THE ARMY AS A OPPOSED AS A FORCED WITHOUT THEY EVER ALLOWED TO CONDUCE WHAT IT AS A WISE IAS AS A THOUGHT AS A SWARMING THEY WITH A ORDER AS A ARMY GENERAL ABOVE ONE WE AS A GOD FORCED INTO IT AS A WE TO M.S.KOHLII A LIFE OR DEATH.BOTH AWARDS THROWN INTO DUST BIN BEFORE DEAD AS A BECOMING TIME AND AGAIN AND WE GOD THE SUPREME FORCE EARTH ENTERING AGAIN AND AGAIN FORCIBLY TO OPEN EYES OF THESE SCOUNDRELS ASKING THEY THROUGH HE STUDY WHAT GREAT WE DID AS TO BE GIVEN ALSO A HELIPAD,A OFFICE FOR SUMMER AS A GOVT CONSTRUCTED BUILDING IN SHIMLA/SIMLA AND TOO IN DELHI IF WE ASK PASSED BY PARLIAMENT AS A TWO HIGHEST TO A MAJOR GENERAL FIGHTING ALL ALONE A BATTLE AN ARMY CAN AS WE FOUGHT SINCE SIXTY BOMBING BY PAKISTAN AND WINNING FOUR MAJOR BATTLES ERLIER UNAWARDED AS A DECIMATION ENTIRE OF PAKISTAN AND IT AS THEY THREE FOUR ACTING TROUNCING THE GOVERNMENT IN INDIA AS A START THEIRS AS A TAKEOVERS.STEP THIRTY THOUSAND IN TILL HUNDRED SEVENTY COUNTRY AS A SYNDICATE THIRTY FOUR OF A CRORE MEN EACH AS A ARMY ON THE WORLD NOW THOUGH YOU DO NOT CARE SO WE DO.WRITING HERE HER AND HER SON'S DEATH GONE IN VAIN WERE UNLESS WE DO SO.AS A TRIBUTE OURS TO A MRS INDIRA GANDHI AS A HONEST AND TRUTH. SO TOO TOO TO THE HONORABLEMOST JACQUILINE TOO JOHN F TOO KILLED BY THESE AS WERE A RICHARD AS A DIRECTOR C.I.A. IN A WAR ON HONEST AND SERIOUS SOLVERS OF HUMANE PROVIDERS OF ECONOMY TO THE PLANET AS OF BRASH MEN ACTING TRADER EATING TOO OTHERS AS A DIETS.OUR DEARS AS A RICHARD NIXON AS A SAINT FROM POLATED SIN AND THIEF BY THESE THE WATERGATE ITSELF ALL STEPS TILL I CAN UNRAVEL TOO TO THE RIGHT IF WANT BUT NOW IN NO WASTING OF EVIDENCE TO BE IN ME AS A HABIT ME MYSELF BEING TOO IMPORTANT TOO TO ME AS A IS TO MY BODY MANNED BY SOUL .OUR DEAR LYNDON B.JOHNSON TOO KILLED BY THEM IN OFFICE WERE IN CYANIDE INSERT FIRST NOT TO HE THIRD AS A CONSTANT TILL HEART DIED TILL.

  

-following he asking multiple questions on how to do what to do etc. with no feel of what they are going to get....SO WE EXAMINE THEIR CONTRIBUTION AND ALLOCATION NEED.I GOD AS ALLOWED THEY THE QUESTION ASKERS ON BEHALF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICERS GIVEN DUTY OF DEVELOPING A PRODUCT SAID NOW AS A FALSER AS A IT AS NOTHING OF THAT SORT EVER CAME TO BE BY THE YEAR SIXTY SEVEN WHEN THEY ALL ALL AT ONCE MADE A PUTT AS A WARS AS A SPUTTER AS A NOT BUT AS A KUPUTRS AS A MURDEROUS WEAPONS OF THE THEY IN THE GOVERNMENT UNDER PRESSURE OF THE DHUSSARS HAVING TAKEN OVER CONTROLS AS A WE AS A AGAINST OF OUR CHARGE ACHIEVED BY OUR FRONT AS THE GOD WE THE GENERATOR LIKE GENERATING IDEAS IN THREE THOUSAND LINES OF THE COMMERCE THAT WE ADDED TO YOUR WORLD OF TWO TWENTY LINES NOT BUT TWENTY THREE AS A LISTABLE INCLUDING A GALTI HUI AS A TALKS AS A VERY POOR EXPRESSIONS AS A LANGUAGES WHICH TOO WE DEVELOPED THROUGH OUR DEVICES.WE GAVE WE AS A ONE ONLY AS A HE AT A LOWER LEVEL THIRTY SEVEN TIMES LOWER TILL NIL--------AT WHICH IDEA COMING STOPS.SO WE GAVE ONE ONLY WHO WE CONSIDE TO INVENTIONS HIS GIVEN.WE DO NOT TOUCH OTHERS IT IS NOT AS A CHORS GIVING NONE TOO IN THE RETURN AS IS PROHIBITED IN THE LAW.SO WE ASK WHY WE NOT IMPRISON THEY AS A OUR INHABITANT UNABLE TO ACHIEVE THEY THEIR ENDS INCLUDING THE EVERREADY AS A COMPANY OR KODAK OR A MICO PLUG OR A AGFA OR A ENTIRE INTERNET OR A ENTIRE GLASS BASED PRODUCTS INCLUDING MICROSCOPES TELESCOPES.THREE THOUSAND AS A LINES AS A THIRTY LAKH =THREE MILLION PRODUCTS AS A SALE OF LEGALLY TOO OTHERWISE TOO AS A WE AS A TO BE MAKING THEM ALL.OR LAY A CESS ALL HAVE TO PAY BASED ON UNPAID AS A WE AS A FOUR NOT ONE.THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS.WHY DID UNITED NATIONS TAKE UP THE SALE OF OUR REGISTERED AS A FEW NOT MULTIPLE IN THE RANGE TWO THOUSAND PLUS THEN AS A MULTITUDE AS A LISTS AS A WE AS A NOT CIRCULATED BUT THEY THEIR AS A WE AS A KNOWLEDGE AS A TOO IN THE POLICE AS A RECORDS AS A IS WHICH IN CAN BE CONSULTED WE WILL IT AS A IT AS.ALL CASES OF THE BAZIGAR BE WE TO ASSOCIATED.THEIR VAKILS AS A WE AS A ASSED MOST PROBABLY AS A COOTERS OF OUR COURTS AS A WE AS A TO GIVING POISONS THROUGH OUR RELATIVES ON ZULM AS A FORCING THROUGH WE ON A ZULMS INTENSE A A VULGARS AS A DESERVING DEATHS AS A WE TO IN IT THE THEY BY ADMINISTERED WHETHER WE DIED OR NOT TOO BE ASCERTAINED FROM WE IN THE WHOLE TILL ATE TRY IN BEING TILL TILLERED TILLORY AS A WE AS A STORY BE PUBLISHED IN THE WE BY POINTED ALL NEWSPAPERS AS A WE AS A CHARGE IS THE WE AS A THE TOTAL LANDOWNER ON WHICH YOU ALL AS A ARE IN THE BUSINESSES WE BY COINED IN ORDER TO EVOLVE A EARTH WITH A JOB FOR EVERYONE SO THE OTHER TENDENCIES AS A IS AS A CHORS AS A DO NOT COME UP.

  

IF NOT EARNING FROM SELLING THE SUGGESTIONS TAKEN FROM HE AND DEVELOPED BY THEY HAVING BENEFITED FROM THEY AS A FORCE AS A GENERATED AS A ARE THERE IN THE DELHI AS A CHOR BAZAR IN THE CAR AS A FEW AS A WE AS A ALWAYS IN THE REACH WE TO BE WAYLAID AS A WRITER OF THE EVIDENCES AS A AGAINST THEY THE CHOR.TODAY THEIR NUMBER IS THE DL 8C AH 3011.A AMBASSADOR LOOKING LIKE CAR AS A TRAVELLER AS A THREE MOST CHOR AS A CAR MECHANICS AS A HURT BEARING NOT BUT TOO IN THE MOST BADMASH AS HAVING BEEN RECEIVED BY ANIL NEXT DOOR SON IN LAW OF A POLICER WE SEE WHO WERE ADMINISTERED ARSENIC SULFIDE AS A POISONOUS SUBSTANCE TO HAVE HE SIGNS OF THAT POISONING IN THE CITY OF THE SONEPAT TOO MURTHAL WE TO HAVING BEEN A TROUBLE AS A WE AS A MADE THIRTY YEAR BACK COMPLAINTS BEING SUSPECTED TO BE FALSE AS A PROCESS SERVER AS A ARRIVED HOW BUT SO WRITTEN AS A CIVIL HOSPITAL AS A DISCHARGERS AS A WE AS A CIVIL AS A BEING TO DEATH.HIS WIFE IS BEING VISITED BY SIKHS OF AGE TWELVE TO THIRTY BY THE WAY WE NOT IT AS A THE SANSIS AS. AS A WE AS A IT IS A CASE OF A RAPES BY THEM.THEY WE SEE DISAPPEARING AS WE WROTE THE STORY OF A CID OFFICER OF THE RANK OF THE INSPECTOR NOT SENIOR.FROM I.B. SINCE EIGHT YEARS IN IT DUE CHAUTALA AS A THIEF OF OUR PROPERTY ALONGWITH THE A.S. BRAR GROUP.WHO AS PER BADAL IS HIS BROTHER BEING SON OF THE DEVI LAL HIS FATHER IN THE PRE-PARTITION DAYS AS WELL WE ASK THE PROOF OF HE BEING A INDIAN. TWICE DISCARDED AS A CHANDIGARH COURT AS A IT AS A CASES AS A FOUR BY THE YEJDI SAID YAD JI AS A NAME AS.WHO WE SAY WERE A PAKISTANI OF THE TRIBE SANSI SMUGGLERS.HERE WE DEPOSIT NOT BUT TOO IN THE REACH OF THE THESE TOO TO THEY THE THESE DIRTY GIRLS A A SAY THEIRS AS A WE AS A NUT.

 

TILL 1955 THE ROPES WERE ,

BUT THEY WERE MADE FROM ANIMAL SKIN OR INTESTINE.IN THE PLANET EARTH.

THERE IS NO ESCAPE.

TODAY ROPE IS MADE FROM SYNTHETIC SUBSTANCES ALL OF THE MAKE WE.

 

WE CITE THE U.N. COURT .THE WE TODAY LEARNT THE ROPE MAKING FROM SANN PLANT .THEN IN A MONTH IN THE SAME FILE IS THE WE AS A SANN AS A DIFFERENT IS.THEN A THIRD AS A WE AS A TOKRI MAKING IS AS A SMALL.OVERTAKEN BY MONEY DEFICIENT DACOITY IN THE THEIR VEIN A LANCERS AS A AFFECTING THE DELHI WERE A TWENTY LAKH SANSIS.INCURSED AS A SIKH AS.BY THE GANGSTER OF THE TRIBE DAANVEER AS A SEMANTIC SPERM DONORS AS A BAZI SHOWY AS A WE AS AVERY VERY A YOGIS INVOLVED IN SIDHIS AS A ACHIEVED WHAT THEY CALLED JADU=MAGIC OR BAZI OF THEY THE BAZIGARS AS A INCLUDED IN THE FUND SPENDING OF OURS TO TRAIN THE WE LOOKING FALLEN FROM THE BIWI LIKE A SMALL----NOT INVESTIGATED THAT IT WERE BECAUSE OF THEM..APPLYING VARIOUS PRODUCTS THAT COULD INFLUENCE MIND BODY SOUL AS A POISON PLANT BASED,SNAKE BASED,OTHER ANIMAL LIKE SEH BASED,GOH BASED AS A GOH CATCHERS,AS A HYOSCYAMUS,AS A SHEH OF THE SNEHS NOT BUT TOO IN THE APPLY GOT OF THE WATER LIKE ARK OF THE SAMUNDRI JHAGG AS A DEAD SEA AS A COLLECTED AND SOLD EVEN NOW TILL AS A VERY VERY NERVE WRECKING POISON OPENLY IN INDIA AS ARE A TWENTY THOUSAND OTHERS POTENTIATING HOUSE BREAKING WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE.BY INTRODUCING A LITTLE POISON ON A DOORBELL,DOOR OR A WIREMESH WHEREFROM IT GOES INTO HOUSE AFFECTING ALL RESIDENTS.GENERALLY WITHIN A MONTH TOO IF THEIR CONCENTRATION IS.KILLING A FAMILY.REMOVED .THE HOUSE READY FOR SALE IS AS A SUCH OR RENOMINATED RENOVATED BY A LEGAL DEVICE AS A LETTER CONFISCATED AS A WE AS A SHOWED AS A WE AS A SUPERIOR IN THE POLICE WE.IN THE CITY OF THE DELHI IN THE MONTH OF THE THIS JANUARY TOO IN THE SIXTY THREE WE AS A INFORM IN TOO IN THE W AS A KNOWN ESCAPE IN NOT BUT THERE NOT AS A WE AS A SEEN HERE TOO IN THE CITY MOHALI TWO TIMES WRITTEN AS A INVESTIGATED BUT NOT ANY ACTIVITY VISIBLE WAS.CITY POLICE OFFICE SHIFTED FROM HERE FROM NEAR WE SO WE DO NOT GO THERE AS WE DID.IN CASES AS A IT AS A WE AS A VERY VERY ALERT AS A WERE DOING A SERVICE TO DEVELOP POLICE.HOWEVER WE ARE WE AS A NONE BUT SO REPORTED BY THE THEIR OWN ENEMIES.

