 The world has embraced a bewildering time in which there is a sparse supply of toilet roll and pasta shapes due to a terrifying virus causing widespread panic. However, there has been a significant glimmer of hope in this current mystifying crisis, the new release from Newquay’s own Penny Eyes, ‘Jealous Boy’. Being a huge fan of ‘The Gardens’ from their previous successful EP ‘How Do You Feel?’ released in 2019, I was super exhilarated to discover ‘Jealous boy’ and it did not disappoint. Their new indie- pop sound is highly infectious, leaving you with an aura of reminiscent envious emotion one may contain when with a significant other. The instrumentation is simply spellbinding with the guitar providing atmospheric riffs and fragmentation which is introduced at the beginning and at the end of the record. Alongside the band's remarkable accompaniment of the melody line. The track is candidly honest and pleasantly exhibits a slight melancholic feel with lyrics such as ‘I am jealous, I get so jealous’, ‘I'm jealous’, ‘Im loading my gun’. My favourite part has to be the bridge as the repetition of the lyrics and structure builds in momentum before the perceptible final chorus. Possessing the empowerment to admit to being jealous undoubtedly has such a substantial impact within this track. Lead singer Harry Bird, commented: ‘We’re really excited to release this track, it’s one we’ve been working on for a while and I think it shows how we’ve grown as a band over the last year, and it’s a real anthem.’ The song introduces a more refined soundscape from their previous works with fabulous high end production. Working with producer Ross Rothero-Bourge at Cube Recording Studio in Truro, the boys spent the weekend fabricating an indie- pop sound which is cemented when listening to ‘Jealous Boy’ and woven into the three other records that will be released very soon. Harry also states: ‘We’ve spent a long time in the studio getting the sound just right and I think it really shows.’ The track is also partnered with an official video which is self- produced and paints the narrative of the elements exhibited in the song. The song and video marries one another in aesthetic and the thematic of jealousy is distinguishably connoted throughout the visuals. You also can not miss the cactus bobble head placed upon the dashboard of the car and the simple but effective quote once the screen goes black, ‘Share with your ex’. Having already made their mark in the local music scene, with sold out gigs at The Dead Famous in Newquay, a slot at Secret Gin Garden, BBC introducing stage at The Little Orchard Cider Festival, performing at Bristol’s iconic Louisiana and gigging heavily across the county, we can only anticipate the Newquay boys to advance further with success into the music industry. With self isolation as a whole entity fabricating boredom throughout the country, ‘Jealous Boy’ can be accessed via all major streaming platforms and it is certainly a song you do not want to miss! Remember, look after yourselves and stay safe.
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 After overcoming the apprehension university can bring, it's very exciting to see first year talent emerge from the caccoone and comfort of what is AMATA and embark on a personal journey of their artistry into the Falmouth music scene. Being a little smaller than I already am, I remember implementing my own artistic journey and the excitement that it contains and its very easy to envy. Up and comer Rhys Hurd has made a glorious introduction upon the Falmouth music scene with his single ‘It’s Just Us’. From the get go, ‘It’s Just Us’ presents an acoustic feel which connotes the sense of summer, sitting by a campfire on the beach hearing the waves crash as this song is played sweetly, a song that has been created to be admired and sang along with. The atmosphere is introduced by a sweet guitar riff which then accompanies the prominent vocal melody by using a constant change of various chords patterns. After the first chorus, the dynamic rhythmic feel of the song intensifies with the instrumentation of a virtuous cajon beat, animated guitar riffs and a righteous bassline. The cajon really sets the pace of the song and is a distinguished alternative. This provides an exposed atmosphere to empower the lyrics to radiate throughout the song. As Rhys says: ‘This arrangement of the song is a stripped back sound built off acoustic guitars driving the rhythm, leaving the voice to carry the honesty in the lyrics showing a level of maturity and sophistication in RHYS’ developing sound.’ You can openly hear this in the positioning of elements that fabricate this summer tune. The lyrics that stand out in this song connote an impassioned connection for love with lyrics such as ‘There's no more you or me, there's just us’, ‘Our thoughts collide and sparks fly’ and ‘There's no more doubting how we feel’‘ very to the point and delicate. As Rhys’ aim for the sentiment was to prove the listener the sense of an ‘Emotional and personal song about love that is built on a connection of two people’s minds and passions.’. The harmonies provided by Emma Jordan and Sam Pollard marry one another and are prominent on the lyrics ‘There’s just us’ to give the listener the perception that for Rhys, the love shared between the two people are equal with one another. There is some room for development with more advancement of recording techniques and vocal diction. However, I praise Rhys for recording, producing and writing the track! Not many musicians at the start of university know how to do all three. With space to grow, we can expect Rhys to really hone his craft and make it something the industry is missing in the next few years at Falmouth. ‘It’s Just Us’ is on all streaming platforms now and if you can’t get enough, Rhys is playing at the Phoenix in Exeter on the 15th of March and returning to Falmouth to play alongside Emma and Sam for Solo Artist’s Night at Killigrew Inn on the 18th April 2020.   