BEAT100 Reviews 2014's Top Music Moments

2014 has been a great year for music, both highs and lows. The last year has become both Iggy Azalea’s break out year and the year that the Frozen soundtrack took the world by storm. With 2015 looming, the BEAT100 staff look back at our Top 10 memorable music moments from the past year.…

Dolly Parton Performs at Glastonbury Festival

This summer Dolly Parton secured herself as the unprecedented Queen of Glastonbury after a rhinestone-covered, foot stomping set in June. With outstanding audience numbers, Dolly dispelled the non-believers who doubted that the crowd would approve of the Country star’s presence at the festival. It seemed that all of the event’s 200,000 attendees turned up to see Dolly perform on the Pyramid stage and the Queen of Country did not disappoint, churning out classic after classic to the excited crowd. In a white, rhinestone covered trouser suit the 68 year old strutted across the stage with confidence, inspiring a solid hour-long sing along with the thousands of screaming fans. Parton then surprised the audience with an appearance from Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora with a rousing gospel-rock version of ‘Lay Your Hands On Me’ that garnered a great reception from the crowd. Dolly Parton’s Sunday afternoon slot wowed the crowds and the critics alike and is sure to go down in Glastonbury history.

U2 Causes Outrage After ‘forcing’ Album onto Millions

One of the greatest controversies of 2014 was caused by superband U2 in September this year. Apple announced at the launch of the iPhone 6 that the Irish band’s latest album ‘Songs of Innocence’ would be automatically added to every iTunes Store account for free. A move that was meant to appear as generous turned into a PR disaster as millions realised that the surprise addition could not be deleted from their accounts. With over 500 million iTunes subscribers across 119 countries, it is no surprise that not everyone would be a U2 fan, something that seemed to be overlooked by Apple and by U2 themselves. Fans took to Twitter and Facebook to voice their disapproval which lead to front man Bono issuing a public apology. Since the release, Apple has released a one-click tool allowing iTunes customers to remove the album if they wish.

Kate Bush Tours for the First Time in 35 Years

Kate Bush surprised her fans this year, announcing in May that she would be embarking on her first tour in 35 years. The release of tickets caused her website to crash and her name to trend worldwide on Twitter before selling out in mere minutes. The ‘Before the Dawn’ tour kicked off in August for the 22-date run at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. Touring for the first time since 1979, Bush opened the show with ‘Lily’ from the 1993 album ‘Red Shoes’ as fans screamed the house down. The 55 year old star, barefoot and dressed in black, opened with a simple set accompanied by seven backing singers. Bush wowed the crowd with her greatest hits, also pointing out her 16-year-old son, Bertie, who was accompanying her as a backing singer. Gaining rave reviews and great response from the crowd, Bush’s London performances went down as one of the greatest comebacks of the year.

Miley Gives her VMA Award to the Homeless of LA

Miley Cyrus gained worldwide attention once again for a VMA performance but this year it gained a far greater response than her famed booty-twerking appearance with Robin Thicke. In a surprise twist at September’s awards, a teary Miley let a homeless man accept her award for Video of the Year which she had won for ‘Wrecking Ball’. Twitter erupted with praise for Miley as 22 year old Jesse Helt took to the stage to accept the award on her behalf. Helt met Cyrus through the Hollywood homeless center My Friend’s Place and the singer was extremely moved by his story. In a touching move, Cyrus invited Helt to be her ‘date’ for the awards and use the platform to call attention to the issue of youth homelessness in America.

Outkast Launch their Comeback at Coachella

In one of the most highly anticipated comebacks of the year, Outkast reunited in April at 2014’s Coachella Festival. Performing together for the first time since 2002, Andre 3000 and Big Boi planned to launch their 20^th anniversary tour to screaming crowds but the reality turned out to be much different. Their debut set garnered almost universally negative reviews and resulted in hundreds of disappointed fans. The hip-hop duo appeared at the Coachella headlining slot and delivered a reportedly lack lustre and underwhelming performance that saw the majority of the audience leave before the show reached its climax of hit track ‘Hey Ya!’ It seemed that the duo noticed the disappointment of the crowd with Andre 3000 repeatedly asking ‘Are y’all alive?’ and ‘You still here?’ which only served to up the cringe-factor of the overall set. The pair seemed to take the audience response on board, reviewing their show and returning with a brand new set and an improved attitude for the second weekend of the festival. After a slight flop of a first show, the pair picked themselves up and really kicked off their 40-show tour in style.

