I have mean meaning to show this shoot of for a while now. This shoot started while having coffee with George Eko, and a couple of friends. We had a free day to work with Arabella (Adage , Birmingham), the day after we had received and e-mail from Hox (Birmingham) who were happy for us to use there collection. A single phone call had the location sorted.
On the day,George Eko was on hand to style and dress, Becky Hunting was on Make up and hair. Richard Battye was on the camera. Which left me to sort out the finer details and drink the coffee. I also did a bit Art Direction on the shoot. The Post-Pro was also done by me.
A big thank you to Carlo (once again) for helping arrange The Rainbow pub. Thank you to the staff at the Pub also !! Your all stars.
Posted 7 months, 3 weeks ago at 12:13 pm. Add a comment
A while ago my phone rang, It was Carlo Solazzo from the 444 club in Birmingham, The Presets are coming. I packed my bag, headed for the Rainbow and got some cracking photos. Oh, and the date of the call was the 2nd of July 2008 and one of Birmingham’s best unsigned bands, Deluka, were supporting.
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“The Presets revel in the darker, more cosmic realm of dance music while still having fun and involuntarily getting people in the mood to move. There’s also punk and new wave elements, but just dont call them “indietronica”. – Rolling Stone
“Their set wonderfully straddles the line between a traditional rock show and DJ set… the entire venue dashed and jumped around like, well, ravers in a friendly mosh pit.” URB “This is the dance record of the Summer” 4/5 THE SUN
Kimberley Isaac Moyes was but a young man, small of stature but big of heart, down on his luck, doing the odd performance in a downtown gay bar and eating anchovies from tin cans discarded in the alley behind a local Italian restaurant, putting all his dollar bills in a pillow, with the dream to one day have enough money to buy a Moog synthesiser.
Julian Hamilton was the new bus boy in said food joint, robust and ambitious, taking out the trash and sweating like a malaria ravaged wrestler when he one day chanced upon poor Kim out the back, sucking on those oily little fish like hed never tasted such a delicacy.
These encounters out the back of Luigis Linguini And Pasta Allsorts became regular, and led to the occasional lunch date, when Julian would not only smuggle Kim a fresh can of anchovies, but would even share his own chef-cooked meal. The boys found friendship over faggotini, had leisurely lunches scheming up ways for Kim to stay one step ahead of the Child Protection Services who longed to send the delinquent off to an orphanage in Mongolia, they dreamed of the myriad ways Julian could swindle his evil boss Luigi, and held heated debates about their shared passion, music.
It was in these early days that Kim and Julian realized their meeting had been fateful, and that one day they would make good on their shared desire to make moody, crisp electronic future pop.
If youve ever wondered what they might play when youre standing there staring at the fork in the road between heaven and hell, this could be it.
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago at 6:55 pm. Add a comment
Live from The Rainbow in Digbeth | 444 club |
Last Friday, the 444 promoters at the Rainbow landed what turned out to be a stunning show, faultless and flawless. But then again, it was Joss Stone playing to under 300 people. A rare and special event.
The trio of small venue “warm-up” show were announced last friday, It’s thought Joss booked the shows to preview songs from her upcoming fourth album ‘Colour Me Free’, which Stone hopes to release in April. (see photos for set list)
“Joss, who performed bare foot, of course, was a hit with the crowd and enjoyed every minute of her performance.”
The trio of small venue “warm-up” show were announced last Friday, It’s thought Joss booked the shows to preview songs from her upcoming fourth album ‘Colour Me Free’, which Stone hopes to release in April. (see photos for set list) Joss Stone has sold more than 7.5 million albums worldwide; been nominated for four Grammy Awards; appeared onstage with James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Patti Labelle, Mavis Staples, Donna Summer, and Smokey Robinson; sat for an interview with Oprah Winfrey; starred in two major ad campaigns for the Gap; and performed for more than 200,000 people at the 2005 Live 8 Concert in London — all before reaching the ripe old age of 19. Now 21, she is getting “Back to Basics”
“It was quite a surprise last minute gig which prompted a barrage of calls from excited fans asking whether the rumours were true”, says Christina Savvas from The Birmingham mail. Her review also goes on to note that “Expectations were high; after all we were among a select audience for the 21-year-old who these days is more used to performing in front of thousands.” “Fans had a treat because the singer and her fabulous nine-man band and backing singers performed a 75 minute set including hit singles You Had Me and Super Duper Love and new material such as Free Me – her voice was spot on.”
“The audience loved her, and what’s not to love – Joss is blessed with stunning looks, a fun persona and a strong, distinctive, sexy voice, which is second to none.” The review in the paper gave her a 4/5, I would love to know why the full 5/5 was not awarded. I would also like to point out that this was not only a great show for Joss, but a another fantastic show hosted out of Digbeth. Venues such as the Rainbow are really starting to stand loud and proud. Its something that everyone in Birmingham should be proud about. So 5/5 for Carlo Solazzo and all the gang for making all this happen.
