Love For Live: The SSE Live Awards 2017 Promotional Video Shoot!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by SSE and asked if I would be interested in taking part in filming a promotional video for the SSE Live Awards which encourages gig goers to take part in voting for their favourite act who has performed in either The SSE Hydro, The SSE Arena, Wembley and The SSE Arena, Belfast during the previous year. As you all know I am a frequent gig goer and often share my live experiences on the internet so they were keen to talk to me about my live music experiences with a particular focus on seeing Wet Wet Wet live in Glasgow. You all know, that I am a big fan of their music and had a great time at their concert last year so it was a no brainer really; of course I was going to say yes! 

Fast forward a few weeks and the day was upon us, typically it would be the day of the storm that took place a few weeks ago but never the less we still made it in one piece more or less! The vast majority of the filming would take place in The Clyde Bar & Restaurant, which is located in The Exhibition Centre directly next to The Hydro. The fact that restaurant is surrounded my glass windows meant it was the perfect location to film with The Hydro as backdrop for shooting. 

The crew managed to snag a section of the restaurant area for shooting to allow space for camera/sound equipment. I was fitted with one of those mic packs that are used in TV frequently and before long I was sitting in one of the restaurant booths looking out onto the Hydro courtyard as filming began. 

On reflection I am pretty sure we started filming some shots consisting of staring out of the window which was pretty easy-I'm a pro at that hehe! It is however kind of funny being told to move your head in certain directions and keep staring with a series face; that sort of thing. A number of those shots were taken as well as few from outside the window to get a different angle. It's quite an interesting process to watch I must admit.

Once this was completed it was time to move on to the interview aspect. I'd been sent over the questions a few days prior to allow me to prepare my answers. We spent a while filming the speaking parts, retaking shots, getting them from slightly different angles in order to achieve the perfect end result. I'd also been asked to bring along various pieces of memorabilia and merch from my gigs at the Hydro which I have plenty of kicking around my room. So we discussed some of the items on film and took some shots of me looking at through them; staring endlessly at the various items.

The weather had dried up a little by this point so we decided to take a chance to head outside to get a further few shots. Fortunately the wind and rain stayed at bay for best part of the outdoor shots which consisted of wheeling my wheelchair around staring up at the Hydro some more. However, the wind and rain soon began to pick up which meant a mad rush inside whilst holding onto my hat-priorities right?! Back inside cold and drookit, we took one more further shot for good measure of course and that was a wrap-I think that's the film maker's expression anyway! 

The video has now been released on SSE's Facebook page which you can view by clicking here. I had such a great day working on the video, the experience was extremely interesting and it's amazing to see just how much work goes into such a short video! Can you believe the video took around 4-5 hours to film?!

It was such a pleasure working with the team who were all so lovely and extremely friendly! We were certainly taken good care of and I am most grateful to SSE for this wonderful opportunity!

Obviously, the whole point of the video was to promote The SSE Live Awards so if you haven't already voted for your favourite act why not pop on over and do so now by click here! My vote this year goes to Wet Wet Wet, let me know who your vote goes too!

On The Look Out For New Bands & Artists!

2017 is now here and I want to start off with new projects and putting more ideas into action. I've been thinking a lot about my ideas and what's important to me I want to work on that throughout the coming year and hopefully beyond. Thinking about my blog, I feel that at present I will continue applying the same method that I've been using for the past while; writing if and when I feel necessary. If something comes to mind or if a personal experience inspires me as it often does I will take to this wonderful little outlet to share my thoughts. If I find myself going somewhere exciting I will of course write about my experiences here on my blog. So really not much is set to change as I have been following this strategy for quite some time as that's what works for me.

That does however bring me to my new plans for 2017, as you may remember I ran a music blog for a number of months and the more I think about it the more I realise just how much I miss it. At the time I didn't really have a plan for my music blog so it didn't feel right to continue with it however, number of months later after many discussions and reading many articles I feel inspired and have new ideas. So that is why I've decided to relaunch my music blog; I will let you know as soon as it's live as I'm currently in the process of setting it up and getting to grips with the new blogging platform I've decided to use.

Over time I've discovered my passion for the music industry and promoting artists so it's my priority to do my part by promoting new music/upcoming bands and artists as it's something that's extremely important to me. I have a whole host of ideas for other features which will hopefully appeal to a whole host of music lovers; I want to of course celebrate the classics, iconic artists and bands as well as highlighting new music. My younger Sister has introduced me to the world of K-Pop and it really got me thinking about how I could incorporate foreign music from all around the world. This is something that I have no set plan on as of yet however I think there's definitely a place for it in future.

Anyway, that brings me to the main reason for writing this post, obvisiously I want to promote new music as well as up and coming bands and artists so that's where I need your help. If you're a band or artist looking to get your music out there or perhaps you know someone who is? Well, I'd love to hear your music!

I'm hoping to set up an email specifically for the music blog but in the meantime please get in contact by emailing: thehathippie@outlook.com or get in touch via my blog's Facebook page. In your email please include any links to your music as well as any social media links for your band. Unfortunately, I won't be able to feature every single band nor can I respond to every single email but please know that I really do appreciate you getting in contact!

