Riffed

You'd of thought Arcade Fire would have run out of steam for Hyde Park after their worldwide Reflektor tour and a headline set on the Pyramid at Glastonbury, wouldn't you? But think otherwise, Hyde Park were treat to another spellbounding carnival like performance from the Canadians

The set:

Reflektor (instrumental outro tape)

Rebellion (Lies) (intro played by fake band)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1  Normal Person

2  Rebellion (Lies)

3  Joan of Arc

4  Rococo

5  The Suburbs

6  The Suburbs (Continued)

7  Ready to Start

8  Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

9  Crown of Love

10  We Exist

11  Intervention (w/ '(Antichrist Television Blues)' outro)

12  No Cars Go

13  Reflektor

14  Afterlife (w/ New Order's "Temptation" snippet)

16  It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus) (Régine on B-Stage)

17 Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) ('Damian Taylor Remix' intro)

- - - - - Encore - - - - - 

Sympathy for the Devil (The Rolling Stones song) (Bobbleheads on stage)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

18 Here Comes the Night Time

19 Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

20 Wake Up

The setlist not too disimilar to that of Glastonbury's, other than a few alterations here and there. But Arcade always throw up something different, of which never fails to displease and Hyde Park was no anomaly. Arcade Fire left no scars in their final scheduled as of yet gig in Europe for 2014, rounding off what has been a spectacular few months and weeks for the Canadian band with an astonoshing set. Like always. A highlight though being when Win comically stated before playing 'Here Comes The Night Time', "Shh, don't wake the rich people up", as a response to the local residents who complained about this summers British Summer Time gigs. But we struggle to understand their complaints as, who wouldn't want to hear Arcade Fire live?

RIFFED x

Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner and solo artist Miles Kane have announced they're writing their very own film, in the style of 'X-Men' .

Turner and Kane, formerly of The Last Shadow Puppets, have stated before each begin working on new material that they will finish writing the film. Kane when asked whether he and Turner will be working together again, was qouted as saying ''It's something we always talk about y'know? But I think we're gonna write this film first anyway before we hit back into that.'' Miles also revealed that the film is set in the 60's and that there is as an '''X-Men' kind of vibe'', although insists that he and Alex will not have major acting roles. But, he states, "we may have a little cameo."

Could Turner and Kane be set for an Oscar?

RIFFED x

Ahead of their British Summer Time reunion gig at Hyde Park this coming Saturday, we discovered 10 facts about The Libertines that you probably didn't know.

1  Pete Doherty got 11 GCSE'S, four A levels and an offer from Oxford University to study English Literature. He's also a published poet. 

2  'Up The Bracket' is a slang term that means a punch in the throat. 

3  While recording ‘Up The Bracket’, The Libertines played over 100 gigs in a year including support slots with Sex Pistols and Morrissey.

4  Pete and Carl took the band's name from the 17th century Marquis De Sade novel ‘The Lusts Of The Libertines’.

5  John Hassall went to school with Johnny Borrell from Razorlight. They attended lessons together at Highgate School.

6  When he finished his A-levels, Pete moved to his grandmother’s flat in London and got a job filling graves in Willesden Cemetery.

7  When he was 16, Pete won a poetry competition and a tour of Russia.

8  Gary Powell used to be a session drummer for reggae artist Eddy Grant.

9  Carl was left partially deaf after having a tumour behind his ear removed back in 2005.

10  Pete gave himself the username ‘heavyhorse’ when talking on The Libertines fans forums as the band started to show tensions between Barat and Doherty.

RIFFED x 

This week RIFFED chatted to 16 year old singer/songwriter Danny Aspinall. As he states within the interview, Aspinall offers something different, an element of rock, to the occasionally bland acoustic game. This is how it went down:

1) Who is Danny Aspinall?

I am 16 year old singer/songwriter from the North of England, bringing an element of rock to the acoustic singer/songwriter genre. 

2) Favourite gig of which you've played?

I played a really fun gig at my local pub last month. Which has probably been my favourite to date due to the liveliness of the crowd. The audience plays an important role in my live performances, and thus I think I'll always judge a show by its crowd rather than venue. I do however, have a gig lined up on my birthday later this month which I'm very excited for... I see that becoming my favourite gig I've played!

3) Who are your biggest inspirations?

