Wednesday 28 September 2016

Introducing Beccs: Debut EP 'Unfound Beauty'

Photo Credit: Jena Cumbo
I was recently contacted and asked if I'd be interested in writing about an EP due to be released by a new up and coming artist known as Beccs. As you all know I'm currently putting a major emphasis on supporting the music industry and introducing you to new artists so when I received this email, of course I had to say 'yes!' I must add that I'm still learning a lot about reviewing however I'm just going to go purely by my own opinion and hope for the best!
Before I go any further I must say that Beccs' debut EP 'Unfound Beauty' is a force to be reckoned with and Beccs is certainly an artist to keep a close eye on. I know for a fact that she's going to go far! Her debut EP which was released just days ago on the 21st September comes after the success of the release of 'Therapy' accompanied by her first ever music video which I'll embed below for you to check out as well as 'Scared Of Me' the award winning debut single.
Beccs is an artist currently based in Brooklyn (originating from Boston) with an incredibly powerful voice. Various articles have compared her to the likes of legendary British artist Amy Winehouse as well as Fiona Apple and after listening to the EP myself, I completely agree! Adding to the list, her voice and musical style also reminds me of singers such as Adele and even Paloma Faith; unique and extremely powerful!



'Unfound Beauty' kicks off with the EP's second single 'Therapy' which explores the challenges of living with an eating disorder. A haunting yet entrancing opening number which instantly grabbed my attention. During 'Therapy' the listener instantly becomes aware of a powerful voice; the voice of a woman with a story to tell. Therapy's accompanying music video was released just a few weeks ago and illustrates the darkness of the haunting tale before our very eyes. If you enjoyed Sia's music videos then, you're bound to love this! 
'Therapy' is immediately followed by the already successful 'Scared Of Me' which was released as Beccs' debut single and ultimately the world's first peek at the future EP release. At this early stage of listening to the EP, I am already won over by Beccs' distinctive voice and the stunning musical arrangements which accompany it. From the beginning of the track I can't help but notice the pungent bass hook which appears periodically throughout the track creating an atmospheric ambience.
This is followed by 'Waiting' a beautiful piano ballad with a slight eeriness. I love the simplicity of the track which allows the natural beauty of Beccs' voice to shine through. 'Waiting' could easily appear in the soundtrack to one of the Chronicles of Narnia films sharing a similar vibe to the numerous tracks featured within the film trilogy had they been made in the present day.
Next is a song titled 'It's For You', a very powerful and dramatic piano based track. I can't help love this song; it's quirky and unique-everything that I'm attracted to in music! There's a certain theatrical element within the music that somehow makes me think of the classic Lewis Carrol tale of 'Alice In Wonderland'. Be sure to pay attention to the final few moments of the track where Beccs' brings the song to a spectacular finish with a breath-taking high note.
Photo Credit: Tira Khan
And last but certainly not least is the EP's title track 'Unfound Beauty' which can only be described as an absolutely stunning piece of art. An acoustic guitar based number with a slight Spanish influence; Beccs' voice is pure and calming and will instantly have you fixated in a deep trance. There are moments within the song that remind me of Amy Winehouse numbers such as 'Valerie' and 'Half Time' which I'm personally a huge fan of so inevitably I fell absolutely head over heels for this song. I could easily lie down and close my eyes with a big smile upon my face as thinking about the beauty of warm Summer days as I listen. What a tranquil thought! But sadly all the good things must come to an end as did this track and ultimately the EP.
As I reach the end of 'Unfound Beauty' what are my thoughts? Well, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of the EP and am extremely excited to hear all of Beccs' future releases and see where the music takes her. I can honestly say that there isn't a single track in the EP that I don't love! Beccs' has the most wonderful and enchanting voice and unfortunately talent like hers is a rare occurrence in the music today. But when a rare gem does show up in artists such as Beccs, we should hold on to it and support their music in every way possible. So on that note, I urge you to take a few minutes out of your day to purchase a copy of 'Unfound Beauty' and support a career which is bound to go far!
To find out more about Beccs and keep up to date with all of her news and future music, click on one of the links below:

Website: www.beccsmusic.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/beccsmusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/beccsmusic
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/beccsmusic
Bandcamp: www.beccsmusic.bandcamp.com


