Virtual festivals: the future, or the best of a bad situation?

If you didn't know, we're still entangled in a global pandemic. Everyone's plans for 2020 have been completely derailed, and as the days go by, we trudge on with a mix of hopeful optimism and an attitude of "there is a good chance this year will just keep getting worse".

One of the many casualties that Covid-19 has taken away from us is music festivals. It's summertime, the temperature is... usually reasonable, and you're living in a field for five days getting tanked with your mates - it's a British tradition for people of all ages (but mostly 16-38 year olds). For many, it's the highlight of the year; the Christmas of the summer. Alas though, 2020 wasn't having it, and we have to wait until next year at least.

However, some of the powers that be have found a way around their restrictions, by holding a very 21st century alternative to the sights, sounds and smells of a wet and muddy field: a virtual festival. Accessible to anyone with a device that can use the internet, some select festivals have shown footage from old concerts, held interviews with bands that were set to play the festival this year, and even broadcast a live performance online from certain acts.

What seems to be the case though, is that many of the festivals choosing to do this, are very firmly entrenched in a "community" style feel. Download Festival is one example - the biggest rock and metal festival in the UK, whose message and branding emboldens a spirit of one big rockin' family. Having been five times now, it's incomparable to other festivals I've attended, simply because everyone feels welcome and everyone is there to have a good time. The music also helps.

On the weekend the festival was supposed to be taking place, Download held its own online festival in the form of Download TV, where there were interviews and performances involving bands on the 2020 bill, as well as other forms of entertainment including cooking shows and eyoga. All this was available to everyone for free, with encouragement throughout to raise money for the NHS. In the end, the festival raised £10,585 for NHS Charities Together, plus £135,558 in charity t-shirt sales, which is an incredible effort! Yes, the NHS isn't a charity and shouldn't need help from a music festival to raise its funds, but this was a grand gesture from the Download team.

2000 Trees Festival, a small to medium sized event held at Upcote Farm in Gloucestershire, provided an alternative on a slightly lesser scale, by broadcasting live performances from a number of acts booked for this year, as well as interviews and unseen footage from old shows. The somewhat predictably named 2000 Screens admittedly, in the words of the festival team themselves, "could never replace 2000 Trees", but it was a pretty damn good lifeline. They didn't have to organise it, but they did for their love of music.

2000 Trees Festival held its online festival, 2000 Screens, in July

Most years, as June draws to a close, Glastonbury have the BBC at their mercy. You can't blame them really, it is Glastonbury after all. It was only fair that the Beeb show famous performances from old headliners and other memorable moments during Glasto's 2020 weekend. It was nice to relive past memories of me either glued to the TV at home watching Metallica, or at the Pyramid Stage watching the event close out in a storm of fireworks and flags during The Who. Alongside their mainstream television coverage, Glastonbury also aired free content online including meditation sessions, behind the scenes footage, and even debates from the infamous Left Field activist organisation.

What Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds lack though, is the community spirit. For Download and 2000 Trees, what was unique to them was the feeling that you could talk to anyone and they would become your new mates. What people will miss from Glasto instead is maybe taking an inadvertent stroll through Shangri-La and not being sure if what you're seeing is real, or if the shrooms have finally kicked in. Reading & Leeds? Maybe having someone defecate on your tent.

In respect of Download and 2000 Trees, that's what was needed most in 2020: the big happy family vibe. Everyone there is your friend. No online festival could fill that void, even if Zoom is a thing now. This was what made Download TV especially more unique. You can tell they put a lot of thought into their content and made the best of what they could, and the acts seemed more than happy to take part.

Download 2018 - the festival family

We should be thankful for what British festivals have done for us in this cacophony of a year. In an effort to lift our moods and give us something to plug the gaps in our summer, we have been treated to some very unique experiences that, as good as they were, hopefully won't have to happen again. Keep your fingers crossed that by 2021 we will be able to return to our second homes, sitting in camping chairs, drinking warm cans and tripping over guy ropes in the night.

