Escape the Fate & Hollywood Undead

Vitalic v.s. L'amour La Morgue

Gig Review
28.11.09 at Matter London

When the clock struck 1, Frence's stellarest DJ Vitalic turned up to a glowing crown to play live show. Matter is a trendy, 2600 capacity venue at The O2, but the Room 1, Flashmob to be specific, was immediately filled up with energetic young clubbers before he came on to his turn table. On the massive stage, he turned a bunch of up beat tunes that were sophisticatedly arranged by himself that turn his audience on. It was something that not too many people have experienced before. Vitalic was insanely good!! Although I'm one of those clubbers, I'm not particularly an expert on London's current night club scene. But I'm pretty sure that electric-pop or techno-pop never fails to provoke party girls' interest, and London based DJs appear to be desperate to dig some new music to make their very own sets even better. To them, he could be a tremendous competitor.
A beam of sharp light refrects off a crystal wall mirror

Large scale stage with sweaty crowd - one of the biggest ever DJ events!!


Soon after he disappeared backstage and half the crown in the room passed from sight, L'amour La Morgue came on the scean. It's a Welsh two-piece with unique French name that was formed in 2008, founded by the two rockers, Ian Watkins of Lostprophets and Colin Francies from The New 1920s, and they have played many enormous DJ gigs in the UK, especially in England. The boys are starting to take wings and getting a lot of more offers from immense events like this. There can't be too many teens who have never heard of the big name, Ian Watkins. He is technically the lead singer from Lostprophets, however, once he gets on stage at a club, he starts proundly playing the role, DJ Watkins. Which is why I believe he wins the hearts of both his band's under-aged fans and young dance devotees. He is definitely not the type of celebrity that comes across as haughty, but a real joe-darter. They spun slightly different tunes than what they usually do, but those were genuinely suitable for the event. Interestingly enough, their play might have made an audience think that Colin was a greater DJ than Ian that night. He looked like he was ready to jump into the crowd and his absorption added a zest to the gig. Well done, Colin. Hopefully, L'amour La Morgue will attract considerably more attentions from light-hearted clubbers who simply love to dance on the floor.
Unruffled Watkins and chirpy Francies

Are they wearing spooky, classy face masks that block the swine flu virus or to make a secret operation on the table? Very unique indeed!!


Colin and a female friend, Shannon Tillery. She is also a fashionable dance devotee.


Special Thank you to Dean.

A Special Day

Exactly 2yrs ago today I met Jimmy Page. SOOO I'm celebrating this memorable day with myself today. Last year today was also fab! but nothing is happening today. Anyways, I have nothing else to say right now. *Proof*





Also... go check this out!!!
Kerrang! Lostprophets

Sorry

Still editing some posts. Will get published soon!!!

Pinky-crooker, Pinky Promise...

Lostprophets are making a new video today. Their new album, The Betrayed will get released in January. The new songs are sounding awesome!!! Rad clips, rad art work... I know you're so stoked, whoever you are...

*bulletproof*

I've been listening to La Roux lately. Her new single, bulletproof is dangerously addictive!!! Electric pop is really hot now. It might just turn into something I like, hehe.
I'm listening to The Maine and Heaven's Basement, also. But I ain't particularly addicted to either of these bands.
It's a bit sad that I missed Haunts in town the other nite. They're kind of cool.
I don't think I'm going to any festivals this year either. To be honset, I've never been to any, but that's fine. I wanna cry at a gig alone rather than having fun with friends at a festival.

Happy Birthday, Carlos!!!

6.6 was Carl Barat's birthday. He played a closing act of Camden Rocks and the small venue bubbled over with clapping. In my words, Carl coloured the gray town, Camden rock colour that nite. I got to the venue right before the show started. I thought I'd be so extra late and miss the show, but got in safe. I said to him 3 yrs ago that everytime I came to his shows I could always see his fans jump into the flame of his passion. But apparently, those people are now gone to somewhere else (maybe not to rock'n'roll city) At least I couldn't spot them anywhere.
When he does an acoustic show I can feel his sound beautifully breathing and that would sweetly melt your heart. I was fairly impressed by his gifted musical abilities. Joshua from The Paddington and Anthony (the guitarist of Carl's former band, Dirty Pretty Things) also emerged on stage as special guests and they played some songs together.



I posted these photos above particularly for those who missed the show for whatever reasons.
I just had a good chat with Anthony at aftershow party. It had been a while... DPT split up last year, but their music will assuredly remain forever...
I was gonna hang out with some people afterwards, but got out of the club and walked down the street in the rain to catch the nite bus home.

What you want is to stay away from people like me
Who twist most everything they see
And leave the grey old world behind you...



Here's setlist of The Paddingtons. Oh, I luv them.

Boy, you rock our world!!!