Monday 26 September 2016

Chronic Pain Awareness


Hi Guys!
Wow! I can't quite believe this is my 100th post; a very short one at that but I just wanted to stop by to share this video. I'm so sorry for being so quiet of late, my pain has been playing up big time. As a result I haven't been feeling very inspired to blog. I will however, hopefully have some new posts coming up in the not so distant future so please bear with me.
In the meantime I want to share with you all my most recent YouTube video where I talk about what it's like to live with Chronic Pain. My aim is to raise as much awareness as possible so I'd be extremely grateful if you could help me out and give this video a share and ask others to do the same. The more people that see it, the more chance there is that it'll reach someone out there in a similar situation.
Anyway, on that note I shall love you and leave you to watch the video. If you have any questions please feel free to get in contact.
Thank-you all so much for your love and support!
Love & Peace,
The Hat Hippie xx

Monday 12 September 2016

Discrimantion Against Disabeld People at Gigs & Live Events

It's been a while since I've discussed disabled access related issues here on my blog however I feel the need to write a little more on this subject today. You all know I enjoy the odd live event and love a good old concert. However, in relation to one of my favourite pastimes I've unfortunately had many troublesome experiences due to my disability. I've written about it before so you all know how it goes but sadly these issues continually arise and it's frustrating to say the least.
Last year, I faced a couple of issues when purchasing tickets for gigs due to the disabled access requirements. Somehow, I eventually managed to resolve them which was great. Later in the year, just like any normal big Sister, I wanted to take my younger Sister to see two of her favourite YouTubers at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of their live tour. Needless to say things didn't go smoothly. We attended both live shows in Glasgow and on both days experienced disabled access issues. And to be quite honest with you, the venue staff took full advantage of the fact that we were both young and there without a parent. Sitting in the disabled area, we could only see half of the stage due to staging; had I been able-bodied and able to sit in a normal seat, I would of had a great view. But yet again disabled people are treated differently!
On the second evening, the venue overbooked the disabled area and sold tickets to able-bodied people who helped themselves to the companion's seat and moved them into the disabled bay meaning that wheelchairs were not able to sit in the designated area. This also meant that there was no seat for my Sister so we spoke to the steward about this issues and let's face it; they really couldn't care less. The stewards reaction was 'well I'll have to wait until the show begins to see if there any spare seats to move those people but if not you'll just have to stand'. My Sister and I had noticed rows of chairs outside in the lobby and asked if my Sister could have one to sit in the carer's row behind the wheelchairs and again, was met by a hostile answer of 'no' and that she'd just have to stand. Eventually, the show began and the steward decided she'd move the other people to another seat.
Most venue's policies are that you must call the box office to book accessible tickets however disabled tickets at the concert hall can be booked online without any identification requirement. So basically, just as we discovered anybody can purchase these tickets making it all the more difficult for people like me to get them in the first place. I mean, eight disabled spaces for an entire venue isn't exactly very generous is it? We later contacted the venue about these issues alongside a few others and were met by an unsatisfactory response. Almost an entire year later, nothing has changed and disabled tickets are still available online.
Since then there has been various events at the same venue which I was keen to attend and soon discovered that they were selling disabled tickets at the same price patrons would pay for seats in the stalls. Yet, the accessible seats are on the second level with a limited view and other patrons sitting on the same level are paying a lot less-there's something very wrong there!
Moving on to a new angle, there has been two events this year in Glasgow that I've thought about attending and after researching the venues, discovered that they're not accessible. This is against the law might I add! One of the venues in question has a restaurant/bar which has a lift for wheelchair users however the gig venue itself can only be accessed via a flight of steps. The venue are however more than happy for people with mobility issues to attempt their own methods of accessing the venue. That in my opinion is a big no, no due to the safety of people like myself.
The other event I was keen to attend was an artist from a VERY famous rock band whom I am a very big fan of. I am desperate to see a member of one of the bands that I love so much live however I began looking into the venue access and guess what?! There's a huge flight of steps! Again, they get round this by saying that wheelchair users can be lifted in their chair up the flight of stairs which A) isn't particularly safe and B) isn't particularly discrete either. But again, that's just my opinion.
I decided to write a follow up on this subject after reading a post by someone in a similar situation on a Facebook group for an artist whom I'm a huge fan of. The gentleman who wrote the status recently tried to purchase VIP tickets for a gig in the US; the VIP seats were situated in the first few rows yet he was told that people with disabilities can only be seated in the designated accessible area on the second tier! Disgustingly, someone had the audacity to reply with the response 'you should be thankful you can even afford tickets'. That's all very well but why should someone just sit back and say nothing?! It's makes me angry that people who have disabilities are not allowed to experience what able-bodied people take for granted. Surely, it's possible to create a VIP seating area for people with mobility issues near the stage? Surely, it should be standard procedure in this day and age?
Sadly, due to health we can't be spontaneous, we have to plan every detail and sometimes have to accept second best. I've said this before and I'll say it again but no one knows what the future holds and any one of you could be in this situation one day and have to put up with crap when ideally these events and experiences should be pleasurable and stress-free. For a while last year there seemed to be a push for disabled people at concerts and live events however, things seemed to have settles once again and have been forgotten about. It should be standard practice and people with disabilities should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve just like every other person and until that day comes I will not rest!

