KISS 100

Currently spending the week infiltrating the KISS 100 studios in a most disorderly fashion. Okay, I'm actually sitting at a desk most of the day, but I can pretend I'm tearing up the place.

Just went out to get some Vox Pops, so check KISS 100 on a regular basis to hear what some people on Oxford Street and the surrounding area say their favourite tune of the moment is. Including me. (Hint: Swedish House Mafia feat. Tinie Tempah.)

Scott Pilgrim vs. Scott Pilgrim

I have to say, I'm totally consuming myself in Scott Pilgrim at the moment. Though my new favourite film, Kick-Ass, was released on DVD on Monday, I haven't been able to watch it all the way through yet (partly due to my first copy being faulty). My lack of time hasn't, however, stopped me from reading the first 4 Scott Pilgrim comics in two days (they really don't take long).
Even funnier than the brilliant film, Brian O'Malley's comics have more in the way of subtle humour, aided by his adorable drawings; more over-the-top humour and something about the characters in the comics makes them all the more loveable.
Next week: pictures of me dressed as Scott.
September 23rd: a look into the marvellous Scott Pilgrim shrine set up in my room.

Joke.

thanks to chrisroberson.net for the image, i didn't have a scanner to hand to scan my cover in.

Back....

Okay, I'm pretty sure I've already tried this line.... But I'm going to try and get on here more often. I've never really been a massive fan of people blogging about themselves (unless it's obvious people want to read it of course) but there seems to be plenty that I want to talk about that doesn't fit on my other blogs, so this is where it shall go.

goodtimes.

X x X

Wireless 2010

Okay, so maybe yesterday was Independence day.... It was also the final day of 2010's Wireless festival, three days of music, food, booze and fun. As tacky as that may sound.

Taking to the stage at 2010s most explosive date of the three were the likes of D12, Chiddy Bang, Devlin, Roll Deep, Talay Riley and, of course, Jay Z, the dates massive headliner.

With three stages, a shit load of bars, a video game pod and a spa bus, to name but a few of the days activities, Hyde Park was buzzing with life for the overcast closing date.

Kicking off the main stage a tedious two hours after gates opened was young, upcoming and ridiculously handsome singer Bluey Robinson. Alongside a few original tracks, Bluey totally smashed some ambitious covers including Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody' and the King of Pop's 'Rock With You' which took the crowd by storm.

Taking on the third stage (the one with no name) in the shadow of Scorcher and Hesta Prynn was the irresistible Devlin who packed out the white tent to hundreds of admiring fans, his standing in the industry emphasised by the dramatic emptying of the area after his set.

Following in the massive footsteps of Devlin but on the other side of the path was the equally delicious McLean. Replacing the tent with a crowd of adoring females, McLean took to the stage in a t-shirt adorned with a 'B', perhaps a hint of McLean's earliest hit, 'Broken'. Not only did 'Broken' go down a treat with the fans but McLean's major debut single 'My Name' left the ladies breathless from singing/screaming so loudly as McLean slowly removed his layers.

With the third stage now in full swing, it was time for afro-tastic Louisiana duo 'The Knux' to take to the stage, accompanied by their equally large-haired keyboardist. Never having heard The Knux before, despite them being on their second album, I was up for some new blood, and how delicious it was. A combination of hip-hop and rock in the form of the brothers' old-school hip-hop verses and Joey's axe-slaying mastery, The Knux converted every member of the audience within seconds. Singles 'Cappucino' and 'Bang Bang' went down the best with the adoring crowd thanks to their catchy, sing-along lyrics.

Once the crowd had been hyped up by The Knux's Joey and Krispy, it was the moment I, in particular, had been waiting for. Unfortunately placed alongside axe-slaying legend Slash, Philly's Chiddy Bang still managed to pack out the tent ahead of their hotly anticipated set. Alongside Swelly Express and Air Swell mixtape hits such as Chiddy's 'Pass Out' freestyle, Hot Chip sampling 'Hey London' and 'Fresh Like Us' featuring Yelle; was a superb freestyle, showcasing the extent of Chiddy's rhyming talent. Producer and drummer Xaphoon headed into the audience to collect some (really) random subjects, such as Tigers, Pencils and Australia, before Chiddy fit them all seamlessly into an epic freestyle. Finishing on classic single 'Opposite of Adults' only further succeeded in leaving the audience hyped for the rest of the days performances.

Another of the days curve balls, Friendly Fires, took to the main stage at 6:15 and, despite the slight change in genre from most of the days' other performers, managed to whip the crowd up a frenzy. Finishing off on the regular set closer 'Jump in the Pool', a track lending itself to live performances with the groups carnivalesque brass section and, for Wireless, feather-clad dancing girls.

Finally, following a set from Lily Allen, complete with Pro Green appearance for Green's new single 'Just Be Good To Green', the time finally came for Hip-Hop legend Jay-Z to take to the main stage. Though the wait was long, and over-run, Jay-Z got the eager crowd even more excited with a 10 minute VT counting down to the big moment..... After the longest 10 minutes of probably all audience members' lives, HOVE took to the stage in a blaze of glory that only he could bring.