But will this become more common in the future? Will some events divert to an online format in a bid to save money and avoid any potential social distance rule breaking? Or will things return to the way they were soon enough, and this will be a one off? We can only wait and see.

In the meantime, here I am enjoying a Saturday watching Iron Maiden on Download TV, when I should have been in a sea of 100,000 metalheads at Donington Park instead... watching Iron Maiden.

The impact of Covid-19 on the music industry

If you're reading this, chances are you're a fan of music, and I don't blame you.

Maybe, like me, you had plans to go to a few gigs this year, but they have now been scuppered by the global pandemic known as coronavirus. Our enjoyment may be on the line, but it goes deeper than that. A lot deeper.

We have to remember that on the other end of this, human beings aren't making any money from touring, album promotions or other similar activities. It is well documented that Covid-19 has hit the world's economies with the sort of critical hit we are used to seeing a Razor Leaf inflict, and there aren't enough Hyper Potions in the world that can bring some normality back soon enough.

Of course, it goes beyond the artists too. Think of all the venues that are currently losing money, just sitting there idly waiting for the green light to start hosting live entertainment again that won't require the use of a webcam. Until then, they can only wait. Some may be closed forever, while the lucky ones will be able to survive, but sacrifices will have been made e.g. furloughs, job cuts etc.

Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton (Credit: Chris Whippet)

In the UK, venues valued under £51,000 are entitled to a small grant of between £10,000 and £25,000. The majority of smaller venues are said to be in serious trouble, with roughly 83% of grassroots venues in the UK under threat of closure, which is why these grants are so important. Thankfully eviction isn't an option (for now), but the main issue for these venues is rent. The longer the lockdown is on for, the more likely that these venues get the touch of death.

Aside from live music, artist sales have also taken a knock, what with the temporary closure of shops that sell music such as HMV and independent retailers. Even online options have become more limited, with retailers deciding to focus on more essential items than CDs and vinyls. It seems that the easiest way to gain access to music is streaming services, but it is now common knowledge that musicians barely make any money from services such as Spotify or Apple Music.

Some artists (Biffy Clyro, Alanis Morissette, Dixie Chicks, Lamb Of God etc...) have even decided to delay the release of their albums because of the situation. What do you think? Should artists help us get through this by releasing new music, or should they wait so that they can promote it accordingly with tours and music videos?

Like a lot of retailers, music stores have been hit hard (Credit: Jennifer Boyer)

What to take away from this is that, just like with the majority of things in life, there is so much more to it than meets the eye. There are so many levels to this that it takes some time to process the domino effect that the downfall of the music industry will have on both the economy and the people who drive it.

When this is over, support your local music scene more than ever before. If you can, buy that record you like at your local music outlet, pay for that "slightly expensive" gig, and keep the industry afloat after it has taken such a whack. You can also support your favourite musicians by buying merchandise. If you can, buy it from their website so the revenue goes directly to them.

We may have lost our whole summer, maybe even the rest of the year, but we should spare a thought for those across the nation, whatever the industry, who have lost their jobs as well. Nobody could have predicted this, and as such, not many people will have prepared for such a situation.

Let's hope this is over soon and we can see our families, friends and favourite musicians.

Album review: Enter Shikari - Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible

Never one to stick to the rules, St Albans outfit Enter Shikari have continued to go for the

(Credit: ThereIsNoAlternative)

jugular with their form of vibrant, cutting music.

If you haven't listened to Enter Shikari before, they tend not to skirt the issues. A band which has previously challenged climate change deniers, the government and girls who have wronged them, the boys don't exactly follow the rule book. Each of their albums are part of their journey and shows a progression - album number six Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible is no different.

Produced by lead vocalist Rou Reynolds, Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible is a journey filled with both speed bumps and no speed limits. Compared to previous effort The Spark, it feels more stripped back, yet also more unhinged.