 

WE=GOD OF ALL THE ORIGINAL EVOLVER OF ALL POSSIBLE TO BE AWARDED AS ONE PARTY FOR THE CONTRIBUTION CONSIDERING INPUT OF GOD IN ALL THOUGHT THAT LEAD TO INVENTIONS,NEW THOUGHTS,IDEAS,CULTURES,GAMES-----------ALL THAT COMES FROM A BRAIN INVOLVED COMPLETELY IN SOLVING DIFFICULT PROBLEMS EVOLVING INVENTIONS---------INTENSELY PLOUGHING MIND BODY SOUL INTO IT LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO GOD AND ALL DATA ALREADY ON RECORD ALL BROUGHT INTO EXISTANCE BY THE MOTHER NATURE NOT OR ALL OR SOME AMBITIOUS EXISTING ON A PLANET INTERESTED IN CORNERING OR LISTING A SOLUTION EVOLVED BY A INTENSELY RESEARCHING EVOLVER INVENTING OR SUGGESTING AS A NEW THOUGHT EQUALING A INVENTION ITSELF WORTHY OF THE SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION AS A THOUGHT OF THE TIMES AS A SOLUTION TO SOME OR MORE OR ALL THE POSSIBLE PROBLEMS AS A BASIS AS A EVALUATION FOR IN THE VIEW OF THE GOD OF ALL AS THE OVERALL AUTHORITY IN REACH OF ALL SOLUTIONS TO ALL AT ALL TIMES LETTING THE SOLUTION TO THE INTENSELY RESEARCHING IN AREAS VISITED BY HE SHE .IN EVOLVE HE SHE COMES AS A SECOND SECONDARY IF EVALUATED BY COSMOS LATER THAN EVOLVE.BUT IS PRIMARY IF LOOKED FROM THE ANGLE OF THE PLANET AS A PHYSICAL REALITY HAPPENING BEFORE IT ..AS WHICH IT IS RECORDED OR ASSIMILATED BY SOME THIEVES.......AS ALSO SOMETIMES COMES TO LIGHT AT OTHER ESCAPES.WE GOD EVER EVERYTHING OURS TO BE LISTED AS A OURS.AS ALSO OF THE ACHIEVER WHO COMES TO ACHIEVE.ANY OTHER TO ASCRIBE PER WE IS A CRIME ABSOLUTE.THE MONIES AS A ASCRIBES AS A EXCHANGES EXHIBITED IN ANY PHYSICAL AS A IS A COURT OR A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT,POLICE RECORD/POTLI/FILE,UNIVERSITY PAPER,POLL RECORDS AS A IS A PERMANENT RECORDS AS A RACE ANY INFRINGE OF THE SAME WE CONSIDE TO THE WE AGAINST A ACTION,AS A ACTIVITY AS A DEATH ASA PENAL ACTION AS A NECESSITY AS IS AGAINST A R.C. PAUL WHOSE SERVICES WERE CANCELLED BY THE DELHI MAGISTRATE FOR HAND IN THE RAPISTS AS RESTRAINING THE PARTY CALLED TO ATTEND A CASE IN THE HIGH COURT LISTED THE COURT OF THE UNION WERE THAT HE HIS WIFE GOT CONDUCTED IN THE GREED GIVEN NOT BUT TOO...THAT THAT PARTY WERE OWNER WORLD LAND SOLD BY CHRISTIAN COUNTRIES TO THE SON THEIRS EXCHANGE AS A MATTER NOT FINDING MONEYS ENOUGH TO PAY SUCH EVALUA ALREADY FOUND TO HAVE PAID FULLY THE PRICE OF THE LAND OF EARTH AT THE VALUE CITED AS A EXCHANGED UNDERHAND FROM LAW AS A HIGHEST MARKET VALUES AS A THREE THOUSAND TIMES MORE VALUES GIVEN BY THE THIS COURT AS A WRONG COURT TOO IN THE JUSTICE AGAINST WE THE SIKHS WHO OWN THEM AS A CULTURE AS A ONE BELONGING TO A SIKH RELIGION AS A EXPLANATION SAID TIME AND AGAIN AS A STRONGLY BUILT SOME TWENTY MEN TO A SINGLE SEXED AS A SEVEN NIGHT WOMAN SHE HERS AS A IN THE PRESENCE OF HER HUSBAND AS A GOVT HEAD OF THE POLICE IN THE INDIA AS A SAIDS NOW AS A THANEDAR AS A LEVEL AS A IT IN THE WRITING IN THE YEAR HE WERE THERE THEN.AS A MAGISTRATE'S NOTES WILL CLARIFY OUR ACCUSE.THANEDAR AS A SUB INSPECTOR.IN IT WE ACCUSE THE RC PAUL AS A RETIRED MAN HOW AND HOW NOT A KRISHAN KANT PAUL AS A MAN WE GOT MULTIPLE ADVANTAGES AS A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOURER DUE THE REQUESTS AND POLITE APPROACHES OF HIS MOTHER TO US.TO US CURRENT THREAT OF OUR SON TO DEATH IS AS A ADVERTISEMENT INSERT IN THE OUR SIDE NOT BUT TOO VISIBLE TOO TO THE FLICKR TEAM AS A SUBSIDED AS A SERVICE WINDOW TO WE BEING CLOSED BY THE THEY THE DIVISION TAKER AS A SUBSERVIENT TO DEATHS AS A WE AS A SERVE BE IN THE TIME WE FEEL FIT.WE ASK THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA CENTRAL AS A FULCRUM AS A

EVALUATE THE MATTER IN THE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS WING OF THE POLICE.IT IS BY WE MADE AND TOO BECAUSE OF A SYSTEM OF POLICE WE AS A SUGGESTED IT AS A TOO WE BY TO THE P.M. INDIRA GANDHI AS TOO TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE P.M.s.AND ALL ELSE TAKING ACTION AGAINST THEY DIRECTLY OR OTHERWISE AS A CIN AS A METHOD POLICE IS USING OR STOPPING THEY WITHOUT IT.IN SERIOUS LAPSE OF DUTY AS A ABSENTING IS FROM OFFICE FOR MORE THAN A HOUR IN THE OFFICE TIME.OR NOT SEEING TO IT THAT A BASIC TRUTH IS.AND ANY DEVIATE UNDER PRESSURE IS SEEN AND ACTED,FASTESTS AS A POLICER JAMES BONDS..GIVEN THE AUTHORITY OVERALL.GIVEN A NAME RESEARCH ANALYSIS BY WE ON RECORDS ALL DIRECTLY TO THE PRIME MINISTER IN NEED OF A SUPREME COURT AS A LICENCE FROM WE THE LICENCING AUTHORITY PUT INTERNATIONALLY BY THE UNITED NATIONS.

 

IN OUR CONSIDERATION THE ACTUAL OWNER ALL IS THE PLANET NOT PEOPLE OR OTHER LIVING ON IT NOT BUT THE GOD.HE IS THE FIRST TO BE ASCRIBED ANY EVOLVE.IN ANY LINE OF SCIENTIFIC OR OTHER RESEARCH.LOGICAL OR NOT REACHED THROUGH CLEAR LINES OF LOGIC NOT EVEN-COMING AS A FLASH FROM THE GOD AS IS THE HUNDRED PERCENT.

 

THIS WAS CLEAR TO THE PEOPLE OF THE PLANET TILL A FEW UNINTELLIGENTS CAME UPON A SCHEME TO TAKEOVER ALL OF ALL IN THE PLANET INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.

 

POLICE IS AT FAULT FOR OVERLOOKING.

 

IT OVERLOOKED TWO COMPLAINTS FIRST.OF THE THEFT OF THE CARDS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AS CARDS OF A POSITION.IMPLYING THAT ANY GHONCHU=ILLICITER CAN USE IT AS A MISUSES AS A MANY TIMES OVER AND ABOVE THE WHOLE EARTH IN AUTHORITY.AS WE SAW IN THE COMPLAINT FIRST DATED THREE OF THE TWENTY THREE WE.WE HERE WE AS A IS.IS TO BE INTERPOLATED LEST THE POLICE FROM DATA SLIPS.IT IS THE LOOSE MADE ORGAN ON THE ROCK READY TO BE PUNISHED FOR ANY AND ALL IN THE WE AS A SECONDARY TOO NOT PRIMARY IMPORTANCE.IN BEING OFFICIAL SENIORMOST AS A COUNTRY INDIA AS A DEMOCRACY TOO EXPRESSED AS A PARLIAMENT IN THE DATE SEVENTH OF THE SEVENTY FOUR AFTER A MEMBER OF THE RAJYA SABHA MADE A MATTER IN WRITING AS A BRIEFESTS AS A NOT BUT ATTACHED THE COURT PAPERS WHICH WE AS A S.S.KOHLI A SENIORMOST U.G.C. PROFESSOR GAVE NOT BUT TOO SAID AS AS A SIN IN CYANIDED =POISONED BY THE POLICER MISTER K.K.PAUL AS A NAMED CROOK FRONT-CROOKS OVERTAKEN MAN AS--OVERTAKEN FROM THE DATE OF THE TWO OF THE SIXTH MONTH OF THE YEAR SIXTY NINE------THROUGH A MAN KNOWN TO HIM AS OUR FAMILY MISTER D.I.S.KOHLII.NEVER TO BE CONSULTED ESPECIALLY IF KNOWN IN CYANIDING THE AUTHORITY TO JOIN OTHER IN PERSUADES SOMEHOW IN THE PHYSICALITY.AS WAS A K.K.PAUL TO CLEAR BUT AS A THREATENED TILL MOTHER,SISTER AND SEXES THREE BEFORE HE TO HIS WIFE BY THE D.I.S.KOHLI SAID BY SEXING ASSAULTER AS A CROOKS INTERESTED IN TAKING HIS POSITION CLEARLY MENTIONED IF JOINING THEN NOT OTHERWISE ASSAULTS IN HIS PRESENCE AS A CAUGHT BY SOME AND AS A SEXES BY SOME TO CONTINUE WERE ON HIM NOT HIS WIFE IN HIS PRESENCE.HIS MIND ADDICTED WERE BY INJECTION OF CHEMICAL .HE OVERTAKEN IN IT ALLOWED ..THINKING WILL REPORT BUT DID NOT SO THE STATE AS A IT THIS MATTER THE STATE OWNER ALLOWING THE DEMOCRACY IN THE STATE CAME TO HAPPEN.D.I.S.KOHLI/KOHLII TOO A CATCH FAR LESSER THAN THE POLICER HOW WERE IS A POINT WE DISCUSS.

THE SECOND

The great and good of the music industry were out in full force last night as Under the Bridge hosted the launch of the NME Awards 2015. Artists in attendance included Libertines frontman Carl Barat, goth-pop starlet Charlie XCX and hotly-tipped indie band Lonely The Brave.

 

Kicking off with a DJ set from Wolf Alice, the evening culminated in a rousing acoustic set from stadium rockers Kasabian. The band performed tracks from their recent album ’48:13’ as well as a selection of favourites from their extensive back catalogue.

 

Check out Under the Bridge's unique gallery of rare and iconic photos of British musicians. Around 150 limited edition prints, personally signed by some of the world's great rock photographers.

 

For more info on upcoming events please check out www.underthebridge.co.uk

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 18 November 1974 by Charisma Records and is their last to feature original frontman Peter Gabriel. It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the Billboard 200 in the US.

 

While the band worked on new material at Hedley Grange for three months, they decided to produce a concept album with a story devised by Gabriel about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth from New York City who is suddenly taken on a journey of self-discovery and encounters bizarre incidents and characters along the way. The album was marked by increased tensions within the band as Gabriel, who insisted on writing all of the lyrics, temporarily left to work with filmmaker William Friedkin and needed time to be with his family. Most of the songs were developed by the rest of the band through jam sessions and were put down at Glaspant Manor in Wales using a mobile studio.

 

The album received a mixed critical reaction at first, but it gained acclaim in subsequent years and has a cult following. The songs "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers" were released as singles in the UK in 1974 and 1975, respectively; both failed to chart. A single of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" was released in the US. Genesis promoted the album with their 1974–75 tour across North America and Europe, playing the album in its entirety. The album reached Gold certification in the UK and the US. The album was remastered in 1994 and 2007, the latter as part of the Genesis 1970–1975 box set which contains a 5.1 surround sound mix and bonus material.

 

Before discussions were held regarding the album's contents, the band decided to record a double album, for the extended format would give them the opportunity to improvise and put down more of their musical ideas ] A single album with songs telling "bits" of a story was an option that did not appeal to them.Banks thought Genesis had gained a strong enough following by this point to put out two albums' worth of material that their fans would be willing to listen to. They had wanted to produce a concept album that told a story for some time, and Rutherford pitched an idea based on the fantasy novel The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, but Gabriel disagreed as he thought it was "too twee" and believed "prancing around in fairyland was rapidly becoming obsolete".

 

Gabriel presented the group with a more complicated and surreal story about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth in New York City, and his spiritual journey of self-discovery and identity as he encounters several bizarre incidents and characters along the way. Gabriel had first thought of the story while touring North America in the previous year, and pitched a synopsis to the group "until they agreed to do the whole thing". It was more detailed and obscure in its initial form, until Gabriel refined it and made Rael the central character. Seeking a name that had "no traceable ethnic origins", he chose the name 'Rael', but later realised the Who had previously used that on The Who Sell Out (1967); this annoyed him at first, but he stuck to the choice.

  

As the band searched for a name they realised that "Ra" was common in male names in various nationalities. Gabriel was inspired by a variety of sources for the story, including the novel and musical West Side Story, "a kind of punk" twist to the Christian allegory Pilgrim's Progress (1678), the works of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, and the surreal Western film El Topo (1971) by Alejandro Jodorowsky.[18] In contrast to Selling England by the Pound, which contained strong English themes, Gabriel made a conscious effort to avoid repetition by portraying American imagery, with references to Caryl Chessman, Lenny Bruce, Groucho Marx, Marshall McLuhan, Howard Hughes, Evel Knievel and the Ku Klux Klan. He also expressed some concern over the album's title, but noted that the lamb itself is purely symbolic and a catalyst for the peculiar events that occur.[14]

 

Much of the album was written at Headley Grange.

During the writing sessions at Headley Grange, Gabriel found himself separated from the rest of the band, which caused some friction. He insisted that having devised the concept he should write the lyrics, leaving the majority of the music in the charge of his bandmates. This was a departure from the band's usual method of songwriting; lyrical contributions on previous albums had always involved the other members.

 

This situation left Gabriel often secluded in one room writing the lyrics, and the remaining four rehearsing in another. In one instance Gabriel was unable to meet a scheduled deadline to have the lyrics finished, leaving Rutherford and Banks to write words for "The Light Dies Down on Broadway". At other times, Banks and Hackett suggested lyrics they thought would fit their songs better, "The Lamia" and "Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist" respectively, which Gabriel rebuffed.

 

Further disagreements arose during the writing period when Gabriel accepted an invitation from film producer William Friedkin to write a screenplay; Friedkin had taken a liking to the surreal story by Gabriel that had been printed on the sleeve of Genesis Live (1973). Collins then pitched the idea of having the new studio album be purely instrumental, thinking it would favour the other members as Gabriel had made some of their earlier songs too lyrically dense, but the idea was rejected by the rest of the group. However, Gabriel's offer from Friedkin soon came to nothing and he resumed working on the album. Matters were complicated further when Gabriel spent additional time away in London when his first wife Jill underwent a risky and difficult birth of their first child in July 1974, leaving Gabriel often travelling back and forth. Rutherford later admitted that he and Banks were "horribly unsupportive" of Gabriel during this time,and Gabriel saw this as the beginning of his eventual departure from Genesis

Playing host to the rescheduled Foo Fighters concert at Wembley (that was cancelled after frontman Dave Grohl broke his leg falling off stage at a show in Gothenburg, Sweden), the National Bowl in Milton Keynes came alive on Sunday, September 6, 2015 with the sound of 65,000 screaming fans. Following sets from rock duo Royal Blood and the eclectic propo-punk icon Iggy Pop, the Foos knew they had to deliver. From the moment the curtain sucked into a black hole vortex to the end of the show, it was obvious it was going to be one hell of a night to remember. Debra, Karl and I had arrived relatively early for the show and, being among the first to enter the MK Bowl, were offered "Inner Pit" passes. Issued on a first-come-first-serve basis, these gave fenced-off access to the stage and were an excellent surprise. We had a great view of the day's action and I was well positioned for photographs. "All My Life" opened the two and a half hour set, with Grohl spending the entire show seated on a most gloriously over-the-top throne, designed by Grohl himself and adorned by guitar necks. It transported the front-man up and down the runway, and was in itself a crowd pleaser! I have wanted to see the Foo Fighters for about two decades - and desperate to do so since "Wasting Light"- and they did not disappoint. A shredding version of "White Limo" alone justified the ticket price, and the rest was a wonderful (and sometimes nostalgic) tour through their back-catalogue. All in all, it was a triumphant, heart-warming singalong set that showed why, for so many, the Foo Fighters have been the soundtrack to the last two decades. Here's the Foo Fighters' set list for the Milton Keynes "Broken Leg" concert.