Bob Geldof Oversees the 30-year Anniversary Release of Band Aid Hit.

In November, Sir Bob Geldof once again bought back Band Aid hit ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ to aid in the treatment of the Ebola epidemic. The music video for the charity hit was viewed by millions in a surprise debut on the X Factor, introduced byGeldof himself, with a warning that the video contained distressing images of Ebola victims. The recent outbreak of the life threatening virus first appeared in March and has killed more than 5000 people to date, mostly in West Africa. It was hoped that the fourth version of 'Do They Know Its Christmas' would be just as popular as the original track, which raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia in 1984; it went on to bererecorded in 1989 and 2004. Released at 8am on 17 November ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ had shifted more than 200,000 copies, according to the Official Charts Company, making it the fastest-selling single of 2014. Sales figures show that the track is set to surpass the success of the previous recordings, with the original single selling 3.7 million copies in the UK, making it the biggest-selling single ever at that time.

Thom Yorke Released Brand New Album Via BitTorrent

Thom Yorke caused waves in September after the controversial release of his newest album ‘Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes’ via file sharing site BitTorrent. The surprise album, priced at just $6, was released with no publicity beforehand but still garnered more than 100,000 downloads in the first 24 hours. With minimalist lyrics and scattered beats it is typical of Thom Yorke's unique style which proves to be more of a you-love-it-or-you-hate-it dilemma among music lovers. Yorke has been very vocal in the last years of online music distribution, publicly questioning the royalty rates of streaming platforms such as Spotify.The Radiohead frontman is known for his controversial album releases; in 2007 Radiohead released 'In Rainbows' through their website where the fans could choose how much, if at all, to pay for it. Through this deal BitTorrenttakes 10% of the profits while the artist receives the other 90% and is seen by Yorke as an effective way to hand power back to the musicians. He was quoted saying 'If it works well, it can be an effective way of handing some control of Internet commerce back to people who are creating the work.'

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Team up to Release a Jazz Album

She's 28, He's 88. There may be a 60 year age gap but that certainly didn't stop Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett giving it their all on their brand new jazz album. 'Cheek to Cheek' was born from a desire to introduce jazz to a younger generation and is Lady Gaga's first release since her 'ARTPOP' album in 2013. Many critics expressed concern that Lady Gaga recording songs from such classic jazz singers may have had a detrimental effect on the Jazz genre but in truth, it is quite the opposite. Coupled with the smooth vocals of Tony Bennett, Gaga's strong voice proves captivatingly charismatic in a jazz setting. In addition to duets, the unlikely duo also perform solo tracks such as Gaga’s take on ‘Lush Life’ or Tony’s rendition of ‘Sophisticated Lady’. The release in September saw the album debut at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart, becoming the second Number 1 for Bennett and the third for Gaga. It also set up 88-year old Bennett to become the oldest living act to earn a Number 1 album, beating his own record that he set in 2011.

Austria’s Conchita Wurst Wows Eurovision

Austria stormed to Eurovision victory in May’s contest with her dramatic ballad ‘Rise Like a Pheonix’. The 25-year old bearded drag queen led her country to victory with an audience of around 170 million people across the globe. Wurst’s entry bought an unprecedented political and moral aspect to this year’s competition as organisations in Armenia, Belarus and Russia started petitions to remove her act from the performance. Russian legislator Vitaly Milonov announced that Wurst was a ‘pervert’ whose performance would ‘insult millions of Russians’ if it was allowed to go ahead. Conchita, real name Thomas Neuwirth, proceeded with her performance despite the backlash and went on to win over the enormous audience, gaining an amazing 290 points.Conchita celebrated her win with a memorable message ‘This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom," she said, according to the Associated Press. "You know who you are – we are unity and we are unstoppable.’

