My Top 5 Guitar Heroes

I've been thinking of some new ideas for this music blog other reviewing albums and concerts I've been to and thought I'd write about something else. So today's subject is my Top 5 Favourite Guitarists! So rather than sit here and blabber on, let's get right into it. What I must add before I get into it is that these are my personal favourites so not everyone might agree with my lists but like I said; it's personal opinion.

1. Brian May

I have always been aware of Queen's legendary music catalogue ever since I was little and have memories of watching footage of a Queen concert from the 80s as a little girl. My admiration for Brian May as both a person and a guitar player has continually grown over the years and I was lucky enough as you have probably read in an earlier post to see Brian live in concert with Queen earlier this year. I was already a fan, but seeing him play live was just incredible! His guitar playing has a distinctive sound that I don't think I've ever heard anyone else's playing sound like.

Brian's iconic guitar known as "The Red Special" was built by both Brian and his father when he was just a 16 years old and in school using any material that he had available to him. According to my research it cost him just £8 to make which is pretty incredible to think about. Apparently, the neck of the guitar was made using the wood from a 100 year old (ish) fireplace mantel which earned the guitar one of its nicknames "The Fireplace". Another fact that you may not know is that rather than using a pick or a plectrum (whatever you prefer to call it) Brian opts for a sixpence coin and during quieter parts of a song uses his fingers to pick the guitar strings instead.

2. Lindsey Buckingham

Lindsey Buckingham, lead guitarist of Fleetwood Mac is another of my all-time favourite guitar players. Again, he has an extremely unique technique when it comes to playing guitar where he uses his fingers alone to pick the strings of his guitar. I recently read somewhere that Lindsey first developed this particular technique when he took to bed for a year, ill with mononucleosis just a short period of time before he and Sevie Nicks were due to move to LA to pursue a career in the music industry. I have linked a video below of Lindsey playing guitar to give you a taste of just how much of an incredible player he is.

3. Orianthi Panagaris

I have been a huge fan of Ori since 2009 when I saw her in Michael Jackson's This is It movie, I was about 10 years old at the time and was in complete and utter awe watching her play. Around that time I was given the opportunity to learn guitar at school and probably wouldn't have actually taken up the opportunity to learn guitar had it not been for Orianthi's influence. It was so cool to see such an amazing female guitarist and I wanted to be just like her, that is most definitely where my love for musical instruments began!

She can seriously shred a guitar like nobody's business-she'd put a lot of guys to shame with her playing! Over the time that I've been a fan of hers I've done my fair share of research and learnt a lot about her and apparently she left school at 15 to focus on her music career and release her first and it certainly paid off! Over the years she worked, performed and toured with music legends such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Alice Cooper, Dave Stewart, Carlos Santana, Steve Via and most recently, former lead guitarist of Bon Jovi who show toured the UK and Europe with last year and is also, currently recording an album with. During that time she's released her own solo albums Believe and Heaven in This Hell both of which are filled from start to finish with her incredible guitar riffs and solo!

I personally owe a huge thanks to Ori for her influence over the years and of course taking some time at one of her concerts last year to chat with me backstage. It was a memory that'll last a lifetime and definitely inspired the young musician in me!

4. Prince

Prince is probably best known for his massive success with his 1984 album Purple Rain and of course songs such as 1999, Raspberry Beret, Diamonds and Pearls, Kiss and Little Red Corvette. However, one thing that isn't acknowledged as often is his talent when it comes to playing guitar. There isn't much video footage of Prince on YouTube due to his own personal decisions. I have however, embedded one of the few videos that I came across to let you guys see one of his incredible guitar solos right before your very own eyes!  Prepare to be blown away my friends!

5. Jimi Hendrix

Now, I'm pretty sure this guy would be on almost everyone's lists of favourite guitar players because he is by far one of the best guitarists to ever live in my opinion! Jimi was in a league of his own and to top his playing would be near impossible. Being left handed, Jimi used right handed guitars, turned them upside down and had them restrung to suit playing his guitar left handed. Jimi received his first guitar at the age of 15 as a gift from his father Al, costing him just $5. And thank goodness he did, because none of the incredible music and guitar solos that Jimi created during his lifetime would have exisisted and inspired so many music lovers out there!

