HATCHAM SOCIAL: You Dig The Tunnel, I’ll Hide The Soil – Album Review

HATCHAM SOCIAL: You Dig The Tunnel, I’ll Hide The Soil 

Album Review by Alexandra McLoughlin

Despite being released back in March 2009 after nearly 2 years of preparation,  Hatcham Social’s debut album  ‘You Dig the Tunnel, I’ll Hide the Soil’ is a mandatory inclusion on any list of greatest albums for the summer of 2009.

The album which was produced by the experienced musican Tim Burgess (from The Charlatans), overflows with sunny feelgood tone and flawless melodies yet featuring melancholic vocals by frontman Toby Kidd.

Previously a trio (please see my last post/introduction on Hatcham Social) and now a four-piece band after the addition of multi-talented Jerome Watson, Hatcham Social are an 80’s influenced indie band from South London and although they were formed only in 2006, their success is predicted to last for a long time mostly because of their enthusiastic and energetic live performances.

As for the album I can best describe it as an EXUBERANT MASTERPIECE.

Check out Hatcham Social Myspace on:

http://www.myspace.com/hatchamsocial

BAND MEMBERS:  Toby Kidd , Finn Kidd , Dave Fineberg, Jerome Watson

RECORD LABEL:  TBD Records (USA), Fierce Panda (UK & Europe)

TRACKLIST:

1. Crocodile

2. Sidewalk

3. Murder In The Dark

4. Hypnotise Terrible Eyes

5. So So Happy Making

6. Superman

7. I Cannot Cure My Pure Evil

8. Jabberwocky

9. My Opinion

10. Penelope (Under My Hat)

11. Give Me The Gift 

 

AN INTRODUCTION TO HATCHAM SOCIAL

An Introduction to Hatcham Social

By Alexandra McLoughlin

Hatcham Social with Alexandra McLoughlin

HATCHAM SOCIAL are a trio formed in New Cross, London. They are composed of brothers Toby and Finnigan and their friend Dave.

Although they were formed in 2006, their influences are from indie pop bands from the 80s and 60s such as The Pastels, Orange Juice, and Josef K, as well as post-punk and shoegaze bands such as The Jesus & Mary Chain and The Fall .

Most fans of Indie music however will find that these guys sound quite different from any band out there as their music has a certain consistency on the beat which produces a nostalgic happy vibe. Not surprisingly the band have been welcomed by various music critics with some great reviews, The Guardian for example described them as ‘irresistible’ whilst Alan McGee (founder of Creation Records who also signed Oasis and managed the Libertines) once described them as ‘a wonderful pop group with the world’s coolest Drummer‘.

There is something special in the way Finnigan hits those drums, he actually manages to hit them pretty close to dead centre with a sharp rap. In the music business this is something that only the genius can do.

Finnigan Kidd – Pic By Alexandra Mc

As for the vocals, the charismatic Lead Singer, Toby, has an unusual melodic tone to his voice which gives an incredible smooth sound to their music and yet uplifting.

Toby Kidd - Pic by Alexandra Mc

The Bassist Dave has a pretty tricky way of combining the sound of his bass to Toby’s guitar. Unlike most bass players that have pitch problems in the upper positions, Dave has a convincing technique that stops from that to happen which proves him to be a talented musician.

Dave - Pic by Alexandra Mc

All in all, the three band members work as a unit so they all share the same energy that rev up the crowd. They are obsessed with getting the crowd to go mad and yet they have the ability of keeping everyone in calm mood however hyper they might be. It is like being in “limbo” and yet thoroughly fun to watch.

The guys have been very busy since playing at the London Calling Festival in Amsterdam and the La Fleche D’Or Club in paris and headline a show at The Borderline in London last month. They have also been recording some taster tracks which is available as a FREE download EP to members of their forum at http://www.aclearinginthewoods.co.uk

The download only EP of cover versions includes 5 songs and one of them is “Love Buzz” which was written by Robbie van Leeuwen of Dutch rock band “Shocking Blue” and later the American grunge band “Nirvana” recorded a cover version of the song for their debut single which gained a lot of popularity in the early 90’s. However Hatcham Social’s version is a little different and must be heard…

You can listen Hatcham Social’s amazing version of “Love Buzz” right now on their myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/hatchamsocial

In regards to their debut album which is called “You Dig The Tunnel, I’ll Hide The Soil” produced by Tim Burgess and Jim Spencer will be released soon (possibly in March) through their UK record label Fierce Panda and in the USA through TBD Records.