This is an interesting one. The way I see it, I have three main inspirations. First and foremost, Bon Jovi. They're the reason I started doing what I do; I remember watching a clip on YouTube of 'Livin On A Prayer' live from Wembley Stadium, and thinking "woah, that's what I want to do!" From that moment on I became, and indeed remain, a bit of a Bon Jovi 'Die-Hard', and for around 2 years they were the only band I listened to. Much of my stage performance and presence is down to things I've picked up from studying Jon Bon Jovi, who's really mastered the role of being an entertainer. A couple of years ago, my music taste began to branch out a little more and I started exploring the catalogues of the 'legends'. That's when I discovered Bruce Springsteen. For me, Springsteen is without a doubt the greatest songwriter of all time. From a songwriters point of view, he's my sole source of inspiration. This can be both a blessing and a burden; I pick up techniques and ideas from studying Springsteen's lyrics, however more often than not want to throw my lyrics straight in the trash when comparing them to a master class such as 'Thunder Road'. My third and final inspiration is Frank Turner. I was introduced to his music by my girlfriend early this year and I really connected to it as it is so relevant to what I'm doing. Similar to how I am an acoustic songwriter with classic rock routes, Frank Turner is an acoustic songwriter with punk roots. The way he's managed to adopt a new style whilst in some degree sticking to his roots is something I can learn from.

4) Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

A lot can happen in the space of 5 years. There's been talks of very exciting prospects including much bigger stages in the near future. I'm lucky enough to live near Leeds which has a thriving music scene, so at the very least I'd like to establish some sort of name for myself on the Leeds music scene.

5) What's next for Danny Aspinall?

As mentioned, there's exciting prospects ahead! For now, I'm enjoying doing what I'm doing, working the local scene and getting to meet a lot of great people. Over this coming summer I hope to spread to a little bit of a wider audience, and keep climbing up the ladder of the industry step by step. I'm currently writing new material to join my current single, 'The Road', and would eventually like to get round to recording an EP in the near future. I can't guarantee what's going to happen next, but I can ensure you that I'm incredibly excited about wherever this road will take me.

Huge thanks to Danny Aspinall for the interview.

Danny is offering a free download of his new single 'The Road', download via the link: http://api.artistlink.com/home/widgets/209529/account_fan_transactions/new?brand=mtv

Follow Danny Aspinall on Twitter: @Danny_Aspinall

And

Like Danny's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/dannyaspinallmusic

Also visit Danny Aspinall's official webpage: www.dannyaspinall.com

RIFFED x

Arcade Fire frontman, Win Butler, has suggested that the band could begin work on a new album post British Summer Time at Hyde Park, of which they play tomorrow. 

Arcade Fire headlined Glastonbury on Friday night, and are set to play a surprise DJ set at The Shackwell Arms in London tonight under the name 'DJ Windows 98', which frontman Win Butler prefers to be refferred to whilst on the decks. The DJ set will be followed by British Summer Time at Hyde Park tomorrow, that some purchased tickets for, for a mere £2.50 after a special offer to employees of the agency AXS was somehow open to the world, the tickets purchased by the public during this huge offer will be honoured. But following Hyde Park, Win has suggested the work for follow up to Reflektor will begin, as he was qouted "We're in a position now where we can have an idea and the people around us to make it happen. It starts when you get off the road. If I ever feel bored now, it's the best feeling in the world, because I know that's when the next idea is going to come into my brain and it will start again." 

Exciting news for all Arcade Fire fans out there. We can't wait already!

Purchase tickets for Arcade Fire at British Summer Time, Hyde Park here: http://www.viagogo.co.uk/Festival-Tickets/UK-Festivals/Barclaycard-British-Summer-Time-Tickets/E-661265

RIFFED x

Lilac Pin caught up with us recently. The Glasgow duo have recently uploaded some new tracks to Soundcloud, such as 'Easy' and were on hand to tell us a little about them.

1 Who are Lilac Pin?

Lilac Pin are a duo from Glasgow.

2 You've recently uploaded to Soundcloud a new track, 'Easy', tell us a little about that?

It's a song where we tried to marry an organic sound with electro, with a progression that requires extra attention from the listener.

3 Where do you see yourselves in 5 years time?

We see ourselves in 5 years time still writing and performing music to the best of our ability and to keep progressing. Anything else positive that comes along with that is just a bonus.

4 What's next for Lilac Pin?

What's next for us is to write our debut album, and to perform live a lot lot more. 

Thank you very much Lilac Pin for the interview.

Listen to Lilac Pin's new track 'Easy' via Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lilacpin

Follow Lilac Pin on Twitter: @LILACPIN / https://twitter.com/LILACPIN

And

Like Lilac Pin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilacpin

RIFFED x

This years Reading Festival has completely sold out as of yesterday. Reading and Leeds announced the news via their Twitter  feed (@OfficialRandL / https://twitter.com/OfficialRandL) yesterday with the tweet:

"Just over 7 weeks to go! All Reading weekend tickets have now SOLD OUT." 

The tweet was greeted with many jubilant ticket holders, although there were the unlucky few who hadn't yet purchased theirs. It appears headliners Arctic Monkeys have really enticed the crowd to Richfield Avenue for this summers Bank Holiday Weekend festival. 