Prince HITnRUN Phase One Album Review

This review of legendary singer Prince's latest album HITnRUN Phase One is up a little later than I had initially anticipated due to the fact I tried to get a copy of the album on its release date however, the music shop I visited in Glasgow for whatever reason didn't have it out on display in its designated area. Perhaps, I went in too early but considering it was release day, you'd expect them to have it out on display wouldn't you? After that, I didn't get a chance to pop into my local HMV to pick up a copy until just over a week or so ago. But all that matters is that I managed to eventually get a copy of the album and have finally written a review! I've listened to this album in full on a good few occasions now to really get a flavour of it before actually sitting down and writing my thoughts and opinions about it. So here it goes.....

Prince's latest album comes almost a year to date since the release of his previous solo album Art Official Age and his band 3rd Eye Girl's long awaited release PLECTRUMELECTRUM. I actually can't quite believe it's been a year since the release of both albums as I remember dragging my Mum out to HMV after tutoring to purchase the albums I'd waited so long to finally hear! And, an entire year later I find myself sitting here writing about yet another Prince album that an entire year ago I had no idea would even exist 12 months later. HITnRUN Phase One shares the same name of Prince and 3rd Eye Girl's HITnRUN tour last year which saw them tour the UK in early February 2014 and perform a selection of last minute gigs. The reception of Prince's new band 3rd Eye Girl in the UK was a success leading to a further set of arena tour dates in May and June of last year, one of which I was lucky enough to actually attend! What a night!

If you read one of my latest blog posts on the subject of music streaming you will probably recall that I mentioned that Prince would be releasing his new album HITnRUN Phase One exclusively on a streaming named Tidal ahead of the physical album release last month in September. So what are my thoughts on this new release? Well let me begin.....

The opening number, a song named Million $ Show features a singer named Judith Hill who was a backing vocalist on Michael Jackson's This Is It and was also seen as contestant on The Voice in the US. The song begins quite gently before the listener is subjected to a blast from the past, a sample of Let's Go Crazy from the 1984 Prince album Purple Rain. It then transforms into a more upbeat R&B duet between Prince and Judith Hill featuring a similar flavour to Prince's previous solo album Art Official Age.

As it begins to fade we are introduced to another number named Shut This Down. This is followed by a duet called Ain't About 2 Stop with Rita Ora, who can be seen as a judge on this years X Factor here in the UK. This song in my opinion features a range of genres including R&B, Funk, Rap and there's even a slight hint of rock which just wouldn't be the same without Prince's incredible guitar playing skills. Like A Mack comes next featuring a duo named Curly Fryz whom I have never heard of here in the UK. The actual lyrics are performed as more of a rap; a genre of which I am not a fan of whatsoever, however this will of course appeal to so many and I like the fact that because this genre is more popular with my generation it could potentially introduce the world of Prince to othersnof my age group. What I will say about Like A Mack is that the actual music itself most definitely has a taste of the funk and soul genre.

This Could B Us comes next on the album. Now if you're an avid Prince fan and keep up to date with the fan sites, you like me will probably be familiar with this song title as it's popped up by name from time to time in different articles about Prince's up and coming music for well over a year or so now. Perhaps even longer, but I've only really been keeping up with the Prince fan sites since early 2014 so that's one fact I'm not 100% per cent sure of. This Could B Us slows things down quite a bit, although this song isn't quite what I'd describe as ballad. It has a significant piano riff throughout most of the song and of course one of Prince's amazing guitar solos! He is in my opinion such an underrated guitarist and deserves much more credit than he receives in that field.

Fallinlove2nite is a more upbeat, dance track which was actually released last year as single with actress Zoey Deschannel sharing vocals with Prince. Prince actually premiered this number when making a guest appearance on an episode of the hit TV show in the US called New Girl. However, the album version of Fallinlove2nite only features Prince on vocals. This is then followed by a shorter song named X's Face.

Probably my favourite track on the entire album, a song named Hardrocklover soon follows. Basically, just as it says in the title, this song features a more rockier sound which appeals to someone like myself. At the same time, it features the distinctive funk sound that I personally love and admire Prince for! And, of course there's no forgetting the amazing guitar playing throughout the track which is of course, right up my street! Brilliant!