And finally, if you still can’t get enough of the boys, tune in for my radio show (Don’t Let Me Get Me Show) at Wired Radio which is the Radio Station for Goldsmiths College part of the University of London this Saturday the 7th February from 1.00 to 2.00 PM (UK time) where Toby will be talking about the band and I will be playing some of their music. The show will be streamed online so everyone shall be able to listen to at: http://www.wiredradio.co.uk and don’t forget to visit the band’s myspace on:
http://www.myspace.com/hatchamsocial

For those of you that are more comfortable speaking and reading Spanish and Portuguese I have tried my best to translate my introduction on the band in both languages on the Spanish and Brazilian Lastfm sites at:

http://www.lastfm.es/music/Hatcham+Social/+wiki
http://www.lastfm.com.br/music/Hatcham+Social/+wiki

Background Information:

Members

Toby
Finnigan
Dave

Band Introduction by Alexandra McLoughlin

Hatcham Social Myspace

By Alexandra McLoughlin

SLIPKNOT Gig Review by Alexandra McLoughlin

My Slipknot Gig Review At The Hammersmith Apollo In London On The 3rd December 2008

By Alexandra McLoughlin

Are they monsters? Are they explosive metal machines? Or are they just masquerade mutants in limbo? They are everything that has been mentioned and more… we are of course talking about the 9 piece metal band from Iowa, Slipknot that have been busy entertaining huge crowds at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.

Corey Taylor and Joey Jordinson by Alexandra McLoughlin

Every time that the Grammy Award winning band Slipknot, produce an album each member makes a distinctive change to their mask and as this tour was based on the new album All Hope Is Gone the fans were very excited and looking forward to seeing what masks they would be revealing this time.

Slipknot On Fire - Pic by Alexandra McLoughlin

When the band finally appeared on stage the waiting was over, there was a huge explosion of sound coming from the drums and lead man Corey Taylor started to shout at the crowd. It became obvious that chaos was on its way…

Shawn Crahan also known as “The Clown” looked hilarious as he kept zipping and unzipping his mask whilst their sound and lighting effects went beyond expectations, with pyrotechnics and a phenomenal strobe effect with a pinch yet an electrifying darkness!

Shawn Crahan – Picture by Alexandra McLoughlin

During the violent performance of “Duality” Shawn Crahan attemped to break an empty barrel with a baseball bat and at that point the crowed became even more insane that empty bottles were thrown on the stage.

It seemed the crowd couldn’t get enough of Corey’s aggressiveness, although having said that, the mosh pit was a huge success and unstoppable even after when a few fans had to be dragged out to recover.

Corey Taylor - Pic by Alexandra McLoughlin

It wasn’t until Corey screamed these words “F..k it all, f..k this world, F..K EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR!” than loud gunshot noises came out from Mick Thomson, Jim Root and Paul Gray’s guitars and the crowd became even more uncontrollable.

The fans seemed to enjoy their performance of “Wait and Bleed”.

But what everyone was looking forward to the controversial performance of “Spit It Out” which is also referred as the “Zero Bullshit”. Near the end of the song there was a pause with a coda where the music builds up to a highly energetic section and Corey Taylor screamed very loud to the crowed:

“Get the f**k down on the ground”

So all the fans obeyed as if they were in a concentration camp.

Then he said: “when I say jump the f**k up, what are you gonna do?!”

There was a silence.

Then Corey shouted again: “I asked you a f**king question, when I say jump the f**k up, what are you gonna do?!”

Crowd answered: “JUMP DA F**K UP!!!

The screams and the jumps were so powerful that it appeared the ceiling was going to collapse especially because the ground was vibrating intensely.

To make things even more exciting Shawn Crahan’s elevating drum kit ended up in the air as it slowly spun and Sid Wilson decided to dangle off it and start swinging. When he wasn’t attached to Shawn’s drums, Sid Wilson continuously ran around the stage and even jumped onto Chris Fehn’s drum as it tilted backwards and forwards.

Shawn Crahans Elevating Drums by Aleaxandra McLoughlin

Craig Jones’ spike mask looked lethal whilst he was head banging along to the to Joey Jordinson’s sensational drumming. Both members were definitely having a good time and putting all their energy into pleasing the crowd.

Craig Jones (Picture by Alexandra McLoughlin)

All in all the show was extraordinary, unpredictable, fierce, funny and had everything you could possibly expect from a “metal band”. Spectacular!!