We have seen Nana grace ‘The Celebration of Women’ successfully still, it is now time to recognise her step into the world with her personal creativity at her side. After knowing Nana for some time now, this is entirely what I envisioned her music identity to be, unrestrained, empowering and truly honest. Nana has invited us to experience heartbreak at the ‘ding’ of the hotel bell in which, hopes to receive a prodigious reception. Influences from soul and jazz are prominent in the chord structure of the piano, bass and drum accompaniment. The piano stands out and marries her sugared vigorous vocal melodies created by Nana. The lyric that sounds out in this song: ‘Honey have you finished… Making me drown in your insecurities’ this is gritty and to the point. The groove enters dominantly into the track after the first chorus connoting the idea that she has overcome the heartbreak that had once entered her life which then follows with a fabulous layer of harmonies and a gracious ‘ooh’. Every element is polished and intertwined with one another and is placed exactly where you think it should be. Credit to producer Jack O’Hea (Kirk Francis, Long Tonic, Hexposeur, Strsome) as the mix sits very well in the ear and presents an animated narrative. When downhearted, I struggle to find songs that are empathetic and uplifting to my situation however, ‘W Hotel’ is one important song that immerses you completely and invites you to overcome despondent thoughts of loving someone or yourself. She is not some vigilante for an anthem of deliverance but purely at the forefront, connecting and celebrating flaws within herself and others in a bold confident manner. She expresses: ‘Making this song was the strongest I’ve ever felt, and that’s because it was about a time where I felt powerless and that experience has only made me more resilient…’ You can see this truly executed in the song’s indistinguishable construction of lyrics and instrumentation. With more singles to be released and touring later this year, we can expect promising revelations with the evolution of her commodity as an artist evidenced by her impactful debut. ‘W Hotel’ will be available on all streaming platforms at the end of this month so make sure you are ready to be checked in.   The night 21st February was a cold and windy one which blew a variety of people back to the pub house ‘Grapes’ to celebrate yet another charity, this one being Breast Cancer UK. The gig, entitled ‘Boogie For Boobs’ was one I was happy to attend as the cause is something very dear to my heart. On arrival, hands were decorated with diverse colours and sizes of boobs. I became melancholic because I realised my boobs would never match up to the ones on my hand but that's okay I guess, small boobs are boobs at the end of the day?
Sombre Grapes had given birth to the first live set Sombre has introduced to the public and it was not one to disappoint. Theo dominated the main vocal line and it was lovely to see as he was able to let loose and have fun with his creations. Jack and James was a surprising partnership however, their guitars balanced and married one another which was cemented with joy and giving each other approving looks as they played chords and riffs. Laura and Caitlin are a refreshing duo that can never be missed on stage, with their dancing, glorious vocal harmonies and support given to Theo provided entertainment and carried the energy throughout the set. ‘Limoncello’ was one of my favourites from the set, it transported me into the realm of summer. I feel like I am driving down a long winding road on a hot summer's day consuming in the views of the sea and connoting feelings of happiness when I hear this song. Quirky was not only diffused between the music and the band but on the little elements such as the lyric sheets dotted around the floor which contained small cartoons that related to each song, one that stood out to me looked like a cartoon of small dogs, it was great. When observing the band my heart became so full as the Grapes experienced them having fun and enjoying each other's talent and company. This was then radiated upon the crowd who were shouting, cheering and dancing along to the new tunes being exhibited. Truly a brilliant introduction to setting the tone of the gig which carried on throughout the other bands that followed after. Sombre’s album ‘Holiday Deluxe’ is on all streaming platforms now! Credit to Caitlin and Laura who established the gig for their mums, going through something like this is extremely hard to handle. They raised £600 for their chosen charity and their money will benefit women all over the country which is sensational. Speaking to Caitlin after the event she said: ‘Once I had finished the set for function I had to go outside and compose myself, my heart just felt so full watching so many people come to support the charity and having a great time.' Grapes has not been a gig venue to disappoint so far, so I am excited to see more gigs here in the future and for Sombre to be recognised as a band to watch in the Falmouth music scene.  Music has been and always will be such a vital element in my life, probably why I here doing a music degree and not being a vet which was I wanted to be when I was younger but then realised I would have to put some animals down and was essentially traumatised by that idea. Here are some songs that have stuck with me and I would like to review them for you.  