GIG WISH LIST

HELLO

How are you all? Good? Fab, that’s great news. Bad? Oh, that’s unfortunate, I’m sure everything will get better soon 🙂

Anyway, I’m here to talk about my ‘Gig Wish List’. 10 artists/bands that I’m relatively desperate to see live, plus some honourable mentions afterwards (who I’m also kind of desperate to see live). Let’s get straight into it:

1. Years & Years 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/nRLZFmTcOkY?feature=player_embedded

One of my new favourite bands, Years & Years have become huge this past year. Mainly hitting with their number 1 single King, they’re set to release their debut album Communion in the next two weeks. I love the ‘vibe’ of Years & Years’ music, as I would perhaps explain, they’re very ‘tumblr’. I love their new single Shine, and I think seeing them live would be a fantastic experience, with everyone singing and dancing along, as well as Olly’s notable sassy dance moves. The stripped down version of Eyes Shut is fantastic, I simply cannot get enough of this group.

2. Florence + The Machine

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZDXkD4l0ZBE?feature=player_embedded

Florence’s new album is out and it’s better than ever, a more ‘rock’ feel to it than Lungs and Ceremonials, I’d love to see songs from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful performed live, especially Delilah and Ship To Wreck. I’m a huge fan of Florence, and her headlining Glastonbury set replacing The Foo Fighters was one of the best I’ve seen, the same can’t be said for Kanye’s headline set (greatest living rock star I think not, although I’d love to have that confidence in myself). Florence really gets into the music, and creates a fantastic show where she really becomes one with the ‘sound’ and interacts with the audience in such a way that makes them feel as if they themselves are part of the show.

3. Galantis

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-mF5LBKKdD8?feature=player_embedded

Desperate to see Galantis live, so desperate. They create songs that are simply entertaining and make you want to get up and dance, now imagine that with a few other peoplle (hundreds/thousands) and you have a Galantis concert. Imagine the atmosphere when the drop hits, everyone jumping around and just having a good time. Besides, judging from that clip, they look like they’re having the time of their lives as well.

4. Tove Styrke

 https://www.youtube.com/embed/oA2MiXNzpdw?feature=player_embedded

I’m relatively new to Tove Styrke’s music, but I’ve instantly fallen in love. I discovered Borderline first, and just went further into her music and started to watch some live footage. Tove comes from Sweden, a country with some really fantastic artists emerging into the mainstream, and I predict big things for Tove Styrke, with her debut album reaching no. 10 in the charts, and her second, and most recent, hitting no. 14. Live footage show an intimate concert experience, one that I’d very much love to be a part of.

5. Jessie Ware

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2nyLmAwlqU8?feature=player_embedded

Jessie Ware’s voice is soulful and personal, and her performance style is unique. I imagine her concerts are a really fulfilling experience, because you really get what you ask for. I’m astonished by Jessie’s fantastic songs, and her success is so well-deserved, at the time of writing this, I’m watching Jessie Ware’s Glastonbury 2015 set, and it’s simply brilliant. A real credit to the music industry right now, in what seems to be a rather generic time of artistry.

6. Clean Bandit

https://www.youtube.com/embed/eR9y6Ok88UE?feature=player_embedded

Clean Bandit are one of my favourite groups, I love Extraordinary, and I also have a love for Stronger. Watching their set at Coachella was brilliant, and then bamn. Marina came on and performed their collaboration Disconnect, which I’m SUPER pumped for. Clean Bandit bring something unique to the pop scene, combining classical and mainstream to create a really fresh sound. I find myself watching clips of their live shows in awe of their stage presence and supreme talent.

7. James Bay

https://www.youtube.com/embed/vXSylbkvmSQ?feature=player_embedded

James Bay is a fantastic artist, ridiculously talented and it’s admirable just how well he’s taken all this sudden success. His live performances are perfectly intimate and entertaining, and his songs are so wonderfully flowing that you feel like you’ve known them all of your life, and you feel like you can just sing along because of this. His album is one of, perhaps is, one of my favourite albums of 2015 so far. I feel like James Bay is going to be one of my favourite artists of all time, and in the future I will most definitely remember him and his music, because it’s had such a positive, and reflective, impact on my life so far. James is the type of artist that sounds amazing in studio versions of songs, but just as good, perhaps even better, live. James creates emotional music, which is something we really need in our society where music can be seen as just an emotionless sound.