Thursday 1 September 2016

Liverpool Adventures July 2016: Heading Out On A Fab Four Taxi Tour Part 2

So during the first part of my 'Fab Tour Taxi Tour' post I reminisced about my trip to Liverpool visiting Dingle, where Ringo Starr was born and grew up, Penny Lane, John Lennon's house from birth until he was five and the house where George Harrison celebrated his 21st Birthday. Ian, our driver stopped at a little café in Woolton which I believe is called 'Let's Eat' to get a quick refreshment and use the bathroom. It was great to have a short break and get a nice, cold drink! The staff in the café were really friendly and were interested to hear about our trip.
St Peter's Church
After our quick pit stop, we took a very short drive to St Peter's Church which is by far my very favourite location of the entire tour. The first time we visited, I fell completely in love with the village of Woolton, there's such a homely feel there! And not so coincidentally, I asked Mum if we could take the tour on the 6th July due to the significant event that took place on that date at St Peter's back in 1957. This was the 49th anniversary of the day that John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the very first time at the church's Summer fete. Being such a huge Beatles fan I wanted to visit the location that started it all on the anniversary of the day it took place.
The church yard
In the church yard we saw Eleanor Rigby's gravestone which allegedly inspired Paul McCartney to write the song however Paul has always denied this for understandable reasons. All of the facts surrounding the song do however add up to this particular gravestone being the source of inspiration considering that John and Paul used to hang around the graveyard as teens. There is also another grave stone with the name 'McKenzie' engraved on it which relates to the 'Father McKenzie' in the lyrics of the famous song.
Also, inside the church yard is the grave of John Lennon's Uncle George the husband of Aunt Mimi. Just beyond the church yard is what used to be a field where the Summer fete took place back in 1957 where Paul McCartney first noticed John Lennon performing with The Quarrymen. We were able to venture as far as the end of the church yard (pictured above) which was once apart of that very field. The remainder of the field has now been replaced with a school playground hence why there's no further pictures.
The church hall where John Lennon & Paul McCartney met