 

If I was desperate to see the Foo Fighters, I was absolutely aching to see 69 year old rock legend, Iggy Pop. I narrowly missed one of his gigs in Amsterdam at the end of 1978 and, after this initial disappointment, Iggy stayed on my Bucket List through the late-80's in London, the 90's in Prague and the naughties in the UK. When he was in town, I was always travelling, had other commitments or just had bad luck (i.e. the cancellation of the Foo's concert at Wembley in June where Iggy was on the supporting bill). Well, I finally got to see James Newell Osterberg, Jr. in full, topless, action in Milton Keynes on a fine evening in September 2015! Iggy brought his old school punk snarl to the party, prompting mass singalongs to classic tunes, some of which he penned with his old mate David Bowie in Berlin in the 70's. If I'm still as active as Iggy when I'm almost 70, I'll be more than happy! He made fine use of the runway before him, skipping, kicking, twisting and turning as only Iggy can. He took a breather every now and then, but Iggy still has more energy than any new breed act you care to mention. Fucking hell - he's the man that wrote "Lust for Life"! The snot-noses in the audience didn't know what hit them :-) FYI, here's the Iggy Pop's set list for the night.

 

A wonderful, sunny day and balmy evening with my family, and a fine way to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of my first date with my future-wife on September 7, 1983.

People reaching out to the frontman

Here's your chance to see The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers in a solo concert at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on December 15th! We're doing weekly ticket giveaways through December 15, 2010.

 

TO WIN THIS WEEK: Answer this week's question correctly and enter by sending ONE (1) email to CosmopolitanLV[at]gmail.com with:

 

SUBJECT LINE: “THE COSMOPOLITAN BRANDON FLOWERS CONCERT TICKET GIVEAWAY”

 

And in the body of the email include:

- Your real/legal first and last name, date of birth; AND

- The answer to this week's question

- For Twitter followers: Please include your twitter handle/username

- For Facebook "fans": Please provide your Facebook name if it's different from your real/legal name

 

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION/CHALLENGE: Two Truths and a Lie. Correctly identify which one of the following three statements is a "lie"/false:

1. Brandon Flowers was born in Nevada.

 

2. Brandon Flowers named his first solo album “Flamingo” after a casino & road in Las Vegas.

 

3. Hot Fuss was released on June 7, 2005.

   

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Each week, 20 winners will be selected at random from the entries that have ALL the required information stated above AND the correct answer. Entries will not be acknowledged or returned. The Cosmopolitan assumes no responsibility for lost, late or misdirected entries. Limit one entry per person for each Promotion Period. For full details, see OFFICIAL RULES.

 

PLEASE NOTE: By participating in this ticket giveaway promotion and providing an email address, entrants agree to and grant permission to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to email company updates and announcements (you can unsubscribe at any time).

 

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Knocked Loose - Bryan Garris

On the Main Stage at Hellfest Open Air 2022 Part 1 - Day 2

15th Anniversary Edition

Clisson, France | 18/06/2022

Live report soon on MusicWaves

Philippe Bareille

Barry Hayden - singer, frontman for the Professors, the Dantes

Ronan Keating At State Theatre, Sydney, Australia

 

The State Theatre in the heart of Sydney presented Ronan Keating tonight - on this Australia Day.

 

We learn that Keating has quite a bit to say about the entertainment industry when he's not performing on stage or producing new records in a studio...

 

The music industry is entering a brave new world this year, says Irish performing artist Ronan Keating.

 

Subscription music websites, the shrinking of traditional media and the rise of social networking sites are just some of the challenges forcing change on the industry, the judge of The X Factor says.

 

"It looks like that's the way it's going to go and it's scary and it's tough but you have to embrace it," the former Boyzone singer tells news media.

 

"Record companies made a big mistake [in] not embracing the internet when it first happened," he says.

 

TV shows such as The X Factor and Australian Idol play and important role in the biz he says.

 

"I think it's great … when the record companies are struggling and there's not enough money out there to go and discover people," he says.

 

"If you're an up-and-coming star and you want to do well, then a show like The X Factor is really important."

 

Keating is now looking to expand his horizons into the movie industry.

 

"I've gone to a lot of auditions over the year and I've just never been ready and I have never been good enough," he says. "[But] I feel over the last two years, I've grown into my skin and feel comfortable … to prove to people that I can act."

 

Last year he scored his first acting gig in the musical Goddess, due to be released this year.

Keating is ready for the hard yards ahead of him.

 

"It's harder for someone, like a singer, to prove they can be an actor because people immediately want to say, 'Oh, he's no good," Keating says. "Someone like Harry Connick jnr has totally established himself as an actor, probably more than a singer … Jon Bon Jovi has made some films along the way and he's done well."

 

Support Act: Sharon Corr

 

Sharon was brilliant tonight and was certainly the calibre of talent worthy of opening a show for Ronan Keating.

 

She performed 'So Young', 'Joy Of Live' and 'Radio'.

  

Bio of Sharon Corr

 

Grammy Nominee/Brit Award Winner, singer/songwriter and violinist – hugely successful both as a member of legendary Irish group The Corrs and now as a solo artist.

 

Much has been written about the incredible talent for melodies The Corrs exhibited throughout their 15 year long career. Their unique blend of Celtic/Pop/Rock sold over 40 million albums.

 

They toured arenas and stadiums across the globe. With a string of massively successful albums and singles played to this day like Runaway, So Young, Radio, Breathless - The Corrs have been a household name on every continent. “Music is what makes me tick“ says Sharon and true to that when The Corrs took time off to focus on their growing families, Sharon – while having her own 2 children - began to write and record her debut solo album ”Dream Of You“ released in 2010.

 

“Dream Of You“ is a collection of beautifully crafted, melodic pop gems, a remarkable debut that demands to be listened to in full – each story and melody flowing seamlessly into the next. Album features a stunning version of Mna na hEireann with legend Jeff Beck. If the hits Sharon wrote for The Corrs were her songs of innocence her solo album can be described as her songs of experience.

 

Sharon has relished her new role as a solo artist: playing festivals such as Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight and touring extensively. Music remains Sharon’s great passion and it is simply who she is and what she does.

 

Sharon continues to support the causes she believes in. The Corrs were ambassadors of Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Campaign, they took part in Live 8, Pavarotti and Friends for The Children of Liberia and The Prince’s Trust 2004. They also supported the families and victims of the Omagh bombing. In recognition of their work the band members were awarded MBEs.

 

Today Sharon is the face of OXFAM Ireland with their recently launched campaign Make Space for OXFAM, she is also a patron of Console – who help prevent suicide and council the suicide bereaved.

  

Bio of Ronan Keating

 

With those dazzling poster-boy looks, Ronan Keating became one of Europe's most endearing stars as the leader of the Irish boy band Boyzone. The five Irish lads in Boyzone, who made their debut in 1993, built their charismatic style into one of the biggest European pop/rock acts of the '90s. But before he was winning over the world, Keating was a middle-class kid living in Dublin. Born Ronan Patrick John Keating on March 3, 1977, he was the last of four children in the Keating household. His father, Gerry, was a pub owner and his mother, Marie, was a hairdresser, so financially the Keating family was trying to make ends meet.

 

The working trudge instilled the desire to work in the youngest Keating. While working in a local shoe store, he noticed a search advertisement for an Irish Take That. The 14-year-old beat out 300 hopefuls with his own rendition of the Cat Stevens song "Father and Son" and was headed toward becoming a celebrity. Boyzone released four albums, every one debuting at number one in the U.K. They released 16 singles, each one charting in the Top Three on the U.K. charts. Most notably, Americans will recognize this five-piece as the dashing young men singing behind U2's Bono in "The Sweetest Thing" video.

 

Six years into being part of one of the U.K.'s brightest and biggest-selling pop bands, Keating searched for an alternate creative outlet. He began managing another male pop group called Westlife. He married Irish model Yvonne Connelly in April 1998 and the following year they had a son, Jack. Musically, however, Keating's intentions stayed in tune with his internal spirit. He couldn't possibly steer clear of the media spotlight for long and something positive was bound to come of it. He recorded his debut solo effort in early 2000 under the craftsmanship of artists such as Bryan Adams and Barry Gibb. His sensual and childlike persona was full-fledged. He is a working songsmith with the utmost class, and counterparts like Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow might be considered a bit shy of such inborn grace. Ronan was issued overseas in mid-2000, and a U.S. version followed in October.

 

For 2002's Destination, Keating collaborated with songwriter and ex-New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander. This album was another smash overseas with hit singles such as "I Love It When We Do" and "I've Got My Heart on You," yet it failed to see a release in the States. Two years later, Keating issued Turn It On. His rendition of Terence Trent D'Arby's "Let Her Down Easy" and songs co-written with Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross were featured in another mature set from the former boy band singer. 10 Years of Hits followed in 2005, and a year later Keating released the studio album Bring You Home. In 2009 Keating released the heartfelt tribute album Songs for My Mother, which was dedicated to his late mother, Marie, who had passed away from breast cancer in 1998. Keating released a collection of duets, appropriately titled Duet, in 2010. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi

 

Websites

 

Ronan Keating official website

www.ronankeating.com

 

Sharon Corr

www.sharoncorr.com

 

State Theatre

www.statetheatre.com.au

 

Michael Coppel Presents

www.coppel.com.au

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

  

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

 

Frontman Kyle Wilson of the band Milagres performing in the pop venue Paard van Troje in The Hague at the Walk the Line festival 2012. Walk the Line is a annual two-day music event with national and international acts at different locations throughout the city centre of The Hague, the Netherlands. The festival has a wide ranging line-up from singer-songwriters to electronic music, as well as cross over styles such as rock, blues, Americana and soul. It’s a festival for alternative pop, rock and dance fanatics.

---

Walk the Line festival is een tweedaags indoor muziekevenement van de makers van Crossing Border met hoogstaande alternatieve muziek voor breed georiënteerde, muzikale avonturiers. Het festival presenteerde op 11 en 12 mei rond de Grote Markt in Den Haag tientallen optredens door veelbelovende (inter)nationale bands, acts en dj's: beloftes van morgen, giganten van de underground, singer-songwriters, poppy rockmuziek, rockende indie, uptempo folk-'n'-roll, dance-acts en vuige electro.

Pete Townshend

 

Fifteen years after the inaugural concert in support of charity Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall billed as ‘The Who and Friends’, the Roger Daltrey-curated concert series continues into 2015 with headline concerts by some of those same ‘Friends’ who joined the band in 2000 including Kelly Jones-fronted rockers Stereophonics, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Paul Weller. And while Daltrey’s own band haven’t played a show every year of those fifteen they were back in force as they play their own series of ‘The Who hits 50’ shows which the frontman has described as “the beginning of the long goodbye”.

 

Given that the concert series has raised over £20m over those fifteen years allowing Teenage Cancer Trust to provide facilities across the country catered specifically towards teenagers battling cancer, it’s a mission that has likely exceeded the initial goals of that first concert.

 

So it was disappointing to see the TCT message largely lost on an audience for the first time in all of the shows I have attended as part of the series over the years, largely down to emcee for the evening Tim Lovejoy who first attempted to engage the audience during an interval between the performances of Wilko Johnson and The Who while reading flatly from a script and picking on a specific audience member who was unfortunate enough to be in both close proximity to the Sunday Brunch host and still in his seat.

 

A film shot at a TCT ward in Birmingham brought home the message stressing just how important the work they do is. And all was redeemed when curator and The Who frontman Roger Daltrey appered on stage with teenagers who had benefited from work of the Teenage Cancer Trust on wards in Manchester and London. “I’ll be back shortly” Daltrey quipped as he departed, “just gotta do my hair”.

 

For a band formed in 1964, it’s not surprising that only two of the original line-up remains, but what legends lead singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist-songwriter Pete Townshend are. Joining them on drums was former Oasis drummer Zak Starkey – son of Beatles drummer Ringo Star, Welsh blues rock bassist and John Mayer trio man Pino Palladino along with original guitarist Townshend’s younger brother Simon Townshend, also on guitars. The sound was rounded out by no less than three keyboard players.

 

While 71-year-old Daltrey and 69-year-old Townshend may not bound around the stage with quite the dexterity of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, who are also both 71, Daltrey was still determined to demonstrate his enthusiasm and energy, bursting back onto the Royal Albert Hall stage before launching into their first single as The Who, I Can’t Explain. Hit single Substitute was next, these two being staple show openers for The Who since 1971.

 

There was good banter from both Daltrey and Pete Townshend throughout the night, particularly between the two with Townshend living up to his miserable and grumpy image through smiles. The aging rockers came across more as a pair of bickering old geezers, eliciting laughs from the crowd. At one point the pair referenced being banned from the Royal Albert Hall in the past on two separate occasions. Townshend addressed the audience and said “If you weren’t such a bunch of c***s I’d tell you all about it!” He then started describing next song Pictures of Lily but stopped short saying “if you’ve seen The Inbetweeners, you’ll know what it’s about”.

 

An era theme song in its own right, single My Generation was next and it didn’t for a second seem out of place in a set performed by a band in their seventies.

 

By the middle of the set, the enthused crowd who had been on their feet from the beginning of the set started to wane a little, with some returning to their seats. Townshend then alluded to previous tours of Rock Opera record Quadrophenia and introduced I’m One on which he took over lead vocal duties, requesting of the audience “you have to imagine I’m 16 and having a bad day”.

 

Townshend also spoke of inventing the Rock Opera and attending the last Rolling Stones show with their original line-up before Brian Jones’ passing claiming “we were a better crowd for The Stones than you lot”.

 

All four songs now used as theme music for the various CSI television shows were played including set closers Baba O’Riley and Won’t Get Fooled Again from 1971 record Who’s Next, featuring Daltrey’s guttural scream which was once described as "the greatest scream of a career filled with screams".

