Creating an album around a famous novel is not the easiest task in the world. In fact, it is a pretty tall order for any musician. However, when your name is David Bowie you are more than a mere ‘musician’ and the chances are that you can actually manage to pull off a stunt like this quite successfully! And that, dear readers is exactly how the ‘Diamond Dogs’ concept album came about. Mr Bowie had long had a soft spot for George Orwell’s ‘1984’, so he decided to base one of his albums around it…

A grim dystopian vision of the future makes a great setting for a record… and with a musical genius such as David Bowie at the helm; you just know things are going to work out. Orwell’s masterwork goes hand in hand with Bowie’s song writing, instantly transporting listeners to a place of Thought Police, the Two Minute Hate and Big Brother.

Few of today’s recording artists would have the imagination or the audacity to create an album around a landmark Sci-Fi novel like ‘1984’. And even if they did, they would be totally unable to make it work without a mega budget, a host of guest musicians and some top of the range human resources software. Basically, they just don’t make great singers like they used too!

Several of the tracks on ‘Diamond Dogs'link directly to Orwell’s work; ‘Big Brother’, ‘1984’, ‘We are the Dead’. Whereas others such as ‘Sweet Thing’, ‘Candidate’, ‘Rebel Rebel'and ‘Future Legend'are straight from David Bowie’s own imagination. I would not say that these ideas are an improvement on the novel, but they certainly blend in with it very nicely.

The instruments on this record are also very in keeping with the book. The moog, the mellotron and the growling guitars all set the dark mood on this album right from the very start. ‘Diamond Dogs'would never be placed in the ‘Easy Listening'section of a record store (unless the owner had made a terrible mistake!), but it is still extremely enjoyable to listen to. This is an album for the more discerning music fan.

Bowie has recorded a huge amount of music over the years and he has also dabbled with many different genres. Several of his albums are excellent, a few are utterly stupendous and (in my humble opinion) ‘Diamond Dogs'belongs to the latter category. It is totally unlike any of his other music and it still sounds just as good nearly thirty years on!

Long time ago people used to live and die in the same area where they were born. Today, for most of us the borders are no longer impenetrable walls, in many cases there are no physical borders at all. Take the EU for instance, as an EU citizen you are free to travel and reside in all EU countries, how cool is that? But today, there is another problem. Even though there are no borders the fact that nearly half of the people living in big cities are from another country, turns the natives against people of different ethnicity, religion or place of birth. The truth is that discrimination is too evident. Native Brits are afraid that workers from Eastern Europe will come and take their jobs, but they don’t realise that in most cases such workers are actually good for the country. Simply because most of them don’t end up becoming lawyers, powerful businessmen or enigin scam busters, professions which are respected and well paid. No, most foreigners end up working as plumbers, handymen or construction workers, jobs the Brits don’t want to do. So don’t worry people of Britain. Everything is going to be okay.

Similar Posts:
Things You Can Do Other Than Drink : I have been on antibiotics…
London 2012- Showcasing cultural unity  : Any and every…
The Future? : I’m in business, am well up with the latest…

Are you feeling it? That creeping depression now that Christmas and New Year is over and you’re back at your desk with nothing to look forward to until the summer arrives? Well, actually I have got a wee holiday booked in March to my favourite city, Madrid, but even that isn’t enough to keep the blues away at the moment! It doesn’t help when you see a banner stand in your local shopping centre announcing that it’s not too late to buy your winter boots as there are still two more months of bad weather to come. That was enough to drive me into the arms of my friendly local coffee chain for a luxurious hot chocolate with all the trimmings!

There are always a few things that can put a smile on my face and make winter just that little bit more bearable – Starbucks'hot chocolate being one of them! My favourite music puts a spring in my step too; though seeing as my favourite song changes almost daily, it’s impossible for me to tell you which one I’ll be listening to by the time you read this blog. Right now I’m being a bit educated and listening to Rachmaninov a lot, but by tomorrow I could easily have regressed to Lady Gaga…

However, the best way I’ve discovered to beat the winter blues is to pamper yourself. This doesn’t have to be expensive, though if you can afford a couple of hours at a spa then a long back massage and a session in the jacuzzi is the perfect way to ease away all that tension! The cheaper option is to buy yourself some luxurious bubbles from the supermarket, run yourself a hot bath and lie back and relax. Make sure you lock the door, turn on some chill-out music and float away.

Similar Posts:
Jersey Boys the Musical in London : Jersey Boys is a jukebox…
Best summer in how long – Comment : A blog on the World Cup…
Big Energy Business : Poor energy saving. It used to be the kid…
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…

Beyonce and Jay-Z are expecting their first child since they made their vows in 2008. After her surprise announcement at the MTV awards we have been following her every move to see just what this beautiful and inspirational pregnant woman has been getting up to!

