My first Culture Clash Blog! 21/2/11

Hi,

I'm hoping this blog will become a one stop shop for people who want to discover something new, be it a band they've never tried before, a radio show they've not listened to, a writer they've never explored or even a new play that's being performed!! I'm going to break down my blog into small sections that I will update with new features once a week. Please let me know if there us anything I could cover to make this blog more useful, or any changes that make it more accessible. I am very open to constructive criticism!!!! So here we go...

BANDS GALORE

In the last few weeks I managed to get to two gigs which I think are well worth documenting, first up:

THE GO TEAM - HMV INSTITUTE, BIRMINGHAM.

This band are a delight to watch, combining catchy rap phrasings with 70's infused funk and soul vibes. There's even an occasional country folk twist in there too, with both an mouth organ and a Banjo making an appearance on stage during the evening! I've never been to a gig where the band imparted such enthusiasm and energy to the audience. From the offset, lead singer 'Ninja' was jumping around the stage with boundless abandon, and soon the whole crowd were following suit. It was like being at a giant house-party! Highlights of the concert had to be a floor rocking version of 'Ladyflash' (From their debut album Thunder, Lightening, Strike) and a promising introduction to their new album; their new single 'Buy Nothing Day' (from Rolling Blackouts). Try and catch them on the rest of their UK dates, and have a listen to their back catalogue at:

http://www.thegoteam.co.uk/

HOLD YOUR HORSE IS  - THE WEST END CENTRE, ALDERSHOT.

This is the second time I have seen Hold Your Horse Is live, and they never disappoint. This band have had a good year so far, having received air play from both Zane Lowe and Tom Robinson. With their raw vocals and catchy bridge riffs, it's not hard to understand why. They ripped up the venue with 'When You Show Up' a very very catchy track with relentless hammering guitars and a highly screamable chorus this is not for the faint hearted! The band should be commended for the sheer amount of energy they exert on stage, and you can check out their debut mini album 'Rammin' It Home' via their My Space:

http://www.myspace.com/hyhi

All their current tour dates are also on their should you wish to track them down. They are currently touring with MOJO FURY, another band who are well worth checking out - they have something of the Placebo about them which is quite appealing.

RADIO SHOW OF THE WEEK

'THE MAN IN BLACK' Series 3 - Radio 7 Saturday's 6.30pm and Midnight.

Mark Gatiss reprises his role in the Man in Black, showcasing tales of the creepy and macabre for our listening pleasure. This is the third series that has been broadcast of this selection of tales, which are far more creepy and haunting than anything from 'Tales from the Crypt' or any other such programme in the genre. This weeks offering 'The Printed Name' left me completely spooked - I will never think of a printing press as an innocent tool of spreading knowlege for good again!

Check it out via - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yng5w. Unfortunately programmes are only available for 7 days on I Player so you'll have to get there quick!

BOOK OF THE WEEK

My first book of the week features is not one to everyone's taste, but I had to feature it having been in a romantic reading mood post valentine's day! Not wanting to pick up a trashy romance novel, I decided to visit a classic for my mushy reading session, and discovered 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen. Far from a soppy and silly romance, this tells of love lost, and a yearning for it to be regained. Ann, having been advised to refuse the proposal of the love of her life 'Captain Wentworth' by seemingly well meaning friends and relatives, now has to endure watching him continue life without her. Via this she discovers much about her personality and what it means to be truly firm to your values, in life as well as in love. 

This may sound mushy to many, but the book is written with such humour and satire, that I think even a none romance fan would be able to read Persuasion with interest and ease. At 267 pages long it is a good commuting read, i'm almost half way through and i've only been reading it for 3 days! There's also a brilliant television adaptation available on DVD featuring Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks) as Captain Wentworth and Sally Hawkins (Happy go Lucky) as Ann.
However if this isn't for you, wait for next weeks blog where i'll be dealving into the dark world of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected......

Thanks for reading my blog this week! Next week i'll be having a bit of a theatre themed blog, featured 'Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales' at the Lyric in Hammersmith, and also Danny Boyle's 'Frankenstein' at the National Theatre. I'll also be featuring my book and radio programme of the week. Please let me know if there's any books, DVDs or CD's you think I should check out, and let me know if this blog has been at all interesting to you!!!!

All the best and have an interesting week!

Natalie 'Cherry' Hill