Taylor Swift is Named Billboard Woman of the Year 2014

Taylor Swift seems to have taken over the music world in 2014, aptly being named Billboard Woman of the Year just a few short weeks ago. Swift, a seven- time Grammy award winner is the only artist to ever win the award twice and gave a moving speech at December’s awards ceremony. Swift saw the meteoric success with her fifth studio album ‘1989’ which was released earlier this year. After selling an astonishing 1.2 million copies in the first week alone, ‘1989’ became the best – selling album in over 10 years. Billboard representative Janice Min said of Swift’s success this year ‘As one of the most influential artists of her generation, Taylor Swift has seen incredible success on the Billboard charts…Over the course of her career, she’s charted 60 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 -- the most of any female artist since her debut in 2006. We are tremendously excited to be honouring her as the 2014 Billboard Woman of the Year for the second time’. 

Written For BEAT100.com

Legendary Joe Cocker Dies Aged 70

Legendary British musician Joe Cocker has sadly died aged 70 after battling lung cancer. With a career spanning 4 decades, the singer is best known for his cover of the Beatles' track 'With a Little Help From My Friends'. Cocker was one of the most prolific artists of his era, the former gas fitter began his career singing in the pubs and clubs of Sheffield before finding fame in the 1960s. Known for his gritty, soulful voice, Cocker also had significant hits with 'You Are So Beautiful' and 'Up Where We Belong' and released an impressive 50 albums over his 40 year career. Tributes poured in for the beloved star yesterday, with his agent Barrie Marshall describing the singer as 'simply unique'. Sir Paul McCartney also paid his respects to his long term friend, stating 'it's really sad to hear about Joe's passing. He was a lovely northern lad who I loved a lot and, like many people, I loved his singing.'

Joe remained active in his musical career in recent years, most notably performing 'With a Little Help With My Friends' alongside Phil Collins and guitarist Brian May at the Party at the Palace concert held for the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. Following this, Cocker also received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2007 for his contribution to music, for which he then played concerts in London and Sheffield to mark the event. Last year saw Cocker achieve a number 1 album in Germany after his European arena tour and also give what was to be his final concert in London in June.

Edgar Berger, who signed Joe to Sony Music Entertainment gave a fitting tribute to the star, 'Joe Cocker is a legendary artist of rock and blues history and yet he was one of the most humble men I've ever met...His iconic voice will forever be etched in our memories and our thoughts go out to Joe's wife Pam and his family at this difficult time. Joe will live on in the hearts of millions of fans around the world.'

Written for www.beat100.com

Manchester Christmas Markets

As much as I love Essex, Manchester definitely tops any other Christmas market I have been to at home. I would even be as bold to say that it is comparable to the hectic crush that is Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park. Even without the inclusion of roller-coasters or a circus such as there is in Hyde Park, the Manchester Christmas Markets definitely inject the perfect dose of Christmas. Typically very expensive, the food and drinks stalls may not be worth it but the craft stalls most certainly are. With stalls that cover a great range of crafts, local businesses and everything in between there is something for every member of the family! 

Merry Christmas!

Tom Odell set to play Forestry Commission gigs in 2015

Tom Odell has announced a unique new UK tour for summer 2015. The 24 year old singer/songwriter will be joining Forest Live, an independent programme of events organised by the Forestry Commission. Playing in forests and woodlands across the UK, Tom will be joined by other acts such as The Script in this unique series of events.

Odell has had a smash hit year, winning the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year and having renewed interest in his music after his connection with this year’s famed John Lewis Christmas advert. Covering ‘Real Love’ by John Lennon, Odell’s version of the track appeared in the highly anticipated advert and saw him peak at number 7 in the UK charts.

Now Christmas trees are being swapped for Oak, Ash and Pine when Forest Live opens in June. "This will be a whole new experience for me," said Odell. "I can’t wait to bring my live show to the woods and I hope to see you there."  Hoping to open the forests to new visitors, all of the money raised from the shows will go towards protecting and expanding England’s forests and woodlands.

Tickets for Odell's shows go on sale at 9am on Friday December 19 from the Forestry Commission Box Office. He will appear, along with other acts, at these events across June and July…

Friday 19 June: Bedgebury Pinetum, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Saturday 20 June: Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury, Glos.

Thursday 25 June: Dalby Forest, near Pickering, N Yorks.

Friday 26 June: Sherwood Pines Forest, Edwinstowe, near Mansfield, Notts.

Saturday 4 July: Delamere Forest, Delamere, Cheshire.

Sunday 5 July: Thetford Forest, near Brandon, Suffolk.

