Stereoboard Tour of the Week – The Bluetones

A few weeks ago, we made Ocean Colour Scene our Stereoboard Tour of the Week for their forthcoming ‘Moseley Shoals’ 15th anniversary dates. Now it’s time for another group of Britpop survivors, although these ones have decided to call it a day. That’s right, it’s The Bluetones. After seventeen years, six albums and thirteen Top 40 singles, this London quartet have announced that their tour in September will be their last. Earlier this week, the band’s MySpace page read: “We're afraid the time has come and we must say farewell. We will be playing a career-spanning set of songs as a way to say thank you to our loyal supporters and hopefully signing off with a bit of a bang. We hope we'll see you all in September.”

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 01 April 2011

'Fowl Play' A Feature By David Evans (Rockness Feature)

Draw up a list of legal addictions and it’s a fair bet that at some time or another I’ve caved in to the lure of at least two, and in the unlikely event of you including something to do with vinyl records, I could chalk up a hat trick.

Written by: David Evans | Date: Thursday, 31 March 2011

Stereoboard Rejects Proposal To Cap Resale Prices of Concert & Festival Tickets

With Reading & Leeds festival tickets going on sale yesterday the argument about ticket resale has surfaced once again with the assumption being that tickets for the festival would have sold out in double quick time and secondary websites would have had highly inflated tickets for sale almost immediately.

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Leader Of The Starry Skies – A Tim Smith Tribute (Tim Smith Feature)

The name Tim Smith will probably elicit, from the majority of people who claim to be in the know about all things music, nothing more than a mere shrug and question of “Tim who?” Whilst he will never go down as one of the most successful and famous musicians of his era, Cardiacs frontman Tim Smith will always be one of the most influential and the calibre of artist present on this tribute record proves this to be the case. Featuring contributions from the likes of The Magic Numbers, Oceansize and Steven Wilson, this record raises money to help Tim with the condition he currently faces. Having suffered a serious stroke in 2008, Tim’s health is still in a perilous position and it is still unknown whether he will ever take up his musical career again. Thus many bands who recognise his influence and his importance have taken on the task of celebrating the amazing career he has already had.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Monday, 21 March 2011

Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Ryan Adams

Don’t you mean Bryan Adams? No – definitely not. This particular member of the Adams family (they’re not actually related) is not at all fond of being confused with the Canadian rocker. Anyone that has heard about his infamous run-ins with fans certainly won’t be making any such mix-up in the near future. There have been several reports in the past regarding alleged occasions where Ryan Adams has had concert-goers thrown out and even fought with people that have dared to request ‘Summer of 69’ during one of his shows. Thankfully, according to an interview with Spin Magazine a few years back, the singer has since sought help for his anger issues: “I had to go into therapy because of the whole Bryan Adams ‘Summer of 69’ thing. I turned that into such a negative thing that it paralysed me. So now it’s not like someone’s not going to shout ‘Summer of 69’, but I can choose to not let that ruin my evening.”

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 18 March 2011

How To Make Money From Music (Feature)

Following the recent announcement of a heavy drop in attendance at concerts across the UK’s major arenas and the issues facing smaller music venues (as discussed in Rob Sleigh’s feature here) I got to thinking about how artists actually make a living from music these days.

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Support Your Local Gig Venue (Feature)

Following the recent rescue of London's 100 Club and the optimistic progression of the new Live Music Bill, we're taking a look at the current state of Britain's live music scene and of the smaller venues around the nation. We want to hear from you about your favourite local gig venue and we don't mean your nearest arena. We're interested in those nearby little places with a bit of history and character about them. Somewhere you can watch a band in relatively close quarters and get a drink for a reasonable price. Leave your comments at the end of this feature and, in the meantime, here are a few words to whet your appetite for low-key live music.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Tuesday, 15 March 2011

Stereoboard’s Fantasy Festival 2011

It's that time of year again – the time when we have to decide which of this year's countless music festivals to spend our hard-earned pounds on. No doubt many of you have already splashed out on one of the few summer events that have recently released tickets, such as T in the Park and the V Festivals. However, there are still plenty to choose from and, with all the speculation surrounding the bands that are still to be announced for the various line-ups, it could prove to be a difficult choice. With the Reading and Leeds line-up soon to be revealed, more artists being confirmed for Glastonbury and tons of bands still to be added to the host of other festivals, we decided to find out what your hopes and predictions are for 2011's summer of music. So we asked you for your dream festival performances and here are the results. We've compiled a virtual line-up of some of your expectations, over-optimistic or otherwise, as well as a few of our own for this year's Stereoboard Fantasy Festival.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Monday, 14 March 2011

Stereoboard Tour of the Week – The Kills

Three years after the release of their third album ‘Midnight Boom’, transatlantic lo-fi duo The Kills are to return next month with their latest offering entitled ‘Blood Pressures’. Following a previously-announced UK live date at London’s Heaven venue on 31st March, just a few days ahead of the album’s release, the pair have now revealed details of a full tour for May and June, including a slot at Newcastle-on-Tyne’s Evolution Weekender festival on 28th May.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Monday, 14 March 2011

Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Ocean Colour Scene

Britpop is back. Or so it would seem. Pulp and Suede are reforming, Blur are still umming and arring about whether or not to record any new material and Liam Gallagher is attempting to find out what life would be like without big bro. Also, speaking of Brother, one Slough-based group going by that very name have been accused of trying to revive the same genre and have even hooked up with Blur’s old producer Stephen Street to record their debut album. So who’s next?