When Doves Cry - Prince When talking about Prince I believe people receive my biased complexion before I give an explanation. I grew up on Prince, I have a matching symbolic tattoo with my papa of Prince, my first ever live performance was a song from Prince, I wear passed down merch from my parents of Prince… all of this screams biased but I truly feel he shaped the way music was created and encountered and paved the way for other artists to follow in his path. This song from the album ‘Purple Rain’ From Prince and The Revolution is simply iconic for any era of music as it strips away the codes and conventions of a pop song with its distinguishing lack of bassline. The bassline does not make an appearance once and quite frankly, it's not needed. The guitar makes itself known having the strongest presence in the track as an intense riff is played right off the bat to captivate a listener's interest and is very different to previous solos crafted from his fingertips, his lyrical writing for this song is distinguished and marries his vocal melodies and falsetto throughout the song tremendously. The 80’s staccato synth melody line painted over the chorus connotes the idea of tears dropping for the listening cemented by the line “This is what it sounds like, when doves cry”. The fact that he used one drum machine for this whole album, crafting different drum patterns to appropriate each song, makes this album even more monumental for music. After his death, my Pap was completely silent for a week and it made me realise how much of an impact Prince actually had on our dominant hegemonic society. Another moment that cemented this for me was Beyonce's 2014 ‘Formation World Tour’. The stadium went completely black until the 10ft cube used for the stage shone a shade of purple and following was the momentous guitar intro of the song, Purple Rain. I looked around the sold out stadium as beams of phone torches radiated a heartfelt glow revealing he is never truly gone and not just in the hearts of his fans but hearts of artists who are at the top of their game. Prince will forever have a special place in my heart and crafting my own musical experience.I am truly gutted I will never actually see him live however, his legacy and stamp on music will live on through me, my pap, his fans and music itself. Beyonce's Whole Discography  Malamente - Rosalia Malamente was a song that came to me unexpectedly. I was doing a module at the time that focussed on using vocal ability not just to sing but to produce musical creations. My tutor had given us a playlist for inspiration and this song was firmly sitting ready for listening. I think my tutor is really cool now after listening to this song. What captured my attention was the synth introduction of four chords which then was accompanied gracefully by a drum beat that's made purely out of hand claps. I think it is sick. The song is purely in Spanish and to this day I still have no idea what she is saying but I know all the words and have an understanding that ‘Malamente’ means badly. The song being in spanish elevates the accompaniment of the melodic line and also produces an sensual atmosphere which immerses you into the spanish genre completely. Her vocal range is sweet but deadly and her harmonies compliment the verses beautifully. I am really glad that Rosalia is now becoming an artist of mainstream music as she is so talented and I really do not think people should be scrutinised for singing songs not in the english language, broaden your horizons because you are missing out on a vast culture of music and inspiration.  Sick Thoughts - Lewis Blissett This has been a recent favorite of mine not only because of the deep rhythmic synth line that cuts you like a knife in the chorus but because of its lyrical content. When I first heard it, I thought the song was about a breakup until I delved deeper. I related to this song as it basically described the process of my eating disorder and how it consumes your body and mental capacity as a whole entity. The line that completely stands out for me: ‘Look at us and what we started, I’m so sick and broken hearted’ coming home and realising that I needed to get help was such a turning point and even admitting to myself that I was super sick and essentially broken hearted over my situation helped me get out of that horrible hole I had put myself in and that is a huge thing to do. He essentially word paints with staccato diction the bridge with the synth escaping to show how mentally and physically exhausting having a disorder is. He then transports the piece back to its original content with a built in crescendo to end the song. The echoed tonality of major to minor mixed with futuristic textures makes the song have a juxtaposition of feeling unpleasant and comforting at the same time which I think is sick.  SweetSexySavage - Kehlani I stumbled on Kehlani because of how aesthetically pleasing the artwork for this album is. She looks like a goddess and I can't get over it. This album came out 2017 so I was 17/18 at the time and ‘Sweet, Sexy and Savage’ was something I wanted adult me to consume and become. This album advanced me out of the general pop chart genre into more of the grown up sexy R&B/ soul genres, I hate chart music now. I believe the thematic of song lyrics, triumphant use of drum patterns, the sass radiated to and from songs and her luscious vocals being a staple of the record, cemented my love for this album. Undercover - This is my favourite song off this album and forever will be. Producer, Charlie Heat created the song using latin as inspiration he says he was ‘On that latin wave’. You can hear this dispensed throughout the song with elements such as the latin percussion and the major piano riffs and chords stereotypical to this genre. Charlie also uses sounds that we are used to such as the 808 bassline, fabricate all these elements into a song and pair it Kehlani’s flawless vocals and you are hooked. Think that is why I love this song so much and still do. Personal - Projecting myself into adult life and realising people from school are actually dicks was something that struck me when listening to this song for the first time. It wasn't me that was the problem, it was them. I keep listening to these songs and never seem to get bored of them and I hope I never do, happy listening and 'Let's talk about it' or songs in this instance.