Sunday 12 July: Cannock Chase Forest, near Rugeley, Staffs.

For now, we can stay in the Christmas spirit with Tom Odell’s recording of ‘Real Love’

Written for www.BEAT100.com

Alexander McKay Becomes the Newest BEAT100 Ultimate Musician!

Congratulations to London based singer/songwriter Alexander McKay, who has become the latest BEAT100 member to receive an Ultimate Musician Award! Alexander has caught the eye of the A&R team with his latest single 'Chasing Fires' which is currently climbing the World Music Video Chart. It seems that Alexander has music in his blood, he tells BEAT100 'My grandmother was a pianist and I was fascinated how sounds would fill the room and bring a joy of silence and appreciation to an audience. I then set about scratching my Dads record collection as I obsessively studied the greats.' Inspired by music from childhood the young Alexander begged his parents for a drum kit, after being refused he decided to take up guitar which quickly cemented his passion for singing and songwriting. He started performing as soon as he could in various bands and groups throughout his teen years and gradually developed the musical tastes that create his signature sound today.

Playing a mix of Blues, Rock, Country and Folk, Alexander takes inspiration from a variety of established artists. Naming some of his idols as Led Zeppelin, John Mayer, The Black Crowes and many in between, Alexander uses his far ranging tastes when creating his own unique brand of Country Rock music. The talented singer has certainly been making an impression on the BEAT100 community with his latest track 'Chasing Fires'. Recently named Video of the Day, the rustic country feel to the 'Chasing Fires' music video perfectly compliments Alexander's warm and soulful vocals while the catchy chorus has the listener humming along all day. Speaking about his BEAT100 experience so far, Alexander says 'I have had a great experience with BEAT100. It's been invaluable to testing new songs and videos and seeing what another audiences think of my music and helping to grow a following.'

Alexander is currently recording a full length album for a film soundtrack set for production in 2015! This follows his successful debut album 'Brings Us Together' which was released in July this year. It seems 2015 will be a hugely successful one for Alexander, as well as a new album, he is also getting set for brand new live shows and a trip to Nashville for the festival season. BEAT100 wishes him all the best of luck and can't wait to see what is next from Alexander McKay!

Written for www.BEAT100.com

A Review of Talking Statues, Manchester 

Talking Statues is a project by Sing London designed to bring statues to life from across London and Manchester by giving them a voice. Each of the statues involved in the project is provided with a monologue, written and voiced by a collection of famous writers and actors. The viewer can scan the Talking Statues plaque using a smartphone and upon scanning, the viewer then receives a ‘phonecall’ from the statue. Talking Statues want to create an outlet for members of the public to connect with public art pieces that are often walked passed and unnoticed, and in the case of the less recognisable figures, most people will have no clue who they are or what relevance they once had.

The talking statues in Manchester are:

·         Queen Victoria – Piccadilly Gardens

·         Abraham Lincoln – Lincoln Square

·         The Reading Girl – Manchester Central Library

·         L.S. Lowry – Sam’s Chop House Pub

·         Alan Turing – Sackville Gardens

·         John Barbirolli – Bridgewater Hall

Overall, when personally using the application I found the technology to be very user friendly. The general idea is a great way of getting people engaged in the statues and with using technology to access heritage. I found very few problems with the project and most of the problems that I did encounter were with physical access to the Talking Statues plaques themselves. Despite being named as a Talking Statue on their website, I found myself very disappointed when I couldn’t find the Talking Statues plaque when visiting the Alan Turing figure in Sackville Gardens. I also found that some of them didn’t work or were placed in areas that weren’t very noticeable. The plaque for Queen Victoria is placed on the floor in front of the statue so as a consequence was only noticeable when the user actually walks directly up to the statue. Similarly with Lincoln, the plaque placement seemed a little silly; it was noticeable on the front of the plinth but was placed quite high up. To access the NFC chip with my phone, I had to stand on my toes just to reach the plaque. I feel this isn’t very user friendly especially for disabled people or younger users of the application.