At this early stage I'm only prepping and doing research so it may be a number of weeks before I have everything up and running so be sure to keep up to date with all of my latest news here on my blog and via social media. I promise that you'll be the first to know about any news!

Once again I want to thank-you all the for constant love and support, it never fails to encourage me! I genuinely hope that you'll enjoy everything that I have in store for the future-I can't wait to see how it unfolds!

Song Of The Month November 2016

So I haven't managed to post a song of the month for the past couple of months (shame on me!) so it's about time I get round to eh?! Well, it's the end of November and December is just around the corner-can you actually believe it!?

Yesterday, marked 15 years since a certain gentleman belonging to a band whom I adore so much sadly passed. I was just a small child at the time and have no recollection of the day however I grew up to learn about this legend and his music as a member of two different bands and also a solo artist became an important of my life. It's sad to think that I'll never have the chance to see him perform live.

So that brings us to the Song of The Month: November 2016. 'What is it'? 'Who is it'? might you ask. Well, it's a true pleasure to tell you that the latest song of the month is (drum roll).................

'Here Comes The Moon' by George Harrison

You may not have heard this track before by former member of The Beatles and The Travelling Wilbury's. Considering George's musical catalogue across the years I had an endless choice of songs to choose from to share with you guys. But I decided to choose this more unusual track. Why?

I came across this track some time ago after discovering that George wrote this song with alongside the incredible Stevie Nicks. I suppose you could say it's a sequel to the Beatles track 'Here Comes The Sun' and refers to Stevie's love of the moon. It's a beautiful acoustic number that has both George and Stevie's names written all over it. 

So if you haven't heard this stunning piece of music make sure to click onto the YouTube video linked above and if you have why not have a listen once again and be sure to let me know what you think of it! 

Anyway sit back, relax and enjoy and I'll speak to you all next month. I can't quite believe it'll be the end of the year-what a scary thought! 

Have a good few weeks everyone!

Deacon Blue Live at HMV!

If like me, you're an avid radio listener particularly of BCC Radio 2 you'll be more than aware that Deacon Blue have just realised a brand new album titled 'Believers'. Tracks from the new album have received airtime across the station as well as appearance from the band-their performance of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show was fab might I add!

They're heading out on tour next month in support of the albums and I was gutted that I was unable to get tickets-the cons of needing accessible seating eh? But we'll not go there today. However, I did manage to get one better and thanks to HMV I had the chance to see them perform live in the Argyle Street store in Glasgow as well as meet them afterwards at the CD signing. You might remember me mentioning that I'd spotted Ricky and Lorraine at Bruce Springsteen's gig back in June whilst in The E Street Lounge but it wasn't the time or place to go say hello as like me, they were there to enjoy the gig. They weren't there as Deacon Blue and I respect that. So I was rather chuffed to actually have the opportunity to attend this event.

Firstly, I want to give a big thumbs up to HMV! The staff couldn't have been more helpful and thorough regarding the wheelchair access and as result everything went so smoothly. This is a very rare occurrence at these sort of events unfortunately. However, they made sure we were escorted to the basement floor where the gig took place before the rest of the public and were able to watch the gig right up close to the stage, with no one in front of us; just the stage!

There was only one other lady in a wheelchair who I enjoyed chatting to as we waited. It's become a bit of a habit for me to find someone to blether to at gigs-it happens every time without fail now! I never used to be as sociable haha! But I do love meeting other people at events who share the same interests as me.

We didn't have a very long wait as the band were soon escorted through from the mysterious world behind some random door in the shop and got into place and immediately started to perform. Now, this was my first time hearing them perform live however my Mum, who'd seen them on a number of other occasions said that they sounded just as amazing as they did back in the day; if not even better. So there you go folks! To me, their sound was so strong and pure! I only have the records to go by but in my opinion, singing live, they still that crystal clear sound. Perfection!

It was an acoustic gig-my favourite type of gigs! They performed a set list consisting of songs, old and new. Most of the songs performed were from their newly released album which by the way is amazing! If you loved the classic 'Deacon Blue' sound, then you're bound to love their latest addition to the music world! But like I said, they performed a couple of the much loved classics such as 'Dignity' and 'Real Gone Kid' with an acoustic arrangement which I for one completely fell in love with! There are without a doubt stunning musical compositions!

Afterwards the band were escorted to the table for the signing to take place. Everyone began to queue up to have their copies of 'Believers' signed and myself and the lady who I'd been chatting to were taken by HMV staff to the front of the queue which was really good of them to do so. From experience, queues in a wheelchair are not a pleasant experience so it's greatly appreciated when staff at these sort of events go the extra mile!

It was so lovely to chat with the band as they signed my copy of the album for me, they all were extremely friendly and genuinely interested in everything that their fans had to say. I love having the chance to speak with musicians who I admire as I find them so interesting and am extremely fascinated with their craft. Definitely a highlight of 2016 for me!

If you haven't heard Deacon Blue's new album, be sure to pay a visit to your local music store to purchase a copy! If you already have a copy, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what your favourite track is from the album!

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

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!