Franz Ferdinand flew back to Europe from US for a gig and I flew to Amsterdam to catch them. In the golden afternoon, they performed live for a dutch radio programme before the main gig. It'd been a long time since I last saw them in the southern part of England. This time, I snuck into the venue with my new lovely friends I just made (we were all on the list). To be honest with you, Amsterdam has loads of rad venues for rock bands, but it was my first visit to Paradiso. The stage located in a high position which reminded me of typical Amsterdam music venues. The selection of the support band was perfect! The frontman of Kissogram, Jonas Poppe seemed to be acting like Alex and that made me a bit laugh. But he was very cool indeed!!! Franz do have a good taste in choosing support bands even though their manager picks one for them. (Officially, The Rakes was one of those bands)

It took the main band quite a while to show up to a crazy crowd with luxurious lightening. Let me say something here, that's the moment that the most fans scream very loud and my brain cells get stimulated. They did good as always.
What other rock stars could dance more fashionably than Alex does? The answer would be "none". He has an unique sense of his own and is totally different to man-candy that teenagers from all over the world drool over. The people who only know him through media texts wouldn't say that he's the hottest singer on earth, but the girls who have actually seen him singing on the big stage. I bet his name, Alex Kapranos will for sure be added to the list of 2000s' most iconic rockstars!!

Five years after releasing the extraordinary debut album, the guys still seem to have an urge to let their audience dance with their racy beats, especially, the songs like "The Dark of the Matinee" "Take Me Out". Which makes me simply excited. They've gotta be effin proud!!!




Without my fave song, Twilight Omens, still amazing lineup!

Chatting with the lads and my girls in a bar after the show was triff!! They started to croon a song before the place got closing down and Paul eagerly explained to me the difference between Franz's nahnahnah and Kaiser Cheifs' and I told him that "Nah Nah Nah Nah" was Kaiser's logo... but now I got what he meant. He was right. Alex said to me that he doesn't live anywhere, and that's the same thing one of my musician friends said, Haha. The 60s' best easyrider, Peter Fonda once said in a very long interview video that musicians could be bohemians... which makes me realise that great rock'n'roll hasn't changed much since the 1960.

As you can see in the pic belog, my excitement isn't seemingly showing. The truth is I tend to keep things to myself, but I missed my flight back to the UK next day, that would probably explain how much I enjoyed that nite (till 3 am btw). Seriously, that was a blast!!!

Massive Thank you to Alex, Nick, Paul, Bobby, Sandra and Carol who made my nite.



The mellow spring breeze blew across my skin, softly, and slowly like the song, well that was easy...

Kickin'

Exhilaratory!!!




It's different than Rock n roll, not even relates to it at all, but ABBA songs put you in a rarely good mood. Fuck yesss. I watched the documentary, "Manna Mia and ABBA" on ITV1 the other night. Their remarkable story was told in an interesting way and I cound't take my eyes off the tv. And I couldn't stop listening to Dancing Queen after turning off the TV all night. It's way better than anti-depressant drugs isn't it?

No You Boyz!!!

Scotland's best rock band, Franz Ferdinand have released their new single, No You Girls. This song is one of my favourite tracks on the new album, Tonight. You better go check it out!!!


They're also in the Blag magazine!!!

I bet The Independent has a thing for Franz Ferdinand by the way. I've recently found several articles in it, haha.

America's Sweethearts

American pop-punk stars, Fall Out Boy
released their new album in December last year. They got back in the UK and were touring around with the Welsh pop punk band, Kids In Glass House this month. Though I didn’t go see them this time, I’ve seen them twice in Edinburgh in 2007 and Amsterdam in 2008. They’re gleefully good!!!
The band’s famous bassist/lyricist, Peter Wentz (who’s also well known as the hubby of Ashlee Simpson is absolutely eye-catching! There can’t be too many folks who haven’t heard of “Peter Wentz” in the States. He has a style of his own and having his own clothing line, Clandestine. He inspires a lot of young people, and attracts a bunch of kids.

Peter and Ashlee are inspiring as hell and definitely the new iconic couple, like Kurt Cobain & Courtney Love, Vicious & Nancy, and John Lennon & Yoko Ono. Something tells me that they last forever. I know some fans of the American pop metal band, Escape the Fate use “Peter and Ashlee” as they comment about other beautiful couples (they mean Peter & Ashlee=an amazing couple by the way).

Here’s the famous photo of me with Peter Wentz from 2007. A friend of mine said “This isn’t just a picture, but an Art!” doesn't mean anything tho. Just means great.


Fall Out Boy are on the cover of this week’s issue of Kerrang Magazine

The modern Lennon and McCartney!!!

At 2009 Shockwaves NME awards (L-R) Nick, Bob, Alex and Paul from Franz Ferdinand.
Can you spot Alex wearing eye-makeup??? fab!!!

"They’re absolutely stunning!” “That’s the sound that I wanted to get close to! That’s the heat I wanted to feel inside me raunchily, and was out of this world for sure.” Obviously, that’s what a dirty little rocker chic (means me) has been waiting for. I was stunned numbly and felt my brain cells popping happily in my head like popcorns, and my franticness flew up to the stage straightforwardly. That was what the real rock’n’roll looks like, or should look like.

