Digital photo from A-Level Photography, multiple layers built up to create this out of focus architectural shot.
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Sunday, 28 December 2014
St.Pauls by the Thames
Digital photo from A-Level Photography, multiple layers built up to create this out of focus architectural shot.
KATE BOY - review
On the 6th of November I saw the up and coming electro pop trio 'Kate Boy'. I had been following them on SoundCloud and Facebook for a few months after hearing their song 'In Your Eyes' at the beginning of summer. So when I saw tickets for sell at Soup Kitchen in Manchester I had to go and see, and I am very glad I did.
I'm trying to stay away from this post being completely complementary of them...but it's really hard not too.
I got to Soup Kitchen...and there was no one else there. I thought I had got the wrong day but nope I was right where I needed to be, and so were Kate Boy's support act. The venue was completely dead to put it nicely, I was there with around 10 others, but I was by no means deterred. The support band were actually really impressive, though I now cannot remember their names.
Not long after, two boys and a girl walked on stage. All dressed in b&w camouflage parkers with their hoods up. The first song 'In Your Eyes' was a great start to a great show. The lead singer, Kate Akhurst, who looks remarkably like Jessica Alba, was full of energy and despite the small crowd, they played as if the room was full. Which I greatly respect. Though Hampus Nordgren Hemlin and Markus Dextegen were fantastic, nothing compared to performance of the lead singer. The performance was dynamic, entertaining and most importantly impressive! The girl can actually sing! The empowering lyrics and music is topped by the lead singers ability to almost shout the lyrics whilst still retaining control and sounding good.
I was standing at the front of the crowd, about 2 metres away from the band for the whole show. Although I would have felt awkward with such a small audience, Kate Boy managed to come across confident and seemed constantly engaged with the crowd, which made everyone else relaxed, and soon, with a few intrigued passers by joining the venue, everyone was dancing and smiling.
The definite highlight was seeing the band drumming electronically in perfect harmony time and time again. The instrumental parts of the songs really showed each members talent. They all work on writing and producing their songs, and rightly so. The trio is undeniably talented and their electronic twang of drumming and keyboards is like a fresh modern electro mix of Icona Pop and CHVRCHES.
The band played everything from their 'Northern Lights' EP plus a few extras. I was truly impressed by their performances, particularly 'Self Control'. The reason I enjoyed this live show so much more than anyone else this year was because of their potential. The band still have a relatively small following, with only 20,000 likes on FB and 4000 follows on SoundCloud, however, this only added to their likability. The band all seemed genuinely sincere, as this was clear through their shock that people actually knew all the words to their songs. Kate Boy are definitely a band to watch in 2015, their pure talent alone should take them far, but their unique sound and European electro pop twist really makes them a band that I would want to see time and time again.
I'm trying to stay away from this post being completely complementary of them...but it's really hard not too.
I got to Soup Kitchen...and there was no one else there. I thought I had got the wrong day but nope I was right where I needed to be, and so were Kate Boy's support act. The venue was completely dead to put it nicely, I was there with around 10 others, but I was by no means deterred. The support band were actually really impressive, though I now cannot remember their names.
Not long after, two boys and a girl walked on stage. All dressed in b&w camouflage parkers with their hoods up. The first song 'In Your Eyes' was a great start to a great show. The lead singer, Kate Akhurst, who looks remarkably like Jessica Alba, was full of energy and despite the small crowd, they played as if the room was full. Which I greatly respect. Though Hampus Nordgren Hemlin and Markus Dextegen were fantastic, nothing compared to performance of the lead singer. The performance was dynamic, entertaining and most importantly impressive! The girl can actually sing! The empowering lyrics and music is topped by the lead singers ability to almost shout the lyrics whilst still retaining control and sounding good.
I was standing at the front of the crowd, about 2 metres away from the band for the whole show. Although I would have felt awkward with such a small audience, Kate Boy managed to come across confident and seemed constantly engaged with the crowd, which made everyone else relaxed, and soon, with a few intrigued passers by joining the venue, everyone was dancing and smiling.
