So, this is the second post that I'm writing on the Liv Kristine/Leaves' Eyes situation. Before I continue, I will state that while I am in support of Liv, I'm remaining as neutral as possible since this is all getting out of hand now.
Obviously, shit has hit the proverbial fan since Saturday when it was announced that Liv was no longer in Leaves' Eyes and since then, there was been no end of rumours, hatred and just general childishness - Mostly from the fans and it has to stop. Now.
The way that fans of Liv are carrying on is basically an absolute disgrace. Liv is one of the loveliest people I've had the pleasure of not only meeting but interviewing as well and I don't think she'd appreciate all the abuse and hatred that's been sent towards her now former band mates, let alone the rumours that are going around.
Don't get me wrong, Alex and company (excluding Elina since she's caught in the middle of this raging shit storm) haven't handled this very well. Arguing with fans and passive aggressively sharing Lucas' status (which sadly was misconstrued as being a violent threat) have only served to add fuel to the fire. Even taking time to finally make a public statement on the situation wasn't a smart move, since that should have been done immediately with all comments ignored. Hell, this entire thing has officially become worse than when Tarja got the sack!
But the way that fans of Liv are going is basically shitting all over everything she has ever done with Leaves' Eyes. I've seen a Facebook page in support of Liv start a petition to get Leaves' Eyes removed from the Metal Female Voices Festival in Belgium based on the accusations of sexism because of the rumour that Alex has had an affair and replaced Liv because of it. I've seen 'fans' leave abusive messages on the Facebook pages of Leaves' Eyes, Alexander Krull and others involved with Leaves' Eyes and much worse.
If you want to support Liv or her solo project, that's fine. There's loads of way you can support Liv, like leave her positive messages or purchase her solo albums. Or even send her some flowers or something. But sending abuse or other negative comments to Alex and co isn't going to do anyone any favours.
Regardless of the rumours, regardless of what went on behind the scenes, and regardless of how you're feeling, Liv and Alex have a son together and a private life they've built together. They both deserve some privacy and the way that a lot of Liv's fans are acting is basically just taking one giant shit all over her legacy.
Don't disrespect Liv like that. Just show her the love.
Wednesday 20 April 2016
Sunday 17 April 2016
Band Line-Ups Change - Quit Being Entitled Babies
So, yesterday, as some of you will know, Leaves' Eyes announced that their iconic frontwoman, Liv Kristine, is no longer in the band and has been replaced. Sadly, her replacement is receiving unjust anger and hate for no real reason aside from that she's Liv's replacement.
Don't get me wrong, I'm shocked and upset that Liv isn't in Leaves' Eyes any more but these things happen. Until Liv or the band give a reason publicly to as why this line-up change happened, we won't know what went on - which is why all these rumours are so damn annoying.
Since yesterday, there was been no end of rumours, such as Liv being fired in a similar fashion to Theatre of Tragedy to Liv being privately forced out of the band. As such, Elina - Liv's replacement - has had a very negative backlash, as have the rest of the band. So-called fans of the band have been saying Elina is a bad vocalist and whatnot. I want to know why these "fans" think they're so entitled when it comes to the bands they follow?
When it comes to bands changing line-ups, people are usually waiting in line to unleash their unjustified anger - just look at the drama with Nightwish as an example. Or even Arch Enemy when Alissa replaced Angela!
This unjust hatred towards Elina is just getting out of hand. Who wouldn't take up an opportunity to join a band like Leaves' Eyes? I know I certainly would if I had some amount of talent when it comes to singing or playing an instrument.
Elina is a very talented singer and the stuff she has done with her band Enklination (Angel Nation as they're now known) is fantastic and in my opinion, she's a great replacement to Liv.
Yeah, it's frustrating that the band aren't saying why Liv was replaced. Yeah, it's heartbreaking that Liv isn't in the band and it's odd that it all seemed to have come out of the blue and was done very quickly, but band line-ups change all the time. There are few bands that still have their original line-up. Even legends such as Iron Maiden and Metallica have changed line-ups in the past.