I’ve already seen them three times this month. But the final UK show in Southampton was the best gig ever!!! I saw their passion boiling in hotness… Maybe that’s where their eagerness and the audiences’ idolization are blended together…

I was standing near the attractive guitarist, Nick McCartney, that’s right next to the amps, so everything sounded louder than anything. I couldn’t stop loving Alex’s libidinous, lovable singing voice, and the guitar sound which they were emitting in front of us. And the melodious sound of the keyboards, it took me to another place. Alex Kapranos is the one who says the word, “sexy” much sexier than anybody else. I listened so closely more than ever before… Then I secretly called “Alex and Nick” the modern “Lennon and McCartney” (the same last name as Nick, fortunately). They know that this lonely girl always listens to their amazing music at dawns to feel cool.

Nick at Gallowgate in Glasgow Scotland.

I wasn’t expecting to see them play “Twilight Omens” (my favourite track on the new album, Tonight) at gigs so I almost cried as they started playing… and I knew why. Yes, I totally knew why. I totally empathised with the lyrics “Walk Away” so deeply this time. How beautiful is that? The sentimentalism of that song appealed me badly and couldn’t get it off my mind. Like, their sound is still in my bones.
“I love the sound of you walking away, you walking away, mascara bleeds a blackened tear, oh And I am cold, yes, I'm cold but not as cold as you are... I love the sound of you walking away, you walking away... I love the sound of you walking away, walking away, hey hey!”


The gig at The Guildhall in Southampton.

They cheered me up, warmed me up, and turned me on. Thanks guys, I was truly happy to be there!!! Are they always playing amazing live? Yes, but not when they’re worn out. It depends which mood they’re in, also. But they brilliantly performed and was a simply awesome show, yes!

(I was writing this at 3 in the morning, so it sounds a bit dirty and mush.)

The new single "No You Girls" video.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=53958295

Apple 2G iPod (The song "No You Girls" by Franz Ferdinand)

Two Rock Loving Girls In The Same Place...

It’s already been a year since I became a huge fan of Rooney’s music (An Californian pop rock band)I just chipped.

Rooney
Back back back, in April 2008, when Good Charlotte were touring around the UK, Rooney was the supporting act, and I caught them playing live in Edinburgh and London. When I saw those bands at Brixton in London, the rock lovin actress Mischa Barton was on the Rooney tour bus with the guitarist Taylor Locke. I clearly remember I felt a bit stoked as I met Mischa. Then in my head, "Wow! She is absolutely gorgeous. I didn't really know that the flawlessly beautiful girl like her actually existed! She's like the barbie doll!"

Mischa & Taylor

Imagine! meeting Good Charlotte, Rooney, and Miss Barton at once? I thought how lucky I am. But I couldn't actually think of anything except how beautiful Mischa & Taylor were... They matched awesomely! They were just so perfect even though I didn't really say to myself that they were way better than me and someone... The gig was incredible as always. Although the Good Charlotte frontman, Joel Madden said he totally remembered me, I had my eye for Rooney that night.

Next week, I saw Rooney in Paris again. It was hugely impressive. The cover of The Band's old number "The Weight", they pulled it off perfectly. I've seen some other American bands playing this song before, but I knew they could do it better than anybody else. And the handsome guitarist, Taylor Locke's play recalls the young Page. He's one of the immense guitarists I've ever seen in my life. Though he is no longer with Mischa, I just thought she was genuinely lucky to have him as a lover at that moment.
Rooney

The Real Libertine!!

*NME Awards 2009*

Carl Barât has recently started doing his solo gigs in England. He was touring around the US with the band Glasvegas who currently won the hearts of rock fans and media in January. I've met and seen him play live many times. But I've never asked and will never ask him about The Libertines misery or the wild rocker Pete Doherty. He is an amazing musician and I do love him as an artist! Apparently, the media are not waiting for him to do anything bad, but are always waiting for him to start something new instead.

Apparently, I'm a great picture taker!

His last project, Dirty Pretty Thing announced their split in October last year. It was too sudden, but they simply did not stop touring all over the UK and Europe until December last year. I saw them in Cambridge and Oxford in October, and then in Amsterdam again at the end of November. Their second album, Romance At Short Notice was simply superb! I know you don't believe me, but luckily, I was the FIRST LISTENER of the album, hehe.

At backstage. L-R: Didz Hammond, Me, Kaiser Chiefs frontman, Ricky Wilson, Carl Barat, and Anthony Rossomando.

Carl Barat and Me.

NOTHING IS SEXIER THAN ROCK'N'ROLL!!!

Led Zeppelin are extraordinary!!!

"12 January" was the special day for the Zeppelin and their fans. And they were on the cover of Kerrang Magazine in January (Issue Number 1244 January 17 2009). According to Kerrang, “There were four lads from England and on January 12, 1969, they released their self-titled bebut album. They were Led Zeppelin…”

In November 2007, I was lucky enough to get to meet the guitar god, Mr Jimmy Page. It has completely changed my life for sure.

Youg Page.

Here is the picture of me with Mr Jimmy Page. People always ask me how I got to meet him. I don’t know the proper answer because I just met him. Jimmy Page is my dad’s hero and I told him that my dad was listening to his records all the time. Then he pleasantly smiled at me. He was genuinely sweet!



Special thanks to Mr Jimmy Page and his friends.