Song Of The Month August 2016

Well it's the final day of the month and I've only just managed to get round to writing a new post with August's Song of the Month. I'd been hoping to share some more unusual songs with you guys however I've not had a lot of time to brainstorm and do some looking into indie bands etc so it left me in a quandary about what exactly to pick. So just a short while ago, the idea came to me. So without further ado I'm pleased to announce that the 'Song of the Month' August 2016 is (drum roll).......

'Man In The Mirror' by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was probably one of the first artists I was ever majorly into, he was my favourite singer of all-time when I was younger and I listened to his music nonstop. Although, I perhaps don't listen to his just as much as I used, I'm still a huge fan and am greatly inspired by him and his music.

This month saw what would have been Michael's 58th Birthday so it only felt right to celebrate his Birthday here on my blog by picking one his songs as the Song of the Month. The question was 'what song?' Then it came to me! I heard 'Man In The Mirror' on the radio the other day and the message behind the song is so inspiring and the world would be a much better place if everyone took note of the lyrics and actually put them into action. It felt like forever since I'd last heard this song but I still remember the lyrics word for word.

So why not click on the embedded link to YouTube and spare a few minutes out of your day to listen to this masterpiece! Enjoy everyone!

Until next month!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Song Of The Month July 2016

Well that's us at the end of July already I'm afraid and next month (August) we'll head back to school or home tutoring in my case. Looking at the brighter side of the situation, at least I'll be starting my final year of school! A slightly frightening thought I must admit!

Anyway, seeing as it's the end of the month I better pick out July's 'Song of the Month'. And some of you might be able to guess what band it's by considering where I ventured earlier this month. So my song choice this month is........

'Penny Lane' by The Beatles

As you all probably know by now, I visited Liverpool earlier in the month and during my trip visited a lot of famous Beatles related sites on 'The Fab Four Taxi Tour'. And well, Penny Lane just so happened to be one of them. I love the buzz of driving into Penny Lane listening to the famous song of the same name penned by one of my very favourite musicians Sir Paul McCartney about some of the places he visited in Liverpool throughout his youth. I love how simple, everyday things inspired him to write such a classic song loved by people all over the world and brings thousands of fans like myself to a visit a certain street in his hometown. It fascinates me to be honest.

Penny Lane is up there as one of my all-time favourite Beatles songs so considering that and the fact that I visited the very location of the song just a few weeks ago it only felt right to pick it as my 'Song of the Month'. I hope you enjoy listening to this cheery number and be sure to pay close attention to the lyrics where Paul describes his observation of a street he visited on a daily basis. Love, love, love it!

The Problems With Today's Music Industry

I'm meant to be writing my next daily blog and a couple of concert reviews but I found myself randomly scrolling through Facebook, old blog posts and reading a few things written by various people and it's added fuel to a fire that's been burning inside my brain for quite some time now. I've been contemplating this subject for months on end; I've touched upon it in various blog posts here on 'The Hat Hippie' as well as my old music blog. However it's not a subject to touch upon in just one blog post, spur on people's minds for a short period of time and then be forgotten about after a while. I've recently realised that it's a passion and I need to take it into my own hands and do something about it. Unfortunately, I don't have much stature where I have hundreds of people listening to what I have to say and wanting to help. I'm a seventeen year old girl hiding behind her laptop writing whatever comes to my mind because it's something I enjoy doing and I hope that it reaches even just a handful of people. But what I can do is continually make people aware of what I feel passionate about in hope that over time they too will be able to influence others and so on.

You all know that music is my passion and biggest love in life. It's helped cope with everything life has thrown at me particularly in the past five years or so since my knee surgery. I don't know what I would have done without that escape. Over time my love for music has developed naturally by learning to play instruments, exploring the media side of things using blogging as a source to discuss my passion and becoming a radio presenter where again; I can promote, discuss and enthuse about music. However, it saddens me to say that the music industry and let's face it the arts in general is a dying industry due to the modern world. It's there but it often feels like you've got to already be known in the industry to actually succeed. Sadly, there's big and there's small and a very large gap between the two. It seems there's no way of getting there unless you're willing to enter a TV talent show. Admittedly, I'm just as guilty as everyone else; I tune in faithfully every year to watch and every year another contestant wins the title of being a manufactured pop star who will succeed for a few years and have a few hits or release an album which goes straight down the plughole. Why? Well I can't say for sure but as it seems unless you're young and attractive the officials behind the scenes are not interested. There's been certain contestants that stuck out to me throughout these talents show simply because they're different. Sadly, due to that very reason they were eventually voted off or they got a record deal, an album followed and they're image completely changed.

Is that really what the industry is nowadays? Is there really such thing as music anymore? Has the world seriously overlooked something that provokes power, emotion and perhaps represents a little of ourselves in place of young, attractive artists who solely rely on that to sell an album and not it's content. It bothers me watching true musicians out busking, trying to promote their music and sell an album and yet there's big names out there who truly don't appreciate what they have. Indie artists I'm sure would kill for the chance to perform at Wembley Stadium or to have a no.1 hit played nonstop on the radio.