 

While this is most certainly a group playing a greatest hits set while reflecting on an impressive career which has spanned across five decades, it’s surprising just how much energy the veteran rockers still retain in their live performance even in the more subdued setting of The Royal Albert Hall.

 

Catch The Who this summer as they headline the third night of the British Summer Time shows at London’s Hyde Park.

 

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

Rewire Festival 2016

Grote Kerk, Den Haag

 

Einstürzende Neubauten-frontman and former guitar player of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Blixa Bargeld (DE) and Italian composer Teho Teardo present their beautiful work together with a local string quartet. Their collaboration started in 2013 with their stunning record ‘Still Smiling’. This record consists of 12 ‘flexible’ songs, of which the arrangements form both a beautiful contrast as wel as a unity between acoustic string instruments and electronics. ‘The duo’s work comprises two albums; ‘Still Smiling’ in 2013 and ‘Spring’ in 2014.

Memorial services for iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister was held at the Rainbow Bar And Grill in West Hollywood, California 1-9-2016.

 

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24-2016), learned two days later, on December 26, that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28 at his home in Los Angeles.

MOTÖRHEADwas revered by both metal and punk fans, and Lemmy was considered an icon for his musical talent and his embodiment of the rock n’ roll lifestyle.

The Rainbow Bar And Grill on L.A.'s Sunset Strip was known as Lemmy's hangout, made it an obvious place for friends and family to say goodbye to the legend.

 

Read more at: www.blabbermouth.net/news/overhelming-response-to-lemmys-...

Memorial services for iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister was held at the Rainbow Bar And Grill in West Hollywood, California 1-9-2016.

 

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24-2016), learned two days later, on December 26, that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28 at his home in Los Angeles.

MOTÖRHEADwas revered by both metal and punk fans, and Lemmy was considered an icon for his musical talent and his embodiment of the rock n’ roll lifestyle.

The Rainbow Bar And Grill on L.A.'s Sunset Strip was known as Lemmy's hangout, made it an obvious place for friends and family to say goodbye to the legend.

 

Read more at: www.blabbermouth.net/news/overhelming-response-to-lemmys-...

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

Flogging Molly frontman Dave King, presiding over his subjects. King is a phenomenal subject on stage. I think he threw his hands up like this on three separate occasions during as many songs while we shot.

 

What I wouldn't give for some big, bad arena lights blowing up in the background, though. Come on LD, sometimes you gotta hit it from the back, too.

 

Check out the full set, bigger images, and the complete with shooting notes at ishootshows.com/.

Ghost - Tobias Forge

A Pale Tour named Death

Le Zénith de Paris, Paris, France | 07/02/2019

Live report soon on MusicWaves

Philippe Bareille

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

Dani Filth, Cradle of Filth's frontman @ Bs. As. Argentina

 

The Rolling Stone Awards: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia...

 

Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

 

The Rolling Stone Awards, celebrating the best in Australian entertainment in 2012, will be hosted by legendary Cruel Sea/Beasts of Bourbon/the Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins. The evening will feature performances by Melbourne's Owl Eyes and DJs MINX and Leah Mencel (winners of the She Can DJ comp 2011 and 2012).

 

Having enjoyed one of the most successful years of their career in 2012, Hilltop Hoods look set to continue their good form into 2013 and lead the nominations for the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards. The Hilltop Hoods are up for three gongs: Album of the Year (Drinking From The Sun), Video of the Year (I Love It) and Best Live Act.

 

Sharing two nominations each are Melbourne up-and-comer Chet Faker, Sydney quartet The Jezabels, Perth rockers Tame Impala, Sydney MC Urthboy, Byron Bay metalcore kings Parkway Drive, Menangle outfit The Rubens and instrumental heroes the Dirty Three.

 

Some of the nominees include:

 

* Album of the Year: Sarah Blasko (I Awake), Hilltop Hoods (Drinking From The Sun); Dirty Three (Toward the Low Sun); Paul Kelly (Spring and Fall); Tame Impala (Lonerism); and Urthboy (Smokey's Haunt).

 

* International Act of the Year: Frank Ocean, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Keys, Jack White and Neil Young.

 

* Live Act of the Year: 360, Dirty Three, Hilltop Hoods, Parkway Drive, Tame Impala, The Jezabels and The Living End.

 

* Best New Talent: Alpine, Chet Faker, Flume, San Cisco, The Medics and The Rubens

  

News...

 

Tame Impala win at Rolling Stone Awards...

 

Tame Impala have taken out the Rolling Stone Award for Album of the Year thanks to their second album Lonerism.

 

The Perth psych-rockers collected the award for a second time in their short career, having won in 2011 with debut album Innerspeaker.

 

The latest accolade, presented at a star-packed music industry bash in Sydney, adds to the international clamour around the band and its frontman Kevin Parker.

 

Lonerism made history as the first Australian album to be hailed an album of the year by music bible NME and topped several end of year lists, while at home it was worthy of Triple J's coveted J Award.

 

Australian music promoter and The Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski received the other major honour in the annual Rolling Stone Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to popular culture. Past recipients have included Cold Chisel and Paul Kelly.

 

Other winners on Wednesday night included Melbourne singer/producer Chet Faker who claimed best independent release for his acclaimed Thinking In Textures EP.

 

In a good year for rock music, Byron Bay metalcore band Parkway Drive were named best live act, while Cairns four-piece The Medics got the nod for best new talent.

 

The Presets scooped best single for their inventive electro-shanty Ghosts, while Gotye's single Easy Way Out was awarded the music video of the year thanks to the direction of Darcy Prendergast.

 

Held at Bondi's Beach Road Hotel, the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards were hosted by Beasts of Bourbon and Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins and featured a performance by rising starlet Owl Eyes.

 

The guest list included bands visiting for the Big Day Out festival tour, such as Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses, Alabama Shakes and Crystal Castles.

 

Websites

 

Rolling Stone

www.rollingstone.com

 

Rolling Stone Australia Facebook

www.facebook.com/rollingstoneaustralia

 

Beach Road Hotel

www.beachroadbondi.com.au

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

 

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

The projected image behind BoDeans' frontman Kurt Neumann serves as more than a backdrop; it deepens the performance's atmosphere, where music, lighting, and visual imagery combine to heighten the moment and music. I always wonder why they choose the images they do for the show, and if there is some meaning for the band or for the song, but this one is simply cool, as the person in the image stares out at the crowd. One of my favorite photos from the show.

Playing host to the rescheduled Foo Fighters concert at Wembley (that was cancelled after frontman Dave Grohl broke his leg falling off stage at a show in Gothenburg, Sweden), the National Bowl in Milton Keynes came alive on Sunday, September 6, 2015 with the sound of 65,000 screaming fans. Following sets from rock duo Royal Blood and the eclectic propo-punk icon Iggy Pop, the Foos knew they had to deliver. From the moment the curtain sucked into a black hole vortex to the end of the show, it was obvious it was going to be one hell of a night to remember. Debra, Karl and I had arrived relatively early for the show and, being among the first to enter the MK Bowl, were offered "Inner Pit" passes. Issued on a first-come-first-serve basis, these gave fenced-off access to the stage and were an excellent surprise. We had a great view of the day's action and I was well positioned for photographs. "All My Life" opened the two and a half hour set, with Grohl spending the entire show seated on a most gloriously over-the-top throne, designed by Grohl himself and adorned by guitar necks. It transported the front-man up and down the runway, and was in itself a crowd pleaser! I have wanted to see the Foo Fighters for about two decades - and desperate to do so since "Wasting Light"- and they did not disappoint. A shredding version of "White Limo" alone justified the ticket price, and the rest was a wonderful (and sometimes nostalgic) tour through their back-catalogue. All in all, it was a triumphant, heart-warming singalong set that showed why, for so many, the Foo Fighters have been the soundtrack to the last two decades. Here's the Foo Fighters' set list for the Milton Keynes "Broken Leg" concert.

 

If I was desperate to see the Foo Fighters, I was absolutely aching to see 69 year old rock legend, Iggy Pop. I narrowly missed one of his gigs in Amsterdam at the end of 1978 and, after this initial disappointment, Iggy stayed on my Bucket List through the late-80's in London, the 90's in Prague and the naughties in the UK. When he was in town, I was always travelling, had other commitments or just had bad luck (i.e. the cancellation of the Foo's concert at Wembley in June where Iggy was on the supporting bill). Well, I finally got to see James Newell Osterberg, Jr. in full, topless, action in Milton Keynes on a fine evening in September 2015! Iggy brought his old school punk snarl to the party, prompting mass singalongs to classic tunes, some of which he penned with his old mate David Bowie in Berlin in the 70's. If I'm still as active as Iggy when I'm almost 70, I'll be more than happy! He made fine use of the runway before him, skipping, kicking, twisting and turning as only Iggy can. He took a breather every now and then, but Iggy still has more energy than any new breed act you care to mention. Fucking hell - he's the man that wrote "Lust for Life"! The snot-noses in the audience didn't know what hit them :-) FYI, here's the Iggy Pop's set list for the night.

 

A wonderful, sunny day and balmy evening with my family, and a fine way to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of my first date with my future-wife on September 7, 1983.

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

Check out... 'LOUDER THAN WAR' Interview with 'The One & Only' Glam Rock icon and former Hanoi Rocks frontman, Michael Monroe -during his stunning performance at the HIGH VOLTAGE FESTIVAL, 2011...

     

MICHAEL MONROE IN CONVERSATION...

Author: JOHN ROBB 06 Aug 2011

Interview with: MICHAEL MONROE

 

Interview By: MARIJA BRETTLE

Photos by: JADRANKA JADE

 

Date of interview: 23.07.2011

     

The last time I had spoken with Michael Monroe was in Nottingham, January 2008, before the final break up of Hanoi Rocks. There and then, probably I was the first – witnessing the beginning of the end of the band. When he already was enthusing over his new solo project and new direction. So, to say at least, I wasn’t surprised when at the end of the 2008, Michael and Andy McCoy announced that they have had decided, Hanoi Rocks would be permanently disbanded.

No for too long, Michael was busy again, talking to the press, that the Michael Monroe band would soon be back with the set of talented musicians, who are all capable enough to lead their own band. Michael Monroe band, with the direction he intended to take the music, and just how he saw the future unfolding.

With the new album “Sensory Overdrive” produced by the legendary LA producer, Jack Douglas, and his all star band featuring guitarists Steve Conte and newly recruited Dregen, , bassist, Sami Yaffa and drummer, Karl Rockfist, the iconic Finnish rocker, Michael Monroe is back touring and playing Festivals before he head out on a U.S. and Canadian tour.

So here I am again with the legendary Hanoi Rocks ex-frontman, the man who loves to talk and plenty to talk about. The man who despite his stage persona and reputation for being a ‘the prima donna’ of rock, in fact is one of the most down-to-earth guys in rock, through and through…

 

LOUDER THAN WAR, caught up with Michael at the London’s High Voltage Festival ,Press Area, talking about his new album ‘Sensory Overdrive’, his newly recruited guitarist, Dregen, his current and next projects and tour.. And all about his love of cats!

 

LTW: Hi Mike, You are running a lot today?

 

Michael Monroe: “Running‘s gooood!”

 

LTW: Yeah, just feel sorry for Dregen and Adam (from Universal/press) who are trying to keep up with you all day…

 

Michael Monroe: (Laughs) “Well, all is part of the game…”

 

LTW: Great reception from the crowd earlier today. And true to form, you got everyone dancing in the sun. Seeing you on stage today (during the opening of the main stage) once on site, you got the crowd really rocking. I can see, once again, why your fans here love you and are loyal to you?

 

Michael Monroe: “Yeah, it was great joy to see all those guys in front of you – sing-along with you all the way…British crowd is the toughest audience to please, you know. And they can be brutally honest…I mean, if they think your record is crap they will told you so!”

 

LTW: Having recruited a new guitarist in the band, sure contributed to some of the dynamic changes within a band?

 

Michael Monroe: “Oh yeah…plenty of new dynamic and positive energy! Getting a new gang sure brings new excitement and new ideas... new life in the band! It’s really exciting time for the band! And it’s only getting better and stronger. One of the best things is we’re getting responds for the record! Our live shows been phenomenal! Everybody seems to love the band. Now it’s just to get out there and playing to people as much as possible. Get the opportunity to expand our theme, our band. That’s all we try to do right now. After I finished with Hanoi Rocks, I wanted to go to another level, higher level. I just wanna get better in what I do. So, yeah…I am happy about my new direction and all the feedback we’re getting from people, magazines and reviews.”

 

LTW: And you should be?

 

Michael Monroe: “Yeah…I know… after the Hanoi Rocks broke up there was a big question; ‘What next for Michael Monroe..?’ Well, at first I was very lucky to carry on working with a great bunch of guys, who were also my old mates. The rest just felt in place.”

 

LTW: You are often described as a lead singer who has rock in his veins and the frontman who stuck to his roots...

 

Michael Monroe: “I am a performer and it’s something that runs in my blood…literally! (Laughs) Well, I came from the musical family. My grandfather was professional classical musician. He played the Cello and double bass in Orchestra. My father plays instrument, my mother plays piano and she works for the Finnish radio. So music was something that came natural to me at the very early age. And I got hooked on rock’n’roll soon I started hearing stuff from bands like Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Little Richard, Faces…great stuff! So when I was listening to this guys I know how important it was for me. They stick and stay true to the music I fall for in the first place. Yeah, it’s all down to the integrity for me as an artist …For me performing and delivering my best, connecting with the crowd is something that keeps me on high at all time!”

 

LTW: Well, healthy way of keeping yourself on high?

 

Michael Monroe: (Laughs) “Yeah…despite all those stories about me being deeply involved into drugs, my way and best way of getting on high, is my music! Or, when I climb on the latter. (Laughs) Last year I was jamming with Slash at the Festival in Finland and Osaka. In Michael style I landed on one of the steel bars. Yeah, I managed to break two ribs, but that didn’t stop me to solder on and carry on with the show.”

 

LTW: I hear Ginger saying that there is not bad blood between him and the band…no hard feelings… very comrade?

 

Michael Monroe: “Absolutely, yeah! Ginger is still very good friend of mine and we still goanna write songs together and stuff…and nothing really changed, except that he went to do his own stuff and we did replaced him in a band. He is happy doing what he is doing. Yeah, definitely no bad feelings, any animosity, whatsoever! In fact, right the opposite. Actually It was never planned for him to join the band in a first place…he was originally suppose to write with us, with me…He just started writing songs for the band, then surprisingly wanted to join us, as a guitar player. And that worked out for a while, and then it’s run his course. So now we are at this point. We end up with Dregen.”(Laughs)

 

LTW: Well, you sure done brilliant work choosing Dregen as a new guitarist, considering the fact that he is a very talented guitarist and already well proven and popular guitarist in Sweden?

