Jessie J sings Miley Cyrus's Party In The USA

Does a cover count as a cover if you wrote the song? Either way, Jessie J does a pretty damn good job of singing Party In The USA, which of course she wrote for teen-superstar Miley Cyrus back in the day when no-one had heard who 'Jessie J' was. Now, I'm a massive Miley Cyrus fan and love the original, but Jessie's version really stands up on its own - she adds some luvverly cockney charm to it, mixes the lyrics up a bit and tells a funny story about her knickers ripping too. Amazing!

Parade 'Ticking On It' as they rock Camden's KOKO

Yesterday I went along to the filming of the latest episode of T4's music show KOKO Pop at, yup, KOKO, in Camden. After a rather extended period of queuing (not all bad, I caught quite a tan in the sunny weather) we got let inside  to act as the studio crowd. It's fair to say everyone was rather excitable, which I imagine is exactly what the show's producers want. To be fair, it was a pretty amazing line-up, so a win-win situation for everyone really.

Heading things up was Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who blew me away with how stunning she looked. I've always thought Sophie was pretty, but just WOW, she was smoking today! Freemasons collab Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer) got the crowd suitably warmed up and it was great to hear beautiful new single Starlight too. Next up was Clare Maguire, who sung Shield And Sword, one of the highlights from her rather good debut album.

For me it was all about Parade though, this was why I'd come, after all. Having seen them live quite a few times now, I had a fair idea of what to expect, but in the intimate grandeur of KOKO, the songs really came alive. The sound quality was incredible, showcasing the band's harmonies to their very best. It's so easy for people to dismiss girlbands as being average singers, but what you get with Parade is five extremely talented girls who easily possess the considerable vocal talents to match the quality of their songs.

Fan favourite Perfume was first up, followed by Top Ten single Louder, both accompanied by some seriously hot dance moves. Again, the girls excel in this department - every move is slick and rehearsed, but enlivened with the innate sense of fun and sheer force of personality that the band bring. Parade's performances are all about having fun and enjoying yourself. They definitely won over a few new fans too, the girl stood behind me in the audience couldn't keep quiet, so full of praise was she for the band.

Then out came the piano for one of my personal favourites Rokstar - if you haven't already downloaded this from Parade's website then you really need to right now as it's an utterly beautiful track that, heard in a live setting like this, sends shivers down your spine. Completely enchanting. We were all in for a treat next as the girls gave us an exclusive premiere of new song Ticking On It. Again featuring Bianca playing piano, it was a fun and frisky up-tempo number infused with the spirit of the band - girl power at its very best.

Me with Parade's Bianca and Lauren after the gig:

The complete line-up/setlist was as follows:

Sophie Ellis-Bextor: Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer), Starlight
Clare Maguire: Shield And Sword
Parade: Perfume, Louder, Rokstar, Ticking On It

Duran Duran - Pokerface (Live at Coachelle)

Girls On Film mixed into a cover of Lady Gaga's Pokerface? It could only be Duran Duran. Performing at Coachella festival, the band treated the crowd to precisely that.

I like how they work in chants of 'DURAN DURAN! We are the band that are designed to make you party!' in too. That's part of the charm of live gigs isn't it, you never know when a band is going to pull out a special cover like this. I'm going to Duran Duran's O2 gig on the 28th May and I can't wait! Let the summer begin.

Metronomy - Live at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, 16th April 2011

The Shepherd's Bush Empire never lets me down. There's something about this venue, steeped in its ornate mystery and tight intimacy that brings out the best in every artist that performs here. And for Metronomy, who release their third album The English Riviera this week, they came into their element tonight. The venue was packed, the crowd full of vigour and party spirit; it wasn't long before the standing section looked more like a nightclub dancefloor. Bodies twitched and revolved to the band's frenetic electro rhythms, day-glo rave sticks being thrown down from the upper balconies to disappear in the sea of revelry below.