So, until a reason is given publicly by everyone involved...
Quit your bitching.
Quit your moaning.
Quit your whining.
You're not entitled to decide who should be the replacement in a band or who should be fired. You're a fan. You either support the band or you don't.
Your hatred and anger isn't going to change the fact that Liv isn't in Leaves' Eyes any more.
Don't get me wrong, I'm shocked and upset that Liv isn't in Leaves' Eyes any more but these things happen. Until Liv or the band give a reason publicly to as why this line-up change happened, we won't know what went on - which is why all these rumours are so damn annoying.
Since yesterday, there was been no end of rumours, such as Liv being fired in a similar fashion to Theatre of Tragedy to Liv being privately forced out of the band. As such, Elina - Liv's replacement - has had a very negative backlash, as have the rest of the band. So-called fans of the band have been saying Elina is a bad vocalist and whatnot. I want to know why these "fans" think they're so entitled when it comes to the bands they follow?
When it comes to bands changing line-ups, people are usually waiting in line to unleash their unjustified anger - just look at the drama with Nightwish as an example. Or even Arch Enemy when Alissa replaced Angela!
This unjust hatred towards Elina is just getting out of hand. Who wouldn't take up an opportunity to join a band like Leaves' Eyes? I know I certainly would if I had some amount of talent when it comes to singing or playing an instrument.
Elina is a very talented singer and the stuff she has done with her band Enklination (Angel Nation as they're now known) is fantastic and in my opinion, she's a great replacement to Liv.
Yeah, it's frustrating that the band aren't saying why Liv was replaced. Yeah, it's heartbreaking that Liv isn't in the band and it's odd that it all seemed to have come out of the blue and was done very quickly, but band line-ups change all the time. There are few bands that still have their original line-up. Even legends such as Iron Maiden and Metallica have changed line-ups in the past.
So, until a reason is given publicly by everyone involved...
Quit your bitching.
Quit your moaning.
Quit your whining.
You're not entitled to decide who should be the replacement in a band or who should be fired. You're a fan. You either support the band or you don't.
Your hatred and anger isn't going to change the fact that Liv isn't in Leaves' Eyes any more.
Wednesday 3 February 2016
Attitudes Will Make Or Break A Band
It's been almost a year since I posted on this blog, mainly because real life things, such as my job and non-existent social life, got in the way. I apologise now if this post starts to turn incoherent - I finished a 12 hour night shift at 8 this morning and I can't be arsed going to bed.
Having worked with bands and musicians in various capacities - promoter, booking agent, journalist, roadie, PR liaison, etc, etc, etc - I've seen all sorts of band people with different attitudes, some good, some bad, some in between. Today, while browsing the Book of many Faces, a post popped up in my news feed. Basically, a member of a band felt it was appropriate to publicly post to a festival's Facebook page proclaiming that their band should be playing it.
When called out on their attitude by the festival, the musician in so many (and somewhat aggressive) words stated that he doesn't care if they don't play and that it's more of a "pop" at the "weak UK promoters". I'll be the first to say that the organisers of this particular festival are far more being "weak promoters" and have gained a brilliant reputation for their hard work and dedication in the extreme metal scene.
I've worked with the band in question. They played Northern Symphony Festival last year and well, let's just say that after their attitude problem at that show, I won't work with them again. The post itself is being shared by promoters in the UK, as well as bands. This obviously is going to make it very difficult for this band to get gigs in the future, despite some of the tours they've been billed on.
In the original post, the musician in question poses the question, what more must a band do for the UK scene? More importantly, which I'd like to know is, what have they done for the UK? Aside from fill it with more negativity and egos. I'd never heard of the band in question until I was organising a big black metal show a few years ago. I'd never booked them for that show in question, not because of their attitudes, but because the show was already booked up. Much to their displeasure.