 

Michael Monroe: “I could not imagine picking any better guy…He sure is the one!”

 

LTW: And may I just say, in some ways, he could be easily mistaken with Andy McCoy…there even people already compare him with Andy and wonder if there is the same chemistry between you and Dregen? And he is good looking guy?

 

Michael Monroe: (Laughs)…”Oh really, isn’t he…like I already proposed to him. Uh, shame, he’s already married…No really, I could not think of any better guy to join the band. But any comparison with Andy is just good thing!”

 

Dregen: “Oh well, I am super happy…I do not even know what to add to this…It couldn’t be better! And I can’t wait to go off on tour…Now we gonna tour again and I am already excited! This album is killer, and we gonna tour as much as possible. We gonna released the album in the States on 23rd of August, and we will do all tour over there and Canada. Then Japan here we come! (Laughs) And maybe for next year you know…there will be a new record. I can’t wait to get in the studio and start working on our next project together with the band.”

 

Michael Monroe: “Yeah, yeah, we will!”

 

LTW: In the mean time Dregen, just enjoy ‘the ride’ with the band…

Dregen: “Yeah…like I say, we ‘r….like you said Michael…’We’re like ‘Brothers from another mother…’”

 

Michael Monroe: Yeeeah, ‘Brother from another mother! You’re my brother from another mother’…” (Laughs)

 

LTW: hear a lot lately from your fans referring to your new record, as ‘One of the best product from Michael? What would you say to that?

 

Michael Monroe: “I would say, thanks to all fans out there for supporting my band…I would not disagree, I would say, if it’s not the best, it’s one of the best I have ever done! To me right now it’s stud the test of time already, you know…To be able to say that now is a lot… yeah… I am happy to say, ‘It’s the best record I have ever done, to the best of our ability, for sure! At this point of my life and my career it’s great achievement as a musician and performer. That’s what we try to do as a band; get better in what we do… You know, when you are in this business, you’re never good enough, you always gonna try and try harder to improve. This moment sure is the best moment in my life…Feel very happy, blessed to do something that I love most…well, apart from my wife. And my cats, who I love with the passion.” (Laughs)

 

LTW: Tell me more about the whole process of making the ‘Sensory Overdrive’ record?

 

Michael Monroe: “We started rehearsing with this band beginning of 2010, but the writing process started in the summer 2009 when I hooked up with Ginger. Sami came to join us and then we started talking about putting the band together with Sami. Then I start talking with Ginger about writing the album and that’s when we started working on the first song, ‘All You Need’, which actually ended up on the new album. At the end of the 2009, in December, Ginger actually asked to join the band as a guitar player. Up till then, me and Sami have got this other guitar players we been talking with and working on our stuff…Ginger come to us like, ‘I want to join the band’. And me and Sami at first we were like ‘Are you really serious man’!? Then Sami said, ‘Why not, maybe will be the best thing for the band’…So we checked it out, it work out perfect. At the beginning of 2010, we started working together as a band with Ginger! Throughout the year, whenever the band was together in one place and the same time, we took advantage of it… you know, booking out some extra dates and work on some new ideas. Some of the songs were written together... some of just two- or three of us…There were no rules. We just wanna to write some great songs! (Laughs) At the end of the summer we went to make some demos in the studio in Finland. At that point it felt like we have the album…So we did call Jeff Douglas, the producer and went to LA and recorded in two weeks in September. Yeah, we got one week pre-production, and two weeks recording it. However the album was mixed in Finland, at the end of the year. That’s when the final touch and sound came together…Yeah, we wanna to make it good old authentic rock’n’roll, punky, raw, ‘in your face ‘record, with all the ingrediance of a great rock record! Also it was a great pleasure working with these guys… great two guitar players! Also Ginger and Steve are great singers on backing vocals…We all had a great time together…I thought it was great fun working with such a fine and talented guys.”

 

LTW: Well, the album was testament of that… grabbing a great reviews?

 

Michael Monroe: “Yeah and when you get great response from people…fans on top of that…you get really excited. And you find that, not only from the fans but from album reviewers, Magazines…Seems to be such a great response. That is the best part of it, the best possible things in this business!”

 

LTW: How things with your newly released single, ‘Superpowered Superfly’? And what was the reason of choosing this track?

 

Michael Monroe: “Is going strong! Both singles represent the band whatever way you look at it, you know… is not about nostalgia, it’s about the spirit in the late ‘70’s…can be about ’77… you know, or ’78. But ’78th seems to rimes best…And I just figured…we figured that would be the best way to start with the present band… you know. I love all the songs..Like, ‘Gone Baby Gone’, great song or ‘Trick Of The Wrist’ it’s brilliant song, great opener, really. Our single is just our way of showing what we’re really about. Well, the rest let the music talking."

 

LTW: With this record you gone far more punky and sure there is more pumping energy and killer guitar riffs. From legendary glam rock Hanoi Rocks – to - hear comes punk/ rock Michael. Where the element of Punks comes from?

 

Michael Monroe: “I read somewhere like; “Michael Monroe, the guy who put the Punk into the Glam” Or, wherever! I don’t care what I am called. To me, it’s all rock’n’roll! Actually, whenever something becomes a name, like a grunge or punk, then it’s over, basically. Because everyone tries to fit into a certain style, genre or package or category, which Hanoi Rocks always defied all that? So this time around, I did it in my own way, done the opposite…I am very proud of this album! Its authentic rock’n’roll project, with a great choice of songs and cool lyrics… killer riffs. Yeah, it’s, punky, raw ‘in your face’ record!. I think it’s boring if everyone would want to sound the same, like, ‘here comes the band alike’… So to me is more exciting when bands doing their own stuff… instead of trying to fit in to any new or old trend. Just be individual! ‘Viva la difference’! “(Laughs)

 

LTW: Can you see yourself in a film playing yourself Michael?

 

Michael Monroe: “What, my life as a movie…!? I living it, I’m being it; I don’t need to make a movie about me. I would say documentaries are interesting… Whenever they make movies with someone acting a guy hardly ever works….In any case, what you suggesting we make it movie about me?"

 

LTW: Yes, or maybe you playing Mick Jagger or David Lee Roth?

 

Dregen: “Actually I like the idea! Would be a great movie!” (Laughs)

 

LTW: Yeah…there is one Michael Monroe who really multitalented and charismatic?

 

Michael Monroe: “Yeah…depense what you like. To me is like… I don’t like to watch movies…I like The Doors movie. I think Jim Morison is the coolest guy, but nobody can really be him! So, I rather watch documentary.”

 

LTW: Do you mind when people compare you with David Lee Roth or Mick Jagger?

 

Michael Monroe: "To me, it’s a compliment you know to be compared to these two guys…Mick Jagger is a best singer of his time! Incredible singer and performer…it is like without him the rock world would be veeery different..But I do my own thing. So I am not concerned or insecure when people compare me or accuse me stealing his stage moves or stage persona. Or that I am copying Davidi Lee Roth style…Nooo, I got my own style. But then I have been influenced by Jagger for sure in a way…well, the more singers and artist around like them the better! (Laughs) As I said, ‘Viva La Difference’! It’s all for good old rock’n’roll…try to keep it alive and spread the word.. Keep it fun!”

 

LTW: You often say that, Black Sabbath was one of the most influential bands for you?

 

Michael Monroe: “Black Sabbath was first rock band I saw on TV when I got hooked into rock’n’roll. When I was just eight years old I saw Black Sabbath and I thought…wait the minute, what’s this? So far, at that point all I want to hear was classical music. So I go like; ‘O wow, what a sound! Look the face of that singer! I wanna be that guy…That’s what makes me wanna start, make me wanna be a singer!”

 

Dregen: "It was different generations for me, you know…For me was, when I saw Kiss for the first time as a kid…And it was just like, ‘Hey mum, I wanna do this, this is what I wanna dooo… when I get home.”

 

Michael Monroe: “Right, so later on I got into Little Richard, Ramones, Stones, The Pistols, The Rats…The Faces…then Alice Cooper, Stooge and Iggy… all those bands… When you hear The Ramones, or AC/DC, that genius. The Black Sabbath was just the first band I got hooked on…so I still love them.. I was actually listening today on the way here. I haven’t heard it for ages… still sounds great!”

 

LTW: Well, I grow up listening to Sabbath a lot…

 

Dregen: "Also they are unique bands. You hear things like Stones, when they play instruments separately; you would say; ‘Maybe they are not the best players in the rock’, but they sound the best when they play together. It is magic…nobody else can do it like they do when on stage.

 

Michael Monroe: "Like Ian Hunter… he actually told me he once asked Keith Richards; 'When you hear you separately, you all sound like crap, pretty much, but when you play all together, is like magical…what’s the secret?' Keith then replay; 'Practice. Lots of practice mate'" (Laughs)

 

LTW: You recently admitted that you were delighted to play together with Foo Fighters, which happen to be one of your favorite bands? And yet, once you were the man that Axl Rose and the guys of Motley Crue and Foo Fighters modelled themselves on?"

 

Michael Monroe: “Naturally, I am very proud to know that they love my music and all that I stand for. It’s flattering and cool to hear them now saying that I was the reason why they got into this business. But then I am their biggest fan now and love hooking up with people like Foo Fighters. Great band, truly talented guys!”

 

LTW: You lyrics often describe you as a rebellious…where do you draw your inspirations these days?

 

Michael Monroe: ”My lyrics…they actually reflect my feelings, my life in general. My integrity…Rebellious…I just think I am an individual with emotions, views…well I don’t expect anyone to buying into my opinions, my feelings about the world …passing over to people…If people can relate to it then, that is one of the best feelings, best rewords out of doing this! When people come to you and say, ‘I love your lyrics man, really meant a lot to me…I can relate to…you know, that’s the best feeling you can get! Knowing that I am not just talking to the walls! (Laughs) People seems to connect with you and your feelings, opinions…That’s when you know why you doing this.”

 

LTW: Well, you often been described as a unique, multi-instrumentalist and all –round musician. But also somebody who leads a colorful life style, at least in your early HR days? And yet, during one of my earlier Interview with you, I found out that you are nothing like the guy I always thought you are. You don’t smoke, don’t drink and during the after-show parties, you go back to your hotel rooms to wash your shirts or saw the loose beeds on your stage belts. So who is really Michael Monroe?

 

Michael Monroe: “Just the guy who before all takes good care of himself. “

 

LTW: So all those stories, names calling in the past, it’s just part of the image you have created in the first place, during your time with Hanoi Rocks and later?

 

Michael Monroe: “Ah…my reputations of being ‘one of the wackiest, craziest sex, drugs and rock’n’roll guy’ (Laughs)…Well, I am not really! I am anti- stereotype of an lead singer, not your usual and it is surprising that I am not into your usual cliché life style of an typical rock star… superficial life style, That phony rock star I am usually called. That’s not real life to me…I am just not your average stereotype rock singer. I think a lot of singers and bands that given rock’n’roll bad name is because they act like a jerks! (Laughs) You don’t after be an idiot to be a rock singer!”

 

LTW: Thank you Michael for making time for us…now you can carry on running and join Thin Lizzy on stage? (Mike joined Thin Lizzy on stage-on saxophone during Lizzy’s performance of ‘Dancing In The Moonlight’),

 

Michael Monroe: "Yeah…"

  

INTERVIEW BY: MARIJA BRETTLE

   

One Response to Michael Monroe in conversation…

August 7, 2011 at 2:53 pm

 

MrWriting III says:

Nice interview. Excited to try to see Michael on his U.S. tour – I wish it hit a few more cities in the middle of the country but at least he’s touring here. I hope it is a great success.

    

Want to format your comment?

  

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

The Rolling Stone Awards: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia...

 

Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

 

The Rolling Stone Awards, celebrating the best in Australian entertainment in 2012, will be hosted by legendary Cruel Sea/Beasts of Bourbon/the Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins. The evening will feature performances by Melbourne's Owl Eyes and DJs MINX and Leah Mencel (winners of the She Can DJ comp 2011 and 2012).

 

Having enjoyed one of the most successful years of their career in 2012, Hilltop Hoods look set to continue their good form into 2013 and lead the nominations for the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards. The Hilltop Hoods are up for three gongs: Album of the Year (Drinking From The Sun), Video of the Year (I Love It) and Best Live Act.

 

Sharing two nominations each are Melbourne up-and-comer Chet Faker, Sydney quartet The Jezabels, Perth rockers Tame Impala, Sydney MC Urthboy, Byron Bay metalcore kings Parkway Drive, Menangle outfit The Rubens and instrumental heroes the Dirty Three.

 

Some of the nominees include:

 

* Album of the Year: Sarah Blasko (I Awake), Hilltop Hoods (Drinking From The Sun); Dirty Three (Toward the Low Sun); Paul Kelly (Spring and Fall); Tame Impala (Lonerism); and Urthboy (Smokey's Haunt).

 

* International Act of the Year: Frank Ocean, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Keys, Jack White and Neil Young.

 

* Live Act of the Year: 360, Dirty Three, Hilltop Hoods, Parkway Drive, Tame Impala, The Jezabels and The Living End.

 

* Best New Talent: Alpine, Chet Faker, Flume, San Cisco, The Medics and The Rubens

  

News...

 

Tame Impala win at Rolling Stone Awards...

 

Tame Impala have taken out the Rolling Stone Award for Album of the Year thanks to their second album Lonerism.

 

The Perth psych-rockers collected the award for a second time in their short career, having won in 2011 with debut album Innerspeaker.

 

The latest accolade, presented at a star-packed music industry bash in Sydney, adds to the international clamour around the band and its frontman Kevin Parker.

 

Lonerism made history as the first Australian album to be hailed an album of the year by music bible NME and topped several end of year lists, while at home it was worthy of Triple J's coveted J Award.

 

Australian music promoter and The Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski received the other major honour in the annual Rolling Stone Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to popular culture. Past recipients have included Cold Chisel and Paul Kelly.

 

Other winners on Wednesday night included Melbourne singer/producer Chet Faker who claimed best independent release for his acclaimed Thinking In Textures EP.

 

In a good year for rock music, Byron Bay metalcore band Parkway Drive were named best live act, while Cairns four-piece The Medics got the nod for best new talent.

 

The Presets scooped best single for their inventive electro-shanty Ghosts, while Gotye's single Easy Way Out was awarded the music video of the year thanks to the direction of Darcy Prendergast.

 

Held at Bondi's Beach Road Hotel, the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards were hosted by Beasts of Bourbon and Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins and featured a performance by rising starlet Owl Eyes.

 

The guest list included bands visiting for the Big Day Out festival tour, such as Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses, Alabama Shakes and Crystal Castles.

 

Websites

 

Rolling Stone

www.rollingstone.com

 

Rolling Stone Australia Facebook

www.facebook.com/rollingstoneaustralia

 

Beach Road Hotel

www.beachroadbondi.com.au

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

 

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

The Rolling Stone Awards: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia...

