Let's all stop being dicks to each other at shows

I fear this blog is starting to become a place to rant about everything, but hey something happened at a show and it really pissed me off.

Saturday night I headed down to my favourite local haunt to watch a band that I've been admiring and promoting for well over a year now, I was super stoked and well prepared to have a brilliant evening. I was also working this show, and by that I mean I was interviewing one of the bands on the bill and reviewing the entire show.

The venue in which the show took place is fairly small, it's a basement venue that can hold 200 people at maximum capacity, and this was a sold out show. The stage isn't all that large and visibility can be limited unless you're fairly near the front. Now, remember I am working this show, so really I need to try and get a decent view of what's going on - it wouldn't be much of a review if I stood at the back unable to see anything. I wouldn't have been able to see the lights decorating the drumkit or the stage invasion that happened at the end of the set. I also understand that when a venue is as small as this, it can be annoying when you have people pushing through, bags bashing around and having your toes stepped on is never enjoyable, but in a venue like this it's gonna happen.

So there I am, trying to push my way through to the front section of the crowd, hand in hand with my friend (also a big fan of the band), some let us through kindly, others were a little stubborn so sometimes you just gotta push. Whenever I find myself in the situation of trying to push past people I always make the effort to say "excuse me" and "thank you" as I make my way through, I've found it calms peoples annoyances and hey, manners don't cost a thing.

Then I feel a big old push on my back and I fall forward, (by this point I'm at a suitable place in the crowd to see the stage, a few rows from the front), I regain myself and brush it off. I feel another push, I fall forward. I turn around expecting to see some douchebag teenager thinking it's funny to shove me around just because I'm either A) a girl or B) they're annoyed I pushed past. Instead, I'm shocked and a little disappointed to be met with a very moody faced man, who is at a guess in his mid-thirties, surrounded by three middle-aged women also looking very annoyed. He flicks his hand in my face and angrily tells me to "go on, go forward". For one I cannot actually get any further forward and also, I'm sorry what? Are you really that angry that someone has pushed infront of you? Have you ever been to a gig before? Are you just an arsehole?

I didn't retaliate well, infact I'm fairly certain I told him to "fuck off", but that's what happens when you continually push me because you're a little pissed I've gotten infront of you. I turned back to face the stage, ignoring him because I didn't want this to get messy. He pushed me again. I turned to face him again, I refrained from swearing at him, or you know, punching him square in the face which is what I would have liked to have done. The women at this point are also trying to get involved and are shouting something at me. I shout at them to just stop it, my angry face is on and I repeat myself a good few times before they eventually stop and I can go back to my business.

What I can't understand is why they all thought this was acceptable behaviour? Okay yes, I pushed infront of them, my bag may have bashed them on my way past, I may have accidentally knocked them. But you're at a rock show that is sold out, you're gonna get people pushing around. I've seen similar behaviour from teenagers who think it's funny, but full grown adults? Come on now, that's just petty and you look like an absolute jerk.

My point here is, we all need to stop acting like arseholes to each other at shows. We're all there for the exact same reason, because we love the bands, we all want to see them and have a great night. There's no need to be rude, there's no need to have a go at someone pushing infront of you. If you're the one squeezing to the front, remember to say please and thank you as you pass and if you're really against being knocked around when you're adamant about standing at the front, just fuck off to the back, we don't need you here ruining our party.

Five male acts topped the BBC Sound of 2015 list. No that is not a problem.

Earlier on today, it was announced that the insanely talented Years & Years had been crowned the winners of the BBC Sound of 2015. An award I feel they completely deserve as I've been head over heels for them since 'Real' was released this time last year.

The BBC Sound of 2015 is something that is on the lips of every music mogul in the final months of the year, with the longlist released just before Christmas and the Top 5 revealed in January, live on Radio One. Whoever makes that Top 5 is almost guaranteed to have the most incredible (and busy) year ahead of them. If you didn't know, here's who made the final five this year:

5. George The Poet
4. Raury
3. Stormzy
2. James Bay
1. Years & Years

What do you notice about that list? Well done, they are all male. Does that bother me? Absolutely not. They're all amazing acts, who deserve their place on that list for their sheer musical talent. However, it seems to have fluffed up a few feathers with the females of the internet.

As I scrolled through my Twitter feed after the winning announcement was made, I was disheartened to see females, instead of congratulating Years & Years on their victory, complaining that there wasn't a single female in the Top 5. If you take a look at the longlist, you'll see the likes of Rae Morris, Lapsley and female-fronted indie-rock band Wolf Alice sitting cosy amongst all the other nominees. Female artists have been far from ignored on this years list, it just so happens that actually, the guys this year have made slightly better music.

The BBC Sound of 2015 is in absolutely no way a sexist competition, it praises the girls just as much as the guys and if you look back at previous winners you'll see Ellie Goulding, Jessie J, Haim and Adele taking the crowns. Last year, BANKS and lion-haired Ella Eyre were in the Top 3. It's just a matter of fact, that this year, the guys came out top.

If you've paid even the slightest bit of attention to the new music buzz the past few months, you shouldn't be surprised by the Top 5. It was a no brainer that James Bay, Years & Years and George The Poet would be high up on the list, it was just guessing who'd take the other two spots.