8. The Wombats

https://www.youtube.com/embed/bU8yNdxZzlM?feature=player_embedded

I love The Wombats, ever since their first album I’ve been a huge fan. I have a few friends that have seen The Wombats live, and they’ve absolutely loved it. Myself, watching clips of The Wombats live, like the one above, the whole ‘gig’ experience really comes to life with The Wombats. The lighting, set, and general feel-good music across all of The Wombat’s music with songs such as Techno Fan, Give Me A Try and more, all lend to a fun and energetic experience, one that I would love to experience. The Wombats have long been part of my music taste, and I predict they will be for many years to come, especially with the release of their brilliant new album Glitterbug.

9. Lorde

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q0uhsHkIBOQ?feature=player_embedded

If you’ve come across my blog before, you may have read an appreciation post I did for Lorde. Lorde’s debut album is fantastic, and I could really connect with it. Myself and Lorde are about the same age, and probably would have been in the same class together at school if, you know, my life were that exciting. Lorde’s stage presence is one that I truly admire, and her live performances really emulate her passion for music, and the ‘show’ itself appears to be highly entertaining and perhaps intense, in a good way. Thus, Lorde simply HAS to appear on my gig wish list.

10. HAIM

https://www.youtube.com/embed/osDvqKxgTiw?feature=player_embedded

HAIM are my faves. They are cool. Just cool. Not swag cool, ultimate cool. V. cool. Their live sets are filled with energy and atmosphere, and I’m particularly fond of their performances of Let Me Go, because of that ending (see above). Such drums, much intense, many fun. Anyway, as you can probably tell, I’m a huge fan of HAIM, Danielle, Este, and Alana are my heroes. Their music is fun and energetic, but they can also tell a story in a soulful and delicate way. HAIM’s debut album is my favourite from 2013, and I really am looking forward to what Danielle, Este, Alana and Dash create in the future. 

Honorable mentions

Marina & the Diamonds

Foxes

Fall Out Boy

Panic at the Disco

Hozier

Amber Run

Bastille

KYKO

Circa Waves

Anyway…

That’s all for now.

See you soon!

TotallyCulture

Curtis  

 

TOP 10: MUSICAL TUNES

“All aboard guilty pleasure central”

Musicals are cool aren’t they? I mean, telling an entire story though a few songs… it’s practically unheard of (!) But seriously, musicals are actually cool. Not those weird one off musical episodes of a cult TV show, that’s not cool. But, what’s cool is those things where you go and sit in front of a stage and people sing and dance for you to make a huge story that moves you.

Some of my favourite musicals are Les Misérables, Into The Woods, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Dream Girls and Wicked. Face value – these musicals seem a bit generic and fancy, yet considering the story and context of these musicals, they provide social commentary, historical detail and escapism into a fantasy world. Example – Hairspray is about the racism of the 60s, and a ‘big’ girl becoming the main star of a TV show, that’s enough of social and historical commentary on it’s own. Let’s get started with my top 10 songs from musicals, albeit with some musicals appearing more than once, and other songs originating from film adaptions which have been adapted into the stage versions. Starting in reverse order, from tenth to first.

10. Blackout – In The Heights 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/SFVVNAksMfs?feature=player_embedded

What else can I say apart from – LOOK AT THE FIREWORKS

9. Listen – Dream Girls 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jHjaHygfWHA?feature=player_embedded

Get it Beyoncé, get it. This song is all about becoming your own, using your own voice and not being controlled, becoming so iconic despite not being in the initial stage production, that it could perhaps be one of the most iconic songs from the whole of Dream Girls. Such a strong voice, and such a strong message.

8. Voulez Vous – Mamma Mia!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6HjS1s9QuZk?feature=player_embedded

Included the movie version of the song because I find the whole scene to be actually quite intense, really lending to Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) anxiety attack. Plus, the beginning of the song with the kind of women vs men is just really cool… then BAMN “I’m your dad” x3.

7. Little Fall of Rain – Les Misérables

https://www.youtube.com/embed/no4B8YWhdFg?feature=player_embedded

I adore this musical, I really do. Back in year 7, I played the role of ‘Urchin’ in the school production, I know… I’m a superstar. Ever since then, all those years ago, I now adore the story of Les Misérables, I’ve read the book, I went to see the film at the cinema with a bunch of friends for a close friends birthday (which was a surprise, he thought it would just be 5 of us, turned out to be over 15 of us). Éponine is probably one of my favourite characters from the story, and her death in the film absolutely killed me, Samantha Barks is great, and Eddie Redmayne is fantastic as Marius. If I could, I would essentially have all the Les Mis songs in the list, however… I kind of have to give other musicals a chance. 