In a genius bit of staging, the band wore what can only be described as light pads attached to the front of their shirts - these would dramatically flick on at various points in their set, synchronised perfectly to the music. Forget stage pyrotechnics or a luxurious backdrop of visuals, tonight, this inspired bit of costumery provided ten times the atmosphere. A stark, vibrantly coloured range of lighting effects washed over the band throughout, a rainbow cloak that brought forth visions of summer Mediterranean nights.

And it's this aspect the band aimed so precisely for with The English Riviera - the albums tracks interspersed here with a handful of fan favourites. Having had the new album on constant repeat on my iPod this past week, the thing that struck me most tonight was just how bigger everything sounded. One of Metronomy's biggest charms is that for a synth band, every part of their sonic-makeup sounds so organic and handcrafted. Every track is a work of love; you can almost feel every step of processes that went into their creation. And in the live setting, each and every song was elevated into an anthemic dance master-work. And the crowd lapped it up, the cheers of appreciation bookending each number testament to that.

Equally charming was frontman Joe Mount's demeanour. So many bands can come across as either immensely cocky or overly meek and stilted when performing live, but Mount carried himself with effortless cool. You could really sense the mutual respect between band and audience here and Mount even found time to joke about the public transport disruption on the night. Safe to say, it hadn't kept the fans away. There was a delightful shot of distinctly British wit to everything Metronomy did, a particular highlight being the music-statues-esque dance moves.

Tracks like The Bay and Heartbreaker reared up as if fueled by pure living spirit; I spied a fair few people down below crowd-surfing, as if the surging forward on the surging pulse of the tracks themselves. With its 80s-sounding riff, Corrine was the ultimate in toe-tapping energy. The louder the crowd cheered, the harder they danced, the more Metronomy enveloped themselves into their songs. Trapped in the tight confines of the Shepherd's Bush Empire, all this energy had nowhere to go, and you could physically feel the music bouncing off the walls, reflecting and refracting off the band themselves, spurring them.

Culminating in current single The Look, the band then walked back on to a rapturously received encore, Metronomy. You need only look at the heaps of acclaim The English Riviera has received from the music press to realise that this is Metronomy's time to shine, their moment. And tonight at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, that moment came alive.

Kylie Minogue - Live at the O2 Arena, 9th April 2011

Kylie Minogue will always hold a special place in my heart. Growing up, her music represented a soundtrack to countless memories and emotions; and looking back now, there is a song for every occasion. Aphrodite was one of my favourite albums of last year; All The Lovers confirming her place as one of the most inspiring and magical artists in pop. And for that to stand true over twenty years since her first single was released makes the matter all the more impressive.

With an artist like Kylie, the fact that she blows pretty much every other live concert out of the window goes without saying, leaving the most logical comparisons being with her previous tours. The thing that struck me most was the more naturalistic feel of Les Folies compared to X2008 and Showgirl Homecoming. It might seem a strange thing to say considering the pure opulence of set design and costumes on offer, yet the observation comes less from what Les Folies contained, but more about what its predeccesors did.

Showgirl Homecoming was the big comeback gig (and in my opinion, still the best Kylie gig to date, in many respects due to its virtue as a 'greatest hits' tour, something 'album tours' can find hard to compete with). Then came X2008, Kylie proving herself in a new, rapidly changing age of pop music as well as serving to help boost the relatively low sales of the X album and its singles. These concerts were so immensely extravagent and often futuristic, a physical push to knock the critics back in their track and to say with complete confidence that Kylie was here to stay. But now, with Les Folies tour and the Aphrodite album, Kylie has assured her place in pop for all eternity.

She has finally truly achieved that which she seemed on the cusp of for so long; untouchable national treasure. Thus, she no longer needs to prove herself to her critics; giving her unparraleled freedom to do what she wants with her music and tour. And that freedom really shows. In her performances Kylie is impeccably cheery, radiant and upbeat. And it transmits through to the audience too - they're all up on their feet partying away, clapping along - having the time of their lives. Tonight, Kylie is the friend of each and every person here - those who hold so much adoration for her and her music. Les Folies is a celebration of that adoration.

