Telstar, and the man who changed the way music is made...

Unfortunately Olivia and I still on the outside and kind of view the music industry as this whole big world that, granted we'd love to be a part of, but is a strange and complex business that we can only hope to understand.
Due to this, I also do love a good film about it, the fantastical and overdrawn the better. I'm a bit of a movie geek myself and have an almost embarrassingly large DVD collection... so I thought I'd share some thoughts on some of my more musical ones.

This is a bit of a weird post as it is about a film, Telstar, but also about the man that the film itself was based on; Joe Meek.

I must admit, I originally was drawn to the film for it's cast, and the fact that I do have a weakness for a British film... however, through it I discovered a new love and admiration for the great man that was Joe Meek.

Telstar boasts a varied casts of British talent with well loved actors (Kevin Spacey, James Corden, Ralph Little, Pam Ferris, Nigel Harman) as well as showcasing some well known musical faces (Carl Barat of The Libertines, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, and ermm... Jon, from S Club 7).

The film itself shows the life of the legend. Set in the early sixties, it follows Joe Meek as he sets up his infamous studio at 105 Holloway Road, turning down The Beatles, and life as a gay man in the wrong decade. The film (and the superb acting from Con O'Neill) portray the confined, hectic centre of Joe Meek's world, and the collapse of it around him.
The film tackles the musical invention, the business aspects of fame and gain, the personal issues and the breakdown of a man simultaneously and all well covered.

So, if like me, you're a movie fan, you love the music of the sixties, and if the idea of a film about an obsessive compulsive, jealous, paranoid musical legend then it's a film for you. But in all honestly, it really is a great piece of cinema, about a man who deserves all of the praise he's given, living in a horrible situation... and it's got a brilliant soundtrack...

Amie x

Steve White - Man of Drums

Hi everyone,

For the few of you out there who don't know who Steve White is, he is (in my opinion!) one of the greatest drummers around. After a long drumming career playing for the likes of The Style Council and then Paul Weller as a solo artist, The Who and Ian Dury to name but a few, he decided it was time for a change and began managing young music artists, Sam Gray and Abi Phillips. Steve very kindly gave us a little interview about his experiences and also a few handy tips for those of you looking to get into music or managing. Check out the websites for Sam and Abi by clicking on their names, and you'll be able to listen to some great tunes while you're there.


So Steve, Why did you start playing the drums?

I was nine years of age and I just saw a Boys Brigade band Marching down the road, I was so impressed I just had to take up the drums, from then on in was hooked!

How did you manage to break into the music industry and become a professional drummer?

I used to go to auditions of every kind, never turned the opportunity down to play, joined every band I could and just pestered people. 


Did you always have the intention of making a career out of playing the drums or was it just a hobby to begin with?

It was never a hobby, from the first time I ever picked up a pair of sticks i knew thats what i was going to do for a living. 


Why did you did you decide, after many years of drumming, to start managing Sam and Abi?

I came from working with one artist for 25 years and when I met Sam i just fell in love with his songs, I knew that he could make great records so I set about making it happen, Abi came along later, she was only 15 when I first met her, she has a staggering voice and I think she will follow in the lines of Ellie Goulding and hopefully Adele. 


How are you finding the experience?  

It's hard, the industry is changing so much and so quickly, the major labels are less and less relevant and its about compiling incomes from as many sources as possible, the gloves are off. 


Do you have any advice that you could give to anyone wanting to get into the music industry whether it be as an artist or a manager?

Tenacity, patience, endless practice, remove the word "can't" from you vocabulary, be nice to people, but dont be ingenuine, and remember the music business is nothing at all without the song, no production, gadget or gizmo can cover up the fact that a song isn't good, be original and learn as quickly as possible to smell the smell of bullshit and NEVER sign anything without a lawyer, also remember Music and Business are two very different words, dont let the business taint your love of music!  

Thanks Steve for a really intersting interview, it's great to hear from somebody with a long lasting passion for the industry and all it stands for. Keep up to date with Steve White and his music ventures at his website.


Abi is super talented, not only is she becoming a sound recording artist, but she also appears in the soap Hollyoaks as the bubbly character Liberty. After writing the song 'Missing You' for the show, and an audition for the part, the producers picked up on her talent and cast her in the role.
Check iTunes for Abi's single 'Missing You' NOW!

And click on the link below to hear a clip of Sam's single 'Cartwheel Queen' which will be out in July. Head to The Enterprise in Camden on 31st May 2011 to watch him play live.
http://soundcloud.com/nottinghillmusic/sets/sam-gray-brighter-day-album

Hope you've enjoyed reading everyone, keep on rocking in the free world

Olivia xxx

Sounds of Noise.

As mentioned, we're interested in all sides of the music industry, from the artists/PR/management/sound engineers and we want to get right in there and get the feel of being in all of those shoes.

So todays interview is with a Sound Engineer, Michael, who agreed to give us a little insight into his day job; enjoy. 

What exactly is your job? 
I am a sound engineer for a company that hires sound systems, dj equipment, staging and lighting to both the public and to companies for large events.

What does an average shift entail? 
There is no such thing as an average shift! It could be anything from prepping all day for the weeks jobs, delivering and collecting equipment or setting up equipment for a rave in a car park.

Have you always wanted to work in sound/the music industry?
I have always been interested in doing something "backstage", either lighting, sound etc, but since getting into playing music a few years ago, my attention turned to sound.

How did you learn how to do it? 
I leant the basics of mics and sound theory from recording my band and reading articles on the internet etc but I only really started learning when I started the job and learnt by just getting practical experience.

How did you get into it? 
Like I said before, I got interested in the industry after getting into playing music, going to gigs and recording my band. I was unemployed for ages after leaving school and to keep my jobseekers allowance was required to do work experience. The company I'm with now was the first I contacted and they agreed to take me on to help out in the warehouse. I did work experience for about 5 months and then started working for them.

I've seen that you've worked with some big names, who has been the highlight for you? 
I'm more into doing bands than the club stuff, and even though we have worked for some big DJ's, my highlights would have to be Delphic, The Vaccines and Jarvis Cocker.

Any tips for people wanting to get into the business??
Don't be too cocky, just because you've operated the mixing desk for a school play, doesnt mean you could mix The Who! At the same time try to have some confidence and get as much practice as possible.

So there you go, the life of a sound engineer! 

Interesting, no?!

Amie x

Hello to our little world.

Welcome to our blog. We are 2 Media and Cultural Studies students at the University of Arts, London. One of us is called Amie, and the other is Olivia.

This blog is an attribution to all things music, mainly focusing on the music industry and inside that world.

On this blog we hope to get interviews with people of interest, share bands or music that we love, share our thoughts and feelings on music or what's going on and encourage you to get involved.

So if you have any thoughts or feelings on what we post, or if you're in a band and want to get your music/videos  out there.. lets us know, we don't bite :)

amieandolivia@hotmail.co.uk

hope you enjoy x