Just because..

If you had managed to forget I am here to remind you that the wonderful, sexy and wonderfully sexy Funeral Party are currently touring the UK.

I am positively beaming over the prospect of going to see them tomorrow in Newcastle at The Cluny. I've never been to this venue and I have high hopes that it will do justice to the performance that Funeral Party will give, which never seems to be anything less than face bleeding.

So here is Finale:



And here is a little documentary:



They should get you in the mood for some indie rock 'n' roll.

Moments of 2010

1) Seeing Paul Banks of Interpol fiddling with the tuning of his guitar for the pitch-bends in the song The New is possibly one of the most amazing things I have witnessed. Only Interpol.

This is the gig I was at. So the quality could be better. But I was here! So you are having this one.

2:31 for those amazing pitch bends.





2) Whilst attending Leeds Festival this year was something I did a lot of complaining about when I think back to it I definitely do not get all nostalgic and think of it for something better. It was dirty. I was cold. But, fuck me, Funeral Party were incredible. An absolute force. I cannot wait for their tour in the spring and their album which you can pre-order here!

Giant Song by Funeral Party



3) Which leads me onto my next moment. The moment I discovered SoundCloud... Well, probably not so much that moment in the moment, but it certainly had major repercussions after. A brilliant medium to discover new artists and share them. Or hoard them to yourself. Whatever works for you.

Without SoundCloud I wouldn't have stumbled upon the next artists when I did.



4) The first time I heard Odessa by Caribou I knew my life was going to be irrevocably changed thereafter. Words fail me. I cannot adequately express what this album has come to be to me. But suffice to say it is seminal.

And here is the bloody whole album thanks to SoundCloud!

Swim by Caribouband



5) I've only gone and possibly saved the best til last!

Gold Panda has literally rocked my world. Upon discovering You I wondered what the point in continuing with this whole musical journey was. A bit how I felt after discovering The Field. And whilst not a million miles away from one another. I think Gold Panda is wholly more accessible and gives me much more the inclination to dance.

The pinnacle moment was seeing him live. In that funny little club The Cut in Newcastle. Seeing him jump about and hit those buttons with perfect precision for his awkward rhythms and the crowd absolutely lapping it up was the best gig I have been to in a long time. Sometimes your idols fail to inspire you and there is that cliché that goes along with it, but Derwin Panda has made my 2010. I am very grateful.

Here is the infamous You, followed by Snow & Taxis:

You by Gold Panda

Snow & Taxis by Gold Panda

Funeral Party Tour

Excellent. I don't have to put myself through the trauma of an arena gig full of 30 Seconds To Mars fans to see Funeral Party. The prospect of that had made me bork.

But no! They have announced today a UK tour in the new year!

Bristol, Fleece – Jan 25th
Oxford, Academy 2 – Jan 26th
Manchester, Academy 3 - Jan 27th
Glasgow, King Tuts - Jan 28th
Aberdeen, Tunnels - Jan 29th
Belfast, Stiff Kitten - Jan 31st
Dublin, Academy 2 – Feb 1st
Newcastle, The Cluny - Feb 3rd
Leeds, Cockpit – Feb 4th
Nottingham, Bodega - Feb 5th
Norwich, Arts Centre - Feb 6th
Birmingham, Academy 3 - Feb 8th
London, Cargo - Feb 10th
Brighton, Audio - Feb 12th

Get your surprisingly reasonably priced tickets here!

And here is Giant Song, which is a really brilliant track of theirs, and you can even download it. Look. See the button? It is the arrow pointing down. Get it? Go on, download it.
08 Giant Song by aimie

Funeral Party

Picture: What I can't have...

Post Funeral Party Leeds Festival set:

"I could go home now. I'd be happy. I could go home and not regret anything. How can anyone top that performance?"
"What about LCD Soundsystem later?"
"The only thing that could contend. I'll stay for James hitting his cowbell. Even then they'll never put on a performance like that! Funeral Party are my new favourite band!"

The performance by this band at about 2:30 in the afternoon, in a half empty tent, was the best live musical performance I have seen by a band that I didn't know much about. It blew me away. Confident. Energetic. Tight.

It very nearly moved me to buy a t-shirt based on the performance alone. But at £20 my crippling poverty won out again.

Ignore all the fucking shite comparisons that lazy and boring music journalists tell you these guys are similar to, just to make you listen to them. Take two minutes out of your own time and life to listen for yourself.

I don't care if they make it big or not. I like them. Actually, I will probably be quite upset if they hit it really big and I have to go see them in an arena type setting. Critical acclaim. They can have that. But not commercial success.


Funeral Party - Just Because

Leeds Festival

Shaking overly-long hair to James Murphy et al.

Oh, the aftermath. It is nearly over, but it has been painful. I would like back all the sleep that I was deprived of. I slept even less than I anticipated I would. 2 hours on the first night. Excellent.

That said, it was, overall, definitely worth it. I have my gripes about the organisation, and there were a few things that are pretty shameful for such a long-running, established and seasoned festival. But when you get to see performances like that of Everything Everything, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem and Funeral Party it is made all the better!

Obviously camping was awful. It had a few amusing moments. Some boys nearby quoting Toy Story. Another boy shouting 'Ben' in a strange voice for nearly an hour. On one day someone shouting "FUCK OFF!" then a pause "I FUCKING HATE CAMPING!".. I feel your pain. Waves of cheers were an auditory delight. The bass from Picadilly Party until nearly 5am shredded my famously fragile nerves.

There were moments of sheer joy. Tears at the wonder of Arcade Fire. Elation on seeing Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) in the flesh. Literal slack-jaw gawping at the energy of Funeral Party.

I'm probably going to pick out stand out performances and blog separately about those bands. But needless to say I was very lucky and fortunate and saw some fantastic acts.

But the organisers of Leeds Festival have left a sour taste in my mouth. Over the years they has put on this event they must have learnt an awful lot of lessons. Many things were vastly improved. But in my opinion they sold the soul of the festival to reignite some lack-lustre, nostalgia-provokers. There was little effort elsewhere on the bill. They should not have named the Dance Stage as such. The sound quality on the main stage was disastrous for many of the acts. Don't even get me started on the shambles that left my best friend devastated that was the performance by Mumford and Sons. Horrible advert folk. But nevertheless, if people next to you spoke you couldn't hear the band. WTF Leeds?! £180! I fucking brought my own accommodation, you twats!

Ahem.

I am clean now. I still have all my personal belongings and most of my dignity. Pictures are available on my Facebook.

Funeral Party update..

Oooo. Get me!

Living up to a promise. Who'd have thought it?

Believe me, it is not going to happen often. Don't get excited.

Funeral Party - Carwars [via YouSendIt for 7 days]

Funeral Party

Sorry about the shitness of the video and please do not succumb to their advertisments. I won't be able to sleep if you do. And if I don't sleep then I'll die in 11 days or something. Thus, no more Pop Cultureddd.

Liking Funeral Party though!

I'll try and find something a little more concrete that the internet has not sucked the fun out of yet to promo this wicked band better.