Monday 29 April 2013

Music Snobbery

Music. Gimme pop, gimme rock, gimme dance, soul, metal, jazz, good old fashioned rock n' roll. I'll take it all. And any other style in existence, because I LOVE music.

One thing that makes me want to strangle people with their own "hipster" skinny jeans is music snobbery. My head almost exploded a moment ago when someone who shall remain nameless made a remark about who is worse, the people who make (insert music genre) or the people who listen to it.

Well, I can answer that. The worst people are the ones who make pissy judgements about people based on their music tastes. Who lash out because they think they know best. Who think that someone who likes rap can't possibly have a brain in their head because it's not what they themselves consider "cool" music. Bite me. I still have Steps albums, and I still know all the words to every S Club 7 song ever released (leave me alone, when I was a kid they were cool!), but that doesn't make me any less of a person than someone who listens to Ed Sheeran, or any big name of the moment who won't be remembered in ten years.(No disrespect to Ed Sheeran, I don't consider him someone who will be forgotten easily, his was just the first name in my head!)

Judge people on who they are, not what they listen to. Listen to the music you love, and encourage others to do the same. What matters is not WHAT a person listens to, its the fact that they are listening. You wanna make judgements about other artists? Don't be crying on your Twitter account when people do the same about you. There is no room for music snobbery. Just enjoy the damn  music, whatever the style because, guess what? It all has value whether you like it or not. 




Sunday 28 April 2013

Andre 3000 and Beyonce Cover Amy Winehouse - Oh Boy...

This morning, I was indulging in one of my favorite Sunday morning hobbies - trawling entertainment news on the internet (don't judge me, it's what I do :p ), and I found this: Andre 3000 x Beyonce "Back to Black" in full.

Naturally, my interest was piqued because Amy Winehouse was a freaking genius, and anyone daring to touch her music will always make me a bit sceptical. Covers in general make me sceptical, because anyone who is brave enough to take one on, can't really win. It's either too similar, or too different, and for the most part, it can never stand up against the original.

 This re-recording of "Back To Black" was made for the soundtrack of "The Great Gatsby," and, regardless of whether the cover fits the tone of the movie - my first impression was - it's a pile of crap.

Andre 3000's monotonous voice on such a great track made me flinch because it sort of sucks out every bit of life there ever was in the original. BUT, then I watched the trailer for the movie, and suddenly, it worked.


Once you've seen the trailer, the song sounds different. Edgier. Not crap.

When Beyonce steps in, a little of Andre's damage (Yes, I still sort of consider it damage) is repaired. The former Destiny's Child star brings a haunting quality to the track, and although different to Winehouse's version, it actually works. Of course, Beyonce could sing the phone book and it would sound awesome, but this is particularly stunning.

Genius as it is, I can't see how this will be well received by Winehouse fans, just because it's SO different. But it serves a purpose in the movie it was made for, so I do hope people give it a chance.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

The Fan vs. The Professional

So... I've been mulling this post over for a while. At least a week, maybe more. The reason I didn't post right away is because it's a little more personal than I tend to allow myself to be, especially on this blog. I want to keep this place fun, and happy and exciting, not drag it down with momentary insecurity. However, most of the thoughts have to do with what this blog is all about, or what I wanted it to be about when I started it. So... here we go!

The idea behind Word On The Street was to talk about entertainment news, shows, music and movies I like to think I'm fairly interesting. Quirky. Enthusiastic. BUT when I happen to be meeting people who are cooler than me, everything starts to go wrong.

It is HARD to balance being myself and my professional side. Because, yes, I do have a professional side! It's just that sometimes I feel like Su Pollard in Hi-De-Hi, chasing the dream of becoming a Yellowcoat but remaining the maid forever! (Very British Reference - have a Wikipedia link)

I once interviewed John Cho (the interview was another casualty of Yahoo's great article purge - I should republish it here sometime!) That actually happened. And the interview in reality was way longer but I had to trim it down to what was most important. The conversation we had was kind of epic, and I still have the recording, mostly to remind myself that I really did talk to John Cho! :p

And then there's the topic of tweeting celebrities. I try not to do that on my writing account because I don't want it to come off as too fangirly. But then, isn't the point of Twitter that you CAN tweet the people you like? Isn't that how connections are made? In "professional" mode - I tell myself not to do it. How can you be professional if you're geeking out over people? And how do other people view it? If you tweet the same person more than once, does it come off as desperate? In the past, it's happened. If I've tweeted someone more than once, I start to panic that it's too much. Too over-enthusiastic. In my head, tweeting someone twice feels like the equivalent of a non-anxious person tweeting someone 800 times.The truth is, though, when I look back at my entire feed - I tweet with my friends around 90% more than I tweet any celebrity. The balance is good.

I guess the main point of all this is to say... I'm not that cool. Not nearly as cool as all the other people who interview kickass people. I like cheesy pop, still listen to the occasional boyband,  and I remember all the moves to Macarena. But that's not all of who I am. Gimme full on headbanging, bouncing off the walls metal, and I'm there too. And serious stuff? Sure, I like to inject some humour into my work, but don't think I can't get out there and stand up for the things that matter. Occasional rambling aside - I'm pretty good at what I do. So, if I sometimes have a crazy, "OH MY GOD, THIS IS SO AWESOME" moment, or I over-tweet, or I stumble over my words, or giggle, or talk too much... that's because I have a lot of enthusiasm for the people I believe in. I want everyone to know. I want to spread the word with as many people as possible.

But when it comes to conducting interviews... I got it covered.

Monday 15 April 2013

Reasons I Love... Reby Sky!