Whilst I enjoy this particular band's studio work, I can't support them any more because of the horrid attitudes. In the end, because of one member's actions, this band will find it harder to get booked since promoters do talk to one another.
Moral of the story: Don't be a raging dicklord.
Having worked with bands and musicians in various capacities - promoter, booking agent, journalist, roadie, PR liaison, etc, etc, etc - I've seen all sorts of band people with different attitudes, some good, some bad, some in between. Today, while browsing the Book of many Faces, a post popped up in my news feed. Basically, a member of a band felt it was appropriate to publicly post to a festival's Facebook page proclaiming that their band should be playing it.
When called out on their attitude by the festival, the musician in so many (and somewhat aggressive) words stated that he doesn't care if they don't play and that it's more of a "pop" at the "weak UK promoters". I'll be the first to say that the organisers of this particular festival are far more being "weak promoters" and have gained a brilliant reputation for their hard work and dedication in the extreme metal scene.
I've worked with the band in question. They played Northern Symphony Festival last year and well, let's just say that after their attitude problem at that show, I won't work with them again. The post itself is being shared by promoters in the UK, as well as bands. This obviously is going to make it very difficult for this band to get gigs in the future, despite some of the tours they've been billed on.
In the original post, the musician in question poses the question, what more must a band do for the UK scene? More importantly, which I'd like to know is, what have they done for the UK? Aside from fill it with more negativity and egos. I'd never heard of the band in question until I was organising a big black metal show a few years ago. I'd never booked them for that show in question, not because of their attitudes, but because the show was already booked up. Much to their displeasure.
Whilst I enjoy this particular band's studio work, I can't support them any more because of the horrid attitudes. In the end, because of one member's actions, this band will find it harder to get booked since promoters do talk to one another.
Moral of the story: Don't be a raging dicklord.
Saturday 20 June 2015
Female Musicians: Eye Candy or A Whole Lot More?
First, I'd like to give my apologies for the rhetorical question in the title of this post. So, I'm sorry about that.
Anyway, onto the actual main content for this post. A list of the "Top 55 Beautiful Rock/Metal Female Singers" appeared in my news feed on Facebook this morning. It wasn't really what I wanted to see, since I now have the urge to punch seals in the face. Anyway, the list was shared by one of my musician connections on Facebook. Typically, the comments section is full of comments asking why this vocalist or that singer isn't on the list or who is hotter, blah blah fucking blah. Fortunately a few comments protested the list.
Anyway, the Page that created the list has gone onto to clarify that they made the list based on talent, the closeness between the bands and fans, as opposed to just picking them for their looks. But if that truly is the case, why did they call the list something along the lines of "The Most Beautiful Female Singers"? They could have named the list a bit better like "The Best Female Singers" or something to that effect.
Regardless of what their true intention was for the list, it does open up new realms of debate. Are female musicians just eye candy for men to stare at, the same way that they stare at topless ladies in lad mags? Or are they so much more than that?
My answer is obvious: They're more than just eye candy. Of course, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find some vocalists attractive - It's only natural to find some people attractive and I'm not going to deny being human. But to me, the likes of Liv Kristine, Simone Simons, Lena Abe, Doro and so forth are much more than just tits and ass on stage. They're also human and talented humans at that.
When I was first introduced to music by Epica and Nightwish, I had no clue what any of the members looked like, I only knew that they had female lead vocalists and I've found that to be a purer way of enjoying the music when discovering bands. Of course, everyone has their own preferences of how they like to discover bands - be it on radio, through YouTube or whatever.
But how often do we see "Hottest Rock/Metal Vocalists/Musicians" lists? I rarely see them. Actually, I can't even recall ever seeing one. Unsurprisingly, if you Google for those lists, the results for "Hottest Metal Female Musicians" outnumbers the results for "Hottest Metal Male Musicians". So, if less emphasis is put on the looks of male musicians, why do we, as a society, feel the need to put emphasis on the looks of female musicians and rate them solely on their looks, as opposed to their talent?
