Most Iconic Moments in Music Festival History

Music festivals can often be the defining moment in an artist’s career. Whether it is where they first get noticed by the masses or storm their way into the history books, these are the moments that people stand up and take notice. With the festival season fast approaching, I thought it right to reminisce on the most iconic moments in music festival history.

The Rolling Stones – Glastonbury Festival 2013

In 2013 Glastonbury was the site of one of the most well-attended headline acts to grace the festival scene. The Rolling Stones made their eagerly awaited return to the stage and did not disappoint. For once, this was a headline act which was not criticised by fans. Jagger performed 20 of the greats with all of the energy that had once made his act so famous. Festival organiser Michael Eavis called the performance “the high spot of 43 years of Glastonbury”.

Jay Z – Glastonbury Festival 2008

It had been one of the most talked about headline acts in years. Jay Z, the American Hip Hop artist was to headline Glastonbury, the predominantly rock festival. This decision had many critics, most notable of which Noel Gallagher who had spoken publicly of his distaste for the rapper. When Jay Z stepped on stage, microphone in hand, he was not fazed by the storm of criticism that had gone before. Jay Z opened his set with a crude rendition of Oasis’ Wonderwall to spite Gallagher. What ensued was the moment that Glastonbury rocked to the sound of Hip Hop.

Otis Redding – Monterey Festival 1967

The Monterey Festival in 1967 was one of the most influential that there has ever been, featuring life changing performances by some incredible acts. This festival was the first real time that Otis Redding had played for a large, predominantly white, audience. Racial stigmatisation and prejudice was high, black musicians had a very difficult journey to achieve stardom. Yet when Redding produced a historic set, the audience of 50,000 rose to their feet and took notice. Four encores later Redding reluctantly had to end his performance, clearly moved, feeling the love from such a positive crowd.

“Brothers and Sisters, Come on Now” The Rolling Stones – Altamont Speedway 1969

Iconic for all of the wrong reasons, this is an event that will be remembered as the end of an era and the day the hippy movement fell from grace spectacularly. This was a free concert put on by The Rolling Stones and was policed by infamous biker gang The Hell’s Angels. Intoxicated and drugged up, the Angel’s policing strategies were called into question as they dished out random beatings to the festival goers. The rendition of ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ was stopped repeatedly due to the violence as Mick Jagger famously said “Brothers and sisters, come on now... everybody just cool out”. Minutes after the set had begun again, 18 year old Meredith hunter had been stabbed and killed. This was a dark day for music.

Ozzy Osbourne – Des Moines 1982

During the dizzying heights of his fame, tainted with a bubbling drug addiction, Ozzy Osbourne was known as the bad guy of rock. His devilish image was becoming increasingly popular through his solo tour in 1982. On stage whilst performing at Des Moines, Ozzy had planned to bite the head off a rubber bat and spit it out in a display of demonic showmanship. What Ozzy didn’t know was that a fan had thrown a live bat at his feet. The bat lay dazed by the lights and was picked up by the star who then proceeded to bite its head clean off. The moment shocked the world including Ozzy himself who was later treated in hospital for rabies.

Jimi Hendrix – Monterey 1967

The infamous brilliance of Jimi Hendrix was already a recognised phenomenon in the UK by 1967 though he was yet to take the US by storm. Jimi’s return to Monterey, a small town he was stationed in whilst serving in the army, was seen as the perfect occasion to showcase his devastatingly unique sound. What happened when Hendrix began to play has taken its place in history. Hendrix blew the crowd away with his set then laid his guitar upon the stage, knelt above it, sprayed it with lighter fluid and ignited it. Hendrix then smashed the flaming guitar into pieces as an offering to the gods of rock.

Tupac – Coachella 2012

At 2012’s Coachella festival, Dr Dre and Snoop Dog sent the world into a frenzy as they “raised Tupac from the dead” for one final performance. Using a high-tech hologram effect, Tupac Shakur appeared on stage following a tribute of his hit ‘California Love’. The performance was powerful but received mixed reviews with some claiming it was distasteful and tacky.