Joey Jordinson pic by Alexandra McLoughlin

*My rating* 10/10

Review by Alexandra McLoughlin

CANADIAN BOYS SIMPLE PLAN ARE BACK IN TOWN

CANADIAN BOYS SIMPLE PLAN ARE BACK IN TOWN

By Alexandra McLoughlin

  

Simple Plan playing at London Forum pix by Alexandra McLoughlin

After having sold over SEVEN million copies worldwide on their two albums the Canadian boys SIMPLE PLAN were back in town to promote their third self titled album “Simple Plan” which has already gone Platinum in Canada  and Gold in Mexico.

   

Chuck from Simple Plan picture by Alexandra McLoughlin

The band kept their promise of treating their British fans to a signing section at the HMV Store in Oxford Street. The event which took place on the 29^th November 2008 at 5.15 in the afternoon had fans lining up at the store as early as 8.00 am however no one was disappointed having the opportunity of not only meeting the guys on their last day of their UK tour but also the chance of grabbing their latest album.

 

The band sold out gig at The Forum in Kentish Town London was another huge success in a goody bag full of funny surprises and great entertainment. Despite having plenty of energy to feed those starving fans with greatness and glory and yet they have managed to leave them feeling hungry for more.

Sebastian from Simple Plan picture by Alexandra McLoughlin 

 Their new single “Save You” was written in tribute to Pierre’s brother who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 28 and the boys are trying to increase awareness of this illness by setting up the SIMPLE PLAN FOUNDATION where all the proceeds from each download sale will be distributed through their foundation to cancer charities around the world.

 

Pierre From Simple Plan picture by Alexandra McLOUGHLIN

Check out the videos on their mypace at:  

 http://www.myspace.com/simpleplan  

 

Love in a Torn Land – Book Review by Alexandra McLoughlin

 

   

Love in a Torn Land

Love in a Torn Land by Jean Sasson

 Reviewed by Alexandra McLoughlin

 Synopsis:

Best-selling author Jean Sasson tells the dramatic true story of a young woman caught up in Saddam Hussein’s genocide of the Kurdish people of Iraq. One morning Joanna, a young bride living in the Kurdish mountains of Iraq, was surprised to see dead birds drop silently out of the clear sky. They were followed by sinister canisters falling from bombers, bringing fear and death. It was 1987, and Saddam Hussein had ordered his cousin ‘Chemical Ali’ to bombard Joanna’s village, Bergalou, with chemical weapons. Temporarily blinded in the attack, Joanna was rescued by her husband, a Kurdish freedom fighter. After being caught in another bombardment and left for dead in the rubble, they managed to flee over the mountains in a harrowing escape. Now living in the UK and working for British Airways, Joanna has told her story to Jean Sasson, the best-selling chronicler of oppressed women’s lives in the Princess trilogy and Mayada.

 

My Personal Review: This book although it  is easy to read and understand I must warn you that it can be quite intense due to real facts which occurred at that time and had to be told otherwise it wouldn’t be a “true story”. You will be dragged into a world that you would never have imagined existed and wonder how reality can be so distressful. Reading this book you will be taking your emotions to a certain limit where you will be glued to the story to a point that you will forget to eat, drink and perhaps to breathe.  

 

I felt stuck in a little bubble and refused to put the book down, I had to finish reading it; I had to know what was going to happen next and to understand the reason why all these dramatic events took place somewhere in the world whilst I was living the most “wonderful” life.

“Love in a Torn Land” tells the dramatic life story of Joanna Al-Askary Hussein. From her childhood to adulthood living in Iraq where there was constant war to when she falls in love with a man whom she suffered so much during that time in order to be with him. She also lost many people in her life and yet has still come out stronger then ever. Joanna is a warrior and a survivor with an amazing personality. Her dramatic story makes me appreciate life even more than ever and all those things that I took for granted.

One of the most shocking parts of the story is when Joanna’s uncle was put in a prison under Saddam’s orders, however this wasn’t an ordinary prison; he was put in a hole underground. The hole was only big enough for one person to stand in the upright position; He had to stay standing for many days inside that hole. Can you imagine his pain? I certainly could and even smell the drains in that village made worse due to the extreme heat.

Despite many dramatic events mentioned in this book, the story has a happy ending and that’s why it is so interesting the read.

If you ever feel down and believe that life is not worth living, after reading this book I promise you that you will appreciate life more. I am only 18 years old and this story has already changed my life and my way of thinking about others. How life is heaven compared to those people who live in a place under constant war.  Joanna is an inspiration to everyone; she is a fighter and a winner. Fight like Joanna, never give up and believe in yourself. My rate: AAAAA

Reviewed by Alexandra McLoughlin

 

 

My Interview with indie band ONE NIGHT ONLY

This is my interview with George and Mark from ONE NIGHT ONLY in the backstage coumpound of the Glastonbury Festival 2008.