 

Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

 

The Rolling Stone Awards, celebrating the best in Australian entertainment in 2012, will be hosted by legendary Cruel Sea/Beasts of Bourbon/the Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins. The evening will feature performances by Melbourne's Owl Eyes and DJs MINX and Leah Mencel (winners of the She Can DJ comp 2011 and 2012).

 

Having enjoyed one of the most successful years of their career in 2012, Hilltop Hoods look set to continue their good form into 2013 and lead the nominations for the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards. The Hilltop Hoods are up for three gongs: Album of the Year (Drinking From The Sun), Video of the Year (I Love It) and Best Live Act.

 

Sharing two nominations each are Melbourne up-and-comer Chet Faker, Sydney quartet The Jezabels, Perth rockers Tame Impala, Sydney MC Urthboy, Byron Bay metalcore kings Parkway Drive, Menangle outfit The Rubens and instrumental heroes the Dirty Three.

 

Some of the nominees include:

 

* Album of the Year: Sarah Blasko (I Awake), Hilltop Hoods (Drinking From The Sun); Dirty Three (Toward the Low Sun); Paul Kelly (Spring and Fall); Tame Impala (Lonerism); and Urthboy (Smokey's Haunt).

 

* International Act of the Year: Frank Ocean, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Keys, Jack White and Neil Young.

 

* Live Act of the Year: 360, Dirty Three, Hilltop Hoods, Parkway Drive, Tame Impala, The Jezabels and The Living End.

 

* Best New Talent: Alpine, Chet Faker, Flume, San Cisco, The Medics and The Rubens

  

News...

 

Tame Impala win at Rolling Stone Awards...

 

Tame Impala have taken out the Rolling Stone Award for Album of the Year thanks to their second album Lonerism.

 

The Perth psych-rockers collected the award for a second time in their short career, having won in 2011 with debut album Innerspeaker.

 

The latest accolade, presented at a star-packed music industry bash in Sydney, adds to the international clamour around the band and its frontman Kevin Parker.

 

Lonerism made history as the first Australian album to be hailed an album of the year by music bible NME and topped several end of year lists, while at home it was worthy of Triple J's coveted J Award.

 

Australian music promoter and The Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski received the other major honour in the annual Rolling Stone Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to popular culture. Past recipients have included Cold Chisel and Paul Kelly.

 

Other winners on Wednesday night included Melbourne singer/producer Chet Faker who claimed best independent release for his acclaimed Thinking In Textures EP.

 

In a good year for rock music, Byron Bay metalcore band Parkway Drive were named best live act, while Cairns four-piece The Medics got the nod for best new talent.

 

The Presets scooped best single for their inventive electro-shanty Ghosts, while Gotye's single Easy Way Out was awarded the music video of the year thanks to the direction of Darcy Prendergast.

 

Held at Bondi's Beach Road Hotel, the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards were hosted by Beasts of Bourbon and Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins and featured a performance by rising starlet Owl Eyes.

 

The guest list included bands visiting for the Big Day Out festival tour, such as Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses, Alabama Shakes and Crystal Castles.

 

Websites

 

Rolling Stone

www.rollingstone.com

 

Rolling Stone Australia Facebook

www.facebook.com/rollingstoneaustralia

 

Beach Road Hotel

www.beachroadbondi.com.au

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

 

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

The Rolling Stone Awards: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia...

 

Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

 

The Rolling Stone Awards, celebrating the best in Australian entertainment in 2012, will be hosted by legendary Cruel Sea/Beasts of Bourbon/the Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins. The evening will feature performances by Melbourne's Owl Eyes and DJs MINX and Leah Mencel (winners of the She Can DJ comp 2011 and 2012).

 

Having enjoyed one of the most successful years of their career in 2012, Hilltop Hoods look set to continue their good form into 2013 and lead the nominations for the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards. The Hilltop Hoods are up for three gongs: Album of the Year (Drinking From The Sun), Video of the Year (I Love It) and Best Live Act.

 

Sharing two nominations each are Melbourne up-and-comer Chet Faker, Sydney quartet The Jezabels, Perth rockers Tame Impala, Sydney MC Urthboy, Byron Bay metalcore kings Parkway Drive, Menangle outfit The Rubens and instrumental heroes the Dirty Three.

 

Some of the nominees include:

 

* Album of the Year: Sarah Blasko (I Awake), Hilltop Hoods (Drinking From The Sun); Dirty Three (Toward the Low Sun); Paul Kelly (Spring and Fall); Tame Impala (Lonerism); and Urthboy (Smokey's Haunt).

 

* International Act of the Year: Frank Ocean, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Keys, Jack White and Neil Young.

 

* Live Act of the Year: 360, Dirty Three, Hilltop Hoods, Parkway Drive, Tame Impala, The Jezabels and The Living End.

 

* Best New Talent: Alpine, Chet Faker, Flume, San Cisco, The Medics and The Rubens

  

News...

 

Tame Impala win at Rolling Stone Awards...

 

Tame Impala have taken out the Rolling Stone Award for Album of the Year thanks to their second album Lonerism.

 

The Perth psych-rockers collected the award for a second time in their short career, having won in 2011 with debut album Innerspeaker.

 

The latest accolade, presented at a star-packed music industry bash in Sydney, adds to the international clamour around the band and its frontman Kevin Parker.

 

Lonerism made history as the first Australian album to be hailed an album of the year by music bible NME and topped several end of year lists, while at home it was worthy of Triple J's coveted J Award.

 

Australian music promoter and The Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski received the other major honour in the annual Rolling Stone Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to popular culture. Past recipients have included Cold Chisel and Paul Kelly.

 

Other winners on Wednesday night included Melbourne singer/producer Chet Faker who claimed best independent release for his acclaimed Thinking In Textures EP.

 

In a good year for rock music, Byron Bay metalcore band Parkway Drive were named best live act, while Cairns four-piece The Medics got the nod for best new talent.

 

The Presets scooped best single for their inventive electro-shanty Ghosts, while Gotye's single Easy Way Out was awarded the music video of the year thanks to the direction of Darcy Prendergast.

 

Held at Bondi's Beach Road Hotel, the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards were hosted by Beasts of Bourbon and Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins and featured a performance by rising starlet Owl Eyes.

 

The guest list included bands visiting for the Big Day Out festival tour, such as Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses, Alabama Shakes and Crystal Castles.

 

Websites

 

Rolling Stone

www.rollingstone.com

 

Rolling Stone Australia Facebook

www.facebook.com/rollingstoneaustralia

 

Beach Road Hotel

www.beachroadbondi.com.au

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

 

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Playing host to the rescheduled Foo Fighters concert at Wembley (that was cancelled after frontman Dave Grohl broke his leg falling off stage at a show in Gothenburg, Sweden), the National Bowl in Milton Keynes came alive on Sunday, September 6, 2015 with the sound of 65,000 screaming fans. Following sets from rock duo Royal Blood and the eclectic propo-punk icon Iggy Pop, the Foos knew they had to deliver. From the moment the curtain sucked into a black hole vortex to the end of the show, it was obvious it was going to be one hell of a night to remember. Debra, Karl and I had arrived relatively early for the show and, being among the first to enter the MK Bowl, were offered "Inner Pit" passes. Issued on a first-come-first-serve basis, these gave fenced-off access to the stage and were an excellent surprise. We had a great view of the day's action and I was well positioned for photographs. "All My Life" opened the two and a half hour set, with Grohl spending the entire show seated on a most gloriously over-the-top throne, designed by Grohl himself and adorned by guitar necks. It transported the front-man up and down the runway, and was in itself a crowd pleaser! I have wanted to see the Foo Fighters for about two decades - and desperate to do so since "Wasting Light"- and they did not disappoint. A shredding version of "White Limo" alone justified the ticket price, and the rest was a wonderful (and sometimes nostalgic) tour through their back-catalogue. All in all, it was a triumphant, heart-warming singalong set that showed why, for so many, the Foo Fighters have been the soundtrack to the last two decades. Here's the Foo Fighters' set list for the Milton Keynes "Broken Leg" concert.

 

If I was desperate to see the Foo Fighters, I was absolutely aching to see 69 year old rock legend, Iggy Pop. I narrowly missed one of his gigs in Amsterdam at the end of 1978 and, after this initial disappointment, Iggy stayed on my Bucket List through the late-80's in London, the 90's in Prague and the naughties in the UK. When he was in town, I was always travelling, had other commitments or just had bad luck (i.e. the cancellation of the Foo's concert at Wembley in June where Iggy was on the supporting bill). Well, I finally got to see James Newell Osterberg, Jr. in full, topless, action in Milton Keynes on a fine evening in September 2015! Iggy brought his old school punk snarl to the party, prompting mass singalongs to classic tunes, some of which he penned with his old mate David Bowie in Berlin in the 70's. If I'm still as active as Iggy when I'm almost 70, I'll be more than happy! He made fine use of the runway before him, skipping, kicking, twisting and turning as only Iggy can. He took a breather every now and then, but Iggy still has more energy than any new breed act you care to mention. Fucking hell - he's the man that wrote "Lust for Life"! The snot-noses in the audience didn't know what hit them :-) FYI, here's the Iggy Pop's set list for the night.

 

A wonderful, sunny day and balmy evening with my family, and a fine way to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of my first date with my future-wife on September 7, 1983.

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

Ed Kowalczyk, lead singer of the American rock band Live, during his perfomance at Parkpop, the largest free popfestival in Europe, held every year in The Hague. At Parkpop Kowalczyk played a solo set, accompanied by a string quartet and a pianist.

---

Ed Kowalczyk, de kale frontman van de Amerikaanse band Live, liet op Parkpop 2009 zien, dat hij ook solo goed uit de verf komt. Met zijn krachtige stem, subtiele gitaarspel én met behulp van een aantal bevallige vrouwelijke muzikanten wist Kowalczyk het publiek in vervoering te brengen.

Memorial services for iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister was held at the Rainbow Bar And Grill in West Hollywood, California 1-9-2016.

 

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24-2016), learned two days later, on December 26, that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28 at his home in Los Angeles.

MOTÖRHEADwas revered by both metal and punk fans, and Lemmy was considered an icon for his musical talent and his embodiment of the rock n’ roll lifestyle.

The Rainbow Bar And Grill on L.A.'s Sunset Strip was known as Lemmy's hangout, made it an obvious place for friends and family to say goodbye to the legend.

 

Read more at: www.blabbermouth.net/news/overhelming-response-to-lemmys-...

The Rolling Stone Awards: Beach Road Hotel, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia...

 

Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

 

The Rolling Stone Awards, celebrating the best in Australian entertainment in 2012, will be hosted by legendary Cruel Sea/Beasts of Bourbon/the Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins. The evening will feature performances by Melbourne's Owl Eyes and DJs MINX and Leah Mencel (winners of the She Can DJ comp 2011 and 2012).

 

Having enjoyed one of the most successful years of their career in 2012, Hilltop Hoods look set to continue their good form into 2013 and lead the nominations for the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards. The Hilltop Hoods are up for three gongs: Album of the Year (Drinking From The Sun), Video of the Year (I Love It) and Best Live Act.

 

Sharing two nominations each are Melbourne up-and-comer Chet Faker, Sydney quartet The Jezabels, Perth rockers Tame Impala, Sydney MC Urthboy, Byron Bay metalcore kings Parkway Drive, Menangle outfit The Rubens and instrumental heroes the Dirty Three.

 

Some of the nominees include:

 

* Album of the Year: Sarah Blasko (I Awake), Hilltop Hoods (Drinking From The Sun); Dirty Three (Toward the Low Sun); Paul Kelly (Spring and Fall); Tame Impala (Lonerism); and Urthboy (Smokey's Haunt).

 

* International Act of the Year: Frank Ocean, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Keys, Jack White and Neil Young.

 

* Live Act of the Year: 360, Dirty Three, Hilltop Hoods, Parkway Drive, Tame Impala, The Jezabels and The Living End.

 

* Best New Talent: Alpine, Chet Faker, Flume, San Cisco, The Medics and The Rubens

  

News...

 

Tame Impala win at Rolling Stone Awards...

 

Tame Impala have taken out the Rolling Stone Award for Album of the Year thanks to their second album Lonerism.

 

The Perth psych-rockers collected the award for a second time in their short career, having won in 2011 with debut album Innerspeaker.

 

The latest accolade, presented at a star-packed music industry bash in Sydney, adds to the international clamour around the band and its frontman Kevin Parker.

 

Lonerism made history as the first Australian album to be hailed an album of the year by music bible NME and topped several end of year lists, while at home it was worthy of Triple J's coveted J Award.

 

Australian music promoter and The Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski received the other major honour in the annual Rolling Stone Award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to popular culture. Past recipients have included Cold Chisel and Paul Kelly.

 

Other winners on Wednesday night included Melbourne singer/producer Chet Faker who claimed best independent release for his acclaimed Thinking In Textures EP.

 

In a good year for rock music, Byron Bay metalcore band Parkway Drive were named best live act, while Cairns four-piece The Medics got the nod for best new talent.

 

The Presets scooped best single for their inventive electro-shanty Ghosts, while Gotye's single Easy Way Out was awarded the music video of the year thanks to the direction of Darcy Prendergast.

 

Held at Bondi's Beach Road Hotel, the fourth annual Rolling Stone Awards were hosted by Beasts of Bourbon and Dark Horses frontman Tex Perkins and featured a performance by rising starlet Owl Eyes.

 

The guest list included bands visiting for the Big Day Out festival tour, such as Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses, Alabama Shakes and Crystal Castles.

 

Websites

 

Rolling Stone

www.rollingstone.com

 

Rolling Stone Australia Facebook

www.facebook.com/rollingstoneaustralia

 

Beach Road Hotel

www.beachroadbondi.com.au

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

 

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Chris Cornell

 

Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell played his first show at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall in support of fifth solo album Higher Truth, the tour similar in style to his 2011 Songbook tour, with Cornell playing stripped-back renditions of a selection of songs from his Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple Of The Dog and solo material mixed with covers on a range of acoustic guitars, this time accompanied by Bryan Gibson on cello, keyboards and mandolin ...

 

Read the rest of this review with more photos over at RockShot Magazine.

Ali Campbell's UB40 With Billy Ocean Big Mountain At State Theatre, Sydney

 

The State Theatre in the heart of Sydney presented Ali Campbell's UB40 Tour with special guests Billy Ocean and Big Mountain.

 

If you enjoy the sounds of reggae and Caribbean music then you would have loved this.

 

The voice that was behind the hits "Red Red Wine" and "Can't Help Falling In Love" is now on stage singing to a different tune, nonetheless one that will still resonate strongly with audiences.

 

McManus Entertainment promotional pitch...

 

McManus Entertainment is delighted to announce Ali Campbell's UB40 Australian Tour featuring special guests Billy Ocean, plus Big Mountain featuring Junior Marvin. With shows in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, this is a show not to be missed for lovers of Reggae and Caribbean music.