Queen – Live Aid 1985

Live Aid has been hailed by many as the greatest concert that the world has ever seen. Not only because of the vast array of talent that was on display but also for the genuine difference it made to those in need. The sheer number of headline worthy acts on display was inconceivable, with performances by: The Who, Status Quo, Dire Straits, U2, David Bowie, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Run DMC, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and many, many more. No one stole the show in quite the same way as Queen did. At 6pm local time Freddy Mercury picked up the microphone in Wembley stadium and sang the world into submission. If you haven’t seen the performance for yourself then it is well worth a watch, never before has a crowd been so in awe of a performance.

Nirvana – Reading Festival 1992

By 1992 Nirvana appeared to be on the decline, Kurt Cobain was labelled a drug addict and many claimed him to not live up to the hype surrounding the band. In response to these accusations Kurt Cobain appeared on stage in a wheelchair, surgical gown and wig before entering into one of the greatest live performances of all time. This was a truly pivotal moment for the band that hit back at the attacks from the media and negative publicity they had been receiving.

Artist Spotlight: Strange & Primitive

I caught up with Canadian Duo Strange & Primitive this week for an exclusive interview to feature on this blog. I came across Strange & Primitive one day whilst looking for new artists on Twitter, I wasn't entirely sure what to think of them at first but soon became addicted. They are only at the very beginning of their career in music as Strange & Primitive but have released a handful of songs under their previous name Audiograft. It’s definitely worth having a look at their latest song ‘Eureka’, you can find the link below. I find this band increasingly interesting and they are definitely one to listen to if you are searching for something outside the ordinary.

For those who haven't heard your music before, who are Strange & Primitive?

Strange & Primitive is a Canadian musical duo comprised of Graham Fish and Jeff Musgrave. Jeff Musgrave performs all the vocals and all other writing, arranging, producing, and performing responsibilities are shared equally between Graham and Jeff. We aspire to a dynamic and cinematic style with a blend of earthy and synthetic textures.

How did you guys start out?

We met and shortly thereafter started recording together in 2007. Previously we were jamming in another band and found out we were on a similar aesthetic mission musically.  Early on we made amateur recordings above Jeff’s uncle’s garage where there was an upright piano. We both really loved the recording process and we pushed ourselves to learn a lot and improve with the goal of eventually having our own studio where we could achieve our full sonic vision.  Eventually, in 2011 we had completed our recording studio in Graham’s place in Guelph Ontario.  From there we recorded an instrumental album ‘Melody in the Half-Light’ under the name Audiograft and released it in 2012. The album was very much inspired by film structures and had weaving textures and melodies. We worked hard to create organic but surprising ways of transitioning. The next planned project was to be one with vocals (where Eureka would eventually come from) and as we started writing and putting it together we realised it was really very different from Audiograft so a name change was necessary and we became ‘Strange & Primitive’.

So where did the name Strange & Primitive come about?

The name is a reference to music being one of the oldest (primitive) ways of abstracting emotion (the strange). Previously we called ourselves Audiograft, and made instrumental music. Since the new music differs structurally from the old, we wanted to change the name despite the roster of the band remaining the same.

Where do you guys find your inspirations and how do you think those inspirations fit into your music?

We think musical influences can be detected in our structures, arrangements, production and approach to creating music but not necessarily melodically or lyrically. For example, while arranging for this album we listened to a lot of James Brown and made notes. His influence isn’t really felt though, since there’s no relation melodically or lyrically. Instead, we were more interested in his musical “call and answer” and playing “in the pocket”. We also look a lot to cinema for structural inspiration. This was more apparent with our instrumental work but it’s still something at the back of our minds. It’s always been the goal to make a record that we’d want to hear that’s not yet on our shelf.

Where do you see yourselves fitting into the modern music scene?

I think we’re an example of the modern band that’s doing a lot of stuff themselves.  The new musician will need knowledge of their craft but also knowledge of the recording studio, marketing process, and business practice. They’ll also need to know when and where to get help. On this record, the only task we didn’t perform was mastering, which we left to the professionalism and unmatched experience of Bob Katz.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

Well we've really just started our career though completing our studio in Guelph and achieving that artistic freedom felt pretty great.

What does the future hold for Strange & Primitive?