The songs felt brisk, muscular; as if they'd all been given an extra spring in their step. The costumes and dancing became an integral part of every track. Kylie riding on a winged dancer above the audience while singing a cover of the Eurythmics There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart) was a physical embodiment of this - the unity between Kylie, the design of the show, and the songs all combined effortlessly into one.

I must admit, I was surprised at how Aphrodite-heavy the gig was in terms of the number of tracks from the album. Obviously, as a tour in support of the record, some of these songs were to be expected, but that also means less space for the singles. And when you have as many singles as Kylie, it's impossibly difficult to choose which ones to include - everyone has their favourites. But equally, there are those classics that are everyone's favourites. Better The Devil You Know and an inspired rock version of Can't Get You Out Of My Head are met with immense cheers.

It was the less obvious song choices that were the most moving though - as I mentioned above, with the new freedom Kylie seemed to convey herself with, the concert is opened up to incorporate tracks like Confide In Me (a personal favourite of mine and re-done here in a fantastic dance mix) and If You Don't Love Me. A cover of the Prefab Sprout song and originally serving as Confide In Me's b-side back in 1994, it was a pure delight to see the song resurrected like this. Delivered as an incredibly touching, stripped back piano ballad, it stood as a defiant testament to anyone who still tries to criticise Kylie's vocals. Here, she was flawless, hitting every high note in a performance that was truly angelic.

In terms of pure visual spectacle, the finale must be mentioned, for it is this that stays with me as the pinnacle of the gig; the memory that will stay with me for years to come. Actual water fountains appeared on stage, shooting over ten feet into the air. They then proceeded to flick out into the specially designated 'splash zone', the audience members located there quickly donning blue ponchos to protect their clothes. That in its own right would be more than impressive, but Kylie is always one to go the extra mile. The fountains flashed through a rainbow spectrum of colours as she walked out to the end of the catwalk which had now transformed into a swimming pool. Dancers climbed into the water around her and all were lifted up on a tiered wedding-cake like construction, resulting in a faithful recreation of the mountain of scantily clad bodies from the All The Lovers video.

The concert also served to envision certain tracks in a new light - In My Arms, third single from the X album campaign, placed directly after Can't Get You Out Of My Head became reinvigorated; feeding off the energy generated by the previous track, and went down exceedingly well. Likewise, an inspired mash-up of Love At First Sight with Can't Beat That Feeling paired old and new Kylie effortlessly. It was great to see SAW number What Do I Gave To Do make an appearance too, a highlight from the brief era of what I like to call 'RaveKylie'. Then there was Slow, which transformed mid-way from a sultry jazz number to all-out club banger.

My overall impression of the gig was of it as a thoroughly professional and incredibly fun exercise in an artist that stands at the very height of popstardom. Kylie really is in a league of her own. She delivers on every single level. In many ways, a Kylie concert is a full-on stage musical - and in that respect you can quite easily see how she's able to sell out date after date of a venue like the O2 Arena. This is an 'event gig', a must see experience. When you to see Kylie, you get more than just music; you get the wonderous staging, the elegance of the immaclately choreographed dancer, but most of all, you get Kylie, the persona - the essence that has won the hearts of millions worldwide.

Funeral For A Friend - Live at The Grove Tavern, Wimbledon - 8th April 2011

'We're gonna have a good fucking night tonight,' cries Funeral for a Friend lead singer Kris Coombs-Roberts, the crowd of adoring fans arrayed before him lapping up every word.

It's something we all have to do once in life; a small, intensely intimate gig in a good, proper old fashioned pub in the heart of suburbia. This is rock n' roll. The Grove Tavern is a place I've driven past countless times without a second thought, but tonight it was to play host to the beloved Welsh rockers, fresh from releasing their latest album Welcome Home Armageddon.