One of the biggest banes of my life is digital music; I do use it like the rest of us but at the same time I hate it and it's impact on the music industry. Similarly, a few years ago at the rise of the kindle and digital books I argued with every single person I met about how I was completely against it and explained time and time again the reason why. I debated this subject with teachers, family and friends and I heard every excuse underneath the sun. I always believed digital books would be the death of the bookstores and I was right. Recently, I came across an article about how a few years ago the high-street bookstores were on the point of diminishing due to a significant rise in digital book sales. In many respects I've never felt so proud in my life, I'd won my argument, I was right! However people have since returned to opting for a physical book and things seem to looking a little more positive in the literacy world but again, there's still a long way to go!

I see a similar situation with music, thanks to the digital world will we loose our music stores? Think about it, a few years ago HMV was on the blink. They shut the doors of some of the franchise's biggest stores, somehow my local store was one of the few that remained but is it's future really certain? I'm not so sure, the signs are certainly there; it's already recently moved to a much smaller store and I personally feel that the music selection is nowhere as varied as it once was. Somehow, unlike the book world I don't see things getting better anytime soon.

I visited my Grandparent's earlier today and my Gran had recorded a documentary about Top Of The Pops for me so I sat down and watched it whilst I was there. Throughout it my mind kept going back to these thoughts and how things have changed for the industry in the present day. It's certainly not for the better. There's another thing, what happened to things like Top Of The Pop and MTV? Sadly, I'm too young to remember it but have discovered many of it's content through YouTube and on TOTP reruns on TV late in the evenings. The type of content it featured would appeal to me in the present day, I for one would certainly watch it! But sadly, there is NOTHING like that at present! And even if there was would it all be directed towards brainwashing the world with manufactured pop acts?

Like I said earlier, I'm only seventeen but I for one can see a real problem. I've had various discussions with various people particularly in the past few weeks and I've been thinking about it more than you could possibly imagine. I have a chance on radio to make a difference, I have a chance to use this blog and to build something on YouTube in some shape or form to do something and make a change. A picture is slowly beginning to emerge in my head even as I've written this things are popping into my head. I have ideas and I want to develop them and see where they lead because I'm sick of watching what's going on in the music industry today. I'm sick of hearing the same old artists who all sound the same; they all have that stereotypical 'pop star' look and if you don't be assured that as soon they sign on the dotted line making it official; it's something they'll have morphed into them.

I'll leave you all with these words as I go and think some more about what I can do because I'm sick of sitting around, waiting for someone to create a solution. Perhaps I, myself will find one eventually. Until then, I'm going to venture into the subject more and more using all platforms that I possibly can to help me. Let's see where it take me............

If you want to get in contact with me regarding this be sure to use one of the following links:

Email: thehathippie@outlook.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehathippieblog

Song of the Month June 2016

Well, it's the end of June already and that's me officially on Summer break, I don't think I've ever been so relieved-it's been a long term! Around November last year I decided to pick out a song at the end of every month to share with you that I think is significant in some shape or form or that I've enjoyed listening to a lot of late. There's a lot of songs that come to mind at this time of year and I could easily pick any one of them however, I've decided to pick a new song from a new album by someone who as you all know by now, I am a really big fan of.

So I'm delighted to say that June's Song of the Month is..............

Summer Rain by Graeme Clark

During my radio interview with Graeme a few weeks ago we spoke about his new music and Graeme even let me hear a song called 'Summer Rain' from his new album which just so happened to be the one I've chosen to share with you all. I seriously love this song so much! It is honestly one of the best pieces of music I have heard in a long time hence why I'm sharing it with you guys! So go check it out and give it a wee listen (don't just listen to it on Spotify go purchase the album and support the music industry!) and no doubt you'll see why I'm absolutely raving about it!

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Hamden Park, Glasgow, June 2016

I kept you all up to date with everything that happened on the day of the gig itself during one of my daily blogs where I wrote about meeting Jake Clemons, hanging in The E Street Lounge before and after the gig and being upgraded to the royal box so if you want to read more about the excitement of the day be sure to click here. I did however promise that I'd eventually get round to writing an actual review of the show so at last, here it is!

On Wednesday the 1st of June 2016, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band rolled into town as part of 'The River' Tour. Unusual for most concerts, the tickets stated that the show was due to begin around half six which is remarkably early. My only guess would be that this was due to the fact that Hamden is built in the midst of a housing estate so the curfew will be earlier and as we all know Bruce likes to play for as long as he possibly can so I can understand why this was the case. Sure enough around half past six (or thereabouts) Bruce hit the stage, kick
ing off the evening with 'Waitin' On A Sunny Day', although unusual for Scotland we weren't waiting on a sunny day; it was probably one of the warmest days of the year so far! This was bizarre in comparison to both occasions that I previously attended Bruce gigs at Etihad Stadium in Manchester and Wembley Stadium in London; the rain was torrential and we were absolutely soaked! I love 'Waitin' On A Sunny Day', it's such an upbeat and cheerful song that one can't help but sing along to-who in their right mind wouldn't?! Like always Bruce invited a little girl from the crowd sporting a 'Born In The USA' t-shirt to join him on stage and sing for the audience. What an amazing young lady! She completely belted out the lyrics which in turned received a eruption of applause from the eager audience. A moment I'm sure she'll remember for the rest of her life!

