Top 10 Music Performances of 2014

Well this is new for me! Every year I see so many awesome bands and so many memorable sets that this year I have decided that I should make a note of them right here on this very film blog. Yes I know it's a film blog but that doesn't mean that I can't step out of my comfort every once in a while does it?

I saw 27 artists/acts/music performers/whatever you call them this year. Usually I'd just say 'bands' but as part of my trying to cheer up a little, I've tried to spread my music interests to stuff apart from mopey teen angst stuff, especially seeing as I'm now well into my 30s. That means at Reading Festival, which is slowly but surely being taken over by electronic music, I spent some time in the dance arena and elsewhere checking out the bass.

All of these 27 artists were seen at just four different gigs this year. First up I saw Zebrahead, Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish in London in February. Then I saw a whopping 19 acts over three days of the Reading Festival in August, then I saw Rise Against and Pennywise in London in November and finally I saw Capdown, The Skints and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes in December.

The 19 acts I saw at Reading were: (deep breath) Darlia, Deaf Havana, Twin Atlantic, Jimmy Eat World, Paramore, Queens of the Stone Age, Royal Blood, Andy C, Pendulum, Arctic Monkeys, Nero, Papa Roach, The Flatliners, The Wilhelm Scream, The Wonder Years, You Me At Six, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Mayday Parade and finally Blink 182.

I had such a good time seeing so many of these but as I've called this post my 'top 10 music performances of 2014', I'm committed now to making a definitive list. So here goes:

10. Papa Roach (I LOVE these guys and have seen them almost every time they come to the UK but as this was the main stage at Reading, it wasn't that personal and intimate and I wasn't overwhelmed by a couple of their new songs).



9. Zebrahead (These guys are fun pop-punk but not the best at singing live)



8. Jimmy Eat World (Played the entire Futures album from start to finish. I wasn't even familiar with most of the songs but it felt special and I've since grown to really like the album.)

7. Reel Big Fish (These guys were a little moody but the music is infectious and a hell of a lot of fun.)

6. Nero (Seeing these guys do their stuff headlining the Radio 1 stage while the guy from the Arctic Monkeys posed and played with his hair on main stage while seemingly pretending to be Elvis was a revelation. We left Arctic Monkeys and walked towards the tent where Nero were pumping out their bass and it was like stepping into the future. Spectacular.



5. Darlia (These guys want to be Nirvana so badly and they're not doing too bad a job so far. Wicked set, climaxing with a bit of good old guitar smashing).

4. Royal Blood (Two guys, a bass guitar and a set of drums. These guys are smashing it, even if I'm getting a little tired of hearing them EVERY time I turn on the radio.)



3. Twin Atlantic (Seen them a couple of times before but never really SEEN them if you get what I mean maaaaan. They have some truly epic tunes and a lot of heart. Also the best accent to sing along to at the top of your voice.)



2. Less Than Jake (again, seen them loads of times but they are so much fun and their classics are classic and their new songs were also the bomb. A great set from one of the most fun ska punk bands around.)



1. Rise Against (Probably one of the bands I've seen most in my life since seeing them three times in 2005. Love them to bits. Every song is a blinder, the mosh pit is crazy and I got to go with my old buddy from Australia. Awesome band. Awesome set. Awesome times.)



So that was my 2014 in live music. How was yours? Anyone else see any of these sets? What did I miss?

More 2014 lists at I Love That Film:

Best Books I Read in 2014

TV in 2014

Top 10 Blockbusters of 2014

Top 10 Best True Stories of 2014

Purposes of music videos: Blink 182 and All the Small Things

After last week looking at why music videos exist, my students will next be looking at examples and explaining the purposes of music videos with references to examples. In order to help them I have written a short piece on Blink 182's music video for All the Small Things.

The music video for pop punk band Blink 182’s All the Small Things features the three piece group lip synching to the song, playing their instruments in front of adoring fans and engaging in a range of activities that parody the conventions of boy band music videos.

It is an excellent example of a music video that promotes an artist and their single for a number of reasons. Firstly and most blatantly, the video features the words Blink 182 and their logo in many places; on the side of a private jet, on many of the fans’ signs and even on a band member’s arm. This keeps the artists name in viewers’ heads as they watch. It is also an example of Blink 182 making themselves stand out from their competition. As they are a pop-punk band, they have to compete for single and album sales with other pop artists that include boy bands who were popular at the time such as Backstreet Boys and N-Sync. They do this by parodying conventions of boy band videos such as having water poured on themselves while posing for the camera, having a private jet in the background and performing choreographed dances in matching white suits.

The video would also help promotion by being positioned in the right place so that the target audience can find it. This means it could go on rock channels such as Kerrang and Scuzz but also on the pop channels like MTV to ensure it reaches a wider audience than just rock and punk fans.  The video would also be able to be viewed on various internet sites such as YouTube, thus extending the number of outlets the song can be heard in, and is also available on the Blink 182 DVD called The Urethra Chronicles. By selling this DVD, the record company and artist can all make more income from the music video. The adverts before the video on YouTube will also raise a small amount of income.

The music video is also a part of the record label and artist’s strategy for creating a popular and recognizable image for the band. Blink 182 are known to be a playful, silly and immature pop punk band that will appeal to teenage boys as they sing about troubles with girls, being immature and having fun. They will appeal to teenage girls as they are fresh faced, good looking guys who sing occasionally about love and relationships but usually in a silly, sweet and harmless manner. This video helps Blink 182 appear as funny and light-hearted and not afraid to mock their own image as well as that of their competition. While mocking other boy bands, it also establishes Blink 182 as a band with a major label behind them that has the money to invest in quite a high budget video that features lots of extras, different locations and even a private jet in it. It also ensures that the audience can see the band playing their instruments and looking like a typical rock band.

Their other videos including M&M’s, Dammit, The Rock Show and What’s My Age Again? The latter two feature the band running naked through the streets and literally throwing away the record company's music video budget. All confirm the band’s image as fun loving, silly and immature; everything the target audience of Blink 182 and pop punk would want them to be after hearing their songs. Watch the videos below:

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