The definite highlight was seeing the band drumming electronically in perfect harmony time and time again. The instrumental parts of the songs really showed each members talent. They all work on writing and producing their songs, and rightly so. The trio is undeniably talented and their electronic twang of drumming and keyboards is like a fresh modern electro mix of Icona Pop and CHVRCHES.
The band played everything from their 'Northern Lights' EP plus a few extras. I was truly impressed by their performances, particularly 'Self Control'. The reason I enjoyed this live show so much more than anyone else this year was because of their potential. The band still have a relatively small following, with only 20,000 likes on FB and 4000 follows on SoundCloud, however, this only added to their likability. The band all seemed genuinely sincere, as this was clear through their shock that people actually knew all the words to their songs. Kate Boy are definitely a band to watch in 2015, their pure talent alone should take them far, but their unique sound and European electro pop twist really makes them a band that I would want to see time and time again.
how i like to dress
One word to describe my fashion style would most likely be 'baggy' or 'boyish'. From a young age I knew I wasn't interested in looking 'girly'. When I was 4 I insisted I dressed as Batman and my best friend, Alex, dressed as Robin...I was the real definition of 'tomboy'.
Thankfully at the age of 14 I started becoming increasingly interested in fashion. My wardrobe started as a miss-match of clothes, but gradually grew to become slightly more organised. It started with my first pair of Dr. Martens, they were limited addition silver geometric style boots, they were luminous, they were bright and they were most importantly comfy. My style is undeniable simple. I like to look good, but feel comfortable, with a 80's or 90's twist.
My style icons are Alexa Chung, Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and Agyness Deyn. I love Alexa's awkward boy style, her messy bob and the way she can wear a floral summer dress, and make it boyish with a pair of docs and some frilly socks. Kate Moss...Kate Moss is just great. (i have a very biased opinion of her) I love the beautiful tailoring that you see Kate Moss in, she knows how to wear a vest, a blazer and boyfriend jeans and still look sexy. Moss has been dressed in some of the most amazing and elaborate fashions that the last three decades have seen. But when it comes to dressing herself, Moss always goes for the simplistic styles, like the ones seen in her Topshop range. She focuses more on looking good without trying than any other model/designer. Cara Delevinge is up there because of those random things she wears that are just fun and a bit different! Her iconic beanies and colourful jumpers are what make her a style icon for me. Agyness is obvious...she has a line with Dr. Marten and like Alexa Chung, makes boyish clothes look fab.
It's safe to say I am a shopaholic. Around 80% of my expenditure goes to fashion. I would much rather be on bread and water for a week and be able to buy a new pair of mom jeans, or stay in on a night out so I can get some new trainers. Sad...I know. But I love it, and it's never going to change.
Thankfully at the age of 14 I started becoming increasingly interested in fashion. My wardrobe started as a miss-match of clothes, but gradually grew to become slightly more organised. It started with my first pair of Dr. Martens, they were limited addition silver geometric style boots, they were luminous, they were bright and they were most importantly comfy. My style is undeniable simple. I like to look good, but feel comfortable, with a 80's or 90's twist.
My style icons are Alexa Chung, Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and Agyness Deyn. I love Alexa's awkward boy style, her messy bob and the way she can wear a floral summer dress, and make it boyish with a pair of docs and some frilly socks. Kate Moss...Kate Moss is just great. (i have a very biased opinion of her) I love the beautiful tailoring that you see Kate Moss in, she knows how to wear a vest, a blazer and boyfriend jeans and still look sexy. Moss has been dressed in some of the most amazing and elaborate fashions that the last three decades have seen. But when it comes to dressing herself, Moss always goes for the simplistic styles, like the ones seen in her Topshop range. She focuses more on looking good without trying than any other model/designer. Cara Delevinge is up there because of those random things she wears that are just fun and a bit different! Her iconic beanies and colourful jumpers are what make her a style icon for me. Agyness is obvious...she has a line with Dr. Marten and like Alexa Chung, makes boyish clothes look fab.