It's 2015. It's high time these beliefs or whatever you want to call them change.
Anyway, let me know what you think on this matter in the comments.
Also, no seals were harmed during in the writing of this post.
Anyway, onto the actual main content for this post. A list of the "Top 55 Beautiful Rock/Metal Female Singers" appeared in my news feed on Facebook this morning. It wasn't really what I wanted to see, since I now have the urge to punch seals in the face. Anyway, the list was shared by one of my musician connections on Facebook. Typically, the comments section is full of comments asking why this vocalist or that singer isn't on the list or who is hotter, blah blah fucking blah. Fortunately a few comments protested the list.
Anyway, the Page that created the list has gone onto to clarify that they made the list based on talent, the closeness between the bands and fans, as opposed to just picking them for their looks. But if that truly is the case, why did they call the list something along the lines of "The Most Beautiful Female Singers"? They could have named the list a bit better like "The Best Female Singers" or something to that effect.
Regardless of what their true intention was for the list, it does open up new realms of debate. Are female musicians just eye candy for men to stare at, the same way that they stare at topless ladies in lad mags? Or are they so much more than that?
My answer is obvious: They're more than just eye candy. Of course, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find some vocalists attractive - It's only natural to find some people attractive and I'm not going to deny being human. But to me, the likes of Liv Kristine, Simone Simons, Lena Abe, Doro and so forth are much more than just tits and ass on stage. They're also human and talented humans at that.
When I was first introduced to music by Epica and Nightwish, I had no clue what any of the members looked like, I only knew that they had female lead vocalists and I've found that to be a purer way of enjoying the music when discovering bands. Of course, everyone has their own preferences of how they like to discover bands - be it on radio, through YouTube or whatever.
But how often do we see "Hottest Rock/Metal Vocalists/Musicians" lists? I rarely see them. Actually, I can't even recall ever seeing one. Unsurprisingly, if you Google for those lists, the results for "Hottest Metal Female Musicians" outnumbers the results for "Hottest Metal Male Musicians". So, if less emphasis is put on the looks of male musicians, why do we, as a society, feel the need to put emphasis on the looks of female musicians and rate them solely on their looks, as opposed to their talent?
It's 2015. It's high time these beliefs or whatever you want to call them change.
Anyway, let me know what you think on this matter in the comments.
Also, no seals were harmed during in the writing of this post.
Friday 29 May 2015
Sunset Symphony UK Tour - Day Two
So, day three is about to begin of the Sunset Symphony UK Tour so I decided it's a great time to write about Day Two.
We started the day off with breakfast and Alwaid teasing me about my alleged snoring and watching footage from Alwaid's performance on Wednesday as well as discussing plans for Day Two.
We set off early so we could head to Sherwood Forest and the Great Oak, where we did touristy things, had tea and lunch and just had a generally great chill out. After that we headed to Leicester, which meant time for a nap for me in the Alwaid van.
The Shed in Leicester is great little venue and all the staff were really friendly and just absolutely great. We got the gear loaded in and set up the merch tables and talked with the opening act, Alpha State.
Doors opened at about 19:30 with Alpha State on stage for about 20:00. They performed really well, so I'll be looking at getting them for a show or two in the future,
Lost Effect, Alwaid and Aonia all played stunning sets as well. After the show and loading gear back into the van, me and most of Alwaid headed to the nearest McDonald's for a quick bite to eat before heading back to Nottinghamshire for the night, where I ended up getting poked in the head by Alwaid's Marie because of my alleged snoring.
Tonight, we hit Dudley.
We started the day off with breakfast and Alwaid teasing me about my alleged snoring and watching footage from Alwaid's performance on Wednesday as well as discussing plans for Day Two.
We set off early so we could head to Sherwood Forest and the Great Oak, where we did touristy things, had tea and lunch and just had a generally great chill out. After that we headed to Leicester, which meant time for a nap for me in the Alwaid van.