With a band like this, you're guaranteed the hardcore loyal fans, and they were out in force tonight; packing the tight confines of the pub - a wall of the adoring public, here for the music.

Roses for the Dead kicked things off with a bang, the enraptured audience singing every single word. Fuelled by beer and sheer passion, the fans carried the song on to anthemic heights; making it feel bigger and more powerful than you could scare believe a small pub like this could contain.

Rookie of the Year followed and hands were up and waving across the venue and as the band moved on to debut single Juneau with its anthemic chorus of 'I'm nothing more than a line in your book' the ecstacy reached a climax. The sound built and built, big chunky guitar riffs merging into something almost physical. It moved people.

Sweat, bedraggled fans burst from the crowd to line up more drinks; clambering from the mass of bodies crying 'Fuck... fuck...' in pure joy. This is the magic of the old tracks from 2003 album Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation - these are songs people have grown up with, music that means something. For each and every one of this audience, these songs will be tied to memories, emotions; unfolding into a story in their own right.

At the front, closest to the band, bodies visibly swayed back and forth, a tide of people moving to the music. Coombs-Roberts would regularly stop in between songs to check if everyone is ok, telling the crowd to enjoy their own space and have a safe night. It was a moment of touching sincerity - really emphasising the bond between the band and their loyal fans. 'Don't get people at the front killed!' he urged.

Tracks like Red is the New Black also got a showing while the duo of singles Monsters and History from the Hours album were fucking quality. And that really is the best way to describe a gig like this; quality. This was Funeral for a Friend in their element. The band, the venue, the fans, and most importantly, the music. Good old fashioned fun and the memories of an awesome night for each and every person there to take away with them.

Welcome Home Armageddon is available to download now.

Kilto Take headline Islington Academy Media Industry Showcase - 27th March

Kilto Take, for me, represent one of the brightest new hopes in rock. Their EP had my enchanted from the first times I heard the likes of the brilliant Retrogress and Ava. With their unique blend of empassioned Muse-like vocals with an energetic backdrop of guitar-work that comes across like a blend of U2 and Editors, they show how great songwriting skill really can elevate you up and beyond the rest of the pack.

Seeing them headline a lengthy media showcase at the Islington Academy, I was struck again by the sheer sense of something distinctly new and exciting happening here – a rock band entering a crowded market that for so long has been lacking in strong, defined melodies. The band blasted through the four tracks from their EP as well as playing two equally impressive new tracks, Inertia and Atonement. With flavours of early New Order thrown into the mix too with their muscular basslines, the band’s set was refined, razor sharp.

Lead singer and guitarist Jon Crosby commands your attention completely and utterly, his guitar playing talent impossible to dismiss. The band conjour up this impenetrable wall of sound, dominating and immensely massive – steely and metallic, it’s a battleship-like wedge of power and energy that sounds absolutely incredible in the small confines of the Islington Academy. The band are made for intimate venues like this, the audience enraptured to the emotion and dynamism of the songs. Here, the band’s superb debut EP comes to life, the story and song-craft of the tracks unfolding like the petals of a flower. And there we have Kilto Take’s beauty; the intricateness of tight, controlled melody juxtaposed with that awe-inspiring scale of their sound.

In terms of the other bands playing on the night, the definite highlight was South London dance outfit STROBE CIRCUS. Blending reggae, dub and drum & bass, they are fronted up by vocalist Rachel Hirons. With her glossy looks and sultry vocals, she could be straight out of a girl-band; but here, she was the definition of fierce, the perfect lead for the band’s intense, atmospheric mix of influences. Hearing dance music done properly live is always impressive, and here the audience were more than up for it. This was music for letting loose, going all out, and truly enjoying yourself.

And as for the best of the rest...