6. I Know Where I’ve Been – Hairspray

https://www.youtube.com/embed/H-2He8cNHdw?feature=player_embedded

 The ultimate protest song, If I had gone to the Anti-Austerity march in London recently I’d have just been blasting this song out loud (even though austerity and race have no direct correlation). Again, the movie version made it so much better with cinematic angles and lighting, a really tender moment in an otherwise quirky and slightly cheesy musical.

5. Defying Gravity – Wicked

https://www.youtube.com/embed/FlMBcTGJ4YM?feature=player_embedded

I MEAN, HOW COULD I NOT?! Such an iconic song! I don’t know what’s more iconic for Idina Menzel – Let It Go or Defying Gravity? Or maybe that awkward christmas song she did with Michael Bublé. I kid of course, Idina is brilliant. This song is brilliant, this musical is brilliant, and I’m super pumped for the film adaption released in a year or two. Also, the Colleen Ballinger/Miranda Sings version makes me laugh so that’s a bonus.

4. Dancing Queen – Mamma Mia!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/juTRRspWUqM?feature=player_embedded

How fun? Such fun. Older women, younger women, all women can have fun. Heck, I was even bobbing along to the song when I first saw this film. It’s a rather good film if you just need something to smile at. 

3. Prologue (Act One) – Into The Woods

https://www.youtube.com/embed/lrDU8DcT9lU?feature=player_embedded

 I WISH MORE THAN ANYTHING 

I loved the stage version, so when I heard they were making a film adaption I was more than ecstatic. I wasn’t totally disappointed, apart from stuff that was cut from the stage adaption to fit the film, but I do understand why it was cut (can’t have all that gross death stuff in a Disney film). Anyway, the prologue is relatively long (14+ minutes), but it really is a great way of introducing all the characters with a catchy tune that explores the entire story of ‘what happens after happy ever after’. 

2. Seasons of Love – Rent

https://www.youtube.com/embed/hj7LRuusFqo?feature=player_embedded

Honestly, this song is one of my favourite songs of all time, so, so good. Idina Menzel seems to be appearing everywhere on this list (Wicked, Rent), a bit like Amanda Seyfried (Les Mis, Mamma Mia) and Daniel Huttlestone (Les Mis, Into The Woods). I just love the sense of unity in this song. 

1. One Day More – Les Misérables 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/otZKdoHs06g?feature=player_embedded

 Every time I hear the intro to this song, I get chills. I remember performing this song during my school production 7 years age so vividly, the whole cast (apart from Fantine of course) were formed in a triangle, and we were marching up and down on the spot. It felt so real and so powerful. This song is without a doubt my favourite song from a musical,  because it’s so strong. Everybody seemingly comes together and the war begins, heck it was a goal of mine a few years back to perform in a flash mob playing the role of Thénardier, and I’d still love that if I wasn’t an awkward bundle of awkwardness. Éponine’s sorrow amidst the hopefulness of Enjolras, whilst Marius and Cosette declare their love for each other and the Thénardier’s steal a few things, it’s just a powerfully overwhelming song that makes you want to march around your house. 

A few songs that only just didn’t make the cut

Take a Chance On Me – Mamma Mia!

Master of the House – Les Misérables

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables – Les Misérables

Popular – Wicked

Welcome To The 60s – Hairspray

Big Bright Beautiful World – Shrek The Musical 

That’s all for now, see you soon!

Bye!

Totally Culture

I’M BACK WITH A RANT AND SOME GEEKY GOODNESS

Before I start, here are a few pictures to create some hype.

Hello! Yes, I’m back. Bit of a change around here, Geek Culture and Me is now Totally Geek. I thought I’d change it around and has a hypothetical ‘rebranding’ of the blog. I noticed that I was writing more about things that weren’t essentially ‘geeky’, don’t fret – I’ll still be doing some super crazy posts about all things geeky, like Suicide Squad (HOW COOL DO MARGOT ROBBIE AND JARED LETO LOOK AS HARLEY QUINN AND THE JOKER WOAH) and Doctor Who (MAISIE WILLIAMS IN DOCTOR WHO WHAT WHAT WHAT). Basically, I’ve been away for a few months to focus on my exams, and this morning I finished my last exam Sociology (I had two Sociology exams, and just for reference I also took English Lit and Media). It seems that actually I have missed blogging, just because it’s a place for me to be myself in what seems to be a really idealised, constructed society (lol jk I’m just introverted). My gap year has begun, and with this comes more blog posts, some exciting prospects, and some fun travelling (as well as re-applying to University because I withdrew my application).