Tour dates:
23 – Birmingham The Rainbow
25 – Leeds TJs (Woodhouse Liberal Club)
28 – Liverpool The New Picket
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago at 3:41 am. Add a comment
The Young Knives, Million Empire, Stanton Warriors, Subfocus, Miles & Erica Hunt (The Wonder Stuff), Pete Jordan, Joetbot, Anathema, The Hair, Miccoli, DR. Meaker, and DJ Switch
Photo Gallery 2008
Click here for Non Flash based gallery
Posted 1 year, 7 months ago at 11:03 pm. 3 comments
High Contrast @ Custard Factory
24th, Jan, 2007
High Contrast
Danny Byrd
I think it was sold out – if not then very very full.
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Click here to download the gallery (password locked)
Click here to view other Hospital Galleries
High Contrast – Bio
The name High Contrast needs no introduction anymore; though when a young Lincoln Barrett signed on the dotted line back in 2000 he was a complete unknown. Signed on the strength of his mini-disc demos, the Welsh wonder has smashed his way through the d+b scene in no time at all.
His debut longplayer True Colours was released on Hospital to massive critical acclaim in June 2002, paving the way for a move onto the international DJ circuit and helping him become remixer of choice for so many labels inside and outside of the drum+bass community. It was the club sessions and mixing skills that dominated the year since True Colours – with Lincoln making a name for himself as one of the hottest D&B DJs around.
In autumn 2004 we dropped the massive High
Society LP; featuring the anthemic singles Twilights Last Gleaming and Racing Green. The album has already become the stuff of legend, with Knowledge Magazine voting it into there top 3 jungle albums of the last 10 years.
More recently after reaching Drum & Bass superstardom he has releaed mix albums for Fabric and Mixmag and seen his White Stripes remix all over Radio 1. Missy Elliot and Blaze have also come knocking for a Contrast remix and the Worlds dance floors have been blown apart by that Gold Digger booty.
2007 saw the High Contrast success story continue, with the gargantuan single If We Ever all over Radio One, followed by arguably his finest album yet Tough Guys Don’t Dance.. Rounding the year off with yet another huge remix – this time of Axwell’s Ibizan anthem “I Found You”, and his DJing skill saw him scoop BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix of the year, no less.
Riding high on the wave of success following Tough Guys, it was straight into 2008 with huge remixes of Utah Saint’s “Something Good”, Adele’s “Hometown Glory” and Eric Prydz’s monster hit “Pjanoo”.
With High Contrast sitting firmly at dance music’s top table, 2009 sees him rocking a superclub near you. Headlining Hospitality at London’s huge “Matter” nightclub and coming through with more daring and genius drum and bass. Expect the unexpected as High Contrast looks to keep things fresh in 2009. Keep it locked!
Danny Byrd – Bio
Much like the Roman Spa his home town is renowned for; many have discovered the benefits of immersing themselves in the soulful productions of Danny Byrd. With less nudity required, and a reduced danger of contracting syphilis, plague, or leprosy, it is no wonder Danny Byrd has become one of Bath’s most cherished attractions.
One of the very first artists to sign to Hospital – way back at the turn of the millennium, Danny Byrd’s own inimitable take on soulful, vocal Drum and Bass has become a staple in the scene. His use of house and R&B influences immediately began turning heads with his first Hospital singles Do It Again and Changes. Then, later that year, when Radio One’s Fabio championed Danny’s remix of London Elektricity’s Wishing Well, his status as a soulful DnB heavy-weight was confirmed. It’s always been about quality rather than quantity with Danny Byrd with remixes for High Contrast and contributions to our “Weapons of Mass Creation” albums making up his select output. Since 2005 however, the Byrd man has found an unparalleled level of productivity, with the massive Soul Function and Dog Hill singles Hospital as well as contributions for Spearhead, V Recordings and Advanced.
With a growing reputation as one of the finest party DJs in the scene, Danny Byrd has been touring nonstop, taking him from Los Angeles to Paris, from Romania to Vienna, as well as closer to home at Hospitality nights all over the UK. If you haven’t already heard his dynamic dubplate selection, you can check the technique on the mighty Hospital Mix 7 album.
The highlight so far saw in 2008 the release of Danny’s long awaited long player Supersized. Featuring the massive anthems Shock Out and Weird Science this giant of album has seen support from big hitters such as Annie Mac, Zane Lowe, and the mighty Andy C.
From 2008 into 2009 and Danny is becoming the darling of daytime radio one D+B. His awesome production skills have seen him remix dance tracks from Timmy Vegas and Sugar Rush Beat Company with the Byrd twist up propelling the tunes onto the Radio 1 playlist.
In demand on both sides of the Atlantic, Danny Byrd has progressed into one of the most exciting talents within D+B. Unashamedly full fat, Byrd beats are essential in any balanced musical diet, get involved!
Words taken from the Hospital records website.