 

With one of the world’s most distinctive and recognisable voices, Ali Campbell, the ex-UB40 ...frontman and original vocalist of massive worldwide hits "Red Red Wine", "Kingston Town" and "Can’t Help Falling In Love", returns to Australia with his new band. As lead singer with the world-renowned group UB40, Campbell has sold over 70 million records worldwide, toured across the globe, notched up four number No. 1 worldwide singles, over 40 Top 40 UK singles, released 24 studio albums and received an Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement.

 

Having sold over 30 million records worldwide Grammy-winning Billy Ocean has created a distinct and unique sound with hits like “Love Really Hurts Without You”, “Caribbean Queen”, “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going” and one of the biggest hits of the 80’s, “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car”.

 

Big Mountain helped catapult Jamaican music to the mainstream with their cover of Peter Frampton’s “Baby I Love Your Way”. The group sold over a million copies of their album Unity featuring the smash hits “Sweet Sensual Love” and “Baby, I Love Your Way”. Joining Big Mountain on stage is Junior Marvin. Hailing from Bob Marley and The Wailers he first appeared on Marley’s legendary album Exodus and all Bob Marley and The Wailers albums since then.

 

Don’t miss the opportunity to see some of reggae’s best and well-loved artists in an intimate setting on one special night!

 

Background on Ali Campbell and UB40...

 

Ali Campbell, his brother and some mates began UB40 in the late 1970's in a basement in Birmingham. He started the band to promote his love of reggae.

 

With the strong political sentiment in their music, UB40 reflected angrily on Margaret Thatcher's Britain. He tells the press "We were quite angry, we felt like we'd been thrown away". Their message was obviously heard, as their phones were tapped by MI5. UB40 would go on to sell more than 70 million records around the world and produce 40 top ten hits in Britain.

 

In January 2008 he had an acrimonious split with the band. He was replaced by brother Duncan, but the pair have apparently not spoken since.

 

Ali Campbell is in Australia with his new band, still performing hits like Red Red Wine and Kingston Town.

 

Websites

 

State Theatre

www.statetheatre.com.au

 

UB 40

www.ub40.co.uk

 

Ali Campbell

www.alicampbell.net

 

Billy Ocean

www.billyocean.co.uk

 

McManus Entertainment

www.mcmanusentertainment.com

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography Flickr

www.flickr.com/evarinaldiphotography

 

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

 

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

  

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 18 November 1974 by Charisma Records and is their last to feature original frontman Peter Gabriel. It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the Billboard 200 in the US.

 

While the band worked on new material at Hedley Grange for three months, they decided to produce a concept album with a story devised by Gabriel about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth from New York City who is suddenly taken on a journey of self-discovery and encounters bizarre incidents and characters along the way. The album was marked by increased tensions within the band as Gabriel, who insisted on writing all of the lyrics, temporarily left to work with filmmaker William Friedkin and needed time to be with his family. Most of the songs were developed by the rest of the band through jam sessions and were put down at Glaspant Manor in Wales using a mobile studio.

 

The album received a mixed critical reaction at first, but it gained acclaim in subsequent years and has a cult following. The songs "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers" were released as singles in the UK in 1974 and 1975, respectively; both failed to chart. A single of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" was released in the US. Genesis promoted the album with their 1974–75 tour across North America and Europe, playing the album in its entirety. The album reached Gold certification in the UK and the US. The album was remastered in 1994 and 2007, the latter as part of the Genesis 1970–1975 box set which contains a 5.1 surround sound mix and bonus material.

 

Before discussions were held regarding the album's contents, the band decided to record a double album, for the extended format would give them the opportunity to improvise and put down more of their musical ideas ] A single album with songs telling "bits" of a story was an option that did not appeal to them.Banks thought Genesis had gained a strong enough following by this point to put out two albums' worth of material that their fans would be willing to listen to. They had wanted to produce a concept album that told a story for some time, and Rutherford pitched an idea based on the fantasy novel The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, but Gabriel disagreed as he thought it was "too twee" and believed "prancing around in fairyland was rapidly becoming obsolete".

 

Gabriel presented the group with a more complicated and surreal story about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth in New York City, and his spiritual journey of self-discovery and identity as he encounters several bizarre incidents and characters along the way. Gabriel had first thought of the story while touring North America in the previous year, and pitched a synopsis to the group "until they agreed to do the whole thing". It was more detailed and obscure in its initial form, until Gabriel refined it and made Rael the central character. Seeking a name that had "no traceable ethnic origins", he chose the name 'Rael', but later realised the Who had previously used that on The Who Sell Out (1967); this annoyed him at first, but he stuck to the choice.

  

As the band searched for a name they realised that "Ra" was common in male names in various nationalities. Gabriel was inspired by a variety of sources for the story, including the novel and musical West Side Story, "a kind of punk" twist to the Christian allegory Pilgrim's Progress (1678), the works of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, and the surreal Western film El Topo (1971) by Alejandro Jodorowsky.[18] In contrast to Selling England by the Pound, which contained strong English themes, Gabriel made a conscious effort to avoid repetition by portraying American imagery, with references to Caryl Chessman, Lenny Bruce, Groucho Marx, Marshall McLuhan, Howard Hughes, Evel Knievel and the Ku Klux Klan. He also expressed some concern over the album's title, but noted that the lamb itself is purely symbolic and a catalyst for the peculiar events that occur.[14]

 

Much of the album was written at Headley Grange.

During the writing sessions at Headley Grange, Gabriel found himself separated from the rest of the band, which caused some friction. He insisted that having devised the concept he should write the lyrics, leaving the majority of the music in the charge of his bandmates. This was a departure from the band's usual method of songwriting; lyrical contributions on previous albums had always involved the other members.

 

This situation left Gabriel often secluded in one room writing the lyrics, and the remaining four rehearsing in another. In one instance Gabriel was unable to meet a scheduled deadline to have the lyrics finished, leaving Rutherford and Banks to write words for "The Light Dies Down on Broadway". At other times, Banks and Hackett suggested lyrics they thought would fit their songs better, "The Lamia" and "Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist" respectively, which Gabriel rebuffed.

 

Further disagreements arose during the writing period when Gabriel accepted an invitation from film producer William Friedkin to write a screenplay; Friedkin had taken a liking to the surreal story by Gabriel that had been printed on the sleeve of Genesis Live (1973). Collins then pitched the idea of having the new studio album be purely instrumental, thinking it would favour the other members as Gabriel had made some of their earlier songs too lyrically dense, but the idea was rejected by the rest of the group. However, Gabriel's offer from Friedkin soon came to nothing and he resumed working on the album. Matters were complicated further when Gabriel spent additional time away in London when his first wife Jill underwent a risky and difficult birth of their first child in July 1974, leaving Gabriel often travelling back and forth. Rutherford later admitted that he and Banks were "horribly unsupportive" of Gabriel during this time,and Gabriel saw this as the beginning of his eventual departure from Genesis

BTO frontman on the streets of Vancouver

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 18 November 1974 by Charisma Records and is their last to feature original frontman Peter Gabriel. It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the Billboard 200 in the US.

 

While the band worked on new material at Hedley Grange for three months, they decided to produce a concept album with a story devised by Gabriel about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth from New York City who is suddenly taken on a journey of self-discovery and encounters bizarre incidents and characters along the way. The album was marked by increased tensions within the band as Gabriel, who insisted on writing all of the lyrics, temporarily left to work with filmmaker William Friedkin and needed time to be with his family. Most of the songs were developed by the rest of the band through jam sessions and were put down at Glaspant Manor in Wales using a mobile studio.

 

The album received a mixed critical reaction at first, but it gained acclaim in subsequent years and has a cult following. The songs "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers" were released as singles in the UK in 1974 and 1975, respectively; both failed to chart. A single of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" was released in the US. Genesis promoted the album with their 1974–75 tour across North America and Europe, playing the album in its entirety. The album reached Gold certification in the UK and the US. The album was remastered in 1994 and 2007, the latter as part of the Genesis 1970–1975 box set which contains a 5.1 surround sound mix and bonus material.

 

Before discussions were held regarding the album's contents, the band decided to record a double album, for the extended format would give them the opportunity to improvise and put down more of their musical ideas ] A single album with songs telling "bits" of a story was an option that did not appeal to them.Banks thought Genesis had gained a strong enough following by this point to put out two albums' worth of material that their fans would be willing to listen to. They had wanted to produce a concept album that told a story for some time, and Rutherford pitched an idea based on the fantasy novel The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, but Gabriel disagreed as he thought it was "too twee" and believed "prancing around in fairyland was rapidly becoming obsolete".

 

Gabriel presented the group with a more complicated and surreal story about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth in New York City, and his spiritual journey of self-discovery and identity as he encounters several bizarre incidents and characters along the way. Gabriel had first thought of the story while touring North America in the previous year, and pitched a synopsis to the group "until they agreed to do the whole thing". It was more detailed and obscure in its initial form, until Gabriel refined it and made Rael the central character. Seeking a name that had "no traceable ethnic origins", he chose the name 'Rael', but later realised the Who had previously used that on The Who Sell Out (1967); this annoyed him at first, but he stuck to the choice.

  

As the band searched for a name they realised that "Ra" was common in male names in various nationalities. Gabriel was inspired by a variety of sources for the story, including the novel and musical West Side Story, "a kind of punk" twist to the Christian allegory Pilgrim's Progress (1678), the works of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, and the surreal Western film El Topo (1971) by Alejandro Jodorowsky.[18] In contrast to Selling England by the Pound, which contained strong English themes, Gabriel made a conscious effort to avoid repetition by portraying American imagery, with references to Caryl Chessman, Lenny Bruce, Groucho Marx, Marshall McLuhan, Howard Hughes, Evel Knievel and the Ku Klux Klan. He also expressed some concern over the album's title, but noted that the lamb itself is purely symbolic and a catalyst for the peculiar events that occur.[14]

 

Much of the album was written at Headley Grange.

During the writing sessions at Headley Grange, Gabriel found himself separated from the rest of the band, which caused some friction. He insisted that having devised the concept he should write the lyrics, leaving the majority of the music in the charge of his bandmates. This was a departure from the band's usual method of songwriting; lyrical contributions on previous albums had always involved the other members.

 

This situation left Gabriel often secluded in one room writing the lyrics, and the remaining four rehearsing in another. In one instance Gabriel was unable to meet a scheduled deadline to have the lyrics finished, leaving Rutherford and Banks to write words for "The Light Dies Down on Broadway". At other times, Banks and Hackett suggested lyrics they thought would fit their songs better, "The Lamia" and "Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist" respectively, which Gabriel rebuffed.

 

Further disagreements arose during the writing period when Gabriel accepted an invitation from film producer William Friedkin to write a screenplay; Friedkin had taken a liking to the surreal story by Gabriel that had been printed on the sleeve of Genesis Live (1973). Collins then pitched the idea of having the new studio album be purely instrumental, thinking it would favour the other members as Gabriel had made some of their earlier songs too lyrically dense, but the idea was rejected by the rest of the group. However, Gabriel's offer from Friedkin soon came to nothing and he resumed working on the album. Matters were complicated further when Gabriel spent additional time away in London when his first wife Jill underwent a risky and difficult birth of their first child in July 1974, leaving Gabriel often travelling back and forth. Rutherford later admitted that he and Banks were "horribly unsupportive" of Gabriel during this time,and Gabriel saw this as the beginning of his eventual departure from Genesis

Bläck Fööss - Part XX, The largest New Year Eve Party of Cologne/Germany ---- Happy New Year 2019 to all of you -----

Frohes neues Jahr 2019 ------------------------------------------------------

Die Arena war mit über 20.000 Besuchern ausverkauft

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Die Fotos des Konzertes sind ausschliesslich zu meinem privaten Gebrauch. Das Downloaden oder der Gebrauch dieser Fotos in jeglicher Art bedarf der schriftlichen Genehmigung des Managements der Band "Bläck Föös" und zusätzlich meiner schriftlicher Genehmigung. An dieser Stelle möchte ich mich ganz herzlich bei der Band für diesen wunderschönen Abend bedanken. Es ist immer wieder ein Erlebnis mit Euch Silvester zu feiern. Danke :-) -----------------------------------------------------------------

 

The band's name in Kölsch, a local dialect of Ripuarian, in which the group predominantly sings, means barefoot. It is pronounced [də ˈblæk ˌføːs] (listen). In their early days the group would perform barefoot, which was later given up mainly after several injuries from remains of broken glass on stages.The band's style of music is a cross between Schlager and pop, but they also perform songs with jazz, blues, rock and reggae styles. The group is famous for its a cappella singing. Many of the band's songs are popular carnival songs, while others are covers of bands such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Beatles, Hollies or Willi Ostermann.

In August 1985 the band got their biggest chart success, with the song "Frankreich, Frankreich" (France, France) landing in at number 9 in the German charts. In their 4 decades together, the Bläck Fööss have only had a few changes in membership. Willy Schnitzler and Rolf Lammers have both played keyboard; in 1994, the band had its biggest split, with frontman Tommy Engel leaving for a solo career after so-called creative differences.

Karl Friedrich "Kafi" Biermann: singer, guitar, percussion (since 1995)

Ralph Gusovius (born March 16, 1950): drums, accordion, singer (since 1995)

Günther "Bömmel" Lückerath (born June 20, 1948): guitar, banjo, mondolin, fiddle, vocals (founding member)

Hartmut Priess (born 19 August 1942 in Cologne): bass, guitar, mandolin (founding member)

Peter Schütten (born 4 August 1943 in Cologne): guitar, singing, percussion (founding member)

Erry Stoklosa (born 25 October 1947 in Cologne): guitar, percussion, vocals (founding member)

Andreas Wegener: piano, synthetiser, accordion, vocals (since 2005)

Willy Schnitzler left the band in 2005 after arthritis of the hand rendered him unable to play. He was succeeded by Andreas Wegener. ---------------------------------------------

Die Bläck Fööss (Kölsch für nackte Füße) [ˈbɭæk ˌføːs] ( hören?/i) sind eine der erfolgreichsten Kölner Mundart-Musikgruppen. Vor 1970 spielten die Mitglieder der Bläck Fööss in diversen Kölner Beat-Gruppen. Vorläufer-Bands der Bläck Fööss waren Singing End, Stowaways und The Beat Stones. Tommy Engel spielte bei The Luckies und den Black Birds, danach Schlagzeug bei den Tony Hendrik Five, bevor er zu den Stowaways wechselte. Diese Bands traten im Vorprogramm berühmter Beatgruppen auf, so etwa die Beat Stones am 6. November 1966 bei The Who mit The Lords in Messehalle 8. Die Beat Stones stellten ihre erste Single What? Am I in Love? im Vorprogramm des Beach-Boys-Konzerts am 17. Mai 1967 in der Kölner Sporthalle vor.[1] Im September 1968 traten die Stowaways (mit Hartmut Priess, Peter Schütten und Ernst „Erry“ Stoklosa) bei einem Beatfestival in den Sartory-Sälen auf und gewannen den ersten Preis.