I could easily go through the entire set list but if I wrote every single detail it would take you the entire three and a half hours of the show to read it. So for your sake I'll summarise it as much as I possibly can. Second in the set was 'Spirit In The Night' a song I recently challenged myself and my tutor to learn to play on bass. It certainly kept me on my toes working out where all the changes were. Needless to say, I found myself sitting there mentally playing the bass  parts alongside the band.

Making his way into the audience, Bruce handpicked a selection of signs with song requests on them from fans to before returning to stage clutching them in his hands nodding to The E Street Band as they begin to play their first request 'Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)' much to my delight. I loved that song when I was younger and was fascinated with the music video where random girls run up onto stage which I found rather amusing as a little girl. This was then followed by a second sign request '4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)'.

Next, was 'Hungry Heart' a classic song from The River album which I absolutely love! I remember hearing it at Wembley a few years ago and it standing out to me for whatever reason so was delighted to hear it live again! During the song Bruce makes his way down the stairs, off of the stage and strolls through the crowd as he sings shaking hands with his fans as he passes through. Not many artists would do that nowadays and in such a relaxed manner might I add. The security followed Bruce as he paraded his through the crowd but not once did they have to step in and get involved; there's a mutual respect between Bruce and the audience. And that for me is extremely special!

This was followed by the likes of 'Out In The Street' which is a song that particularly sticks out to me from my first ever Bruce concert, 'Lonesome Day', another sign request from the audience, 'You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)' and the amazing 'Death To My Hometown' from the 'Wrecking Ball' album. I remember hearing that live for the first time during the 'Wrecking Ball' tour and having shivers. I love the Celtic feel to the song and how it sounds in a stadium filled with thousands of people. The atmosphere was buzzing and the crowd were totally into it; you really had to be there experiencing it to completely understand just how incredible it is live. According to something I read online the next song 'American Skin (41 Shots)' which featured on Bruce's most recent album 'High Hopes' was a tour debut. Again, don't hold me on that one but it certainly went down well with crowd!

The set continued with a number of back to back hits that had the audience in sheer delight. I for one was having an absolute ball! The band played a selection of songs including 'I'm Going Down', 'The River', 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' and 'Because The Night' which is a real crowd pleaser. 'Because The Night' is what I'd describe as stadium song because it completely brings the audience to life; it's a song that depicts a true rock concert and get's everyone rocking out!

Just a few songs later Bruce went straight into another of my favourites 'Badlands'. He opened with this number in Wembley a few years ago so it was funny to hear it further along in the set. I love the sax solo during this song which of course Jake pays great tribute to his Uncle Clarence when playing, it's just so awesome! Any of the sax solos during Bruce's songs give me shivers, they instantly make you stop and listen. You just know it's a Springsteen song when you hear it! My very favourite part of the song however, is when the audience take over with their 'woah, oh oh oh oooooh oh!' part. It's quite tricky to write that out in comparison to chanting it at the gig! When you hear that live it shows the true power of music and how it brings people together! It must be incredible to be on stage and look out into the crowd filled with thousands of people and hear them singing your song as if their lives depended on it! As Badlands finished the stadium erupted into loud cheers across every inch of the stadium morphing into thousands of voice shouting 'BRUUUCCEEE' and loudly signing the Badlands chant once again. It's magical to experience; it makes you feel alive!

The encore was filled with some of Bruce's biggest songs to date. Now, I know there's a lot of people who moan about the fact that they've heard particular songs a million times (you know the ones) but guys, Bruce has played some of the rarities, he's taken requests from the audience and now he's playing the songs that gave him the status that he's got; he wouldn't be able to sell out the world's biggest stadiums if it wasn't for albums like 'Born In The USA' or 'Born To Run'. There's also people like myself who've only recently start attending his gigs and yes, as much as I love hearing the rarities, I also go wanting to hear some of the classics too! You guys have been lucky enough to have seen Bruce back in the day when these songs first came out, sadly, the next generation of fans haven't. I wish I could have though!

Anyway, next Bruce and the very awesome E Street Band performed 'Born In The USA' and 'Born To Run' which are downright awesome in my opinion! And then the moment I'd been waiting in great anticipation for since I was little girl rocking out in the backseat of the car finally happened! Four years ago I attended my very first concert which I'm delighted to say was in fact Bruce Springsteen at Etihad Stadium in Manchester; I remember my Dad's friend asking me what songs I wanted to hear and I replied with quite a list. One of the songs happened to be 'The E Street Shuffle' which is probably up there in my top 5 favourite Springsteen songs, it's rarely played live but believe it or not during my first Bruce gig I actually got to hear it! However, I never got to hear my childhood favourites 'Rosalita' or 'Glory Day's the songs that I as a five or six year old girl would belt out the lyrics to when my Dad played them. I attended the Wembley gig a year later and screamed at the top of my voice when he played 'Rosalita'. But guess what!? He never performed 'Glory Days' much to my dismay. So I spent the past few years hoping that my dream would come true and I'm delighted to say at long last I finally got to hear it! My parents and sister turned to look at me from the other side of the box as they too, had been waiting in anticipation all night in hope that my dream would come true. It was totally worth the wait and it made me appreciate the moment all the more! Bruce, thank-you so much for finally playing it! Even if some of the fans were groaning please know that you made one young fan the happiest girl on the planet that night! My friend Heather and I spent the entire song bopping in our seats, singing along at the top of voices probably driving the people sitting beside us absolutely nuts. Both parties seated beside us eventually got up and left before the end of the show, I'm not sure whether that was because of us or they had transport to catch but I for one was get my money's worth! Apparently we kept the stewards in The E Street Lounge entertained throughout the show with our antics! I'm there for a good time that's for sure and I ain't gonna let anyone stop me!