Even though Beyonce is pregnant that hasn’t stopped her making waves in the fashion world! Revealing her first UK line in the House of Dereon collection at London’s fashion week, she made the news again. The line was full of glitter and glamour and the Dress Fabrics were just out of this world, which is a reflection of Beyonce’s own personal style and flair.

There really is no stopping this business mogul! Despite being pregnant she is still full charge ahead with all of her many endeavours. With new singles being released all the time and her awesome new fragrance pulse…we are left thinking is there anything this woman can’t do!!!

We know it can be difficult to keep up with this woman but if you want to try then head over to her official site at beyonceonline.com for all the latest gossip and news.

We would just like to say thank you Beyonce for keeping our news updates more glamorous and exciting than the boring financial and economical issues! You liven up our lives providing us with excitement and enthusiasm. You truly are a star… and we love you for it…!

Similar Posts:
Jersey Boys the Musical in London : Jersey Boys is a jukebox…
Best summer in how long – Comment : A blog on the World Cup…
Big Energy Business : Poor energy saving. It used to be the kid…
Connected Youth : There was a time when the older generation…

With my head filled with the gorgeous, colourful prints of the season’s latest dress designs, I scoured dozens of boutiques and department stores in hungry anticipation. After hours of hunting in vain - too expensive…too long…too short…wrong shape…that colour with my complexion? No way! - I sat down exhausted and depressed, reviving both sore feet and myself with a coffee in a store’s café. The party was tomorrow and I was running out of time.

As I mulled over my disastrous day, I started looking at the counters near the café. Lovely small glints of refracted light caught my eye: it was a jewellery counter with grand eye-level displays and cases. Intrigued, I finished my coffee and went over.

I was bewitched. Fabulous colours and shapes of every kind of jewel-like stone and glass and pearl had been transformed into the most beautiful necklaces, earrings and brooches – some set in gold, some in silver, other metals, and resin or plastic. ‘This is the designer jewellery section,'said the assistant giving me a strange look, probably because my jaw had just dropped to the ground. ‘We have items here from many designers. Can I help you?'I grinned back.

My outfit was more than a success at the party. The new designer jewellery earrings and brooch lifted me, and that old dress, into another dimension. Loads of people kept coming up to ask where I’d got them and how brilliant they looked. Amazing what designer jewellery can do….

Similar Posts:
Jersey Boys the Musical in London : Jersey Boys is a jukebox…
Fernando’s Kitchen  : The Junction, in Cambridge, might sound…
Tonight’s The Kind of Night : Last weekend I was staying in…
Foo Fighters: Wasting Light : The Foo Fighters are one of the…

I’ve discovered a new obsession of mine - Desert Island Disks. For anyone who hasn’t heard of it, it’s a legendary BBC show in which people (”celebrities” seems to narrow a term) are invited to pick eight records that they would take with them to a desert island. In a way it’s kind of old-fashioned - after all, now we could take our iPods and MP3 players to the desert island - but that seems reasonable given that the first edition of the programme was broadcast in 1942.
I suppose since then the desert island we imagine might have changed a bit. The 1942 version was probably a beautiful change from a grey, war-worn England; the 2011 version might be rather more updated with internet access and biodiesel storage tanks for power. But essentially the idea remains the same - the “castaway” is asked to imagine being cut off from the contemporary world, from everyone and everything they know, and they are asked to take eight pieces of music with them that will provide them with comfort. Often therefore the castaways choose pieces of music that remind them of places or people, or a time in their life; other times there’s another reason why the piece of music is important. And the interviewer guides them through these choices, asking them to expand and explain why they’ve made particular choices. It’s a great format. In a way it’s a glorified parlour game, but it’s such an interesting way about learning more about people - not just celebrities, but people. Check it out!

Similar Posts:
Jersey Boys the Musical in London : Jersey Boys is a jukebox…
Fernando’s Kitchen  : The Junction, in Cambridge, might sound…
Tonight’s The Kind of Night : Last weekend I was staying in…
Arch Enemy - The Death Metal Band  : Arch Enemy is a very…

Festivals Festivals Festivals! There are just so many to choose from these days it’s hard t know which ones to attend! You’ve got Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds, V Festival, T in the Park, Download and loads more. Which that many choices how do you ever make a decision?

Well I finally made a decision to check out Glastonbury this year as I have never been and it is meant to be a festival like none other. The festival is set on a huge site offering music on an enormous scale which isn’t like any other festival in the world! How could I say no to that?!? There are over 50 stages offering every kind of music imaginable. That’s not the only entertainment they offer either there are an array of other things to see and get involved in such as green crafts that you can make and take home as a souvenir , poetry and healing groups, and performing arts groups offering cabaret and theatre shows.