Filled with fast dance numbers such as opener The Great Unknown and the Faithless-esque T.I.N.A, the band flex their sugar-fuelled muscles to remind everyone of their rights to the British dance rock throne. The quartet have their fingers in many pies though, especially on this record. Some of those pies consist of the sweet, bubblegum fillings of Crossing The Rubicon and The Pressure's On, while others are for the more sophisticated palate such as Elegy For Extinction (recorded with the City Of Prague Symphony Orchestra, no less), as well as others that have the feel of  a more classic flavour that fans have become accustomed to such as The King and The Dreamer's Hotel.

It also wouldn't be an Enter Shikari album without a musical interlude or two, and nothing changes here. Apocaholics Anonymous is for the dubheads, while Reprise 3 harks back to breakthrough album Take To The Skies in both track name and lyrical content.

Fans know that where Enter Shikari's real strengths lie though is in their live show, and boy are there some tunes curated for such an event. Take the gargantuan pop hooks of Marionettes (II. The Ascent) for example, or Modern Living.... and its lyrical nods to Oasis and Phil Collins, whether intentional or not.

With most acts, an album featuring such a mishmash of styles would go over most people's heads and be classed as a mess, but this is Enter Shikari to a tee. References to each of the past forms they have taken on are well complimented by sounds from them we have not heard before. This is a group who aren't short of ideas and are still looking for more.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended songs: Modern Living...., Marionettes (II. The Ascent)

Album per day: Day 25

Artist: Fall Out Boy

Album: American Beauty/American Psycho
Released: 2015

It's the old chestnut of an artist that makes surprising, and somewhat drastic changes to their music. Do they do it for the shock factor? Or do they do it because they are bored of their old style? Fall Out Boy, the former stalwarts of the emo trend, hit us up with their sixth album American Beauty/American Psycho at the start of this year, an album they wrote whilst on tour with Paramore. An attempt at making a more cohesive album than their previous efforts followed, but the problem with this is it sometimes takes away the artists identity as they intend on replicating what's currently popular.
Irresistible was one of the tracks I was familiar with beforehand, with its somewhat humorous music video where the fellas get their asses handed to them at basketball. It was, and still is, my least favourite of their singles. You just wouldn't think this is the same band that added tonnes of weight to Beat It or wrote The Carpal Tunnel Of Love. The title track is a step in the right direction; poppy hooks with a rock beat, and whilst Centuries doesn't carry that description on, it still sits high because it's just too damn catchy to simply forget. It also reminds you that Patrick Stump can kick it with the big boys when it comes to his voice. I'd love to see him perform this live just to see if he can manage the chorus vocals for the entire song. The Kids Aren't Alright takes it down a notch, and even manages to sample Motley Crüe, complimenting the sombre guitar riff and echoed vocals.
Uma Thurman, like Uptown Funk, is one of those songs I just have to dance to every time I hear it. Surf guitar alongside bouncy piano chords ensure feel-good vibes all around. The powerful chorus of Jet Pack Blues is just about enough to make it stand out, otherwise I feel it would be one of the more forgettable tracks on the album, and Novocaine has that infectious disco feel that The Phoenix had, but it almost seems like a lazy rip-off. Fourth Of July could've been a sub-par Katy Perry single, and Favorite Record (yes that's how it is spelled; I know it hurts me too, but remember where they're from) mixes elements of Snow Patrol and The 1975 to form an indie stomper. Immortals is another uplifting and memorable pop song, and just like that, the album finishes on Twin Skeleton's (Hotel in NYC), and with the guitar work on this album being a little threadbare, it's refreshing to be able to swoon over the riff in the chorus. It's a fitting end, and what will be another reminder of just how far these boys have come from Grand Theft Autumn.
I didn't dislike this album, I just... found it boring at times. There are some songs on it I'd definitely have on my playlists, but when some of the filler is, well, exactly that, it's hard to rate the album so highly. The guys are growing up, and you knew that they would never want to rely on their pop-punk forever, but Save Rock N'Roll was risky business as it is. For someone who has seen them put on a terrific rock show twice, this was just a bit too much for me to get my head around. It could be a grower, but for a band who have incredible instrumentation skills, this album felt like it could have all been produced by lifeless machines. Were it not for Patrick Stump's pipes, you'd be forgiven for not having a clue who wrote this album.