A BLOSSOM FELL, poetically named after the Nat King Cole song, were a quirky, soulful six piece comprised of three guys and three girls. The band were on cheery form, chatting away to the audience and delivering up their Noisettes-esque brand of pretty indie-pop. Their track Margaret Eats A Butterfly in particular is well worth checking out.

UNDERVIEW were also impressive, again, charming the crowd completely. With their laddy humour and rough and ready guitar, they came across like a mix of The Streets and Hard-Fi. Channelling the essence of a punked up The Specials and Madness at moments too, they had the audience eating out of their hand. Check out their track Don’t Know.

THE BREAKDOWN, like Kilto take themselves, were all about strong, powerful guitar – a blend of The Police and The Script at their most angsty, fiery moments. Their EP can be downloaded for free from their website too.

Elbow - Open Arms

Everyone loves a bit of Elbow, don't they? There's something inherently charming about their innate English-ness and front-man Guy Garvey's everyman demeanor. And if Neat Little Rows was their new albums Grounds For Divorce, then surely Open Arms must be the new One Day Like This.

Let's have a look at the Elbow checklist. Big anthemic chorus. Twinkly guitars. A stomping, relentless drum beat. It's all there. One reason Elbow work so well is because their music is of the sort that, if you'll pardon the pun, opens its arms wide to the people. This is the sound of an arena of enraptured fans signing their hearts out to their idols. It's also the sound of a nation's emotions and spirit, captured perfectly in five minutes of delicate lyrical poetry. When Garvey calls out 'Everyone sing...', he calls out to us... you, I, and everyone we know. In one moment, a collective voice sings out; crystal clear and fine.

I think it took a performance like last night's breathtaking Comic Relief spectactular, complete with full choir, to make me fully realise the power of this song. In the context of the rest of Build A Rocket Boys! this is a triumphant late-album ballad, but taken on its own, Open Arms becomes the epic beauty it was always destined to be. Sometimes music speaks out to you, beyond any logic and reason; and this is one of those moments. Timeless and elegiac, this is Elbow once again hitting the heighest of heights.

Take That - Happy Now

Kicking off with a trippy electronica intro that could have come straight off the latest glossy TV ad, Take That's Happy Now quickly slaps a big dollop of vocodered Robbie Williams in your lap as he whispers about 'super-heavy elements'. Is this a chemistry lesson or a pop single?

But then comes the chorus, so glorious and joyous in every extreme, you're left speechless at the marvelous duality of the track. Cold, wintery verses and then explosive choruses of spring-like energy. Compared to the epic power of The Flood and the electro-stomp of Kidz, Happy Now in a way represents the most traditionally 'pop' record off the new Take That album. Yes, the chorus really is that good. It's a slice of unashamed euro-disco that you just don't get enough of anymore.

Take That's move to a more electronic-influenced sound has certainly divided opinion, but for me, when it has resulted in such a brilliant run of singles as this you can't fault the boys. That is if this does indeed become the third single from the album (which I sincerely hope it does). Imagine the Take That boys performing this live at Wembley Stadium... that chorus is simply a pure arms aloft moment, the pleasures of pop music distilled into that one perfect moment. That's what it's all about.

Come join the Parade...

So, Parade's brilliant single Louder is out in the UK and as I write, it currently stands at No. 8 in the iTunes chart. For any band, this is a great achievment, but for a new group, breaking into the ever competitive pop scene, this is frankly amazing.

I went to see the Parade girls perform at GAY on Saturday night and they most definitely gave it their all. Opening with a feisty cover of Cee Lo Green's Fuck You, they had the crowd whipped up into a frenzy of excitement (best of all, it was the expletive laden album version and not the mild-mannered radio edit of the song). The girls' look is perfect too, striding the vital balance between street-smart trends and poppy flash. Continuing on to their performance of Louder, it was plain to see just how much fun they were all having - and it's this enjoyment that really shines through in their music, taking it up to the next level. As for the rest of the night and Olly Murs stripping on stage, I'll leave that to your imaginations... but let's just say it involved him wearing a cow-shaped thong.