I'm not going to get too deep into the feminism argument, but it's stuff like this that really grinds my gears. Just because a female isn't reigning queen of EVERYTHING doesn't mean that the event/company/judges are sexist pigs. We fought for us to have equal rights as men, so let's keep it equal, we can't be on top all the time, it'd get exhausting. The BBC Sound of 2015 is a fantastic competition that praises music in all forms and introduces us to our new favourite bands and artists, so instead of moaning about it, let's all have a cracking good dance off to THIS!

Top 10 Albums of 2014

1. PVRIS - White Noise

It's not often that when I discover a band, they can make such an impression on me within the matter of weeks. Welcome PVRIS, a band that I only stumbled across in September time, but when their debut album White Noise was released in November I was head over heels. With dark, haunting words entwined with fuzzy synths and Lynn Gunn's incredible vocal tone, every track is a masterpiece and that is why it's my top album of the year. 

Favourite Track: Fire

2. Lower Than Atlantis - Self Titled

As soon as that bouncing riff in 'Here We Go' made it's way to our ears and firmly stuck itself to our brains, it was obvious that whatever LTA had in the pipeline for the album was going to be huge. They did not disappoint, though more melodic, their fourth studio album is full of anthemic tracks that beg to be played to thousands, all wrapped up with a nice dose of cheeky Mike Duce charm. 

Favourite Track: Stays the Same

3. Twin Atlantic - Great Divide

My favourite Scot’s returned this year with this absolute belter of a record. Taking things in a new direction, a little more wild and with a little more party all put together into a Rock and Roll record - Great Divide has it all. It still retains everything Twin Atlantic are known for but they’ve pushed their sound to it’s peak and delivered bold, beefy tracks that'll have you fist pumping for days. 

Favourite Track: Hold On

4. Moose Blood - I’ll Keep You In Mind From Time to Time
I've been swooning over Moose Blood and their punked up love songs for some time now, but 2014 finally saw the release of their debut album I'll Keep You In Mind From Time To Time. Brimming with emo influences and grainy guitars, it's like a dose of nostalgia with a modern twist. 

Favourite Track: I Hope You're Miserable 

5. Mallory Knox - Asymmetry

I was a huge fan of Mallory Knox's debut record Signals, so there was no denying to see how they'd step up and do better with sophomore album Asymmetry. They certainly delivered, combining Mikey's impressive vocal talent with echoing guitar melodies, they've also improved upon their songwriting abilities - making this album standout amongst many of the others released this year. It has its ballads and it has it's full-throttle, punchy anthems which make it an absolute treat to listen too. 

Favourite Track: She Took Him to the Lake

6. Neck Deep - Wishful Thinking
There's no denying that I have a big place in my heart for pop-punk, having grown up around bands such as New Found Glory, I'm very fond of the new, rejuvenated era that has taken over 2014. Neck Deep are a band that have absolutely dominated the pop-punk scene, with debut album Wishful Thinking scoring them trips around the World and high-fives from the genres heroes. This is a band that the UK should be incredibly proud of and I can't wait to hear what they've got in store next. 

Favourite Track: Losing Teeth

7. BANKS - Goddess

Despite the fact my music taste very much focuses on the heavier side of music, I like the breakdowns and the huge chanting choruses, but sometimes I discover a gem on the complete other end of the spectrum that I just cannot stop listening to. Welcome BANKS, the goddamn sassiest singer that I have completely fallen head over heels for this year. Her debut album twists incredibly dark lyrics, with vibrating basslines and an RnB soul. It's smooth and sultry, with a hidden bite and I can honestly say her voice is one of the most astonishing I've ever heard live.

Favourite Track: Drowning

8. Natives - Indoor War
Potentially the least well-known band on my list, but the debut album from New Forest pop-rockers Natives has been on repeat most days since its release way back in the first quarter of 2014. There's no heavy breakdowns, there's no stadium-ready anthems, but what it is full of is eleven tracks of pure upbeat, bouncing riffs and choruses to make you smile. I'm losing count of how many times I've seen these guys live now and I'm still not bored of hearing their music, good vibes for days!

Favourite Track: The Horizon/Can't Say No

9. Charlie Simpson - Long Road Home

From Busted through to Fightstar and now onto his solo career, I've followed Charlie's music career since I was twelve and we're now in the era where he is at his finest. His debut Young Pilgrim announced Charlie as an established singer-songwriter and the latest addition, Long Road Home has only further cemented his worth within this industry. With beautifully written acoustic melodies accompanied by an old English charm, Young Pilgrim was written for long summer days and cosy winter nights. It's an all-year round record that never fails to please your ears.

Favourite Track: Comets

10. Ben Howard - I Forget Where We Were

My favourite solo artist returned this year, however this time around he's swapped the acoustic for an electric and has created an extremely haunting record with an incredible amount of depth. The guitars are slick and echo alongside Ben's moving vocal tone and this record really flaunts off his skilled musicianship to its finest. It's quite the change from the debut record that threw him into the spotlight, but I Forget Where We Were shows Ben in a whole new light, which makes it even more enticing.

Favourite Track: Conrad