Continuing with the classic hits the audience were treated to a firm favourite from the 'Born In The USA' album, 'Dancing In The Dark'! You spend the entire song waiting for the part when Bruce pulls a lady from the audience to dance with him-I mean how cool would that be!? And in more recent years he's started pulling a couple of fans up on stage each night and hands them a guitar to perform with the band. A dream come true I'm sure! I'd give an arm and a leg for that opportunity-maybe one day!
This was immediately preceded with another much loved 'stadium song' (as I would describe it) 'Tenth Avenue Freeze Out' of course! Again, this number has the audience chanting and singing along in unison as Bruce once again wanders down into the audience. He spends more time down amongst the crowd than on stage which is downright awesome-certainly worth the hours on end that some of the dedicated fans spent camping out to get to the barrier! Hats off to you-I don't think I could do it!

My parents had raved about Bruce performing this next song at previous Glasgow shows and I finally got to witness it before my very eyes. This was of course a rendition of 'Shout' which was originally by The Isley Brothers however, the Scottish singer Lulu recorded an extremely popular cover of the same song back in the 60s. So really, Bruce couldn't have picked a better number to perform for his Scottish fans! Without a doubt that was going to get the Glasgow audience onside although I don't think he had to worry too much about that! Let's face it, he already had us all eating out the palm of his hand from the word go! Everywhere you looked people were singing, dancing and waving their hands in the air-it was like attending a large party!

It was then when The E Street Band took a final bow, waving goodbye to the Glasgow audience after another incredible evening leaving Bruce standing alone with his guitar and harmonica in hand to perform one final song. This final number just so happened to be 'This Hard Land' which was a powerful, passionate and calming acoustic wind-down.

What a concert! But I really wouldn't expect anything less from Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. They certainly know how to put on a show! It's incredible for someone of Bruce's age to play non-stop without a support act for around three and half hours. Simply outstanding! Honestly, if you've got tickets to catch Bruce in the next couple of weeks, you are in for a real treat! Each night is different so expect the unexpected; who knows what Bruce will pull out the hat next!

Day 25: Two Gigs in One Day

Selfies with Graeme

Two gigs in one day; not bad going eh!? One in many respects was a work related gig (if that's what you want to call it) and the other was for my own enjoyment but nevertheless two gigs is pretty good! For once I willingly got up at a fairly decent time for a weekend, I think the milder weather has certainly had a positive impact on me and pain wise things have been a little easier hence why it's easier to get up in the morning at the moment. Mum made us buttermilk pancakes for breakfast which is always a good thing if you ask me. Afterwards, I had a mad scramble round the house as I had to be at the local record store for 1pm and well there's only so much you can fit into a short space of time. But I did learn that I'm a pretty decent multitasker and can almost apply makeup and curl my hair at the same time. Close enough anyway!

I was going to be doing an interview for the local record store's website with a musician who was performing in store yesterday (Sunday). Unfortunately, I the timings didn't quite work out as he got held up in traffic as some of the roads were closed but I'm still going to do a wee concert review. Potentially, I could have grabbed a few minutes at the end however, I had tickets for Graeme Clark's gig in Glasgow later in the evening and due to the roads being closed we'd have to leave early in order to get there on time. The gig itself was a fun experience and of course, it's great to support the local music scene and see others doing the same. I must admit that I had a good old time to myself browsing the shelves before the gig even started although for once I left emptied handed which is a surprise!

The local record store

We headed back home for dinner and before long we all set off to good old Glasgow taking an alternative route to avoid disruptions thanks to the road closures. Fortunately, we encountered little traffic and arrived in Glasgow with plenty of time to spare. We even managed to find a parking space in a side street just along from the venue-how often does that happen!?

With it being the West End Festival, the area was absolutely buzzing. All of the surrounding restaurants and cafes within the area were filled to the brim with people, it reminded me a lot of London where I spent a lot of time as a child due to hospital. In fact, that's one thing I really miss about my visits to London; the city buzz and quirky vibe. There's something really special about it!

Siempre Bicycle Café was just a short walk away from where we had parked so we took a leisurely stroll admiring this cute little plant shop on route. The entrance to the café was up this little side lane where a small queue for the gig had already began to form. My Dad ran ahead to check it was the right place before heading off to meet up with a friend who lives in the area. As we waited in the queue we could hear the sound check taking place which sounded amazing! It was  also lovely to chat with everyone in the queue as we waited, everyone was so sweet! That's one of the reasons I love going to gigs, you meet so many lovely people!

