The times we had
Oh, when the wind would blow with rain and snow
Were not all bad
We put our feet just where they had, had to go
Never to go

The shattered soul
Following close but nearly twice as slow
In my good times
There were always golden rocks to throw
at those who admit defeat too late
Those were our times, those were our times

And I will love to see that day
That day is mine
When she will marry me outside with the willow trees
And play the songs we made
They made me so
And I would love to see that day
Her day was mine

Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older
Then we wouldn’t have to wait so long
And wouldn’t it be nice to live together
In the kind of world where we belong

You know its gonna make it that much better
When we can say goodnight and stay together

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could wake up
In the morning when the day is new
And after having spent the day together
Hold each other close the whole night through

The happy times together we’ve been spending
I wish that every kiss was never ending
Oh Wouldn’t it be nice

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true (run, run, run)
Baby then there wouldn’t be a single thing we couldn’t do
We could be married (we could be married)
And then we’d be happy (then we’d be happy)

Wouldn’t it be nice

You know it seems the more we talk about it
It only makes it worse to live without it
But lets talk about it
Oh, wouldn’t it be nice

good night my baby
sleep tight my baby

good night my baby
sleep tight my baby

good night my baby
sleep tight my baby

good night my baby
sleep tight my baby

I’m coming up only to hold you under
I’m coming up only to show you wrong
And to know you is hard and we wonder
To know you all wrong we were

Really too late to call so we wait for
Morning to wake you is all we got
To know me as hardly golden
To know me all wrong they were

And every occasion I will be ready for the funeral
And every occasion once more is called the funeral
Every occasion I am ready for the funeral
And every occasion one brilliant day funeral

I am coming up only to show you down for it
I am coming up only to show you wrong
To the outside
The dead leaves, they are alive
For they don’t have trees to hang their hearts

And every occasion I will be ready for the funeral
And every occasion once more is called the funeral
And every occasion I am ready for the funeral
And every occasion one brilliant day funeral.

This blog may be a little late in coming, but our total love for this gig is no less diminished. Where to start off in an evening of so many wonders. One of us was lost completely; in the zone, gone with the moment with head turned and focused upon a stage which bought out one amazing performance followed inexplicably by even more trance inducing, jaw tiring (from all the dropping) performances. On the other hand, the other struggled to keep calm and refrain from causing the forementioned friend severe bruising with the constant digs and jabs that would have resulted from hysterical, barely contained excitement…

The Royal Festival Hall is a beautiful venue, and by the time we got there the atmosphere was bustling pleasantly with friends gathered chatting, drinks in hand in excitement of the imminent musical extravaganza. There was a great seating area set on the floor of the Clore Ballroom where we sat wishing university was like so. Happy thoughts of the RFA were cast even before we reached our seats, at which point it was decided we would come back to sit in the wondrous balcony seats we likened to being a bit space age and slightly Star Trek.

The concert began with a warming, hearty video of none other than Laura Marling and friends. It was the perfect opening  to the evening and it was truely great to watch footage of such a caring and close knit group bonded by friendship and music. It was a video that signified the importance of the social side of music – how playing, writing and showcasing music with others can bring people together and it became obvious that none of them could do what they do without having the support of the people around them.

After the video, Laura Marling walked on stage to give a brief introduction to the evening which was then followed by a new song of hers; ‘Oh Mama How Far I’ve Come’. A truly lovely song which filled the venue perfectly. We were absolutely astounded by the acoustics in the RFH, they made everything sound a million times better (which we didn’t even think was possible!).

The night was divided into two parts; each musician played one song of theirs which was then followed by a new song by Laura Marling in between. A short description of each performance can be read below:

Pete Roe: Clearly such a talented musician and much loved by all of them. Pete played ‘The Devil’s Dancefloor’ which is always a crowd-pleaser. His sheer talent at folk guitar is so enviable and he was a brilliant start to the night. Pete Roe also plays in Laura Marling’s band and joined her on-stage throughout the night.