However, overall I really enjoyed my experience of the Talking Statues project. Each statue is represented in a different way, owing to the different professionals that wrote and voiced them. I think each of the authors and the actors that were chosen for the project did a brilliant job of making the statues come to life and to be entertaining as well as informative. When listening to Queen Victoria I was amused to hear her speak about not enjoying the view and her plinth being very uncomfortable. I think this makes her much less intimidating and the inclusion of humour makes the talks much more enjoyable and less of a history lesson which is obviously more likely to keep people engaged. Each of the statues shows how they have a connection to Manchester, I think this is a very important aspect of the project as it educates the listener about their environment and the possible previously unknown local histories.

These statues are often an integral part of their surroundings and some have been there for many years which I think makes them more accessible and engaging both to newcomers and regulars to the area. The project could easily reach out to tourists as it provides lots of information about the statues’ significance as well as background information about that particular historical person. However, I also think they are certainly interesting for locals because many people may walk past these statues daily and not know who they are or why they are there. It could serve to enrich their local knowledge and add something exciting to what was before an everyday addition to their local area.

The project definitely changes the perceptions of the statues and people’s interaction with them. Once they have been given a personality, the statues stop being viewed as art pieces because of the creation of a much more tangible connection with the people that they depict. The project also helps to facilitate more learning surrounding the subject manner of the statues. Many people who have viewed the statues previously and not known much about them may not then find themselves researching the statue later at home. This application provides direct access to learning, allowing people to access information about the statues instantly while still viewing the piece in person. I think the use of public projects such as Talking Statues is pivotal in engaging the community in public artworks as well as creating accessible art for a wider audience. 

Congratulations to Orlando Seale and the Swell, BEAT100's Newest Ultimate Musicians!

Orlando Seale and the Swell have caught the eye of the BEAT100 A&R team and become the newest artists to receive an Ultimate Musician Award! Fronted by lead singer/songwriter Orlando, the musical collective is currently making it big on the London indie music scene. Orlando has always been musically inclined and finds that, for him, listening to music also has a strong family connection. As well as regularly listening to Edith Piaf and Om Kalsoum records with his aunt, (the British fashion designer Thea Porter) the young singer also loves listening to his late mother's records as a way of connecting to her. Heavily influenced by a variety of music as a teenager, Orlando especially found a connection with the eclectic tastes of David Bowie, he tells BEAT100 'I poured over the songs, thrilled by the range of subjects they dealt with, the inventiveness of the lyrics. Of course I wanted to be like him but sadly I was your typical hairy, carbuncular teenager, a million miles from the androgyny of the Thin White Duke.'

Moving on to play in cover bands throughout his teenage years, the music lover didn't even think about writing songs until years later when he was living in LA pursuing an acting career. Inspired by artists such as P J Harvey, Leonard Cohen and The Cure, Orlando soon discovered that he had a lyrical talent. Talking about his time in LA, he says 'The hours alone in my car crossing the sprawling city to auditions became a sort of musical education...Melodies and lyrics of my own started appearing and spilling out as I drove...but at the time I couldn't play any instruments.' His girlfriend at the time provided him with a guitar to accompany his new found love for lyrics, a guitar once owned by famed US musician Elliot Smith that became a great source of inspiration for the budding lyricist. After this cross roads in his career path, Orlando decided to pursue music and made the move back to London.

Struck by the changing extremes of London life, Orlando found a new musical influence in the natural movement of the city. A movement that can still be heard in the music that he currently creates, a sound both hectic but reassuring, a reflection of the busy city lives that move around him as he writes. A collaboration with an orchestra for The Old Vic Tunnels gave birth to the Swell; with Orlando at the helm, together the group create energetic and captivating tracks filled with their vibrant signature sound. That sound is definitely gaining them popularity on BEAT100 and beyond; the group has currently gained Gold Awards for Video, Favourite and Song as well as steadily climbing the World Music Video Chart with their track 'Hyde'. Orlando, accompanied by the Swell work hard on creating their own unique sound as well as performing style. Currently they have performed everywhere from stripped back intimate living room tours to big festival stages with up to 20 members on stage at once. Constantly writing new tracks and reworking old ones, the group love to challenge themselves with different spaces and arrangements to enhance their performances. Orlando says 'Our biggest achievement is sticking at it, trying to keep developing and challenging ourselves, making each show special.'

Currently Orlando Seale and the Swell are writing and recording new material in preparation for their upcoming EP, as well as looking forward to collaborating with a variety of different artists and performers in the near future. Check out BEAT100's favourite track 'Dance Little Man' below!

Written for BEAT100.com