Posted 1 year, 7 months ago at 2:35 pm. Add a comment
Drove down to Digbeth, had a walk around, got a drink and it had still not set in that Chuck D and Flavor Flav were about to tear a whole in the side of Space 2. PUBLIC ENEMY were in the building.
First Heducation brought us SUGAR HILL GANG with Gigbeth, then the mighty PUBLIC ENEMY.
DJ Switch looked after the crowd, Style One took care of the Master of Ceremonies duty and the bar staff took care of the flow of beer. All seems good.
DJ Lord was the first to grace the stage followed by Chuck D who announced Flavor Flav to the crowd. Things went mental from this point to the end of the show. The show was stolen by Flavor Flav’s 5 metre stage dive over a crowd barrier. The set list tonight was simple, a play back of the whole of “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back”
Birmingham its self was given a tribute, Flavor Flav and Chuck D freestyled to a unique cover of Black Sabbeth’s Iron Man.- Stunning…
Public Enemy proved a point tonight, They are still very much Number 1.
“Heavily off the hook” , Skyhook Director, Chris Bates
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago at 2:58 pm. 1 comment
The Valve Sound System and Hospitality at Custard Factory.
Even though I had this night on my calendar for quite a while, it was 7pm before my press pass was confirmed, but Ric from the Night Times came though as always. At 10pm Chris and I and headed down to the Custard Factory in Digbeth. After experiencing the cultural wonder that is the number 50 bus on a Friday night, we reached the venue. Why do camera cases always puzzle doormen so much? It’s very rare that i get excited about going to see DJs play. However Hospital Records have been putting out some stuff recently that has made me sit up and take notice, mainly through hearing Chris pumping out the Hospital Podcasts from below my bedroom floor. For anyone who has not heard the London Elektricity track “All Hell is Breaking Loose” (you have to check the music video – posted at the bottom of the page) it’s one of the main reasons I was going to this event. The other main focus was the mighty Valve Sound System. Every time i hear this thing go i am gobsmacked that this is legal. Its LOUD, and EXTREMELY NAUGHTY, and takes the phrase ‘feel the music’ to a whole new level. How can something so heavy be invisible? Loudness is not its special feature (though at 96,000 watts it’s not to be sniffed at), but rather the frequencies it pushes out. It retains the title of the Only drum & bass sound system in the world. I am not normally a massive fan of D & B, but when stood in front of the Valve, it’s stunning.
Links:
The Night Times
Custard Factory
Valve
Hospital Records
My Full Gallery Link
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDp9aUBEb1U]
Some interesting stuff on the Valve system from Wiki,
The Valve Sound System is a touring sound reinforcement system specifically designed for the playback of drum and bass music. Created by UK artists, Dillinja and Lemon D, the system has a total power output of 96kW. The system consists of 52 subwoofers (designed and built for the valve system) as well as Mid-High cabs made by Funktion One. The full system is not used in smaller venues. It was designed exclusively for drum and bass acoustics and as such is the first of its kind.
The inspiration for the system came from the reggae sound systems which were popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Growing up in the 80s, Dillinja was turned on by the reggae sound through the systems of such artists as King Tubby of Jamaica and Jah Shaka of the UK. Later, as a DJ, producer, and label boss, he came to be frustrated at the lack of quality at many of the club sound systems when DJing around the UK and abroad, particularly with respect to the deep bass sounds often present in drum and bass. Today, Dillinja refuses to play even ’standard’ club systems believing them to be inadequate to fully reproduce the bass frequencies to his levels.
The whole system has to be carried around in three 7.5 tonne lorries and is generally arrayed as 6 speaker stacks, each around 18 feet wide and 9 feet high.
Notable appearances
The Valve Sound System, which debuted at London nightclub Fabric in 2001, has toured the UK extensively, completing a six-month residency at Brixton’s Mass in 2003[citation needed]. Given that the venue (the former St. Matthew’s Church) was not designed specifically as a nightclub, a crew of no less than fifteen[citation needed] was needed just to get it in and out of the building, those carrying equipment having to negotiate four flights of winding stairs.
Around this time the Guinness Book of Records showed an interest in the system and wanted to test it for the “Loudest Sound System in the World” category; this sparked additional public interest, even though, when asked about the Guinness Book of Records, Lemon D indicated his opinion that “it’s not about being the loudest, it’s about being the best.”[citation needed]
Dillinja and Lemon D were invited to bring the system onto Channel 4’s popular “The Big Breakfast” show, but when they discovered they would have to haul the sound system into the show’s garden at 4am, with inadequate protection from the weather, they politely declined.
The Valve Sound System provided the sound for the drum and bass tent at the huge annual Gatecrasher festival in June 2002. Months of hard work was put in to ensure the sound system was ready for this big event, but the British environmental health authorities stopped the system from being played at full power. Nevertheless, the tent was still the most popular at the festival.
Posted 1 year, 10 months ago at 7:28 pm. 9 comments