 The term ‘Stan’ was born from Eminem 2000’s track ‘Stan’ which articulates a narrative of an obsessive fan writing letters which he then conveys to the rapper. In a turn of events, the letters never actually make it to the artist and the frustration sends Stan over the edge. The narrative concludes with Stan locking his pregnant girlfriend in the boot of his car and drives off a bridge to their deaths. By the time Eminem grants him with attention, it's all very much too late. Stan Culture, let's talk about it.
The track gave us a new word which now embedded into pop culture and everything surrounding it. Stan blends ‘Stalker’ and ‘Fan’ into one. However stan culture is only ever now coming into the limelight from the evolution of Social Media and the power it possesses. Stan Culture most definitely been around for centuries with the likes of Hercules and the following of Jesus Christ. The Beatles had an obessive fan plotting John Lennons murder and Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson fans were so convinced that the two were dating that they created a sub culture ‘Larry Stylinson’ around it. The girlfriends presented to the fandom publically where classed as ‘Beards’/ fake and received endless amounts of death threats and hate from some fans. For us nowadays, stan culture creates a sense of hyperreality where fans are mesmerized by the infectious energy an artist can bring into their lives. It's almost as if the fans sees an artist as ‘God’ or ‘Angels on Earth’ which can have a negative interpretation as they overlook the flaws that humans all have. Fans almost possess the ‘ride or die’ mentality that is not easy to escape unless you take a step back or grow out of it. Stan culture is not just a Western phenomenon either, this subculture has travelled across the globe to the like of South Korea where fans are easily disheartened when their favourite member gets in a relationship and are quick to attack online and force the couple to split up. But can we go as far to say that Stan Culture owns some of the same qualities a cult has? Both have mass following and look up to someone of ‘god like stature’. Worship the ground they walk on and follow certain trends or even copy the dominant other. I do not want to go as far to say that Stan Culture is terrfiying and we should all stay away from the internet because that would be stupid but it is important to note the similarities they both contain within one another. We are not trying to hate Stan culture because believe it or not we have been sucked into it one way or another depending on how deep you go. It is also important to vocalise that the harsh reality of Stan Culture is really only a small portion of a fandom and not the whole cohort. Through the mixed emotions of this topic there are many positives to being in a fandom like this. Fans can connect to others globally using social media which allows them to be a part of a community that's bigger than themselves so they are never truly alone. I have seen endless amounts of people meet and have a great companionship with their ‘Mutuals’ on twitter all because they have the same common interest or interests. Being apart of a fandom creates a sense of escapism into sometimes a harsh reality of their own lives, focussing and admiring another can distract them and present a source of happiness. Having a fandom that is very dedicated can go hand in hand for an artist too, constant chart toppers, fan votes and more money in an industry/ record labels pocket for popularity of an artist. Stan Culture can also be taken lightly, using this as a common phrase in our everyday lives. Rihanna saying “Why do my tits bother you? They're covered in Swarovski Crystals girl!” - um we stan! Anyone doing anything that has a ‘legend’ status - oh for sure we are going to stan them even if it is for five minutes. I catch myself dropping the word into various situations daily. With the positives, it is hard to ignore that some fans believe it is okay to throw endless amounts of hate at ‘rivals’ as there is no line in a digital blackhole of distaste, the reality of their actions are purely tossed aside once a keyboard is placed at their fingertips. The subculture which has stemmed off an ever growing tree of stan culture is ‘cancelled culture.’ This culture invites fandoms to join together to ‘cancel’ a famous other which can put a strain on their career. For fans, this may seem funny as ‘stans’ tweet memes under a hashtag “soandsoisoverparty”. Stans on twitter wrote tweets such as ‘y’all mad bc were happy Ariana broke up with a pig? sad! #petedavidsonisoverparty’ Pete Davidson who broke up with Ariana Grande replied to the hate on instagram: “I’m doing my best to stay here for you but I actually don’t know how much longer I can last.” We cannot ignore the fact that what Pete Davidson wrote as a response to the hate he was given had purely impacted his mental health negatively and Pete is not the only one fans attack on a daily basis. Is this the consequences of social media nowadays? And did anyone ask to be given so much hate for living their lives? Not to go as far as saying stan culture is a complete mistake because we can be led to believe it has evolutionised with digital culture and has only gotten worse due to globalisation and the power of the internet. But with everything in life, there are always going to be positives and negatives and we need to be able to understand this in our ever changing digital age. But for now, lets stan but also talk about it.   