Standing outside the church hall pointing to plaque commemorating the historical meeting
Across the road is the church hall where John Lennon was waiting to perform later that day with The Quarrymen when Ivan Vaughn (a mutual friend of both Beatles) introduced him to Paul McCartney and the rest was history! Funnily enough this was where the stage I spoke about in a previous post was once situated-it's kinda surreal to say I've touched it (such a geek I know!). If you'd like to read more about it and see the pictures be sure to click here. When we visited last year, the hall was actually open due to something taking place inside which meant we could pop in for a look round. Unfortunately, it wasn't open on this occasion but it was still great to see the hall from the outside.
Strawberry Fields Forever
Next, we visited one of my Mum's favourite locations 'Strawberry Fields' which inspired the famous song by John Lennon. There's something so peaceful about Strawberry Fields and actually reminds me of an area in Alloway, the village where Robert Burns was born back home in Scotland. Strawberry Fields today, is pretty much an area of overgrown greenery and trees with a large red gate covered in Beatles fans' graffiti. However quite the contrary to its appearance today, it was once a Salvation Army home many moons ago. John Lennon as child was fascinated by the home and enjoyed sneaking in to play with the children and was often caught in the process I believe. Strangely enough, when you compare photographs of the Salvation Army home and the Dakota Building where John lived years later; the resemblance between both buildings is strikingly similar.
Recreating a photo of John Lennon outside Aunt Mimi's
After this we paid a visit to Mendips, John Lennon's Aunt Mimi's house in Woolton, just a short distance from Strawberry Fields. Today, it is owned by The National Trust and has been restored to look just as it did when John lived there. Fans can take a tour with the National Trust to see inside both John and Paul's former homes; something on my to-do list. When you hear John's childhood story particularly standing in front of his home where it all unfolded, it suddenly seems all the more real and extremely heart-breaking. He really didn't have an easy life!
It was John's mother Julia who tragically died in this very street after being hit by car when John was just 14 years old, that encouraged his love of rock n' roll music. She taught him how to play banjo and bought John first guitar although his Aunt Mimi, his official guardian didn't approve of music, telling him 'the guitar's all very well, John, but you'll never make a living out of it'. As a youth, the only place he was actually allowed to practice guitar was in the front porch pictured below.
The porch where John Lennon practiced guitar
The house where John Lennon's mother lived until she sadly passed away
Leaving Mendips, Ian, our driver decided to take a detour to show us the house where Julia Lennon and her second husband whom she had two daughters with once lived. It was here where John was on the day his mother tragically died and where the devastating news was broken to him. For years John didn't know where Julia lived and as a child was told he couldn't visit her because she lived far away. He apparently presumed that his mother lived in Scotland because whenever he visited his relatives in Scotland his Mum was always there. It's tragic to think he believed that his Mum lived so far away yet as I saw for myself, in reality she lived just minutes away.
Next, we visited the home of my favourite Beatle-take a wild guess who that is?! Yep, you guessed it's Sir Paul McCartney. Paul, lived with his mother, father and brother Mike in numerous houses over the years but 20 Forthlin Road was where he spent his years as a teen until The Beatles rose to fame in the 60s. Sadly, like John, Paul experienced the tragic loss of his mother at a young age when she sadly passed away from breast cancer which presumably was one of the reasons why both Beatles had such a strong bond.
Outside Paul McCartney's house
I love visiting 20 Forthlin Road being such a huge Macca fan. It pretty cool seeing where one my all-time favourite singers lived when he was the same age as me and hearing some of the fascinating stories about his life. Ian even showed us some photographs that I'd never seen before taken of The Beatles in the back garden by Mike McCartney (Paul's brother). There was also a photo from the 90s when Paul revisited the street; a few residents spotted him and came flooding out to greet him. How cool must that have been?!
LIPA
Following this, we headed further into the city following the same route Paul and George would take on the bus to get to school every morning. Both George and Paul attended 'The Liverpool Institute For Boys' and ironically directly next door was 'The Liverpool College of Art', the very art school that both John Lennon, his future wife Cynthia and Stuart Sutcliffe once attended. Both schools are now owned by Paul McCartney who after seeing his former school getting into a state of disrepair decided to purchase it and founded 'LIPA' (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts). In recent years, he also purchased John's old art school in order to expand LIPA and I believe the new expansion is due to open within the next few weeks. Outside both schools on Hope Street is a sculpture entitled 'A Case History' created by a gentleman named John King. Basically, it's a pile of suitcases and luggage, many of which are labelled with famous names related to Liverpool's history. It's actually a very inspiring piece of artwork in a very fitting location.
'A Case History'
A closer look
Moving on, Ian pointed out 'The Honeymoon Suite' as it's often referred to which was basically an apartment owned by Brian Epstein (The Beatles' manager) where Cynthia Lennon stayed on the evening of her wedding to John, ALONE. The wedding had to be low-key because of the image the band had to keep up and obviously one of the members being married wasn't the image that would sell their music. Following the wedding Brian whisked the boys away on business and gave Cynthia the keys to his apartment where she stayed for a numbers of months by herself whilst the band were on tour. No one can be certain that this is definitely the correct building as no official documents seem to exist, the only indication that this is in fact the correct building was in Cynthia's biography.
Brian Epstein's apartment where Cynthia stayed on the evening of her and John's wedding ALONE
The registry office where John and Cynthia got married
Just a short dive away we saw Mount Pleasant Registry Office where John and Cynthia married in 1962 with Brian Esptein as best man. Also in attendance was Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Cynthia's half brother accompanied by his wife. Ringo wasn't in attendance as he joined the band just days before and they wanted to keep the wedding a private affair (at that point Ringo in their eyes couldn't be trusted to keep the wedding a secret-poor Ringo!).
Sadly, this brought us to the end of tour and we said our goodbyes to Ian back at Albert Dock where he dropped us off. Yet again, we had a brilliant tour with The Fab Four Taxi Tours! It's the most amazing experience exploring Liverpool and seeing some of the sites that helped shaped one of the world's most legendary bands 'The Beatles'. If you want to find out more details about The Fab Four Taxi Tour click here! This is a MUST for any Beatles fan-I'd completely recommend taking this tour!