The Shed in Leicester is great little venue and all the staff were really friendly and just absolutely great. We got the gear loaded in and set up the merch tables and talked with the opening act, Alpha State.
Doors opened at about 19:30 with Alpha State on stage for about 20:00. They performed really well, so I'll be looking at getting them for a show or two in the future,
Lost Effect, Alwaid and Aonia all played stunning sets as well. After the show and loading gear back into the van, me and most of Alwaid headed to the nearest McDonald's for a quick bite to eat before heading back to Nottinghamshire for the night, where I ended up getting poked in the head by Alwaid's Marie because of my alleged snoring.
Tonight, we hit Dudley.
Thursday 28 May 2015
Sunset Symphony UK Tour - Day One
As I write this, I'm sitting in a strange and foreign place known as "Nottinghamshire", which is allegedly in the Midlands. To be honest, I could be in the middle of Lancashire (Gods help me!) for all I know.
So, the first tour I've booked is now in progress with day one finished.
I did some last minute packing this morning of the essentials - mainly some two bottles of some knock-off branded Jagermeister and two bottles of Leffe beer and a few clothes and other bits and bobs. I met up with Melissa (Aonia) and Marie (Alwaid) at Hull train station.
From their, we proceeded straight to O'Rileys where the rest of Alwaid already were along with Tim from Aonia.
This was my first show in Hull in just under three years. The turn out was poor but that was to be expected since the show was meant to take place in Bridlington originally.
Teras were the first band on the bill. They're a death/thrash metal act local to Hull and they blasted through their set with their usual ferocity. I managed to get a few good snaps of them which I'll post at some point.
Lost Effect - who are special guests on the tour alongside Alwaid - followed after and they were on top form. A thoroughly enjoyable set by them, as to be expected. Alice In Thunderland were third band on the bill and were also enjoyable.
Alwaid, whom are main support/special guests on the tour, were absolutely fantastic. They appeared to go down very well with the crowd, which is always good and they complimented the touring headliners Aonia very well, due to their similar sounds.
Aonia, of course, were just amazing, though some will say that I have to say that as I do PR for them as a rule. But biases aside, Aonia were amazing.
After packing up, I jumped in Alwaid's van to be taken to this mythical place known as Nottinghamshire, where we're staying at the moment. I've tried some French food they brought with them including some sort of savoury bread that has a chocolate filling.
Next stop is Leicester at The Shed!
So, the first tour I've booked is now in progress with day one finished.
I did some last minute packing this morning of the essentials - mainly some two bottles of some knock-off branded Jagermeister and two bottles of Leffe beer and a few clothes and other bits and bobs. I met up with Melissa (Aonia) and Marie (Alwaid) at Hull train station.
From their, we proceeded straight to O'Rileys where the rest of Alwaid already were along with Tim from Aonia.
This was my first show in Hull in just under three years. The turn out was poor but that was to be expected since the show was meant to take place in Bridlington originally.
Teras were the first band on the bill. They're a death/thrash metal act local to Hull and they blasted through their set with their usual ferocity. I managed to get a few good snaps of them which I'll post at some point.
Lost Effect - who are special guests on the tour alongside Alwaid - followed after and they were on top form. A thoroughly enjoyable set by them, as to be expected. Alice In Thunderland were third band on the bill and were also enjoyable.
Alwaid, whom are main support/special guests on the tour, were absolutely fantastic. They appeared to go down very well with the crowd, which is always good and they complimented the touring headliners Aonia very well, due to their similar sounds.
Aonia, of course, were just amazing, though some will say that I have to say that as I do PR for them as a rule. But biases aside, Aonia were amazing.
After packing up, I jumped in Alwaid's van to be taken to this mythical place known as Nottinghamshire, where we're staying at the moment. I've tried some French food they brought with them including some sort of savoury bread that has a chocolate filling.
Next stop is Leicester at The Shed!