Have you ever been sitting ready to do some important work, laptop keys at your fingertips with a stroke of determination your coffee had just fueled you with. Then out of nowhere a little voice in the back of your head says “pick the phone up and consume it” you reach without hesitation and before you know it you have spent 30 minutes on your phone, have written two lines of your dissertation and your lecturer scowls you in your feedback session because your procrastination has hit an all time high? yes, well read on bitch. We can not ignore the one marketing trend that is currently growing in power and is influenced by our culture of consumerism, visual media. The evidence can be viewed in our everyday lives simply by the platform of social media. Want to look for ideas for a project? Pinterest, want to receive messages via picture format? Snapchat, Want to view significant others lifestyles and cry that it is not your own? Instagram. Here it is and it's not going anywhere anytime soon. With our popular culture changing into one of mass consumerism due to new digital media, this has changed our brains to process information as quickly as we receive it ‘A person can get distracted in 8.1 seconds’ 16-visual-content-marketing-statistics-that-will-wake-you-up-59c4c0b80465 so no wonder we get distracted from work we really need to do. The power of visual content as a marketing technique can have a massive impact of the realms of brand awareness, message association and engagement with a product. So how will this benefit the music industry, especially the evolution of music marketing? We are going to look at visual albums and how this recent marketing technique has filtered into the world of the music industry. The visual album’s effect on audio-visual expression has been reinvented to address the forever changing nature of media and how it is used for a marketing strategy. With the power of the internet and new platforms emerging such as youtube and video sharing sites, it's hard not to escape from the realm of the visual as its constantly in ur faces. ‘Sysomos.com reports that music is the most popular category of videos on YouTube, coming in at 30.7% followed by entertainment at 14.59% as of 2010.48’ Youtube-music-awards For the visual album, visual media is such an important part of the distribution of it. By accessing it on these platforms, fans can now be at one with the visual album and the artist anywhere they go. This diminishes the album from being stapled into the present, much like music, fans can be transported out of the realms of time and space with the ability to repeat the experience over and over again. Let's take Beyonce for example, she dropped her self titled album in 2013 using zero promotion, marketing or warning. The album was paired with a visual album which catapulted the visual album into music industry marketing. ‘As a marketing move the visual album does feel hugely exciting, perhaps largely thanks to the surprise element.’ - Brooke Salisbury, Domino Records Beyonce achieving this visual aspect and then applying to her brand identity shows that she’s more than just a popstar she’s an icon. ‘It also speaks volumes about Beyonce’s standing in the industry that not a single producer, songwriter or director spilled the beans. The thing is — the secrecy, planning and innovative roll-out would have been for nothing if the music wasn’t up to scratch. For me, the most impressive achievement of Beyonce isn’t the visual aspect or the surprise element. It’s the fact that the pop icon delivered the most consistent, cohesive and resiliently non-commercial album of her career.’ Beyonce-anniversary-pioneering-visual-albums-impact-influence-legacy The impact of visual media shows music marketing to now not be one-dimensional, it encourages it to push out releases in new ways and also influences experimentation of music marketing alongside the platform of social media. Even music streaming services are acting towards this innovative element of music marketing and adapting their practices upon artists. With TIDAL releasing ‘Lemonade’ on its platform and Apple releasing Frank Oceans ‘Endless’. The impact of visual media as a marketing technique is astonishing and pushes artists boundaries, the concept of a story telling alongside the art of music helps the artist lend their message, identity and mind to an empowering audience which is something special and truly one of a kind.  The night of the 25th October 2019 saw students in hooded coats splashing down the cobbles of Falmouth town, their destination being the pub house ‘Grapes’. The scan and go way of paying to get into the gig was rather fascinating and a step up for the evolution of the digital era which is so surprising for the smallness of our town. Tuxedo Function - A thirteen song set of popular songs throughout the decades transported the realm of Grapes into one of joyous celebrations. As a spectator, you can always rely on Laura Durdey at the mic to set the scene and pace for the audience. Her lively dialogue in ‘Love Shack’ partnered with the voluminous vocal line from Caitlin enhanced the song from being a cover to having the audience thinking it was one of their own. Each song sprinkled with harmonies and the intertwining of thick basslines, guitar chords and brass notation created a sense of adventure and exhilaration for the audience who were all happy to endeavour. The rhythmic intensity never collapsed but only evolved as each song took place and with the heat increasing in the