DISCLAIMER: FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS WHOLE MASSIVE PARAGRAPH BECAUSE IT’S SIMPLY ABOUT HOW WE SHOULDN’T BE LABELLED IN SOCIETY AND HOW MUCH I SUPPORT FEMINSIM

Anyway, during the ‘intense’ revision period which mainly consisted of binge-watching TV shows, my bad, I found myself really immersed into music, I found that my guilty pleasures won’t really guilty pleasures, they were perhaps just pleasures. I must admit, and it is sad for me to do so, but I feel that there is a kind of social consensus that a (excuse me for being controversial here) white, straight, 17 year old cannot listen to certaint types of music without being laughed at. I mean, heck, screw that. If I want to listen to Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, or listen to Hillsong and songs from musicals, I’m going to do that because we shouldn’t let ourselves be defined by what seems to be this concept of ‘you’re not a man if you don’t behave like a man’, perhaps relating to Tony Porter’s ‘man box’, in which a man is expected to ‘not cry openly or express emotion – except anger’, ‘not express weakness or fear’, ‘be aggressive’, ‘heterosexual’, ‘views women as property/objects’. I find myself in this position, asking why a straight guy can’t listen to a truly respectable artist like Beyoncé, in the fear of being called ‘gay’, why is there this preconception that a straight guy cannot listen to music? I am comfortable enough in my sexuality to be myself and admit that sometimes, I like to listen to the Les Misérables soundtrack, but also admit that sometimes I like to watch action films and be immersed in the oh so ‘manly’ culture. When/If I marry in the very far future, I truly hope that my wife appreciates a quick dance to Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off like I do, there’s nothing wrong with being yourself and the fact that people’s association with such forms of entertainment being negative saddens me, even when reflecting on personal experience. I’ve noticed that with celebrity males, being straight and listening to Beyoncé etc is perfectly fine, however being an ordinary male, being straight and listening to Beyoncé results in people sniggering at you and thinking ‘is he sure?’. That’s sad, that’s depressing. Our society takes pride in taking interest in other people’s personal lives, and with this new wave of feminism that I totally support, which again is a kind of taboo with straight men (I know of only three other friends of mine who can openly admit they support feminism without the fear of being called ‘gay’), it still seems like there’s a division in gender, and a division in character. I believe in a future where a straight male like myself can listen to certain music without being laughed at because it’s ‘gay’ and ‘feminine’, I believe in a future where a straight woman gets a short haircut without being labelled a ‘lesbian’. I believe in a future where genders are treated equally, and we don’t have to hide behind a false mask in order to avoid being falsely labelled, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with being labelled as ‘gay’, ‘feminine’, ‘lesbian’ or ‘butch’, but it would be just as nice to be labelled as something true, to be labelled as ourselves. Self-identification is the future, not peer-identification. 

Anyway, rant over. I thought I’d continue with some fanboyish moments. 

How great was Avengers: Age of Ultron? I got to see it with a group of good friends for free because one of them worked at the cinema, and I found myself so involved in the film. So good! How great is Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch? Why did REVLISKCIUQ (SPOILERS read that backwards, unless you want to avoid spoilers) have to die?!?!?!?! The Vision is my new idol. 

Suicide Squad set pictures are fantastic, and the fan-art is just as good. How cool is this fan-art of Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, it’s absolutely poster worthy! Interestingly, no set photos of Cara Dele-whatshername apart from the odd rare (one of her fully covered to avoid costume leak). I’m starting to wonder just what role The Enchantress will play in the DCU film. I think I’m more excited about Suicide Squad than Ant-Man and Batman V Superman, not really too hyped about such films like Gambit though, you get me? 

ANYWAY

In the next few days/weeks, I’ll be back in full force, posting reviews on the new Florence album, doing top 10 lists of live performances and songs from musicals but to name a few. I look forward to start blogging again. It’s fairly exciting! 

Thanks for reading, be sure to check out all my fancy little social media sites. Feel free to subscribe by email to be notified whenever a new blog post comes out! 

1. http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/margot-robbie-transforms-into-harley-quinn-on-suicide-squad-set/story-fnk850z8-1227335016271

2. http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/ant-man_avengers_poster_tv_spot-2015-06

3. http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/doctor-who-spoiler-watch-game-5633767

4. http://www.slashfilm.com/avengers-age-of-ultron-trailer-3/

5. http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=120122