Please check One Night Only’s
website/myspace on:
http://www.onenightonlyonline.com/
http://www.myspace.com/onenightonlyon…

Hope you enjoyed this interview. Sorry for the background noise.

Please check out my other videos and interviews on youtube.

© Alexandra McLoughlin

My Review on “Four Dead in Ohio” Debut Single

Four Dead in Ohio

Debut single out 1^st September 

 

 ‘Jesus Wont Dance in My High Heels’

Turn up your speakers and put on your leather jackets because ‘Jesus Wont Dance in My High Heels’ will have you rocking out with your mates! This fantastic Psychedelic Rock anthem will have you craving more rock ‘n’ roll! This is a highly impressive debut from ‘Four Dead in Ohio’ as the song is catchy, has a captivating riff and beautiful hypnotic vocals. Recorded with top producer Mark Wallis (The La’s, U2) it is bound to be a huge hit for the band!

For fans of: Primal Scream, Stereophonics, The Charlatans and Oasis.

Links:-

The Band: http://www.myspace.com/fourdeadinohioband

Label: http://www.myspace.com/yoyoacapulco

Review by Alexandra McLoughlin

The festival season has begun

Hello everybody, I’m Alexandra McLoughlin and I have created this post dedicated to my 2 favourite festivals. They are: Glastonbury Festival and The Great Escape.

British Summer Time is upon us and the clocks have now gone forward.

Although it’s great having more hours of daylight, but what really comes to my mind when I put my clock forward is the beginning of the Festival Season and my excitement is uncontrollable.

1 - GLASTONBURY – Although it is a lot more expensive but when you take into consideration that the price includes the use of the camping site, it is certainly worth the money.

The magical atmosphere is indescribable! Glastonbury is indeed one of the most amazing events on Earth! When: 27, 28 and 17 June 2008

LOOK OUT FOR GLASTO 08 UPDATES SOON!!!!!

In the meantime check out my Glastonbury page on this website.

2 – THE GREAT ESCAPE FESTIVAL which this year is bigger than ever with over 200 Acts playing live on 25 different venues in Brighton.

At an incredible location. If you have never been to Brighton before, perhaps this could be your chance of visiting this enchanting, cosmopolitan and exciting seaside city in West Sussex.

When: 15 ,16 and 17 May 2008

The line up so far is electrifying!

An absolutely huge list so here are the ones that everyone is talking about:

The Fratellis * Alphabeat * The Wombats * Vampire Weekend * The Futureheads * Young Knives * Robots In Disguise * * The Rascals * The Ting Tings * Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong * Kid Harpoon * Rachel Unthank & The Winter Set * Bon Iver * Slow Club * Peggy Sue And The Pirates * Lets Wrestle * Restlesslist * Fanfarlo * Esser * The Lionheart Brothers * Aids Wolf * Times New Viking * Emmy The Great * Eugene Mcguinness * Har Mar Superstar * The Subways * Reuben * Ipso Facto * Hatcham Social * Anyway…the list goes on and on…

Check out the full line up at The Great Escape Festival website on:

www.escapegreat.com

If you have never been to Brighton this is your opportunity of visiting this enchanting, cosmopolitan and exciting seaside city in West Sussex.

Don’t forget to leave your comment by telling the world what’s your favourite festival and why?

Have fun and enjoy it!

BAFTA TV Awards 2008 – What really went on the Red Carpet by Alexandra McLoughlin

This is a video montage that I have created with a collection of photos that I took at the 2008 BAFTA TV AWARDS.

Whilst viewing the photos you will hear a song which I have added to my montage called: “Seen It all before” by my friend Gino D’Andrea.

If you enjoyed the song please visit GINO D’ANDREA’s myspace on http://www.myspace.com/afraidoffear

Don’t forget to check out my other videos on youtube and my interviews with bands at: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=AidenQueen&p=r

 

 

 

 

 

 

STUDENT NETWORK SUSSEX – Made by students for students

Student Network Sussex by Alexandra McLoghlin

The Student Network Sussex is a website ( http://www.studentnetworksussex.org.uk ) funded by the Sussex Learning Network and it is aimed at Vocational Students already studying in Sussex and people considering taking a vocational course.

What makes this website to standout from many others is the fact that it is MADE by students FOR students.

Initially, we were given tasks of building the website for other vocational learners in Sussex. I am one of the students engaged to work for the project as a student journalist. I am part of the Editorial Team and was one of eight Media Students chosen from Colleges in Sussex. My role involves interviewing other learners (in video debate as well as in radio and text interviews) and writing articles

Check it out on: http://www.studentnetworksussex.org.uk

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