I can't recall exactly when I first became aware of Reby Sky, or even why. I just know that at some point, I followed her on Twitter, and it didn't take long for me to see why so many people love her.

For those who don't know who Reby Sky is, here's a quick breakdown (though I confess this is downplaying her skills a bit, she has done LOADS of stuff!) Reby is a dancer, model, TV host, and currently a pro-wrestler, which earned her the name "Diva Overachiever" for her fast climb up sport's ladder. Reby also recently got engaged to former WWE superstar, Matt Hardy, and if I may say so, they make the most adorable couple!

So, why do I love Reby? Holy crap, let me count the ways! I've never been lucky enough to see her wrestle live, but I have seen some of her videos, and she is FIERCE. Her drive for everything she does is inspiring, as is her "take no shit" approach to any abuse she gets.

Her YouTube channel is guaranteed to always make me smile. Whether she's posting make-up tips, or cute videos of her and Matt, there's always something on there that will probably make me laugh out loud!

More than anything else, I love that you will always get 100% honesty from Reby. When she says you can "ask anything" she's not kidding! Don't expect any tiptoeing around. Reby will tell it like it is, and if you don't like the answer... suck it up, buttercup!

Of course, I don't know Reby personally. I base this on what I see, and mostly, I see a badass chick with a big heart and a great sense of humour.

It's all this and more that first led me to Reby Sky's website, which is home to the coolest shop ever! Along with all the usual t-shirts etc, Reby also sells collector's items, such as clothes she's worn in the ring and on photo shoots. A while ago, I fell in love with a satin dress she had for sale, and at only $50, I couldn't resist. Now, I knew there was no way I'd ever fit into it, but that isn't the point. It's pretty, and I wanted it! :p

Honestly, how anyone ever has the audacity to say that girl is fat is beyond me! 

Now, because Reby has been so very busy lately, the dress came a little later then I expected, but to make up for it, I got some extra Reby swag:





and this very sweet note:



Thanks Reby!  

And that, my friends, is the kind of awesomeness you get when talking to Reby Sky! 

Still not convinced? Follow her Twitter feed - trust me!  

Saturday 13 April 2013

Fozzy Rocks Plymouth - VIP Experience, Round Two!



I feel like this in spirit - 3 hours sleep means I can barely lift my eyelids, let alone shake it like a polaroid picture! :p


SO, I did it again, Fozzy VIP round two, and oh my goodness...

Right from the beginning, everything went perfectly. We were met by the VIP rep, Scott, and the fun began. There were jokes, high fives, some banter about English accents/words, and the kind of chatter you usually have with people after you've known them a while - not just five minutes. No disrespect to the last rep because he did his job well, BUT Scott made us all feel SO welcome by being as hyped as we were, and not being afraid to have a bit of fun with us! Having him around really set the night off to a great start.

VIP Swag (We weren't allowed to take Scott :p )


At dinner, all the guys from Fozzy were on top form, and the level of nerves around the table from the VIPers was significantly lower this time. Maybe because three of us had done it before, so instead of meeting them and thinking, "OH MY GOD I'M EATING WITH FOZZY!!" it was like catching up with friends! Props to them, they remembered those of us who were there last time, and welcomed the newbies with enthusiasm!

It was much easier to move around and talk to everyone this time, and I was ecstatic that I finally got to spend time chatting to Rich Ward. The man is not only a legend, but one of the most genuinely sweet guys I've ever been lucky enough to meet. I also met Billy Grey for the first time, and talked to Paul Di Leo a bit more. Honestly, all the guys are absolutely amazing but I'm a big Frank Fontsere fan! I may have exceeded some kind of daily hug limit, but I think that's okay...hopefully. :D


I got me a signed Frank drumstick!


Okay... moving on to the gig!

 
I don't know how it's possible, but Fozzy get better and better every time I see them. I thought they were at the top  of their game in December, but they continue to prove me wrong. They were louder, wilder, sharper, more energetic than before and the crowd were more than happy to scream and shout their enthusiasm.

Fozzy's set included songs from Sin and Bones, including their first ever live performance of Shine Forever, plus the ever catchy She's My Addiction, and fan favourite, Sandpaper. One of the best responses of the night came during God Pounds His Nails, at which point the crowd nearly ripped the roof off the White Rabbit! 

Jericho continues to be an exceptional frontman, and with such unmistakable onstage chemistry between the band, it's easy to see why fans keep coming back for more. 

Anyone who is waiting to see Fozzy on this tour is in for an awesome time because they are rocking harder than ever, so you'd better be ready for it! There are still VIP tickets, and gig tickets available here

Now, on the night, I took a bunch of photos and videos, but for unknown reasons, my camera decided to stop recording sound which made the videos useless. To make up for it, I put together this little video montage so those videos weren't a total waste! (If you don't hear sound on this, let me know, but it's working for me!)




Saturday 6 April 2013

Six Days To Go!

Don't worry, this isn't the start of one of those really annoying countdowns, it is merely to state my excitement that there are now only six days to go until I get to meet Fozzy for the second time! The boys are headed back to the UK next week, and if you haven't got your tickets yet, what are you waiting for?! You can get tickets and VIP upgrades here and if you have never done VIP before, I would definitely recommend it. You can read about my last VIP experience here, and you'll see just how freaking brilliant it is!





I can't even begin to explain how excited I am to be doing this again - plus meeting up with one of the friends I made last time. That is part of the beauty of Fozzy VIP. You get to meet a whole bunch of new people!

Obviously, I will be posting all about it once it's over, but why rely on my word? Grab a ticket now, and see for yourself!