We have at least two more singles coming out and our self-titled debut album is due out in late August. We’re also working on some more video content that will go up on our YouTube channel. The plan is to post full length music videos and live studio performances there.

Where can people hear more of you? 

We’d encourage everyone to subscribe to our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/strangeandprimitive for more videos. Also follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/StrangePrimitiv, like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/StrangeAndPrimitive  for news and check out our Bandcamp page http://music.strangeandprimitive.com/ for more music including our previous project, Audiograft (https://audiograft.bandcamp.com/). Our website is: http://www.strangeandprimitive.com/.

What was the inspiration behind your new song Eureka?

We talked a lot during lunch breaks while working in the recording studio, about technology, artificial intelligence and cybernetics. We talk about other subjects of course but for whatever reason during these sessions we were really on about subjects of the science fiction variety. This got us talking about limitations (of communication, understanding, love etc), which ended up being one of the themes we were originally playing with for our first album under the Strange & Primitive name. These themes still sort of hide out in little ways on each track but the limitation theme is still very strong with ‘Eureka’.

Lyrically we are touching on some of the paranoia and anxiety that naturally comes from the unknown. Musically the song attempts to capture an anxious rush to answer life’s questions. The song deals with the chance that our endless curiosity is matched with endless possible understanding. There’s a frustration with the inability to understand and articulate information to each other and also a frustration with technology being an unsatisfactory tool for communication. Those frustrations are present in the song. The chorus is meant as a realization that our problems communicating and understanding are getting more complicated and less in our control.

I’m a big fan of Strange & Primitive and really enjoyed their early instrumental songs under Audiograft. I think this is really a band that is going to explode onto the scene once their album drops in August. Be sure to keep your eyes out for them. I would love to hear your feedback on this band. Positive or negative, leave a comment below.

Photography by Crestina Martins

Flying Vinyl: An Exploration of Music

Since vinyl record sales were overtaken by that of the CD in 1988, there have always been a select few enthusiasts who have held on to what seemed to be an obsolete medium for music listening. In recent years, the sales of vinyl records have exploded and a revival of this platform has begun. This new boom of interest cannot solely be attributed to the aging generations who grew up with LPs but instead credited to the 20 – 30 age group.

As a vinyl enthusiast myself, at the age of 22, I can say with confidence that the comparison between listening to music on vinyl to doing so on an iPod is a real non-starter. Listening to a record simply isn't the same experience as listening to a song on iTunes. The key word here really is experience, that’s what a song becomes, there is an atmosphere and spirit that is achieved and can only be attributed to this medium.

Most of those who own a record collection take great pride in doing so and find excitement in the exploration of music. This is where Flying Vinyl come into play. Flying Vinyl is a company I came across on Twitter, I did a bit of research on them and just have to spread the word. Every month they will deliver 5 seven inch records of curated new music, exclusively pressed to vinyl. The artists featured will be a surprise every month and will be from Indie labels or under management companies. The music will generally be of an Indie / Alternative genre and will be from bands and artists that you have probably never heard of before. This is how listening to music should be; a surprise with absolutely no preconceptions about the bands in question.

I spoke to the founder of Flying Vinyl, Craig Evans, earlier this week. He had this to say: “It feels like the connection that you have to music is just far more pertinent on vinyl and I like that. Unlike streaming or digital downloads, it forces your attention, you sit and listen to the music and don't do anything else, you value it more. So I decided to put together an idea for a monthly subscription service where members would get a box of new music on vinyl and have this incredible music discovery experience. I launched the website two weeks later and was surprised how many people wanted to get involved. After the first week of launch an investor came on-board who has a background in both music and retail, which has really helped to move the proposition of the company into something really special. We're now getting ready to put the first box out next month.”

There is a possible limitation to this service though; not knowing the bands or artists that will be sent out in any pack means that there may well be occasions when not all 5 records are to your personal taste. This is however, the risk that you run by exploring music in this way. I personally find the concept very intriguing and believe it will play an important part in my future music interests. This company offers everything that my blog is about, it looks at independent artists who are not wildly popular and exposes their music to a new audience. I have just signed up to this service myself which is currently £20 a month, starting mid-June and will be posting a review of the first pack when it is received. Watch this space!