Rating: 6/10
Recommended songs: Centuries, Uma Thurman, Twin Skeleton's (Hotel in NYC)

Album per day: Day 24

Artist: Justin Bieber
Album: Purpose
Released: 2015

When I started this trainwreck of a challenge, let alone this blog, I never thought that I'd find myself so desperate to review the new record by Canadian troublemaker Justin Bieber. From humble beginnings on YouTube, to poisoning eardrums worldwide, whilst infatuating many others, his rise to stardom has been well documented as a cacophony of troublesome behaviour and having to grow up very quickly. His fourth studio album Purpose, which features a wide range of artists providing their input in both musical and production duties, dropped last month, and sees the 21 year old venturing into the more mature territories of EDM and R&B, mixed in with his usual brand of teen pop. Will his more mature image alienate his hordes of obsessed fans, or will he win over the haters with an infectious new sound?
Mark My Words starts things off short and sweet, with Bieber falsettoing over a vocal loop. Ever since this guys balls dropped, his vocals have definitely become a lot more appealing, jumping so effortlessly between falsetto and a more tender tenor vocal. This continues on I'll Show You, a track produced by none other than Skrillex, who you will hear a lot more of on this album. A slow dance number perhaps inspired by the likes of Ne-Yo, it's got quite a romancing hook. Recent single What Do You Mean? follows, which sounds like a classic club anthem with repetitive lyrics, but even more recent single Sorry is, honestly, a tune. I would much rather hear this in a club than What Do You Mean?, and beyond that, the lyrics are actually quite meaningful and are sure to touch a nerve. Love Yourself is a simplistic song that fans of acoustic music will gush over, and it's no surprise that this was co-written with Ed Sheeran; it wouldn't be out of place on either + or x.
Company only really gets going in the chorus when the bass drops, no matter how lightly it does drop. I'm noticing that the chorus' are now filled with more instrumentals rather than what we're used to hearing from JB: a typical 4/4 pop chorus with simple rhyming lyrics. Big Sean makes an appearance on No Pressure, another chilled out track with a delivery that reminds me a little bit of more recent Mariah Carey tracks, but then Big Sean comes in. The man that gave us the delightful internet anthem I Don't Fuck With You then suddenly goes all lovey-dovey on us to contribute a throwaway verse. The contribution of Travi$ Scott to No Sense was a little more prominent, but involved a lot of autotune, thankfully not detracting too much from the surprisingly complex musical arrangement of this track. American singer Halsey appears on This Feeling, a track that compliments both vocalists well, and is a rather impressive pop song overall.
Life Is Worth Living had me stand to attention as soon as the first grand piano note sounded, and is at this point in the record, a curveball. Behind the carefree, pretty badboy image, Bieber can write very meaningful songs, and this is an important one for anyone having doubts about their life. Where Are Ü Now brings things back, and you will surely recognise this one from over the summer. Skrillex and Diplo team up to churn out a floorfiller, but still to this day I can't decide if the hook in the chorus is downright irritating or incredibly catchy. I'm sure a lot of you reading this have a pre-drinks playlist, well Children should probably be on there somewhere, a statement that could almost be applied to the majority of Purpose, and now the pop electronics give way to the solemn title track. Justin Bieber can do ballads, and it seems he can do them well. I think he's ended this record the right way, admitting his misgivings in both song and interview form, as a recorded statement from JB plays over the final minute of the song.
I've read a lot about this record, and funnily enough, not one of the statements I've read has been negative. I've seen the jokes ("would Bieber like some mash with all of these bangers?"), and I was intrigued to say the least. It's never nice to see child stars go down the pan, and there are times when the whole world wanted Bieber wiped off the face of the Earth, but if you ask me, he's matured in a way that a lot of other fellow child stars have failed to do. I remember watching his roast on Comedy Central earlier this year, hoping to see him get ripped to shreds, and he was... but you know what? I respected him after that. He took the abuse well, and even made a few wisecracks himself. There's no reason to condone his destructive behaviour in his personal life, but I'm no psychologist; I'm only here to give my thoughts on this album. And I never thought I'd write this on what is a public page, but I enjoyed it. Bieber has found a healthy mix of contributors that offer a lot to the album, even if the structures of the songs and typical three minute lengths are a little predictable. He hasn't won me over, but this year has seen me change my opinion of him. I hope he doesn't fall into the trap of completely losing it a la Miley Cyrus, but this is a step in the right direction. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am off to go and break some ribs at The Prodigy. And they say I don't have a diverse taste.