Though choosing from 11 albums must be a tough call, the set list was a little lacking in 'The Blueprint III' tracks, though, of course the singles played and J-Cole made an appearance for the brilliant track 'A Star is Born'. The night's ecstatic audience also kept their diamond cutters in the air through the threat of rain for all the classics such as 'Izzo (H.O.V.A)', 'Big Pimpin', '99 problems' and personal fave, 'Dirt off your shoulder'. Jigga also rocked 'Hard Knock Life' for our fallen legends, such as MJ, Tupac and Biggy Smalls.

Running out of time once the sky had turned black, Jay rocked a marvellous medly of his hits, settling on 'Young Forever', bringing Mr. Hudson, crutches and all, on stage to help. The emotion of the track ripple through the crowd, as did the catchy chorus, to finish off an amazing set. With a few final words of dedication and love from the man himself, Wireless 2010 was wrapped up on a massive high.

Gone too soon...

Whether a Michael Jackson fan or not, there will no escaping the massive anniversary that today, June 25th brings...

One year has passed so quickly that it's a little hard to believe. Nevertheless, 365 days ago tonight, the world was thrown into chaos by the news of the King of Pop's passing just days before he was scheduled to start his vast takeover of London's O2 arena...

Whatever sadness may have talen over the weeks that followed has no, hopefully, been replaced by celebration. As tacky as that sounds, MJ's posthumous fame has already brought in enough money to secure his children for life and his music is still as beautiful as ever, if not more...

Michael Jackson's light will live on forever and my heart and best wishes go out to his family today...

Never can say goodbye...

Kick-Ass

I’ve officially decided Kick-Ass is my new favourite film.

I saw the film nearly two weeks ago and it’s taken me so long to write up a review as I wanted to do it justice (and forgot the brilliant line I came up with whilst in the theatre.). Yet I probably still won’t.
Film lovers across the globe have been long-awaiting Kick-Ass due to its major hype, numerous magazine covers and controversial originality which could have caused the polar effect and left audiences feeling let down. On the contrary, Kick-Ass perfectly lives up to its hype, bringing us a film with so much good about it.
To start with, the originality comes from Kick-Ass being a rated 15, yet from the point of view of a teenage school boy with girl problems. With the on-paper potential to be a rubbish teen flick, Kick-Ass is actually ideally written for the older audience, entertaining with adult humour at the same time as taking you back to the same imaginative youth as the main character, Dave’s.
What’s more, despite the majority of the hype surrounding 13 year-old actress Chloe Moretz’s script, it still isn’t completely predicatable, managing to maintain the humour that the film revolves around, despite expectations.
Most important, though, is the superb cast. Not one actor lets the film down throughout, nor does anyone outshine the others. Brit actor Aaron Johnson (Nowhere Boy) is flawless as an American teen, and, despite being sometimes shy and timid in reality, is brilliantly unabashed in his role as Dave Lizewski. Funny man Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Role Models) also wows as the ignored son of the enemy, AKA Red Mist. Moretz takes to her role easily as well, and provides the ideal partner to Nic Cage’s Adam West inspired Big Daddy. Even the actors in smaller roles make the most of their time on screen making every moment count for something.

All in all, if you haven’t seen Kick-Ass by now, it probably means you’re not overly enticed by it. If that is the case, then there’s no argument you can make against it that can’t be remedied by seeing it. The likelihood is it will soon become most people’s new favourite film too.

The Blind Side

I’ve yet to see Crazy Heart, but I’d say Sandra Bullock is the most deserving award winner of the year. And, no, I don’t mean for her shock Razzie (though, well done on that one, Sandy) I mean for her Oscar winning performance in The Blind Side. It’s a close call as to who really owns this movie though, between the two main actors, Bullock and Quinton Aaron, who plays main character, Michael ‘Big Mike’ Oher. Other than having a small part in Be Kind Rewind, 25-year-old Aaron hasn’t starred in anything of note before The Blind Side, which should be to him as Titanic was to Kate and Leo, as An Education has been to Carey Mulligan. A quiet and reserved boy for the most part, Aaron manages to capture the innocence and sadness of his character with barely a word coming from his lips. The upcoming actor then manages to convey a subtle character change as Big Mike becomes talented, intelligent and loving young adult.



Blonde Bullock, on the other hand, perfectly switches between two personalities for the duration of the movie. Seemingly a hard business woman with a sharp wit to boot, the audience is quickly invited to see her character Leigh Anne’s more touching, maternal nature. This flawless balance is what earned Bullock the Best Actress gong. And look out for little Jae Head (S.J), he'd got big things coming to him in the near future.


The execution of the film itself could be better. Though the plot, being based on a touching and emotional true story, keeps the audience entranced throughout, and the constant humour makes the trauma more bearable, there are flaws from the start. The opening scene is a little off putting, with Sandra Bullock providing a somewhat confusing voice over to an American Football game. Though it may be stereotypical of me, given the genre of the film, I find it hard to believe that, there will be many fans of the sport in the audience. That being the case, you may find yourself wondering what you’ve let yourself in for as you glaze over the initial scene. In sticking with it, though, the roller coaster of emotion proves for an exciting watch, including an unexpected twist before the end. Flashbacks (and flash forwards) throughout also keep you at the edge of your seat and, some being a little misleading, make the ending even more poignant.


****

SubLow

Man do I need to start keeping this up. I'm useless I know.

Basically, I've added a new Blog to the mix. it's called www.sublowmag.blogspot.com. It's to go alongside the SubLow magazine which is an urban entertainment publication. Check out the blog. Not that there's much to see yet.

Much Love

X x X