Ethan Johns: It was our very first time hearing and seeing the well known record producer and songwriter, Ethan Johns. He played a song called ‘ Hello Sunshine’ which was fantastic. He frequently popped up on stage with Laura Marling too, playing a multitude of different instruments such as guitar, drums and what I think was a dulcimer (but my eyes could have been deceiving me). Johns has worked with artists such as Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Ray Lamontagne and Rufus Wainwright! Laura Marling can now be added to that amazing list as he’s just finished producing her much anticipated second album (Due for release in February 2010). 

Peggy Sue: It was an unfortunate performance for Peggy Sue as they were experiencing guitar problems which was a terrible shame as ‘The Sea, The Sea’ is such a brilliant song. But! luckily, Laura Marling insisted that they repeated the song as part of the encore for the night which completely made up for it.

Johnny Flynn: Amazing, amazing, AMAZING performance. He played a new song called ‘Will I Pray’. If it is possible to have a performance steal the night in a show of such brilliance, it most definitely would have been this one. Johnny Flynns presence on stage in the absence of a band was simply mesmerising; the acoustics of the RFH amplified the great beauty of his voice,and you could sense around you the atmosphere of an audience captivated by the fantastic music produced by this gentleman.

Alessi:  The magnificance of Alessi’s singing will bring a smile to you every time. She’s such a lovely musician and hearing her sweet voice in the beautiful surroundings of the Royal Festival Hall was truely special. Alessi sang her wonderful song ’Hummingbird’ and was joined by Benji from Mumford & Sons.

Sons of Noel and Adrian: Their performance of ‘Indigo’ was completely mind blowing. Seeing over 10 members of a band on stage at one time is always exciting and I very nearly fell out of my seat whilst watching them. Although the other artists were so, so amazing, it was still a nice change to witness such a large band come on stage. Jacob Richardson can seriously play a mean nylon stringed guitar and we were fascinated by the string section. Definitely one of the highlights of the already incredible night.

Andrew Bird: Possibly the most well known of ‘friends’ to join Laura Marling on the night. Andrew Bird was joined by Laura Marling and Marcus Mumford for his performance of ‘Headsoak’. It was a rather endearing performance and quite amusing at times – We’re almost certain that the whole audience was quite taken aback as well as immensely impressed at Andrew Bird’s whistling skills.

Mumford & Sons: The last performance of the night (before the encore). Mumford & Sons performed their song ‘Thistle and Weeds’ and of course they didn’t disappoint (but could they ever?).

…And last but definitely not least, Laura Marling. It seems an age away that Laura Marling was terrified of an audience not even a quarter of the size present at the Royal Festival Hall. Though still slightly awkward at times, her stage presence remained strong throughout and even Laura herself said the night was going surprisingly easy. The whole meaning of the night was to showcase music with friends, but it was also the perfect opportunity to present her new material to her fans. If you thought ’Alas, I Cannot Swim’ was an amazing album, then you’re definitely in for a treat for her upcoming second album. Marling has completely stepped it up a gear – Youthful songs such as ‘Failure’ have been cast aside; ready for a whole different sound altogether and man, are we excited ;)

If you too wondered the meaning behind the band name, an intriguing answer was supplied by Vocalist/Guitarist Casey Mecija.
“The name is from a moment I had with someone…I couldn’t quite describe it’s meaning. The moment was fleeting but was gorgeous.”

There is so much that we love about Mr Flynn. We could not wait to see him again after our first encounter at Cargo, and then yet more so on our second at the RFH. Already eagerly awaiting his new material, songs like the above has me lingering ever dangerously on tenterhooks and steadily (and readily) increasing the playcount of said video…
There’s not much to be added, except ever more praise so I’d simply suggest you click play as I am doing now, and away! Enjoy! 