A wee glimpse inside the café

Following sound check Graeme popped out to say hello and chat with everyone before heading off to get ready for the gig. Just a short while later, the doors were opened allowing everyone to make their way inside and find a seat. It was such a cute, quirky, little café where you instantly felt at home.

Again, I'll refrain from saying too much about the gig itself as I intend on writing an actual review at some point in future-I have a list of things to do! However, what I will say is that it was an amazing gig! I loved hearing Graeme's new material from his new album 'The Thought Collector'. Honestly, you guys need to go check it out-you'll absolutely love it! The two highlights of the gig for me personally, was Graeme playing a bit of 'A Hard Day's Night' by The Beatles during one of his amazing songs named 'Heart of Stone' and hearing his new song 'Do Those Things To Me'; that song in particular really caught my attention. As soon as I heard it, I instantly loved it! 

Following the gig I waited a little while before going up to briefly speak with Graeme. Graeme has been a really great support to me with my blogging, media & journalism aspirations and is always so encouraging towards everything that I've been doing. Like I said before, it meant a lot that he agreed to let me to interview him for my radio show on 3TFM (which by the way I'm airing the first part of this Thursday evening between 7-8pm). It was a big deal for me as it was my first ever interview. I was pretty nervous but I couldn't have asked for anyone better to chat to! I'm going off track a little but it was really lovely to chat to him after the gig and of course take another selfie!

A wee pic of the gig itself

After speaking with Graeme, I went and found Mum and Laurel who were patiently waiting on me (nothing ever changes haha!). Once organised we called Dad to let him know that we were ready to head home. Walking back to the car we couldn't help but stop in our tracks noticing someone's gorgeous house which was filled with twinkling fairy lights and this amazing dreamcatcher hanging on the wall. As you can probably imagine my eyes were absolutely glistening at the sight of it-it was my dream house!

Once we found Dad, Laurel begged him to find a chip shop as she was feeling a little peckish. We've become a bit accustomed to having chips and curry sauce as an after concert snack. We stopped in at a local chip shop and Laurel popped in to pick up the order, I really didn't want anything although I managed to sneak a few chips from Laurel's box as it did look rather delicious!

Well, that brings us to the end of yet another blog I'm afraid. A busy day indeed! But totally worth it! I'll be back very soon with another post so pop back soon to check it out!

Love & Peace,

The Hat Hippie xx

Day 24: Meeting Jake Clemons in The E Street Lounge

Jake Clemons & I

What a day! I've mentioned it on at least a few occasions but yesterday, I went to see Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at Hamden Park in Glasgow. Hopefully, I'll get round to writing an actual review of the show itself but I'm absolutely run off my feet these days so might take a few days. In the meantime I thought I'd tell you about the day itself, I have vlogged my day as well but again, it'll take some time to edit and upload it so please bear with me!

Firstly, Mum and I headed into the town after dropping Laurel off to pick up something and decided to get some breakfast as due to the time we needed to leave for the gig there wouldn't be a lot of spare time to grab a bite to eat. We headed back home a little while later where I spent quite a bit of time getting ready for the gig. I mean I had my hair to curl, makeup to put on, my bag to organise with everything I needed to take with me and of course a video blog to start-you know how it is!

I waited at home whilst Mum went to pick Laurel up early from school. There was so much to do I thought I better take full advantage of my time before Dad got home. Just after two o'clock, we set off on route stopping at my lovely friend Heather's to pick her up as she was coming to see Bruce with us. It was Heather's first ever Bruce gig and my third time seeing him (my first Bruce gig in Scotland though) so it was pretty exciting! I don't know who was more hyper to be honest.

We arrived at Hamden and Bruce was in the midst of sound check by the sounds of it. It sounded like he was playing 'Girls in Their Summer Clothes' which is one of my Mum's favourites, I don't think she's ever heard him play it live before so that was cool.
I'm not gonna lie though, it was a bit of a nightmare at Hamden to be honest. Firstly, trying to find the disabled paring at Hamden was fun and games and no one really seemed to know exactly where it was. Surprise! Surprise! And when we did find it, the steward didn't really listening to us and was about to send us away saying we couldn't park there until he saw the disabled badge and changed his tune.

Our E Street Lounge passes

We'd all been given passes from Bruce's management for The E Street Lounge; a backstage area for guests of the band to hang before the show so the first mission was to find the box office to pick them up. Whilst my parents and sister picked them up, Heather and I paid a quick visit to the merch stall and just a short while later left with a bag of merch consisting of a T-shirt each, a programme and audio download card for the Glasgow gig. Heather put me to shame only buying a t-shirt hehe! I can't go to a gig and not buy a programme and I love the fact that you can actually buy a live recording of the specific show you attend so it had to be done!