The line up looks amazing as well, headlining the stages are U2, Beyonce, Coldplay, Mumford and Sons, Queen of the Stone Age and loads more. It looks set to be one of the best festivals this year. All I need now is to get myself sorted for the trip, I need some new outfits to show off and I definitely need to buy some new jewellery online and I need to buy it quick to make sure it all arrives in time. And note to self don’t forget the wellies this year!

Similar Posts:
Speaking for our Favourite Rock Stars : Rock is a genre of…
What is good music to you? : Good music means different things…
Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Kinks : Good music is a…
How do you like to listen to Music? : There are many music…

I remember so clearly the day I bought my very favourite pair of shoes in the whole wide world, I’ll never forget the feeling of walking out the shop itching to wear them as soon as possible. I was walking past the Kurt Geiger store in a Bristol shopping mall and this gorgeous glimpse of colour caught my eye as I aimlessly crossed the window shop display. I turned to see what had unusually managed to catch my glazed view and then I saw them, somehow managing to standing out from all the other beautiful shoes. A sling back court shoe with a just perfect platform and cut out sections along the upper section. Yet the real beauty of these shoes was the colour, the gorgeous salmon shade, unlike anything I had ever seen before… I HAD to have them. As I went in to the store I prayed they had them in my size and when to my delight they did I just knew instantly that they would fit as perfectly as they looked. They did as predicted and i purchased these little gems with the biggest smile on my face you could imagine. Now some would find it difficult to comprehend the sheer delight one can acquire from such a purchase were as others will completely understand where I am coming from. For those that do, I am very sure you to will remember perfectly the moment you fell in love with your most favourite pair of shoes….. share it with us J

Similar Posts:
You know you’re getting old when… : I still think I’m…
Gig etiquettes : There has been lots of media coverage of the…
Festivals : Summer only means one thing to me; festivals. OK…
The Magic of Rock and Roll : Music as I have heard is a…

I asked a good friend of mine out recently while she was looking at dance Fabrics, and we were going to the Experimental Cocktail Club. She told me she had never heard of the club so I filled her in, having been there some weeks ago.

The Experimental Cocktail Club is a successful Paris brand that recently ventured into London’s nightlife. The interior is decorated with mirrored ceilings that portray ancient Paris architecture; with tiny couches and armchairs the room embraces the feeling of intimacy.

The waiters in the bar are dressed in waistcoat and bow tie will greet you as if you are a French King and offer you a royal service. Visitors are catered with vintage drinks from the 60s, for a price that can exceed £200. The upstairs bar has a Piano which is the inspiration of a popular French waiter who used to play piano and mix cocktails as well.

The bar’s General Manager, Vincent says t hat he enjoys the entertainment given by his customers, when they drink and engage in fun activities. He wants his customers to have fun and anything that makes them go crazy. But right now the bar is opened to visitors on weekdays from 6 pm to 3 am and as per Vincent even Sundays will join the feast soon.

Experimental Cocktail Club London also caters dishes such as a cheese board or charcuterie. After a long day’s work, this bar is an ideal place to listen to the DJs who will charge you with vintage rock and hip-hop music. Experimental Cocktail Club London, no doubt is an ostentatiously rich bar.

Similar Posts:
You know you’re getting old when… : I still think I’m…
Gig etiquettes : There has been lots of media coverage of the…
Using music in the theatre - Love, Love, Love by Mike Bartlett : A…
Too old to mosh? : I’ve long accepted that I’m too…

Thank GOD that in recent years I have had work from home jobs as it gives me the chance to listen to music as much as I want. I came across a 10,000 Maniacs album recently and listen and was blow away.

Almost everyone who is into rock-music will have heard the name 10,000 Maniacs. The band was formed in 1981 and still continues to rock today with various line-ups.

In 1981, the band was originally called Still Life. It was Steve Gustafson (bass), Dennis Drew(keyboards), Robert Buck(guitar), Chet Cardinale(drums) and Teri Newhouse(vocalist) who were the original members of the band. Later, Natalie Merchant was invited by Gustafson just to do a few vocals. Natalie soon became the main singer of the band when Cardinale and Newhouse left the band. Natalie was 17 years old when she joined the band.

After that, many drummers came and left the band. The members chose the name “10,000 Maniacs” after a movie called “Two Thousand Maniacs!” Some of their famous singles are: Like the Weather, What’s the Matter Here, Trouble Me, These are Days and Because the Night. This band is planning to release their new album this year and a tour on their 30^th anniversary. They will be visiting Alpine, CA, Uncasville, IL, Chicago and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ramsey, Erickson, Augustyniak, Drew and Gustafson are the current members of this band. Even if the bankd is popular, there are many debates about including 10,000 Maniacs into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Similar Posts:
Is this the music of the future? : A colleague of mine, who is…
Tip for the top : I can be a bit of an evangelist when it comes…
Sheila’s broken down : Big things are afoot in the world of no…
What’s the Future of Live Music? : The future of the music…