Worship know all about euphoria - for a band wrapped in the name of prayer and religion, their debut single House of Glass is suitably ethereal and chuch-like.
The airy wisps of the track's hooks glow with a luminescent, ghostly power - this is not the flat, uninspired crystal of modern office blocks but the dazzling multitude of ancient stained glass.
Slotting neatly alongside contemporaries like Delphic, House of Glass is darkly slick synth-pop echoing shades of the Hacienda glory days.
The 1st December sees the Reading-based band play their single-launch show, supported by fellow spook-pop act Alpines. The setting? It could only be a chuch: St Pancras Old Church to be precise.
You may have seen my post earlier this week about hot new girlband Fanfair - well, we've got a brilliant competition for you where you can win two tickets to go and see London Irish play Wasps at the Madejski Stadium in Reading on the 3rd April. Not only that, but the winner will then get to go and meet Fainfair in the corporate box after the game! You can't say fairer than that!
If you'd like to enter the competition, please send an email to totallyvivid@gmail.com with 'Fainfair Competition' in the subject line.
I have to say, I'm intrigued by new girl-band Fanfair. Going to university in Reading, I get a copy of the highly informative Reading Post through my door every Friday and for the past couple of weeks they've been running adverts featuring Fanfair, in association with their partnership with local rugby team London Irish.
What Fanfair represent is a fascinating way of hopefully breaking into the pop scene. By performing at London Irish home games as well as being promoted on the rugby team's website and TV channel, they have instant exposure to thousands of potential fans. Not bad going for Jessica, Roberta, Anara and Aimee; who make up the group.
So, with a ready-made promotional avenue and model-like looks (just check out the photos on their website), what does their music sound like? Their debut track The Vaccine is a throbbing electro number, perfect for the stadium environment they are being launched straight into. Remember Hilary Duff's Depeche Mode-sampling Reach Out? Well Fanfair's The Vaccine is like that but with about ten times more oomph. The whole track is suitably fun and frisky, featuring the rather amazing line 'We're loving daily fixes of your intravenous kisses boy'. There's also a cheery cover of The Boys Are Back In Town on their site too, again, just the sort of thing to get you in the mood for an afternoon of rugby.
There's a nice little interview with the band on Bracknell News and it also serves to remind you that these girls are playing to the likes of 60,000 people per game. If you're looking to get your band out there, then that's certainly one way to do it. Managed by former Syco employee Dan Parker, it sounds like they've got a good pair of hands behind the steering wheel too.
I'm looking forward to hearing more from Fanfair as, let's be honest, the more girl-bands in the world, the better. And as a local, I feel like I owe it to them too.
If you'd ever wondered what a rock cover of Ellie Goulding's Starry Eyed would sound like, then wait no longer. Reading-based band Rothko do a pretty admirable job of covering the young songstress's hit single. The four-piece, comprised of Tom Woodford, Elliot Wilkins, Nick Ellis, Steve Snyman are playing the Camden Barfly on the 22nd February and if you like the sound of them, you can also check them out at Reading's Face Bar on the 4th of March.
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.