small pub with the excitement in the atmosphere, I commend the band for carrying the energy and not fainting. It was boiling. The audience captivated by the performance, shouting, cheering, dancing, holding each other, drinking. It almost felt as if someone had got married and this feeling was cemented for me as my friend turned to me in the middle of the gig with six songs to go and said, ‘I want them at my wedding’. She is single. I do not know if it is only me who does this at gigs but I look upon the set list situated on the floor of the artists feet and count down the songs till the end but for Tuxedo Function, i did not do this, I enjoyed every song that came across my path and somehow wished that it would never end. Credit has to go for Merryn Cocking who put the show together in honour of her Grandad, the execution of the night was highly professional and cheerful juxtaposed to the weather outside. One gig set I will certainly not forget for a long time, give it up for the Tuxedo Function.  The yearning of fans for Boardmasters was most wholehearted when they had bought tickets for the festival. The eagerness of gathering gear ready a few days before the gates open, people had ardently packed their old ten tors rucksack with new clothes, food and a ponchos found on that rack in poundland. But it had come to the fans dismay an overwhelming sense of devastation when the festival decided to cancel due to severe weather conditions and for the festivals safety. My only response to this news at the time was “Fuck off”.
Probably wondering why this is article is on the Let’s Talk about it series but I was going to use my time at Boardmasters to gather evidence for a discussion that needs to be enlightened in detail. However, Boardies being cancelled surprisingly gave me the answers that I needed: Do festival goers really go for the music or the culture surrounding it? Let's talk about it. Let's go back to where festivals all began, 1952 saw the arrival of ‘Newport Jazz Festival’ which hosted the likes of Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. This festival was targeted at an upper class crowd as the festivals aim was to inspire young musicians but a sudden change in demographic saw the not so wealthy attend and camp in tents to enjoy the music. Glastonbury saw 1,500 people turn up for its first ever gig costing only £1 for the ticket with an added bonus of free milk from the farm. Fast forward to now, tickets now cost up to £300 for a standard ticket and provide an experience people will not forget. But as we decide whether to jump on the bandwagon, we need to understand why we want to go in the first place. For the music? Or to sit around the tent until the late afternoon, pre drink and then head into the stages? I guess it is up to personal choice but has festivals adapted to our social dominant cultures and the way we react to drinking and socialising? Yes, yes it has. The exploration of “festival culture” needs to be taken into account as nowadays, much like digital culture, festivals have become this delphic realm of escapism from our monotonous realities however, festival goers do not need to hide behind a small lit screen to experience the same feeling of escapism, they can encounter these realms in person. Independent festivals such as Boomtown bank on experience culture for the selling of tickets, 53% go for the experience over 8% of the festival cohort going for the acts - The economist. Festivals such as Boomtown and Tomorrowland create such spectacles with staging and atmosphere that the artists then become a minor option to take into account when choosing to go to a festival. Even prodigious festivals such as Glastonbury have created such a superior otherworldly experience that the tickets sell out ahead of the artists are even announced, now giving us a reason to believe that festivals are not just about the love of music anymore. The response of Twitter towards the cancelation of Boardmasters seemed to have cemented this statement: ‘I've spent so much money on clothes for this’ ‘HAHAHAHA imagine spending £250 on drugs for Boardmasters for it to be cancelled’ ‘Tickets: £300 Food and Drink: £200 New clothes: £200 Finding out its cancelled at 11pm the night before: Priceless’ Many tweets were very funny memes I have to say however, none really touched upon the disappointment of not seeing artists. Festivals create experiences which guides groups towards an experimental change and then documenting them on social media platforms for conspicuous gain from a yearning audience. Because why wouldn't we want to show off the amazing time we had to others on social media? Influencers are such a prime example of experience/ consumerism culture on social media. Especially with the likes of festivals such as Coachella who swallow sponsorship. Major companies pay for the instagram stars to attend these festivals for them to then promote their products, having wider sponsorship from brand companies expands the networth of the festival itself. 