To read more about Flying Vinyl or sign up: http://flyingvinyl.co.uk/ 

Top 10 Feel Good Songs

So you’re on your slow crawl to work, you feel beaten down by the ever growing might of your reality and then all of a sudden one song comes on your iPod to change it all. A ‘feel good’ song can change everything. Whether your partner just left you or your train is delayed making you late for work, all it takes is a good beat or catchy lyrics and the world is your oyster. Here is my top 10.

10. Good Luck – Basement Jaxx

This song is a great which I feel is often overlooked. When everything seems to be against you and life wants nothing more than to get you down, there is no greater feeling than to stand defiant and sing “good luck!”

9. Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – Eric Idle

It’s a pretty straightforward message and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The song itself wouldn't be as effective as it is if it wasn't for Eric Idle's hilarious performance.

8. That Old Pair of Jeans – Fatboy Slim

This song means quite a lot to me, the lyrics make the analogy of a failing relationship being alike an old pair of jeans which keep being patched up. For anyone who has been in this type of relationship then it is definitely worth checking out the lyrics, it may make you feel a bit better about things. This song is one of defiance and optimism which when coupled with an upbeat rhythm and memorable hook will become one of your most played songs on iTunes.

7. Don’t Stop Believing – Journey

I admit that it's a bit cheesy but this song just makes you want to sing out loud and proud, just be sure not to do so whilst on the train.

6. Mr Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra

Is there any other song that gets you in the mood for summer more than this?

5. Tutti Frutti – Little Richard

My Dad will resent me for featuring a song from Little Richard but few can disagree that this song is a must have for any 'feel good' collection..

4. Reet Petite – Jackie Wilson

This absolute classic from “Mr Excitement” himself is enough to lift even the dullest of moods. If your foot isn’t tapping to this then you haven’t got a pulse my friend.

  

3. Come on Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight Runners

As one of my favourite songs ever I will have a serious issue with you if you don’t like this. Nothing more needs to be said.

2. You Make My Dreams Come True – Hall and Oats

Anyone who has seen the film 500 Days of Summer will understand why this song falls so high on this list. Just imagine the most badass walk to work ever, watch the full scene below.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen

There is no better song to take the top spot. In my view this is one of the best songs ever made. No matter who you are or where you are from, when this song comes on you are obliged to sing along (and head bang at the appropriate moment). The lyrics of this song don’t warrant the feel good factor that it has but it is hard to deny the satisfaction of screaming along with Freddie Mercury.

Think I’m right? Or am I totally wrong? Comment with the songs I have missed and next week I will post a People’s Top 10.

Artist Spotlight: Mary Morgan

Mary Morgan at Open Mic UK

Hello and welcome to my blog! Stereo Spotlight is a site dedicated to the exploration of unique, interesting, breakthrough and legendary music. Aimed at the music lover, this blog will not simply comment on artists or songs but will look deeper at the stories and inspirations behind the melodies.

One semi-regular feature that can be found on this blog is the Artist Spotlight section. In these articles I will take an in-depth look at those who put their art into the public domain. Often this will involve an interview with up and coming artists who sit at the very roots of music. Too often talented artists are forced to give up on their dreams due to a poor level of exposure. This blog will offer musicians a platform to reach new listeners and hopefully recruit more fans.

I am kicking my blog off with an incredibly talented artist. Mary Morgan, known to some as Mary Williams is the front woman of De La Rue; a band that her and a few friends formed whilst at university. Mary is in her final year at The University of Reading, studying art. The half American, half Welsh singer who was brought up in Brussels and France finally landed in the U.K. at the age of 17 where she found friend and guitarist Ryan.

“I couldn’t have done anywhere near as much as I have done musically without Ryan, we’re very much a team. Ryan and I started playing music together back in 2011, my first year at uni. We started off with the odd open mic night around Reading, then we were noticed by a promoter who now organises gigs for us locally. Since then our music has just seriously escalated. I applied for Open Mic UK, a UK wide singing competition, sadly we didn’t win but we did get to the grand final. It was crazy! It really boosted our confidence and gave us great exposure.”