The next day, Parade held a signing at that temple of retail enlightenment, Westfield. So it was off on the tube to Shepherd's Bush! The centre's HMV branch had the Louder singles pride of place at the front of the store as well as conveniently placed by the till-points themselves. It made for a refreshing change from music stores who have become so alienated to the CD single format in recent years.

The signing itself was brilliant, well organised and packed with eager fans. Everyone seemed really up for the event and the cheery faces all round definitely inspired a sense of strong community amongst the fanbase. It's bonds and memories like these that'll get the fans sticking with an artist right through their career. Parade are well on their way to dazzling their way across the UK pop charts and this weekend was a energising reminder of how Britain gets it SO right when it comes to girlbands.

If you haven't already, join the Parade and download Louder from iTunes here!

Selena Gomez - Price Tag (Jessie J cover)

Disney teen queen Selena Gomez shows once again what a fan she is of all things British by launching into a brilliant cover of Jessie J's Price Tag. For starters, how amazing does the track sound belted out full volume in a massive venue like this. Pure epic. It's adorable to see Selena do all the dance moves too, you just know she's been sat watching YouTube videos of Jessie to perfect them all.

Parade - Perfume

Darling girlband Parade have treated us to another new track, and Perfume is most definitely a winner! A delightful, sugary R&B laced slice of pop, it strides the perfect balance between sultry and sweet. A perfect track to put a spring in your step, the catchy gang vocals in the chorus are a brilliant hook.

Listen to Perfume on Soundcloud here, or watch them perform it live at the IndigO2 in London.

Bonus edition Ahoy!

'Extended', 're-release', 'bonus', 'deluxe'. These are all words that have been occuring rather often recently. A top chart act releases an album and it does well. So how do you squeeze a few more sales out of that 'era'? Easy! Release a bonus version of it with MORE content. It's a win, win situation.

Currently I'm getting excited over the exclusive HMV edition of Duran Duran's All You Need Is Now which comes with a bonus remix CD. There's also the bonus version of Linkin Park's A Thousand Suns which is packaged with a DVD of the band playing live in Madrid. This release is rather awesomely titled A Thousand Suns +, with emphasis on the 'PLUS'. It's like those TV ads for razors. Properly amazing.

And just look at the cover. THOSE COLOURS! It's like someone got high and then went crazy on Photoshop. I love it.

The Saturdays - Live at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo - 17th Feb 2011

Live gigs are a very mixed bag; their vastly unpredictable nature meaning you never know quite what you are going to get. But I can safely say that the London date of The Saturdays’ latest tour has secured itself a place amongst some of the best live shows I’ve ever experienced. The sheer sense of energy and emotion on offer at the gig was incredible. Standing six rows back from the stage, the connection with the girls was incredible. I’ve been to many gigs at the Hammersmith Apollo and the bands always seem to feed off the prestige and richness of the setting; and here, amidst the ornate, gilded arches and chandeliers, the Saturdays seemed to fit so well – British pop royalty.

The theme of fun and glamour is well established from the start with an inspired intro to the night; to the tune of the recent dance hit Barbra Streisand the girls call out the names of friends, family and fans in the audience – Not gonna lie, I was more than a little chuffed when they called out my name!

Leading on from this, the girls launch into a frenetic trio of upbeat tracks that encompass some of their finest moments; their most recent single Higher, the fan-favourite One Shot and the anthemic Up. The set-list serves as a reminder of just how consistent The Saturdays’ output has been. In a previous age, pop bands would churn out new albums in a conveyor-belt like system. Quality was by-the-by; all that mattered was quick sales. But the Saturdays belong to a more discerning age. Listeners demand a better standard of music, and The Saturdays are more than up to the challenge of producing some of the best pop out there. And most importantly, it is distinctly British. In an age where so much of the charts are full of American import, the girls continue to fly the flag high for the UK.