Rating: 7.5/10
Recommended songs: Sorry, This Feeling, Life Is Worth Living

Album per day: Day 23

Artist: Sia
Album: 1000 Forms of Fear
Released: 2014

The Australian poster girl for individualism, Sia has had trouble adjusting to fame throughout her career. Penning hit after hit for artists such as Beyonce and Rihanna, it was a fear of fame that led Sia Furler in the direction of songwriting over performing. Last year, she released sixth album 1000 Forms of Fear to a mixture of awe, confusion and disgust. Now, I'm an advocate for artists that stir up these sorts of reactions; they're making noises and stirring things up a bit. Sia though, does not intend to be particularly groundbreaking with her music, but more with her image and her more tangible art. There's a fine line between being pretentious and being secretive, but I think she treads that line with plenty of dignity. She's been through some shit in her life, so I herald her before even giving this album a listen.
If you haven't heard Chandelier, you must have been living under a rock these past couple of years. It really is modern electropop at its finest, and was arguably my favourite song of 2014. The powerful chorus soars like the bird in the night that she croons about, and with its infectious melody it was always going to be a smash hit from the get-go. In one of the most low-key musician feuds of all time, Sia attacks Fergie's claims that Big Girls Don't Cry by writing... Big Girls Cry. Okay, this isn't a diss song or a response to Fergie's 2007 take on mature songwriting, but you can't help but feel touched by Sia's words, especially when you read into her life experiences. Definitely an album highlight. Burn The Pages is a little sombre in comparison, a more generic take on contemporary pop, while Eye of the Needle takes things back to the top. You can just imagine Glee getting their mitts on this one.
Hostage cranks it up a little more with electropop cloaked in indie rock guitars. It wouldn't sound too out of place on a Florence and the Machine record. Sia's vulnerability becomes clearer with each song, and the aptly named Straight for the Knife spells out her ordeal over fuzzy guitar and wobbly keyboards. "Give me your wallet and your watch", demands Sia on Fair Game. No, she has not suddenly gone all Cockney pickpocket on us, but she still bloody means it. She may want to play a fair game, but what game is fair when she adds in a xylophone solo for good measure? There aren't many who can get away with that. Perhaps better known for a music video that exposed us to a little too much of Shia Labeouf, Elastic Heart had to follow Chandelier as a single, which was no easy task. Still as incessantly catchy as the latter, yet with a more basic approach to the instrumentation, you will find yourself singing along by the final chorus.
It's not really until the chorus of Free The Animal that my interest is peaked, sounding something like a Miley Cyrus side project. The rest of the song is kind of forgettable though, save for the looped vocals at the end. What usually happens when we make Fire Meet Gasoline? It doesn't take a scientist to work out that it usually ends up in a lot more fire, with a chance of explosions. Whilst the song is somewhat enjoyable, it feels like Sia's voice can only give a song so much individuality. There are no explosions, only sparklers I'm afraid. Cellophane begins with a hint that it'll grow into a monster, and whilst it does grow, it's more like a blossoming flower. Final track Dressed In Black shakes things up further, with abstract chord changes and a prolonged outro that seems to be the only fitting way to close an album this convoluted.
I went in with hopes that Sia would not take on the form of any other artists out there, that she would just be herself. She is clearly a vibrant and creative talent, but the air of mystery surrounding this persona that she refuses to display doesn't quite add up to the hype. It's hardly Blue Man Group or Slipknot; those two acts have brought something new to the table in their respective genres whilst hiding behind so called "gimmicks", but this album doesn't feel like anything new to me. Don't get me wrong, there are some good songs on here, some that are very good as a matter of fact. However, I remember first hearing Chandelier and subsequently struggling to listen to anything else for the next couple of hours, not just because of the songs quality, but because of how massive and exciting it was. 1000 Forms of Fear didn't quite recreate the emotions I felt that day, but it does suckerpunch when it wants to.