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Monday, 07 March 2011

Sound & Vision (Peter Wyngarde, David Soul, Joaquin Phoenix Feature)

If you think about it, acting is a strange way to earn your daily crust: one moment you’re playing the role of a greenhouse gas in a Hackney council funded play about global warming; the next moment you’ve landed the leading role in a Bollywood version of “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo”. When your acting makes you a household name, the temptation to cash in on your fame must be strong. Some actors have dipped their toes into the waters of music with varying degrees of success. Back in the mid- 80s Kylie Minogue was just an Australian soap opera actress; these days she’s a global pop star. However, some actors haven’t been (to paraphrase Kylie’s song) “so lucky“ when they have tried their hand at music.

Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Tuesday, 01 March 2011

Whatever Happened To Cool Cymru? (Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia, Feeder, Stereophonics Feature)

With it being St David’s day today and local radio playing anything and everything they can find by Welsh bands, it reminded me of the term ‘Cool Cymru’ that was thrown around a lot around the mid 90’s and got me wondering what ever happened to that whole scene?

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 01 March 2011

Oceansize - A Tribute (Feature)

It is sadly a rare thing in this day and age. Rare indeed for a band to have the strength and determination to be everything they want to be without caving in to the inevitable financial pressures and lack of mainstream recognition. It is even rarer, not just in the world of today but in the whole of modern musical history, for a band to be anywhere near true musical perfection. Yet Oceansize, in the minds of many including myself, achieved this elusive state. The elusive state in question meant that it was never a case of the band possibly writing anything bad but instead of writing things that were slightly less amazing than everything else they wrote.

Written by: Ben Bland | Date: Tuesday, 01 March 2011

Stereoboard Tour of the Week – Frank Turner

Let’s face it – Frank Turner could probably be voted for Tour of the Week every week. As anyone who has been a fan of the singer since he started his solo career five years ago will confirm, it seems that the former Million Dead frontman is very rarely not on tour. Having just completed a string of dates, which included his own NME Awards Show, it’s unsurprising to discover that the travelling folkster wasn’t going to hang around long before announcing his next bunch of gigs. Lined up for May, in the run-up to his fourth album ‘England Keep My Bones’, Frank Turner will tour the UK once again for almost the entire month, making stops in most parts of the country. Despite the constant reappearances, we’re certainly not getting bored of him yet.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Friday, 25 February 2011

Why Beyonce Is NOT A Bad Booking For Glastonbury Festival 2011 (Glastonbury/ Beyonce Feature)

Since the announcement earlier this month that pop diva Beyonce Knowles will be the closing headliner for 2011’s Glastonbury festival, internet forums have been buzzing with people hammering their keyboards with every reason imaginable why the booking is terrible and a travesty. Something I’ve read several times is 'it’s not Glastonbury’. For me Glastonbury is absolutely about this sort of booking.

Written by: Dave Ball | Date: Tuesday, 22 February 2011

Born To Be Mild (Hot Chip, Kraftwerk, Devo Feature)

If you want to see sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll in one place, you could become a roadie for Daniel O’Donnell or just watch the documentary “The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years”. The film (a documentary about the Los Angeles heavy metal scene from the mid to late eighties) is littered with rock and roll clichés: Kiss’ Paul Stanley is interviewed on a bed, surrounded by scantily clad lingerie models and a drunken Chris Holmes from WASP, confesses to ‘4 women at a time’ sex sessions and pours vodka over his head. However for every Keith Moon in the world of rock and roll, there’s also a geek. The likes of Kraftwerk and Devo wouldn’t look out of place at a Dr Who convention but have become established, revered figures in the history of pop music.

Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Tuesday, 22 February 2011

Stereoboard.com Launch Access All Areas Anti-Scamming Viral Film - Watch Here!

After months of production, Stereoboard.com have launched their eagerly-anticipated 'Access All Areas' short film. 'Access All Areas' was premiered before a music industry audience at the Royal Hotel in the heart of Cardiff last night, with the film launching earlier today at 10am.

Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Friday, 18 February 2011

Stereoboard Tour of the Week – The Airborne Toxic Event

There aren’t too many LA-based groups that choose to spend an entire month of their lives over here in the UK, playing a gig every single night just to entertain their British fans. In fact, it’s probably fair to say that we’d be lucky to have a week’s worth of gigs to pick from by one of our transatlantic friends. However, that is exactly what The Airborne Toxic Event did a few years ago. Back in November 2008, a few months ahead of the UK release of their eponymous debut album, the alt-rock five-piece were kind enough to grace us with their presence for the whole month. During their 30 Shows in 30 Days Tour, as it became known, the band travelled up and down the country, visiting all four corners of the UK and returning to London each week for a gig at Camden Town’s iconic Dublin Castle.

Written by: Rob Sleigh | Date: Thursday, 17 February 2011

Access All Areas Anti-Scamming Viral Film Set For 'Royal Premiere'

After months of production, Stereoboard.com will launch their eagerly-anticipated 'Access All Areas' short film this week. 'Access All Areas' will be premiered before a music industry audience at the Royal Hotel in the heart of Cardiff tomorrow evening, with the film launching online on Friday February 18th at 10am.

Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Wednesday, 16 February 2011

For The Record (Music Downloads Feature)

In December 2010 a second HMV store opened in Cardiff city centre. My limited understanding of big business is based on watching the ‘Who shot JR?’ Dallas episode so this new store opening made me think that HMV was an expanding business. However, in the following January HMV announced that it would be closing 40 of its stores in 2011. In the last few years high street record shops have been threatened by a combination of Internet downloads, supermarket chains selling cheap CDs and online shops like Amazon. This leads me to ask a number of questions: What will be the future for the music format? Is downloading killing the beloved CD and ultimately the high street record shop? Why did it take so long to axe ‘Last of The Summer Wine’ from the BBC schedule? Ok, maybe not the last question.

Written by: Rob Burns | Date: Wednesday, 16 February 2011