EDITORS. Carling Academy 14/10/07

I attended the Birmingham stint of the recent Editors UK tour on Sunday.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZINGLY BRILLIANT!

The support acts for the night were also talented musicians, sharing much of their obvious talent and stage space with the Birmingham grown headliners.
First support Kissaway Trail.
originating from Denmark, with interesting vocals, at first I couldn't seem to get my ears round, the lead guitarists both passed around the microphone, and this gave the band a whole new sound with each new song they played. Very strong vocally and a very strong stage presence. Especially when all four guitarists (bassist being the fourth) have a microphone stand in front of their face at all times, and in one particular song, which I forget the name of, they all show of their vocal abilities and mash up an impressive harmony. They remind me alot of early Arcade Fire, with a lot more kick and less instruments.

The Kissaway Trail start their own UK tour on November 4th in Norwich, calling at Birmingham again, and finishing in Glasgow on the 18th, go have a listen.


Second support band were Ra Ra Riot.

Immensely impressive!!!

The line up includes:

Milo Bonacci: guitar

Alexandra Lawn: cello

Wesley Miles: keyboards / vocals

John Pike: drums

Mathieu Santos: bass guitar

Rebecca Zeller: violin

....and keyboards 'get involved' with lead singer and cello player taking turns to tinkle.

YES, a cello and a violin.

This band were quiet obviously quiet music 'geeks' that have turned it all around on their peers and wooed them with their apparent musical talent and love for making music, together.


I'll try not mention Arcade Fire again, but seriously they share similar traits, I think thats just because of the involvement of classical instruments, and being highly successful with it.

The string arrangements work more than well with this bands collective sound.

I highly recommend going to see them live, they definitely put on a show.
And if you can't manage that then have a listen to the tracks they have on their Myspace.

Which leaves me to say that EDITORS were just plain and simply OUTSTANDING.

Tom Smith's vocals are nothing short of beautiful.

..and they even finished on a personal favourite 'Fingers In The Factories'.


Go buy their new album, you won't regret it.


You must see them live to experience and understand what I'm saying. Sheer musical brilliance....and EDITH BOWMAN seemed to enjoy her self up on the backstage balcony too, what a top notch girlfriend.

Dissertation

My dissertation question is now set.

Handed in this morning and 'signed off', its all official.

And my work load is going to get even more official!!!!

My research question is as follows:

‘How does the presence of the internet allow for a more complex change of cultural ideas, challenging the dominance of powerful global media and ‘westernized’ news values?'

Textual analysis of news websites and blogs will be carried out during my research and as part of my methodology. I will be looking at how citizen journalism and bloggers can impact on the discourse of professional news websites.

I will research the internet and the affect that its presence has on traditional news reporting, and how it creates a contra-flow of news, and look into the flow of news and contra-flow theories within my research.

When carrying out my research I will specifically be interested in looking at the ability that consumers have to create and uphold a complex exchange of ideas and values (reflecting on consumer culture) and how the presence of the internet affects this, and supports the challenge against dominant media.

I will carry out further research into whether dominant new media make ‘note’ of individual voices and interpretations of current news affairs, and how, and perhaps why they do this.

I will also carry out further research in how the internet has created an online community of news consumers and reporters that express their cultural values and views to a what is becoming ‘liberal’ online community, and how and why this is, and do they share the same values as each other, and how do these idea challenge the flow of westernized news values.


I will concentrate on how the internet is a vessel for discourse in the public and professional domain (online), and how it has created a platform for ‘consumers’ to exchange various ideas and values and how it challenges the one-way monolithic flow of western news values. I will research into the interactivity that the internet allows ‘consumers’ to have with the media, looking at alternative online medium such as audio and visual enhancements online, news forums and vlogs (video blogs), and how this challenges the flow and values if westernized news.


...there is alot to be getting on with, and Lit reviews for me to get my teeth into.

until next time.

Student Rep Speech (cringe)

''......if you don't ask you will never know"



We all need to keep asking questions, we need to keep supporting each other, have resources available to aid our study; continue to have the ability to approach lecturers, to ultimately aid us in achieving our degree's, in this final, and most important year of our University lives.


This final year for me means proving myself, and aiming for what I know is achievable, it will be hard, and however hard that may be for myself, or for you, or the next person, I will be here to voice all your trouble and strifes to the 'big dogs' at the top.


I have had a terrible second year, and I am here, now, with you guys for the long haul, from sheer perseverance.....and maybe a little bit of stubbornness along the way helped too.
I would love the opportunity to represent you all as a student rep, I have the communication skills and finally the right head on my shoulders do it.

So, if you fancy letting me acheive that little bit more in my third year, then vote me in as one of your student reps.

...and if you don't, thanks for taking the time to read this and make sure that you get yourself to Faye's End of Year Ball....cos you know it makes sense.


GOOD LUCK GUYS.

x

a fully functioning lesbian scholar

The rest of the world might as well find out through the same medium that has been the fuel for this new, happier and highly determined life that I am living right now.

Today, as part of my portfolio assignment for a Professional Journalism module at the newly named 'Birmingham City University', I pitched my ideas for a series of features, facts, fiction and general information about what it is like growing up with this, dealing with this, and coming out(with this).

...COMING OUT with many feelings and realizations about your sexuality in a world that seems to promote equality- it promotes all the promotion about it, supposedly embraces sexual differences, and orientations, yet at the same time slaps itself in the face with hate crimes, segregation and communities living apart- is a personal journey which I can continue through my studies and produce an interesting collection of articles for a professional newsworthy portfolio.

I am proposing to write very informative (from personal experience and life lessons), very specific and highly 'raw' pieces of writing that will explore the world of young lesbians in our society, the stereotypes, the struggles, the sex, the drugs, the rock and roll, the sensitivity, the longing to love, the needing someone, the sharing, the kisses, the tears, fears and the fights........and that's not all it.

My sexuality does not define me, as I'm sure yours does not. Yes I'm a Lesbian, but thats not me in my entirety, and I through this module and my portfolio of professional work I will hopefully, change, if not stir the ideas and perception surrounding the idea of being a lesbian, or a gay man for that matter.

I can't wait to produce something which I'm sure is close to home to many young, and old for that matter, gay people of Britain. It certainly is for me.

...and I get to do all this doing something which I love- writing.

I'm fully functioning, and it's never been better.