When we met up with my parents again we were given our passes for the E Street Lounger which I stuck on me jeans. It's pretty cool having a pass and they look rather cool on my jeans too-oh I'm so sad aren't I!? The next question was 'how did we access the lounge?' We asked numerous stewards who passed us from pillar to post, none of whom were particularly helpful and never listened to a word we said. One in particular was particularly rude and unhelpful and only showed interest in the situation when he later discovered that Heather had the personal number of the head of security. Funny how that changes things. I'll not go into full details as we could be here all the day but yet again, more wheelchair access issues! Thankfully, one decent steward eventually came to the rescue and got one of the supervisors to come help us and eventually he got us inside the building and to where we needed to be. So a huge thank-you to both gentleman!

The E Street Lounge

Once inside the building things were a lot better and the staff in the lounge couldn't have been nicer. The E Street Lounge was empty when we arrived so we had first digs of the tables to sit at. We had an amazing view of the stadium from the lounge and watched as it began to fill up when the doors were opened. It was absolutely scorching outside so it was so nice to sit inside in the cool and have easy access to bar for cans of ice cold cola!

As we were chilling out, taking photos and charging our phones using the sockets in the lounge, Dad noticed a familiar face enter the lounge. It was Jake Clemons, who plays saxophone in The E Street Band for Bruce. We're all big fans of his Uncle Clarence who played sax in The E Street Band up until a few years ago when he sadly passed away. But I love the fact that Bruce asked Clarence's nephew Jake to join the band.

Anyway, I had a quiet moment of excitement as Jake was up there alongside Bruce as members of the band that I'd like to meet one day. Dad went over and did the fatherly duties to ask Jake if he'd come over and say 'hello' to which Jake replied 'yeah, of course'. He shook hands with us all and happily posed for a pic. Somehow, I even managed to ask him if I could take a selfie on my iPod which turned out even better than the photo on the camera so I'm extremely chuffed! Let's face it, I was buzzing! We said goodbye to Jake who had to go as I think they were getting ready to hit stage just a short while later. But seriously, that was so cool! My day was made!

We initially thought once the show started we'd have to leave the lounge and go find our seats/an space in standing area. However, on the staff members who'd been taking care of us appeared just before show time with two tickets for the royal box for Heather and I so she escorted us to our seats just as Bruce was about to take to stage. My parents and Laurel were able to stand at the other side of the box and could have access to any spare seats if they wanted them after half an hour into the show. However, they decided they were quite happy standing at the barrier and dancing-haha!

My amazing friend Heather & I sitting in the royal box

Seriously though, it was so cool to be seated in the royal box! We had a pretty decent view of the stage; no one was in the seats in front of us and the sound was pretty good! Although, we got when we saw how much the seats were worth! Ricky Ross and Lorraine from Deacon Blue passed us in the lounge and were seated in the row in front of the box I believe (so my parents told me anyway). Normally, I'd have wanted to go say 'hello' but they're just normal people there to enjoy a gig so there's no point in pestering them!

The concert itself was absolutely amazing but then again would you really expect anything less from Bruce!? A man of 66 years of age performing for around 3 and a half hours nonstop with no support act is absolutely incredible! His energy is absolutely amazing! We had a great time singing, dancing in our seats and clapping along-didn't we Heather!? One of the stewards we'd spoken to earlier in the evening stopped us both after the gig to say we'd kept the stewards entertained during the show with our antics-hehe!

Jake, Bruce & Steve

After the gig we spent a hour hanging in the lounge to avoid the rush of people leaving the venue and the build up in traffic. So instead we just enjoyed some refreshments from the bar area and watched the stage being dismantled. There was at least four large trucks driven into the stadium after it had been cleared and within the hour so much of the stage had already been dismantled-it's unbelievable to watch!

Once we left the venue we made our way back to the car by which time we all were pretty hungry and the temptation of all the food vans were getting a little too much. So in the end we all ended up munching on a few boxes of chips before heading back home. A great gig and a great night!

Song of The Month May 2016

Well, it's that time of the month again where I pick a Song of The Month to share with you guys here on my blog. It's always a difficult decision as they are so many amazing songs out there and being a music geek it's a tricky decision narrowing it down to just one. But somehow I have. So I can now reveal that May's Song of The Month is.............................

Waitin' On A Sunny Day by Bruce Springsteen

As I'm sure I've mentioned on at least a few occasions now, I'm off to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band live in Glasgow this week (Wednesday 1st June!) and I am so excited! This will be my third Bruce concert and my first time seeing him in my home country of Scotland. Naturally, I've been gearing up for the gig by listening to his music and also throwing a few of his songs in here and there during my weekly radio show.

Bruce has so many amazing songs however, I decided to choose "Waitin' On A Sunny Day". It's a great song and I love hearing it performed live. Usually, Bruce picks a kid in the audience to sing it with him which is beyond cool and the atmosphere is always absolutely amazing! So here's hoping we'll be blessed with a sunny day in Glasgow this Wednesday and that Bruce might perform it live! But I'll keep you posted with everything that happens at the gig in a future blog post so keep an eye out for that!

In the meantime, enjoy listening to this fabulous tune and be sure to let me know if you're catching Bruce live in the next couple of weeks and what your favourite Bruce song is!

Until next month!
Love & Peace,
The Hat Hippie xx