It’s gotta be Talons from the brand new Bloc Party album Intimacy. Principally because it seems to really divide opinion between those who think it’s a studiously pretentious rip off of the mid 90’s sound with added plaintive wailing…and those who think it’s like Mogwai with melody. I fall into the camp of the latter, although many would rather I fell into a chemical abyss and never darkened their thought processes again. But that comes with the turf. Whatever, the point is, this music generates opinion and passion, which is more than you can say for The Feeling. So go listen and you decide. Whichevere way you go, it’s a valid opinion reached by an open mind. Well done you. Oh, and I’m open to love/hate mail…..

Ahh yes, Flyposter has indeed been shortlisted in the Best Podcast Category at the Digital Music Awards this year… We think its fantastic! But we need your votes! so please CLICK AND TICK and make us fabulous!

Well, we made it down and back in one piece, which judging by the nick of Ian Brown as we left the VIP area, is a feat unattainable by other sons and daughters of Manchester. What did we see whilst there? Well, for a kick off the one thing we hardly saw any of was any bleedin’ taxis. I know it’s not the most Keef thing in the world to moan about, but in the name of Drew if you’re gonna put a festival on, put some bloody transport on too. Minor, slightly uncool whines aside, IoW wasn’t half bad. Apart from the fact that there is an increasing number of folk who, like me, are slightly grossed out by Iggy, who still don’t get the fuss about The Zutons and who could go the rest of their born days without hearing another spew of spittle soaked mockney bile from Lydon and his deeply un Sexy Pistols. Yeah, apart from THAT, the festival wasn’t half bad. Now it may have been the liberal jugs of Pimms available on site, but we found ourselves actually enjoying a NERD set, with Pharrell managing to inject some humour and charisma into his tiny unsmiling frame, and at least four recognisable from the original songs making their way over the heads of the arena. Oddly, The Wombats also managed to reach the increasingly rowdy fans (I blame the free drink pavilions that looked over the arena crowd) whilst as usual The Kooks succeeded in taking an open and happy crowd and sending them all off to the burger stands during their set. One thing - if you’re the headline act who’s taken the lucre for an appearance, and justified it in some convoluted inversion of your original manifesto, surely you would at least repay your loyal fans by spending some of the fee on a few lights and a bit of a show? Given your vocal performance and staged bile no longer cut the mustard, a few strobes and bit of dry ice wouldn’t break the bank would it? So why did Lydon and co ask us to crown an otherwise great days’ music with lukewarm delivery and 8 60 watt bulbs framing the stage?…something to dwell on as you wait on your bus home….

Oh Sam, Sam, Sam…you were lovely, but our Lydia got a little bit over excited about his raffish good looks. Witness the growling and overly hormonal camerwork….Anyway, he managed to gamely continue having a chat with us about leakage, embracing, tara palmer tomkinson and his general media whoredom. His on the hoof ode toTara Palmer Tomkinson (with gill’s backing vocals) is a rare treat……

The whole musical world seems to have the east end of london and its’ bands shoved down its neck at the moment. Luckily, the only thing we were shoving down our necks in London’s east end the other night was mediocre canapes and Sam Sparro’s tongue (we wish…well, not really, given I’m the wrong gender…ewww). Anyway, the point is Flyposter slithered its way in and proceeded to entrance / annoy in equal measure. Firstly we had the dubious pleasure of talking to stick in shorts Tara Palmer Tompkinson. Now we’re not ones to knock folk when they’re down, but really TPT….I’ve seen drunk kittens steadier on their feet than you in your YSL tributes. Next up we heard from the lovely Dave Gorman, who just gets it, you know? Anyway, as the cocktails progressed, things loosened up a bit and we found ourselves on the roof by the pool with the aptly named Gavin and Stacey star Matt Horne. All going swimmingly (i know, punny eh?) until pop stalker and clothes horse Alexa Chung takes to the decks. At what point did it become OK to say you’re a DJ if you can whack on a knowing Elastica album track then slide a fader across to ‘Now That’s What i Call Indie 78′…? I know we’re all sick of the Peaches Geldof’s of the world besmirching the noble art of a DJ, but a semi famous TV presenter whose main show is the execrable Vanity Lair (Lord of the Flies for vain people) taking to the decks? It’s beyond the realms of my understanding. Suffice to say for the hour she was on, most of the party decamped to the bowling alley and the roof……

There’s more to be told, including some nice gobbets from Orange ad star Steve Furst, professional baldie and nice lady Gail Porter, Sam Sparro, Olympic torch mugging victim Konnie Huq, the killer of Barry in Eastenders, Janine and most importantly, Lydia’s breasts…..

we repay them with indifference…

…now that’s a Fair Trade!

boom boom!

At Liverpool Street Station yesterday at 6.24 - 6.28 about 200 people froze.Caught it on camera (surreptitiously) . It was quite an atmosphere. Have a look…   

Now don’t get me wrong, I was as staggered as i’m sure you all have been by the Shannon Matthews ‘abduction’ story. As the grim details of the faked abduction and her appalling family’s plot to bleed public sympathy and coffers dry emerged I didn’t think I could feel any more sorry for Shannon and her torment. Until they pictured the photographs of her hideaway in the newspaper today. Not only was the room little more than a hovel, but for her entertainment she had only a keyboard, a glue gun and a BUSTED CD…….

Check out the whole hilarious interview with Gill and IAMX here…

Lots of intimate details about the bands musical journey and life in Berlin

Also check out the IAMX biography...

I didn’t want to go, I’d like to remind you all, because as far as I’m concerned the South by South West music festival in Austin, Texas, has mutated from Glastonbury to the V festival full of spring break freaks and blaggers on day release.

However, as is usually the case with these events, despite the mass homogonisation and corporate pillaging, there is always some pockets of peace and real gold nuggets lurking under the patina of sugar and cheese that seems to coat everything over there. Plenty of great bands got a first airing, and plenty of others managed to get vital US distribution and deals. So, despite the mass jolly it appears to have become for broadcasters and labels alike, it seems somebody, somewhere is getting some work done.

Flyposter, of course, got some great footage of bands such as Simian Mobile Disco, The Cribs, Does it offend You yeah?, The Kills, The Whip and more which will be rolling out over the coming months. We also got up and coming band Does it Offend You, Yeah? to create a tour diary for you (on this week that they’re currently beating Michael Jackson in the midweek album charts) (yes, you read that right. BEATING Michael Jackson). To celebrate this we filmed this week’s Flyposter at the soundcheck for their gig at the University of London. Go check it out.

Well, what you still doing here?…….