As the band perform some of their older tracks, you get a real sense that The Saturdays now have their own legacy; a proper place among contemporary pop culture. For Died In Your Eyes Una pulls out her guitar and strums along, testament to her years as a budding singer-songwriter in Ireland. Each girl brings something unique to the band, their personalities shining through both individually and as a group collective.

Whereas before The Saturdays perhaps occupied a relatively niche position - drawing crowds of in-the-know pop lovers - now their appeal is universal, the crowd encompassing the whole spectrum of society from young to old. With their delightful ITV2 documentary series The Saturdays 24/7 and extensive press coverage spurred on by Frankie and Rochelle’s high-profile relationships, they have well and truly found themselves in the centre of the public eye. With that said, The Headlines Tour seems a particularly apt name for their current run of shows.

Halfway through the gig the girls pull out a brilliant Rihanna medley – the chorus of Love The Way You Lie showcasing just how strong their vocals are, while What’s My Name sees Rochelle and Frankie working some seriously sexy dance moves. The costumes are equally attention grabbing - from sparkly, glittery dresses that are the very essence of pop to street-smart denim and day-glo hoodies, the clothes complimented the songs perfectly. Switching into sultry black leather skirts for the encore, they deliver the defiant Ego.

Throughout their career, The Saturdays have remained resolutely upbeat and positive. It’s part of their charm. Up, Higher, Work – the message conveyed in their singles is there for all to read. This is the band who’s ambition and passion for what they do has carried them forever onwards and upwards in an increasingly competitive industry. Tonight, The Saturdays were on the finest of forms – they gave it their all, and so did the audience. They are the headlines-making band for a headlines-defined age. And you know what? We Just Can’t Get Enough of them. An amazing night.

BRITs highlight - Take That perform Kidz live

Going on gut feeling, Take That's brilliant performance of Kidz was one of the best moments of the night. What a way to open the show! Loved the whole future distopia theme with all the riot police and the boys dressed up as stern dictator types. It fitted the harsh stomp-stomp of the track perfectly and those swooping camera angles really gave the performance that added sense of gravitas.

When I turn on to watch the BRITs, I want to see moments like this - something epic, something amazing; something that really marks this out as THE biggest night in the British music calendar.

The Devil's Conspiracy - Return To Sender EP

Hampshire and Surrey based rock trio The Devil’s Conspiracy are set to hit the live circuit soon, supporting Love Amongst Ruin on their UK tour. The band’s EP Return To Sender echoes many of the sounds of the band they’re opening for, expansive walls of guitar noise that flow effortlessly from moments of melodic ambience to raw, frenetic power chords.

In Denial and I Want To Burn Like You are big punky tracks that seem infused with the sense of freedom. I remember back in my youth I used to play the racing videogame Burnout and tracks like this would serve as the perfect soundtrack to it. There’s that energy, speed, with a rebellious edge... a sense of adventure.

With three years of touring behind them, you can almost taste the enthusiasm in the tracks – this a band that lives for the thrill of it all. Sound-wise, The Devil’s Conspiracy come with touches of You Me At Six and Feeder, as well as echoing many of the elements of Love Amongst Ruin themselves. Those looking for more tender moments need look no further than the EP's title track – it’s perhaps this song most of all where the band’s skill, versatility and musicianship shines most brightly.

The Return To Sender EP is available to download on iTunes now.

Jessie J feat. Devlin - Price Tag

If you've already fallen in love with Jessie J from the catchiest tune of the moment, Do It Like A Dude, then  Price Tag might just make you love her even more. There's a sugary sweetness to the track that is impossible to resist and watching this live version of the song from London's Scala, Jessie fills the song with such charm and enthusiasm you just want the song to go on forever. There's that sing-along anthemic chorus which is duty built to be blasted out of radio's nation-wide in the months to come.