Leeds Festival is yet to sell out and you can purchase tickets for the Branham Park festival here: http://www.leedsfestival.com/

RIFFED x

Pixel Fix chatted to us recently. The Oxford based band recently released their latest single, 'Lungs', which is our Single Of The Week for this week (read more... http://riffed.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/42437968-single-of-the-week-5-pixel-fix-lungs) and took the time out to answer a few questions for us. 

1) Highlight of your career so far?

We have had so many amazing moments so far as a band. Just having the opportunity to tour around the country and have our music played on radio is amazing. We recently finished a tour with Young Kato which took us all the way to Ireland. This was an amazing experience and is definitely a highlight of our career so far.

2) Favourtie gig of which you've played?

We played a show supporting Crystal Fighters at the Academy in Manchester last year which was incredible.

3) Who are Pixel Fix's greatest inspirations?

We take inspiration from so many different bands and artists. Its difficult to pick out particular bands that inspire us as all four of us take creative inspiration from completely different styles of music. We try to look past our inspirations when writing to keep the process natural.

4) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully still touring and making music that people can enjoy!

5) You've just released 'Lungs', your latest single, but what can we expect from Pixel Fix in the future?

Yeah we've just released our new single 'Lungs' which we got very excited about. Other than that, more touring and more releases.

We must say a huge thank you to Pixel Fix for the interview.

You can listen to Pixel Fix's new track 'Lungs' via Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/pixelfixmusic/pixel-fix-lungs

Follow Pixel Fix on Twitter: @PixelFixMusic / https://twitter.com/PixelFixMusic

And

Like Pixel Fix on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pixelfixmusic

RIFFED x

We chatted to Alex Moir recently. The singer/songwriter has recently released his new single 'Like Ted Dexter', and the video to coincide with it and was on hand to tell us a little about it. This is how it went down: 

1 Who is Alex Moir?

I'm a writer, performer and a multi instrumentalist. I create stories and arrange music around them.

2 You've recently released new single 'Like Ted Dexter' and it's video, tell us a little about that?

I wrote 'Like Ted Dexter' after listening to a lot of Empire of the Sun and watching videos of me and my friends whilst cleaning out my old phone. It encompasses the idea that you can start over any time you want but to enjoy your ongoing success and accomplishments.

3 Favourite gig of which you've played?

I supported Benjamin Francis-Leftwich at the HMV institute in Birmingham - that was spectacular due to the amount of people there.

4 Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I see myself sitting on the top of the charts with an Ivor Novello and at least one Brit award/Mercury Prize. What's the point in creating something and working hard, if you're not going to get the recognition you deserve for it?

5 What's next for Alex Moir?

I'm in the process of creating a series of live acoustic videos & also making another music video for my next track. Then I'll release my first EP and continue to gig but with a band.

Huge thanks to Alex for the interview.

You can download for free and listen to Alex Moir's new single 'Like Ted Dexter' here: http://alexmoirofficial.com/like-ted-dexter-free-download/

Follow Alex Moir on Twitter: @alexmoir / https://twitter.com/alexmoir

And

Like Alex Moir on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexmoirofficial

Visit Alex's official webpage: http://alexmoirofficial.com/

RIFFED x

This week RIFFED had the pleasure of chatting to the founding member of Oasis, Paul Arthurs (A.K.A Bonehead). Paul has recently begun work with Alex Lipinksi for his new band, 'Phoneys and The Freaks' and we caught up with him to ask him a little about them, and of course Oasis.

1) You were the founding member of Oasis, how was working with Noel and Liam?

Working with Noel and Liam was, as you can imagine, a real pleasure. Noel's songwriting combined with Liam's vocal made for one of the best groups to come out of the UK. As people they were two totally different characters, but we were all close as friends and that came out in the music.

2) You must get asked this every interview, is there any chance of Oasis reforming? Ever?

You're asking the wrong person. I don't know.

3) You've recently started a new project, Phoney and The Freaks, how's that going for you?

Our debut EP has come out now to good acclaim. We'll be out on tour after Summer and hopefully have our album recorded to coincide with that.

4) What can we expect from Phoneys and The Freaks?

I think big songs with real melody, myself and Alex work well together and are looking forward to recording the album. The EP is quite mid paced but some of the newer ideas we have are more up tempo and guitar driven, so there will be a bit of diversity on there.

5) Finally, which gig of the many you have played in your career, has been your favourite?

Maine Road probably first, Loch Lomond, Knebworth and then Earls Court. There's been many.

We must say a huge thank you to Paul for taking time out to answer our questions.  Listen to Paul's new band 'Phoneys and The Freaks' here: https://soundcloud.com/phoneys-and-the-freaks

RIFFED x