Since the Open Mic UK competition Mary and Ryan have been gigging around the Reading area and now have a second promoter. Mary has also applied to audition for The Voice UK 2016. She is a very humble character but her passion for music is clear for all to see.

“If I'm honest, I have never really thought I'd have any sort of a career in music. I always knew I loved making music and singing, but I only really ever saw it as a hobby, that's still how I see it! I think that's the reason why me and Ryan are doing so well. We're making music, doing gigs and entering competitions because it's fun and what we love doing. We're just having fun and taking every opportunity that comes our way. If we started taking ourselves too seriously and stressing out too much about our music I reckon our whole vibe would change. If people can tell you're enjoying what you're doing, they'll enjoy it too.”

Ryan Arch

The one thing that I really wanted to know more about is what made Mary into the artist she is today. Every musician that I have ever spoken to has told me that being an artist goes deeper than simply having an interest, it goes back to their childhood.

“The first memory I have of singing was when I lived in France, I must have been about six or seven. I started singing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and my dad told me I could actually sing. This was the first time my potential was noticed. I've been brought up surrounded by music, my dad is pretty much a musical wizard and can play any instrument (even ones he hasn't played before - no lies). My mum can sing too, she used to be in musicals. 

“I grew up with some classic music: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Mammas and the Pappas, Sting. It's definitely influenced my own music. Ryan is also a huge fan of old school rock and blues too so we make a pretty good team, we're like-minded people.

“When I was a young teenager I didn't really appreciate this type of music. As I grew up and started writing music with De La Rue, it's as if something clicked and then I understood why the classics were so great. I learned to appreciate the composition of the music, the lyrics and the skill shown by the musicians. Though I have to say, my taste in music is very broad, there's very little I don't like.

“One of my favourite songs has to be ‘Green, Green Grass of Home’ by Tom Jones, my mum used to sing it to me because she said it was sang about me – ‘Down the road I look, and there runs Mary, hair of gold and lips like cherries’.”

I wanted to get to know more about Mary as a person, what her day to day life is like and what she does when she isn’t gigging.

“At the moment my days are pretty mundane because I'm in my final year of uni. I split the week into three days of uni work and two days of my job as a barista. I spend the weekend with my friends and boyfriend, I think it's very important to have some leisure time. Me and Ryan tend to play music together an average of twice a week depending on the number of gigs we have, how much time we have till our next gig and if we are writing a song. We always make an evening out of our practices and get some wine in; we like to keep it fun!”

I have listened to a number of songs of Mary’s as well as having seen her live but wanted to know what her favourite track is. What it is that she really loves to perform.

“Rip Curl for sure! Ryan and I originally wrote Rip Curl for the full band. We had a full band with our drummer Jake and our bassist Silky but people have since graduated and moved away from Reading. Me and Ryan have now reverted back to our roots, though we were definitely influenced by the band. It would be great to have a comeback gig with everyone, we had a crazy amount of fun together. Back to Rip Curl… Like I said we originally wrote it for the band, so it was a bit rocky and was fully electric. Me and Ryan have recently rewritten it acoustically for a gig and we are so proud with how it turned out! I'd also recommend our take on ‘Make it Wit Chu’ by Queens of the Stoneage, me and Ryan love playing that one.”

So what does the future hold for Mary?

“I don't think anyone can really say what the future holds for themselves, I just hope I'm happy really. In a few years I would hope to have moved to San Francisco; that's the dream. I would love to be a guidance counsellor for children and young teenagers but I need to have music in my life. If the opportunity came along for me to lead a comfortable life because of my music, I'd jump at it. As it's such a difficult industry to become successful in realistically I see myself working with and helping kids who need it.

“My greatest dream is to just be happy, comfortable and emotionally fulfilled. As long as I'm helping people and I'm independent, I'll be happy. I've often said that one of my goals is to have a house with a cupboard full of different types of tea and a proper Barista coffee machine, it's the little things that matter!”

Want to hear more from Mary? Of course you do! Follow her on Twitter and Facebook:
Twitter: @MarMorgan3
Facebook: Mary Williams 

Also check out her very talented guitarist Ryan Arch:
Facebook: Ryan Arch