Jessie really gets into the track, just watch the 'everybody look to the left... look to the right' bits... It's something so simple but it's stuff like this that really connects with the audience (and judging by the rather amusing sea of phones held up here, they're eager to capture every minute of the young popstrel). Even better, Devlin steps up to fill in for B.O.B's guest spot on the track. It's a cracking performance of a brilliant future hit and just serves to confirm why Jessie J justifies every inch of the hype around her.

Ellie Goulding - Live at the Reading Hexagon

Ellie Goulding

26^th November 2010

Reading Hexagon

Ellie Goulding really is the success story of the year and tonight’s gig is the affirmation of that success.  “We love you Ellie!” scream various members of the crowd, working themselves into a frenzy as the cheery, young songstress works her way through the hits of her brilliant No. 1 album Lights.  Pounding out a drum beat herself to the opening bars of the dancey, seductive Under The Sheets, Ellie even manages to work in a little dancing too.

There’s a real sense of a bond between singer and audience here, playing off each-other’s energy.  For many of the songs Ellie plays acoustic guitar, and her vocals are always note perfect.  Her talent is undeniable, and even better, she comes with bucketloads of charm too – between songs Ellie chats to the audience, almost not quite able to believe everyone in the room is there for her.  From the sweet balladry of The Writer to her fantastic cover of Elton John’s Your Song, (currently doing the rounds on John Lewis TV adverts) all eyes are on her.

Come the gig’s triumphant finale, the crowd’s voices fill the Hexagon, singing along to the dreamy Starry Eyed as Ellie cries “I’m feeling sexy, let’s move!”  All this contributes to a new, more glossy, more confident Ellie Goulding.  When I saw her play the Shepherd’s Bush Empire back in the summer, her fame was still very much in the ascendency – she was the rising star.  But now, coming to the end of a full UK tour, we have the complete, fully fledged star.  And she’s amazing.

Linkin Park - Live at the O2 Arena

Linkin Park

11^th November 2011

O2 Arena, London

London’s O2 Arena was made for bands like Linkin Park.  50 million albums sold worldwide, two Grammy Awards... the list of accolades racked up by the band since their ground-breaking debut album Hybrid Theory hit the shelves back in 2000 goes on and on.  And now, ten years on, they remain as big as ever; an international music giant centred around the dynamic duo that lies at the band’s heart - Enter Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, the former’s lightning-quick raps paired with the latter’s impassioned vocals and guttural screams making for a combo that rocks the venue to its core.  Where their contemporaries have long since fallen by the wayside, Linkin Park remain, standing tall.   And judging by the packed out O2 arena, they still command just as much attention now as when Hybrid Theory went four-times platinum a decade ago.

The set consists mainly of tracks from the band’s two most recent albums; ‘concept’ works that see the band exploring themes of nuclear apocalypse and war, moving away from their rap-metal beginnings to a more traditional alternative-rock sound.  It was a move that alienated many fans, but it gave the band scope to expand their repertoire into previously unexplored areas, whether it be the emotive balladry of Shadow of the Day or the rough and ready punkiness of Given Up.

Most importantly though, despite the shift in the band’s musical direction, the quality of their songs remains; still possessing that unique ‘Linkin Park’ sound, still focused around brilliant melodies and heartfelt lyrics.   It is the band’s earliest material that gets the crowd going the most though, classic singles like In the End and One Step Closer filled with seemingly endless levels of energy, the audience breaking out into miniature mosh-pits, bodies colliding against each-other with wild abandon as the songs’ reach their climax.

The staging is refreshingly minimal – most acts, taking to a venue as large as the O2 Arena, would lavish thousands of pounds on immense lightshows and props– but Linkin Park are content to let the music do the talking, packed tightly onto a small stage that if anything, serves only to emphasise the band’s enthusiasm all the more.  Scattered throughout the show are grainy, distorted videos dug up from the archives of American history, including Oppenheimer’s famous “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” quote.   It’s minimalistic and chilling touches like this, that when mixed into Linkin Park’s music, hold more power than any amount of flames, fireworks and lasers ever could.