It's safe to say I am a shopaholic. Around 80% of my expenditure goes to fashion. I would much rather be on bread and water for a week and be able to buy a new pair of mom jeans, or stay in on a night out so I can get some new trainers. Sad...I know. But I love it, and it's never going to change.
Saturday, 27 December 2014
Music Time
I am a real music fanatic and 2014 has really been an incredible year for music. This year I have seen a huge variety of live music from electro pop to techno to alternative. My aim is to do a review of each live show I have seen/see so this is really just a breakdown of who I've seen.
2014 started off with seeing Moderat in the Albert Hall in Manchester.
Following this I saw CHVRCHES for the first time, performing their 2013 album 'The Bones of What You Believe' to a sold out crowd at Leeds Student Union.
In May I saw Sonny Fodera at Avichi White. Despite having only a few people to perform to, he played like the room was full, and my friends and I had a great night dancing next to the decks.
On the 7th and 8th of June I attended Manchester's music festival 'Parklife'. Although I greatly missed out on the camping part of a typical festival weekend, the music was a complete hit. Highlights included Daniel Avery, Jon Hopkins and of course Moderat, whose visuals were all on a completely different level to the better funded artists that headlined the festival.
In August I saw Groove Armada at Tobacco Dock, London.
A week later I saw Tycho in Gorilla in Manchester. Their show was truly dreamlike and mellow, but perfectly entertaining.
In September I saw Tessela and Elliphino at the newly branded and revived Joshua Brooks club in Manchester.
In October I kicked off The Warehouse Project season with Ape VS Ram Jam for my friends birthday. However, I am not a huge drum and bass fan, so I don't mark this particular WHP highly.
However, on Halloween I saw Caribou & Four Tet at the WHP and their performances of the new album 'Our Love' were fantastic. Despite the great set from Caribou, I was actually really impressed by Jessy Lanza. I hadn't seen her before, but her song 'Keep Moving' was great!
However, without a doubt, the most impressive live show I have seen this year was KATE BOY. On November 6th I arrived at Soup Kitchen, in Manchester's up and coming area, Northern Quarter. I will be doing a full review of the night so won't say too much, but I was blown away by the potential of the band and their clear talent.
In November I saw James Blake at the WHP, whose dreamlike music was surreal to experience in such a large venue with the added affect of the lights and visuals.
The following week I attended the Bugged Out WHP, with George Fitzgerald, Daniel Avery and Erol Alkan. A whole night of techno went down very well with the crowd, my only criticism would be that Daniel Avery had just come from a set in Leeds, so his set at 3:00am started off quite slowly and took a while to pick up.
I did plan on seeing Bonobo in November, but sadly I was too ill to go.
I finished off the Warehouse Project calendar with Jamie XX and Jon Hopkins in December. Without a doubt this was the best WHP I have ever been too, and again the visuals from Jon Hopkins were unmatchable. The night started with John Talabot and finished with Modeselektor, it was one hell of a night and a great way to end the year.
Last but my no means least, I saw Bombay Bicycle Club at Manchester's O2 Apollo, just before returning to London for Christmas. I have seen BBC half a dozen times, but this night stood out hugely. This was the first time I have seen BBC with such good visuals and lighting. Their new album 'So Long See You Tomorrow' is one of my favourites, and 'Carry Me' and 'Home By Now' were extremely well executed, with the added effects of a glitter cannon and room full of falling ribbons. A few days later I saw them perform at XOLO, for a DJ Set. It was a great night, with a real mix of indie rock, r&b and 90's pop. Though it is safe to say they were all pretty pissed.
2014 started off with seeing Moderat in the Albert Hall in Manchester.
Following this I saw CHVRCHES for the first time, performing their 2013 album 'The Bones of What You Believe' to a sold out crowd at Leeds Student Union.