Auf Karnevalsbällen spielten diese Gruppen die Hits der Beatles, der Kinks oder der Hollies, jedoch gab es auch Nachfrage nach Karnevalsliedern. Daher entschloss man sich, auch auf Kölsch zu singen. Graham Bonney, mit dem die Band im Studio arbeitete, schlug ihnen vor, einen kölschen Titel aufzunehmen. Doch die Band wollte ihren guten Namen als Beat-Gruppe nicht riskieren und erfand den Namen De Bläck Fööss (Die nackten Füße) als Pseudonym, der zwar kölsch war, aber auch englisch klang. Die Kölner Plattenfirma Electrola veröffentlichte am 22. Oktober 1970 ihre erste Single Rievkooche-Walzer / Selverhuhzick. Da von der Platte nur 2000 Exemplare verkauft wurden,[2] produzierte Electrola vorerst keine weiteren mit der Band.[3]

Das im September 1971 in den Kölner Cornet-Studios aufgenommene Stück Drink doch eine met wurde von Heinz Gietz produziert und zunächst von den Plattenfirmen abgelehnt, weil diese englische Texte bevorzugten. Gietz, der Electrola 1966 verlassen und sein eigenes Plattenlabel Cornet Records gegründet hatte, besaß einen Vertriebsvertrag mit BASF und veröffentlichte 1972 den Titel, der sofort ein Publikumserfolg wurde. Cornet Records produzierte zwei Langspielplatten mit den Bläck Fööss, 1974 Op bläcke Fööss noh Kölle und 1975 Lück wie ich un du. Der Erfolg der Gruppe in den Sälen und beim regionalen Plattenverkauf ermutigte Electrola 1976, der Band erneut einen Plattenvertrag anzubieten. Bald war die Gruppe bei Karnevalssitzungen und -bällen sehr gefragt, nur die konservativen Karnevalsgesellschaften waren zunächst durch das Äußere der Gruppe irritiert: langhaarig, in Jeans und barfuß, um dem neuen Bandnamen gerecht zu werden (was man später wegen der Verletzungsgefahr durch Glasscherben wieder aufgab), tauchten die Bläck Fööss mit E-Gitarren und tragbaren Verstärkern auf den traditionellen Karnevalsveranstaltungen auf. Ab den 1970er Jahren entwickelten sich die Bläck Fööss durch einfallsreiche und humorvolle Titel mit eingängigen Melodien zu musikalischen Superstars des Kölner Karnevals. Sie wurden mit über 100 Titeln zu den Hauptabnehmern der Lieder des Komponisten Hans Knipp über das kölsche Milieu, die rheinische Mentalität und Blicke hinter die Kulissen des kleinbürgerlichen Alltags. Zu Knipp entstand erstmals 1970 ein Kontakt, als die Gruppe noch unbekannt war. Er verfasste 1973 mit Mer losse d’r Dom en Kölle eine der Hymnen des kölschen Karnevals. Ursprünglich als Kritik an der Sanierungspolitik der Stadt Köln gedacht, wird das Stück auch häufig als Hommage an den Kölner Dom interpretiert. In Lange Samstag en d’r City aus dem Jahr 1977 sang die Gruppe über das Erlebnis eines verkaufsoffenen Samstags mit Kleinkindern. Bei seinen Titeln für die Bläck Fööss wie Ming eetste Fründin (1976), Buuredanz (1977), Mer bruche keiner (1998) oder Unsere Stammbaum (2000) ließ Knipp sich von der künstlerischen Vielfalt der Band leiten. Die deutsche Hitparade erreichten sie erstmals mit Katrin über die angebetete Bedienung in einem Hamburger-Restaurant (Januar 1985; Platz 25), das nachfolgende Frankreich, Frankreich (Juli 1985; Platz 9) wurde ihr bislang größter Hitparadenerfolg mit 190.000 verkauften Tonträgern.[4] Fünf ihrer Langspielplatten konnten sich in den deutschen Top Ten positionieren.

Die Gruppe hat ein weit über die Karnevalslieder hinausgehendes, stilistisch vielseitiges Repertoire, eine Mischung aus Schlager, Popmusik, Jazz, Blues, Rockmusik, Rock & Roll, Disco, Funk oder Reggae ebenso wie Krätzchengesang. Zudem sind auf den älteren Platten auch einige Standardtänze vertreten, wie beispielsweise Samba (Wenn de Sonn schön schingk; 1974), Tango (Damenwahl em Stammlokal; 1976) oder Cha-Cha-Cha (Kaffeebud; 1978). Einige Songs der Bläck Fööss sind Coverversionen, deren Originale etwa von Ladysmith Black Mambazo, den Beatles, den Hollies, Willi Ostermann oder auch Herbert Grönemeyer stammen. Produzent der Gruppe war von 1973 bis zu seinem Tod 2003 Werner Dies.

Die Bläck Fööss behandeln auch ernste Themen wie beispielsweise im Lied Edelweißpiraten, das vom Schicksal der Kölner Edelweißpiraten im „Dritten Reich“ erzählt oder mit dem Lied Feschers Köbes über den Aufstand gegen die Willkürherrschaft des Erzbischofs Anno im Jahre 1074. Mit Titeln wie Sirtaki oder Unser Stammbaum bezieht die Gruppe immer wieder Position gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit, was sie auch durch ihre Auftritte 1992 und 2012 beim Konzert gegen rechte Gewalt Arsch huh, Zäng ussenander unterstrich.In den 48 Jahren ihres Bestehens haben die Bläck Fööss einige personelle Veränderungen vorgenommen. So ersetzte zu Beginn der achtziger Jahre der Keyboarder Willy Schnitzler seinen Vorgänger Dieter „Joko“ Jaenisch, der seit Gründung der Gruppe dabeigewesen war, einzig mit einer Unterbrechung von 1974 bis 1977. In dieser Zeit spielte Rolf Lammers die Keyboards, der später als Studiomusiker und Mitglied der Band L. S. E. bekannt wurde.

Der spektakulärste Wechsel erfolgte 1994, als sich der Frontmann Tommy Engel nach längeren, hauptsächlich künstlerischen Differenzen von der Gruppe trennte und seitdem solo auftritt. Engels Nachfolger wurde „Kafi“ Biermann. Im Zuge der Umbesetzung wurden die Bläck Fööss um den Schlagzeuger und Sänger Ralph „Gus“ Gusovius erweitert, der zuvor schon lange als Studiomusiker mitgewirkt hatte. Nach der Session 2005 verließ Willy Schnitzler die Gruppe, weil er wegen Arthrose in den Händen nicht mehr Keyboard und Akkordeon spielen konnte. Sein Nachfolger ist Andreas Wegener, der als Profimusiker bereits mit verschiedenen namhaften Musikern zusammengearbeitet hat.

Im Januar 2017 wurde Mirko Bäumer (48) der Nachfolger von Sänger Kafi Biermann (70).[5] Ende Februar 2017 verließ auch Gründungsmitglied Peter Schütten (73) die Gruppe. Sein Nachfolger wurde Pit Hupperten (42).[6] Auch Bassist Hartmut Priess (75) will Ende 2018 sein Mitwirken bei den Fööss beenden; Nachfolger soll Hanz Thodam werden. -----

 

More Infos and languages available at:

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bläck_Fööss

 

Fonte Official Skindred web page :

The music world may be in a permanent state of panic and flux, but one basic principle of rock’n’roll remains true: the key to longevity is to always deliver the goods. No band has better encapsulated this ethos of integrity and determination over the last decade than Skindred.

 

Widely acknowledged as one of the most devastating and enthralling live bands on the planet, the Newport destroyers have been a perennial force for musical invention and remorseless positivity since emerging from the ashes of frontman Benji Webbe’s former band Dub War back in 1998. Over the course of four universally praised studio albums – Babylon (2002), Roots Rock Riot (2007), Shark Bites And Dog Fights (2009) and Union Black (2011) – Skindred’s reputation for producing the ultimate spark-spraying state-of-the-art soundclash, combining all manner of seemingly disparate musical elements into an irresistibly exhilarating explosion of energy and cross-pollinated cultural fervour has rightly earned them a reputation as a band capable of uniting people from all corners of the globe and making every last one of them tear up the dancefloor with a giant shit-eating grin plastered across their faces.

 

With the toughest and most infectious metal riffs colliding with the biggest, phattest hip hop and reggae grooves, cutting edge electronics and a razor-sharp pop sensibility guaranteed to encourage even the most curmudgeonly music fans bellow along with rabid enthusiasm, Skindred are both the ultimate thinking man’s party band. And now, with the release of their fifth studio album Kill The Power, Benji Webbe and his loyal henchmen – bassist Dan Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggins – are poised to spread their gospel of good times and badass tunes to an even bigger global audience.

 

“We know that everyone recognises us as one of the best live bands around,” says Arya. “We’re really proud of all of the albums we’ve made, but we all felt that we needed to make an album that would be as powerful and effective as the live show. That’s what Kill The Power is all about. This time, we want everyone to sit up and listen and join in the party.”

  

“I started DJ-ing a little while ago and it’s taught me a lot,” adds Benji. “Now I feel like I wanted to make an album where every intro to every song makes kids think ‘Fucking hell, they’re playing that song!’ Every middle eight on this album is a banger. Every chorus is massive. On this album, the lyrics are deep and the songs are just bigger than ever.”

 

In keeping with their tradition of making people move while singing about universal issues and spreading a message of positive action and social unity, Kill The Power is an album bulging with fury at the state of the modern world. Never afraid to tackle important topics head on, while never forgetting his band’s mission to entertain and leave the world in a sweaty, sated heap, Benji’s notoriously insane energy levels seem to be creeping up with every album and Kill The Power showcases his most furious and impactful performances to date.

 

“The world’s getting worse so how can I get more mellow?” he laughs. “Of course I’m getting angrier! People normally stay in a bag when it comes to lyrics. Stephen King stays with horror and he’s brilliant at it, you know? With Skindred, it’s always about encouraging an uplift. It’s about a sense of unity. Lyrics can change people’s lives, you know? You can be going down one road and hear a song and have a Road To Damascus experience and become someone else.”

 

On an album that has no shortage of invigorating highlights, Kill The Power takes Skindred to new extremes at both ends of the lyrical spectrum, reaching a new level of fiery intensity on the lethal cautionary tale of “Playin’ With The Devil” and the euphoric end-of-the-working-week celebration of “Saturday”: both songs proving that this band’s ability to touch the heart and fire the blood remains as incisive and potent as ever. As if to enhance their songwriting chops more than ever, Kill The Power also features several songs written in collaboration with legendary songwriting guru Russ Ballard, the man behind such immortal rock staples as Since You’ve Been Gone and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, and this seemingly perverse team-up has led to Skindred’s finest set of lyrics and melodies to date.

 

“Basically, I try to write songs that people can interpret however they like,” says Benji. “When I wrote ‘Playin’ With The Devil’, I originally wrote some words down on a piece of paper thinking about friends I’ve had who smoke crack and live on the pipe, you know? I wrote the song about that kind of thing, but then a couple of days later the riots happened in London and so it became about that as well. When you shit on your own doorstep, your house is going to smell of shit. You’ve got to clean that up! With ‘Saturday’, it’s not a typical Skindred song; it’s a big celebration. We got Russ Ballard involved on that one and he helped me structure the lyrics in the right way so when the chorus hits, it hits like a hammer. It’s an upbeat song but when you listen to the lyrics it goes on about how people all have different reasons to be out and partying. Some people are celebrating, some people are drowning their sorrows, and we all come together on a Saturday. When this record comes out and people go to a club on a Saturday, that’s when it’s gonna go off! The chorus is huge!”

 

While Skindred’s previous album Union Black was dominated by the bleeps, booms and squelches of British electronic dance music, albeit balanced out by Mikey Demus’ trademark riffs, the new album sees the band return to a more organic sound that amounts to the most accurate representation of the Skindred live experience yet committed to tape. From the huge beats and stuttering samples of the opening title track and the laudably demented Ninja through to the insistent melodies and rampaging choruses of “The Kids Are Right Now” and “Saturday” and on to the thunderous, metallic throwdowns of “Proceed With Caution” and “Ruling Force” and the cool acoustic breeze of the closing More Fire, Kill The Power is Skindred cranked up to full throttle and revelling in their own febrile creativity like never before.

  

“It’s all about making an album that moves people in the same way that our live shows do,” says Arya. “We love what we achieved on Union Black and we still used a lot of those basic ideas on Kill The Power, but this time it’s a more organic sound. All the drum loops you hear were originally played by me before we started chopping them up, and there are a lot more guitars on this record too. We love combining all the music that we love in Skindred but we all love heavy music and we’re a rock band at heart and that really comes across this time.”

 

“We’ve delivered an album that’s gonna make people rock for the next few years,” states Benji. “You know what? I can’t do anything about record sales, but if people come to a Skindred show they’re gonna know they’ve been there, you know? Ha ha! The music we make is not about Christians or Muslims, straight people or gay people, black or white or any of that shit. When people are in that room together it’s just Skindred, one unity and one strength!”

 

Having conquered numerous countries around the world, Skindred could easily be taking a breather and resting on their laurels at this point. Instead, this most dedicated and hard-working of modern bands are preparing to launch their most exuberant assault on the world ever when Kill The Power hits the streets. Anyone that has ever seen the band live before will confirm that it is impossible not to get fired up and drawn into the joyous abandon of a Skindred show and with their greatest album to date primed and ready to explode, the best live band on the planet simply cannot fail to conquer the entire world this time round. Wherever and whoever you are, Skindred are coming. Open your ears and get your dancing feet ready…

 

“There’s nothing better than being on stage with these guys,” says Arya. “Skindred is my favourite band and I’m so lucky to be part of this thing we’ve created. We’ve been all over the world but there are always new places to visit and new crowds to play for. We just want to keep getting bigger and better.”

 

“We’re a global band. We’ve played in Colombia and India and everywhere and it’s the same energy,” Benji concludes. “I get letters from people in Hawaii and people in Turkey. It’s all the same. We resonate globally and it’s the greatest thing ever. It seems funny to us sometimes because we’re always kicking each other’s heads in and saying ‘You’re a wanker!’ to each other before we go on stage, but as soon as it’s time to play the show the oneness this band creates together and the unity we bring is unique. I’ve never experienced anything like it and we can’t wait to get back on the road and do it all again.”

  

Arcturus - ICS Vortex, Knut Magne Valle, Hugh "Skoll" Mingay, Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg

On the Temple Stage at Hellfest Open Air 2022 Part 2 - Day 3

15th Anniversary Edition

Clisson, France | 25/06/2022

Live report soon on MusicWaves

Philippe Bareille

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