Korn at Southampton Guildhall

Rise to Remain hit the stage with the energy of a toddler on red bull and the crowd matched the bands enthusiasm despite only being at half strength. With their set lasting just under an hour the initial onslaught settled down, with the band playing several similar songs after another. The momentum picked up again with the last two songs bringing on a ‘wall of death’ followed by a ten minute mosh pit. Their set ended with a bow and a promise of return from the lead singer and they were gone. Definitely a band to watch out for in the future.

At 9.00pm Korn arrive precisely on time, perhaps to make up for the short set, but whatever the reason, the reception is overwhelming. The first we hear of the band is the sound of symbol crashes from the enthusiastic drummer Ray Luzier followed by a very casual entrance by the rest of the band. This was only a modest disguise for what was to come next, as no sooner did the strobe begin to flash, the entire attitude of the band altered and it was as if some feral animal had seized control. Song after song of harsh guitar, gristly lyrics, and crazed drumming sent the crowd into a 90 minute frenzy, with several full grown men singing and dancing as if this was the last time they would hear the music of this band.
Looking around the audience, this is the true definition of an all ages gig, consisting of older fans that were much younger when the band first hit these shores, down to the early teens who are just getting into the stereotypical selection of metal bands every 14 year old loves.
Whilst a truly invigorating performance from the band, Jonathan Davis, the lead singer made no real effort to engage the crowd and there were many fans looking slightly crestfallen towards the end. Having said this, the quality of the sound, lighting and general stage set up was fantastic, the centrepiece of the stage was of particular note, being possibly the most ornate drum kit I have ever seen. All said and done the show has definitely set the bar high for the rest of the tour. If you weren’t there, you missed out.

Justin Bieber

I started out with the intent to attack and degrade Bieber as a credible artist, content to join the rest of the Bieber-haters, despite having no real grounds for my dislike. Having actually read his biography and various fan sites, I find myself less certain. Even though I will never listen to his dreamy love songs through choice, I have a new respect for the 16 year old, having presumed that he was just the pretty face for a talented writer; I found that he writes most of his songs, including his biggest hits “Baby” and “Eenie Meenie”. I was always a bit uneasy of a child who could sing about such potent adult issues, primarily love and relationships, but when each song is co-written by an artist/writer then it becomes more understandable. Having said this, there is no reason why Justin as a 16 year old could not have a good understanding of these issues; in fact I believe it further highlights his talent as a writer that he can write about such problems in such a mature and succinct way.

Looking further back into Bieber’s past, from an early age he has been musically talented, he taught himself drums, guitar, piano, trumpet and clearly at some point learnt to sing rather well. He was discovered by accident when manager Scooter Braun was looking on YouTube for songs by a different artist and after many discussions with his mother, the local church, various artists and RBMG (Atlanta record label) Bieber was on his way to stardom. Having sung on many notable live TV shows, performed to crowds of thousands and gone platinum in several countries, perhaps one of his greatest honours so far was to sing to the President and First lady in Washington at Christmas time 2009. With all of this under his belt before the age of 18, Justin clearly has the groundings to become a very successful artist indeed, providing he keeps the interest of the ever fickle pop music fans.

VISIT

http://www.justinbiebermusic.com/
www.youtube.com/user/JustinBieberVEVO

Tyler Ward

The other day I was chatting to a certain someone, they know who they are, and they introduced me to an aspiring artist from the states: Tyler Ward.

At the age of 21, Tyler is a headstrong young artist with a range of talents, from singing and guitar playing, to music and video production. He hails from Colorado Springs and has an ever-growing fan base; much helped by the coverage he has received from his YouTube videos. He has his own recording setup in his house and along with his band (who also live with him), has released a collection of over seventy covers and seventeen of his own tracks. Many songs feature collaborations with other artists, many his close friends and sometimes even his family. With much of his musical influence coming from his mother, a classically trained pianist, it is no surprise that Tyler has quite a talent for technical guitar work. Clearly as he has grown older he has been exposed to the popular culture and has made it his task to provide us with quirky, upbeat renditions of modern tracks along side his own works.

Artistically, Tyler has come far since his days on the football field at the USAF Academy. He left the academy due to not adjusting to the military lifestyle saying that he "smiled too much". Clearly at this point his creativity, having been pent up during his time at the academy, was virtually bursting out of him and he accepted a scholarship at North Colorado Uni studying Journalism. Whilst he kept to his fathers wish for him to play football Tyler further dabbled with the creative arts, perfecting his song writing skills but also developing his stage prescience. The Northern Colorado Opera programme gave him the confidence to perform on stage in front of large crowds, which easily prepared him for the crowds that he witnessed when performing his songs along side the likes of The Fray, Jonas Brothers and the Veronicas.

With these shows under his belt Tyler has pursued his career further by touring all across USA and releasing several of his tracks onto Itunes. Hopefully at some point in the near future, record deal providing, we shall see him perform on these shores.

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VISIT

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http://www.tylerwardmusic.com/

www.youtube.com/user/TylerWardMusic