2017 saw Coachella rake in 88.7 million dollars as they had focussed purely on influencing the influence and pinpointing their marketing around consumerism and instagram culture. The promotion of products at coachella not only benefits the company but the the festival who can reach a wider global demographic through popular influencers social media following. Consumerism benefits the festival massively but can also help the artist with fans being able to consume their music in a live setting and across social media platforms. We need to note the importance of the digital music market and what impact is has created for artists and festivals themselves. As music has turned to the age of streaming, artists are not creating the money they need from this market whereas before the digital age you would only go on tour to promote the album or music you had created and have serious amounts of fun. The new digital age has now juxtaposed this touring era. Jimmy Hendrix in 1969 headlined Woodstock for $125,000, Ariana Grande headlined Coachella in 2019 for a whopping $8 Million dollars. However, we can also view festival touring opens up an extensive demographic than just their own fans coming to their own unique show. Touring allows us to see our favourite artists in a live environment which is completely different to the digital realm, artists can now show off their craft which parallels the one of streaming as the craft is being performed solemnly in the moment. This allows fans to have an immersive experience or encounter music they never thought they would listen to by going to these festivals. The fact that our local artists have the opportunity to play at Boardmasters is simply astounding as the talent we possess in Cornwall needs to be elevated in extreme amounts. Additionally, the social culture surrounding the one of festivals succours the one of music as fans have the mindset of ‘if my friends go, I go’ and to have any excuse to have a piss up but as the age of social media has come into light, the element of drinking and drug culture at festivals has been globalised to a normality and almost not doing it feels alien. We cannot say this did not happen in the pre digital era but being more connected digitally has definitely made has more of an awareness to it aiding people’s experience at festivals. Not to mention the extreme litter that gets left behind at festivals all because people are too hungover or not bothered to clean up after themselves. Going full circle, the benefits of having the new digital era for festivals can undeniably push for the marketing of the festival to become globally accessible but can also be gloom-ridden with media coverage. We are so used to the glamorisation of digital marketing and only seeing the best of an object whereas the media can sometimes be destructive of this glamored facade. The media coverage of Boardmasters did this exact thing, articles with the titles ‘Boardmasters 2019 cancelled - every question we want answered by the organisers’ who exactly is we in this instance the media or the fans? Joining hand in hand with the majority who are upset seems like a great idea, old media platforms are failing in this current media climate so to gather more of an audience of interest of course the media will find a negative over the safety of the whole festival but not broadcast information to fans of current updates to help out the organisers. We have to commend the organisers of Boardmasters for making the harrowing choice to cancel the event as it is most important that the priority of safety comes first in these instances. The fascination of festival culture and how it is changing to fit the dominant social structures can not go unnoticed. The power and the inevitability of ‘with music we come together’ will always be something we cherish throughout our lives, we just need to understand that this now comes with added elements that can create a positive or negative impact on our own experience. But until we are next stood in a muddy field, friends in tow with music sweetening our ears, let's talk about it.  10% of Grammy Nominees between the years of 2013 - 2019 for awards such as ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Record of the year’, ‘Best New Artist’ etc were women - Forbes
We distinguish so many females promoting themselves, releasing music, being the role models that we need to encounter so why is this quote shocking to read and why is this unbalance of inequality still a problem in today's industry? Let’s talk about it. Pedal back to the 1970s, ‘The Runaways’ 1976 pre-millennial era. We discover that the band members patterned themselves after idols such as the likes of Cherie Currie on David Bowie and Jackie Fox on Gene Simmons. The dominant identity consumed by fans at this time were iconic male figures which becomes the definitive structure of the image created by the women hence why the music was accepted into cultural normality. Shifting into the present, the pattern from The Runaways has seemingly become outdated as we fast forward through the riverty decades of music to the now, more female artists seem to be able to grasp their own identity through the escapades of the DIY digital era, ideas can never really be individual to an artist but inspired by previous identities. We can see this if we place artists side by side. Take Ariana Grande and Maria Carey for example, both have customary traits of the ‘Diva’ and the ‘High pitch calibre’ and there have been conversations about who is better on social media which should not be a competing factor but something we should celebrate. There's still a notion of ‘Man behind the woman’ for artists such as Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse, Beyonce and Jay Z however I do not feel as though this is the case. We can view them all as two powerful entities that apart possess monumental dynamism but together can also express distinguished prominence in the industry. This is the perspective we should carry with one another, to not pit ourselves