Rating: 6/10
Recommended tracks: Chandelier, Big Girls Cry, Elastic Heart

Album per day: Day 22

Artist: Fightstar
Album: Behind the Devil's Back
Released: 2015

I'm going to see if I can talk about Fightstar without mentioning frontman/heartthrob Charlie Simpson's turbulent past in teenage trio Busted... well that went tits up didn't it?
Anyway, even while he was still playing with Busted, Simpson was flirting with the heavier side of music, as he was practicing with Fightstar in his spare time. Then came the news that nowadays would  be like comparing Zayn's departure from One Direction: Charlie Simpson had left Busted to pursue alternative musical paths. The band combine the brutality of British hardcore usually heard when trawling through Hell Is For Heroes and early Biffy Clyro, with an atmospheric, sometimes soothing rock sensation more reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails or Deftones. After three albums and a five year hiatus, they returned to the live circuit this year (check out the review I did of them at Download Festival here). And now, they have a new album out, but is it a welcome return, or are they not showing the promise they used to? We'll see.
Beginning in slickly produced guitar riffs, Sharp Tongue is a promising start. Dual vocals are shared with guitarist Alex Westaway, whilst Simpson provides his trademark scream. I'm not afraid to admit that he possesses one of my favourite voices in music at the moment; the way he can transition between death growls and the cleanest of voices is incredibly enviable. If Twitter has taught me anything recently, it's that Fightstar have a lot of "bros", including, but not limited to, Bring Me The Horizon and You Me At Six. You can definitely hear the influence from the former on Murder All Over, a track based around electronica samples and a pulsating hook. The vocals from Behind The Devil's Back calls to mind the more recent output from Biffy Clyro, combined with the technical musical performance of Deftones. The Blackest Of Birds seems like a fitting title for a track that resembles the more mature side of Slipknot, given the fact that Slipknot used to sniff jars of dead crow before their gigs to get them into the appropriate frame of mind. Melodies take flight, and... lay eggs in your ears? I tried bird puns, and I quailed... or fowled?
Overdrive's punky nature is mashed with what sounds like left behind 80's synth from a Journey record. If there's one thing Fightstar can do, it's rope people back in who may have been scared by songs like Deathcar. More Human Than Human picks this up, albeit with deeper tones, and a bass that could wobble the unwobbled. Animal starts like a pack of lions on the hunt, and then flutters between a colourful parrot and a herd of galloping gazelles. This could well be the anthem of the record. The gargantuan Titan is as massive as its title suggests, and I'm practically circle pitting around my dining room table and typing this letter by letter per rotation.
Sink With The Snakes prolongs the metallic elements of this band, with gruff vocals aplenty. The production values are exceptional, but one thing I've noticed is that Fightstar appear to be making more impressive verses than choruses, a quality seldom picked up when it comes to other acts. Culminating in the shoegazey Dive, Charlie Simpson's falsetto voice over power chords calls to mind a tormented Thom Yorke crooning over what would easily have been the heaviest Radiohead song ever released. It's not anti-climactic, but it's not an epic ending.
Bands return from hiatus because they have explored life away from their original routine, but soon come to realise that what they had was too good to step away from. Reforming can sometimes be pointless and disastrous, but in most cases, they are exciting times for fans and bands alike, with the new lease of life unleashing a breath of fresh air on the music industry. And whilst Behind The Devil's Back will hardly leave the music industry quaking in its fragile boots, it will no doubt make a loud enough noise to be noticed. It's a solid album, applying a similar formula to the one that spurned Fightstar to originally tackle the rock and metal scene ten years ago, but with an added maturity. They're currently on a UK tour, playing my hometown tomorrow, and I am even more tempted to now turn up at the door.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended tracks: Sharp Tongue, Animal, Titan