You’ve probably heard of Mr Justin Vernon and Bon Iver. Maybe then you’ve heard that unbelievably handsome voice of his. If you’ve subconsciously nodded twice there, then you’ll know of being enchanted into the beauty of his songs.  Heart wrenching and melancholic they may be, but they are also irrisistable, and I can’t help but slip on my headphones for a while at 4am to hear his voice.

(psst, their new album is out now, and first single Fables is well good.)

I can never stop staring at the hectic,dreamy ecosystems of Gregory Euclide. He’s got this great ability to  manipulate materials you never would have thought of using, and annoyingly using the materials we all use with even more skill and imagination,crafting them into his meticulous works.

He’s currently working on some new pieces for a solo show at the DavidBSmith Gallery, and is playing with a kind of dried spilt paint effect which is making my jaw drop. My words won’t do it justice: Below.

Look for more wonders on his flickr/Web

HERE
Check my wee mention of the man himself down below.

A great photo will make you stop, you’ll pause to discover words again, and most magically it will take you away just for that instance, whether it be someplace you desire to be within, or somewhere unknown and strange. It’s like that wonderful stirring inside of you, each time you listen to your favourite line in a song, or hear the voice of a singer able to bring shivers to your spine. It’s a really great tingle.

I’d quite like to get lost in Ryan Mcginley’s world- if only for a while! A world of carefree naked people (maybe I could get lost in it clothed…)faces stare back full of freedom and rebellion, of hidden stories, and ideas yet to be unravelled. There is also something quite daunting in the midst too. Maybe merely on a personal level being on the other side of the frame-you will wonder if you might find for yourself all that you spy through these windows, with all the contradictions that reality encompasses.

Mr McGinleys Dakota Hair-2004 (below) was the first of his works that I encountered.  A barren, sandy landscape rushes by escaping the photo, and then this solitary nude figure drinking from a styrofoam cup on the back of a truck. It doesn’t seem all that extraordinary, but then the things that take our breath away the most are almost always very ordinary.
“My photographs are a celebration of life, fun and the beautiful…They are a world that doesn’t exist. A fantasy. Freedom is real. There are no rules. The life I wish I was living.”

His work is often said to be “voyeuristic”, but I feel as though it’s more like a great fervour for life, as if he is able to capture for us these small moments we thought we may have glimpsed; snapshots we just missed. He translates feelings, and memories and suspends them in his imagery.  The sense of movement and suspension in time works to put this to great effect. Mr McGinley’s photos seem incredibly organic, but there is a certain amount of crafting involved in each scenario (come on, you don’t get beautiful naked people prancing around everywhere now do you), as he says himself, they are a fantasy, a similar but different echo of our own world.

“I got to the point where I couldn’t wait for the pictures to happen anymore…I was wasting time, and so I started making pictures happen. It borders between being set up or really happening. There’s that fine line.”

Since the summer of 2005 Mr McGinley has taken an annual road trip with his troup of assistants and beautiful guys and girls (according to a source, one assistant has the task of  a carrying around a boom box to ensure that there is a soundtrack for Mr McGinley’s creativity, which is if I may say so.. UBER awesome). He gets them to interact with each other, getting them distracted with smoke and fireworks, and all matter of things so the models become very natural under the gaze of  Mr McGinley’s camera. In this way he ’creates’ his photos, but it’s still not something you could simply replicate by taking a couple of naked people into the desert and taking a few shots. Without the knowledge of how these models will interact, how to capture all those senses being revealed, the photos would just be lifeless and dead which is simply not the case with Mr McGinley, showing the great grasp over the work he creates.

Ryan McGinley is a great big gust of creative fresh air. His fearlessness, spirit, and creative freedom something I aspire and envy. I love this inspiring quote from him…

 ”I’ve worked really hard. I’ve devoted my life to this. I’m not feeling any expectation from anybody else. I’m doing it for myself. I’m making the art for me first. I’m making it because these are the pictures I want to see. I’m making pictures that don’t yet exist.”