against each one another but to have a pragmatic view on equality and empowerment. Even major label artists feel the need to fit into these ideals. Take the recent success ‘Homecoming – a film by Beyoncé’ which to me was outstanding but also quite shocking in the way she dealt with her weight loss. This was a section of the film when she explained about losing weight for the show after she had her twins. This was plastered all over social media with fans praising her for her efforts and others expressing concerns that even being one of the most famous women in the world you still must lose weight to maintain your perceived value. The impact of young females consuming these ‘dominant social ideals’ on how to look and feel can have a positive/ negative influence their own mental health and habits in their future selves. This can lead to illnesses as we are all constantly comparing ourselves to others. Female artists are now killing off the poison that has been marketing and promotional techniques which has seeped into the music industry over the years. As Ariana said “ I just want to talk to my fans and sing and write music and drop it the way these boys do” grande explains that record labels like to hold on to their creations for the development of consumption to go smoothly and lets not forget, success. A recent artist flying onto the scene, Lizzo is tearing down the stereotypes of traditional dominant ideologies of what a ‘popstar’ should really look and be like and that is such a progressive movement we need to get behind it. We can not hide from the dark side of the industry, take a brisk walk down the crepuscular lit alleyway to uncover the horrible realms of sexualisation, objectification and so on which has never really been resolved only commented on but however, slowly changing. Yes, we are still going to pull Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines’ out from under the neatly swept carpet because it was awful for sexualistation. Thicke's 2013 track presented the topless models in the videos visual to be more passive, sexualised objects which then lead down to the horrible commotion of objectification and the power a man could hold over a women in this certain context. However, the motion of sexualisation/ objectification has been improving over the years with the likes of Dua Lipa releasing the song ‘New Rules’ which evokes a sense of liberation defying the intentions of male attention and becoming your own. I guess we only now are truly seeing objectification coming into the limelight as digital media is now condemning past shadows and unmasks what was once accepted in society. The recent scandal between Little Mix and Piers Morgan over this issue has caused extensive attention. “They’re using sex to sell records” Piers says on Good Morning Britain Moreover, Little Mix response to this ‘Were gonna keep f***ing preaching until it sinks in – we want to empower women and ourselves’ with the pressure on women to fit the dominant ideals of today we can also understand Little Mix’s fight for liberation and that it is to make sure females feel comfortable in their own skin and go against these ideals being created by social media. Are women over sexualising themselves alongside their music, is that now a supreme trait of promotional value for sales? or a trait of body positivity and empowerment? The war continues. Let’s bring it back down to our reality and Cornwall. Women are being celebrated here with gigs such as ‘A Celebration of Women’ a night created by the lovely Emily Marcovecchio which quickly became a safe community to encourage and empower women. A ray of female local talent stunned the setlist, Small Ships being packed out, a very successful night with donations of sanitary products going to the homeless shelter. The favourable outcome ensured that a second night ‘EP1: A Gathering of Women’ is taking place and will exhibit further exploration of women’s art in additional positivity being shared. However, with success comes failure with a gig on National Women’s Day being a nightmare. “Last night really was something else. Was excited for this gig but came away feeling that my IQ had be halved just from being in the same room as the people in question. It’s baffling that there are STILL people in the UK that are set in such a belittling and sexist mindset. To be quite honest, I felt embarrassed for them and pitiful that they will never experience the wonders of women. I understand that the venue is not hugely to blame, however, they were fully aware of the behaviour that was occurring as these men were not being subtle at all. So as far as I’m concerned, I encourage all musicians to boycott The Apple and Parrot in Torquay. Not worth surrounding yourself with sexists and bigots just to play a gig.” Words from Lilly Shickle from the band Hops! experiencing female discrimination. To be free to play a gig in a comfortable environment is something to treasure for everyone. Being able to empower my females/males/LGBTQ strength to know our own worth in this horrible forever scathing world and what we all are capable of. Lets celebrate everyone in our industry without the car crash of negative opinion of concepts which now seem rather outdated in all areas of life but until then, let's keep talking about it. |
Chloe Burrows-BryanThis portfolio aims to present my creations and give readers an understanding to my freelance journalism and social media marketing. Archives
August 2020
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