In May I saw Sonny Fodera at Avichi White. Despite having only a few people to perform to, he played like the room was full, and my friends and I had a great night dancing next to the decks.
On the 7th and 8th of June I attended Manchester's music festival 'Parklife'. Although I greatly missed out on the camping part of a typical festival weekend, the music was a complete hit. Highlights included Daniel Avery, Jon Hopkins and of course Moderat, whose visuals were all on a completely different level to the better funded artists that headlined the festival.
In August I saw Groove Armada at Tobacco Dock, London.
A week later I saw Tycho in Gorilla in Manchester. Their show was truly dreamlike and mellow, but perfectly entertaining.
In September I saw Tessela and Elliphino at the newly branded and revived Joshua Brooks club in Manchester.
In October I kicked off The Warehouse Project season with Ape VS Ram Jam for my friends birthday. However, I am not a huge drum and bass fan, so I don't mark this particular WHP highly.
However, on Halloween I saw Caribou & Four Tet at the WHP and their performances of the new album 'Our Love' were fantastic. Despite the great set from Caribou, I was actually really impressed by Jessy Lanza. I hadn't seen her before, but her song 'Keep Moving' was great!
However, without a doubt, the most impressive live show I have seen this year was KATE BOY. On November 6th I arrived at Soup Kitchen, in Manchester's up and coming area, Northern Quarter. I will be doing a full review of the night so won't say too much, but I was blown away by the potential of the band and their clear talent.
In November I saw James Blake at the WHP, whose dreamlike music was surreal to experience in such a large venue with the added affect of the lights and visuals.
The following week I attended the Bugged Out WHP, with George Fitzgerald, Daniel Avery and Erol Alkan. A whole night of techno went down very well with the crowd, my only criticism would be that Daniel Avery had just come from a set in Leeds, so his set at 3:00am started off quite slowly and took a while to pick up.
I did plan on seeing Bonobo in November, but sadly I was too ill to go.
I finished off the Warehouse Project calendar with Jamie XX and Jon Hopkins in December. Without a doubt this was the best WHP I have ever been too, and again the visuals from Jon Hopkins were unmatchable. The night started with John Talabot and finished with Modeselektor, it was one hell of a night and a great way to end the year.
Last but my no means least, I saw Bombay Bicycle Club at Manchester's O2 Apollo, just before returning to London for Christmas. I have seen BBC half a dozen times, but this night stood out hugely. This was the first time I have seen BBC with such good visuals and lighting. Their new album 'So Long See You Tomorrow' is one of my favourites, and 'Carry Me' and 'Home By Now' were extremely well executed, with the added effects of a glitter cannon and room full of falling ribbons. A few days later I saw them perform at XOLO, for a DJ Set. It was a great night, with a real mix of indie rock, r&b and 90's pop. Though it is safe to say they were all pretty pissed.
b&w's of London Bridge
This Christmas I've moved to a flat near London Bridge and although everything is still very unorganised, especially my blogging, I'm extremely excited. These are a few photographs taken of and from The Shard tower. I don't normally shoot on a digital camera, but this Nikon can take some good quality pictures. As a amateur photographer, I like to shoot things I like, which normally means black and white. I mainly shoot street life, like the previous photograph from Paris. I love capturing urban backdrops with modern twists. These three photographs in particular are aimed to demonstrate the sheer size of The Shard and its contrast to the less developed surroundings of London Bridge.
Saturday, 20 December 2014
getting started
This is the start of my blog, 'Seen & Heard'. This is my first blog and I am extremely unsure what on earth I am doing, but I want to share my various thoughts and interests and I guess this is a good place to start. I am currently at the University of Manchester studying History and trying to figure out what it is that I want to do once I'm thrown into the big wild world.Right now, all I know is I love to write. This blog will bring together all the things I love; photography, music, fashion, art and culture with some personal opinions thrown in along the way.
I hope this is the first of many posts,
Amy
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| This is my own image, shot in Paris on a Nikon FE in 2012. |
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