Monday 4 May 2015
#Adamgate - Should age and gender be a deciding factor in band applications?
Some of you may seen a screen shot of a band's reply to a applicant recently on Facebook doing the rounds, originally posted by Lauren Hutchinson, owner of The Rock Fairy blog. For those who aren't familiar with her work, Lauren is a music writer and a DJ for TBFM. Recently, Lauren, applied to sing for a band via Gumtree that's going for the stoner vibe with their music.
Her email to the band and the main contact: Adam, reads as follows:
The reply is nothing more than blunt, rude and narrow-minded. I understand why some musicians/bands would want people within their age range but to send a reply like that is taking the absolute piss. Lauren hasn't named the band in question, which is completely understandable and the rest of the band shouldn't suffer because of Adam.
I'm not quite sure why 30 is too old - I mean look at AC/DC and Iron Maiden - All their members are knocking on in the years but they still rock pretty damn hard. Looking at female musicians, there's Doro Pesch (ex-Warlock), Liv Kristine (Leaves' Eyes) and of course Girlschool who all also rock damn hard and are no doubt at least 30 years of age or older and plenty more examples that I could list but I'd be here all day, otherwise.
So, with those musicians in mind, age shouldn't be a factor? Nor should gender, right? Well, according to Adam they are factors, though I'm not sure what evidence he has for this. I know a number of unsigned bands with female members over the age of 30, so I'm guessing that this Adam fellow doesn't get out of the house much. His ideals are very archaic and it's attitudes ;like that that contribute to the idea of female musicians being inferior to their male counterparts.
Unfortunately, this is an attitude that can be found within several areas of the music industry but it is an attitude that is dying out as there are more progressive thinkers in this day and age, compared to say 40 years ago when female musicians in rock and metal were virtually unheard of.
The thing I find most disgusting is that Adam didn't bother to request any examples of Lauren's talent.
Personally I commend Lauren on her bravery for posting the screen shot of the email and for starting the debate that's been spreading like wildfire on Facebook and hopefully this hasn't put Lauren off joining or forming an original band.
What do you think of this? Let me know down below in the comments.
Her email to the band and the main contact: Adam, reads as follows:
Hi Adam. I’ve seen your ad on Gumtree and I’d be interested in auditioning for your band. I know you said you were looking for up to age 28 but cards on the table, I’m 30. That being said, I’ve only just turned 30 so not too far off! I can’t see any links to your material so I’d love to hear it to see if it fits in with what I’m looking for rather than waste your time. If you want any links to my material then I’m more than happy to send these over too. Look forward to hearing from you. Lauren.And here's the email that Lauren got in return:
I'm not quite sure why 30 is too old - I mean look at AC/DC and Iron Maiden - All their members are knocking on in the years but they still rock pretty damn hard. Looking at female musicians, there's Doro Pesch (ex-Warlock), Liv Kristine (Leaves' Eyes) and of course Girlschool who all also rock damn hard and are no doubt at least 30 years of age or older and plenty more examples that I could list but I'd be here all day, otherwise.
So, with those musicians in mind, age shouldn't be a factor? Nor should gender, right? Well, according to Adam they are factors, though I'm not sure what evidence he has for this. I know a number of unsigned bands with female members over the age of 30, so I'm guessing that this Adam fellow doesn't get out of the house much. His ideals are very archaic and it's attitudes ;like that that contribute to the idea of female musicians being inferior to their male counterparts.
Unfortunately, this is an attitude that can be found within several areas of the music industry but it is an attitude that is dying out as there are more progressive thinkers in this day and age, compared to say 40 years ago when female musicians in rock and metal were virtually unheard of.
The thing I find most disgusting is that Adam didn't bother to request any examples of Lauren's talent.
Personally I commend Lauren on her bravery for posting the screen shot of the email and for starting the debate that's been spreading like wildfire on Facebook and hopefully this hasn't put Lauren off joining or forming an original band.
What do you think of this? Let me know down below in the comments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)