No sooner than Hardrocklover begins, it then comes to an end going straight into a track named Mr Nelson (Prince's surname). This stays in a similar style to Prince's previous solo album Art Official Age featuring samples of a song named Clouds from the same album. Mr Nelson also features the voice of an artist that you may recognise and that is Lianna La Havas who's recently received alot of radio airplay here in the UK with her new album Blood. A song named 1000 X's & O's which I read somewhere was actually an older piece written by Prince and intended for an artist he used to work with named Rosie Gaines (I don't know how true that is, so don't hold me on that one! This of course, was followed by June which brings the album to a close.

My thoughts on this album? Well, what I really love about what Prince is doing of late and particularly in this album is featuring other strong, up-and-coming artists and performing with them. Like I said this album is the perfect example of that with the likes of Judith Hill and Lianna La Havas, I personally think that they will go far in the music industry. And, of course there's no forgetting the fact that he has also collaborated and shared the producing credits with a gentleman named Joshua Welton who is actually married to Hannah Welton, drummer of Prince's band 3rd Eye Girl.

I think I mentioned somewhere above in this review that this album features a strong flare of R&B alongside funk, rap and even a little rock in the mix. Now, I'm not particularly fan of genres such as R&B and rap so not every song really appealed to me; however, I personally appreciate that each song is of an extremely high standard and sounds great for its particular genre. I'm definitely more into the rockier numbers and anything with a bit of funk I love! So overall it's a great album, I'm not a huge fan of every single song I must admit, however that's my own personal opinion, perhaps some of those songs may even grow on me overtime. I definitely think this album is worth checking out and I believe it's currently available in HMV stores for £9.99. 

The Cavern Beatles: The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr September 2015

Last Tuesday, the 15th September just so happened to be my 17^th birthday and to celebrate my friend Heather and I attended a Beatles tribute at The Gaiety Theatre in Ayr. The Cavern Beatles I believe have been touring across Europe, England and now here in Scotland. Being such huge Beatles fan; I really couldn't miss a Beatles related event so near to where I live and even better, it fell upon my birthday! Perfect!

So we arrived for the doors opening and found our seats which were in the second row! The curtain was already up and there in front of us sat a familiar set up of guitars, drums and pianos/keyboards which replicated the setup used by The Beatles live on stage back in the 60s. Just as stated on the tickets, the lights dimmed into complete darkness at 7:30pm; the show was about to begin!

Now don't hold me on this but if I remember right they started with I Saw Her Standing There. As soon as the lights fell upon The Cavern Beatles standing right there on the stage in front of you; you just can't help but feel a rush of excitement. Everything from the outfits to the instruments and even the mannerisms were perfected to the finest of details. Both my lovely friend Heather and I were particularly impressed with how alike the gentleman playing John Lennon looked in comparison to the real thing! It was seriously unbelievable! At the end of each they song they even took one step back and bowed just as The Beatles had been expected to do by their manager Brian Epstein in the 60s.

During the first half of the show a set list of songs by The Beatles from the early days were performed including I Want To Hold Your Hand, Yesterday, Drive My Car, In My Life and Twist and Shout to name just a few! The banter was just as brilliant as the music and stayed in true spirit of the band's humour which is apparent when comparing video footage of The Beatles back in the 1960s.

After around an hour or so into the performance, The Cavern Beatles brought the first half of the show to an end. This of course was the perfect excuse for a good old tub of ice cream (thanks Heather!). There is such a good feeling about eating ice cream during the interval at the theatre. I don't know if it's just me but it reminds me of going to the theatre when I was little. We also got talking to an older lady who came to the show by herself. She was such a sweet lady and it was an absolute pleasure to chat with her!

 

In the second half of the show, The Cavern Beatles walked onto the Gaiety's stage dressed in outfits exactly like the ones that The Beatles wore on the cover of the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band album! I don't know about you but I think there's something really cool about the Sgt Pepper's album. And of course there's the bizarre rumour that Paul McCartney died in a car crash and was replaced by a gentleman named Billy Shears. I personally don't believe it but the theories people have created regarding the album are unbelievable!

As you'll probably have guessed this was of course a cue for a selection of songs from the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band album. This included the album's title song which just like the studio version leads directly into yet another classic With A Little Help from My Friends. And of course they couldn't forget the psychedelic classic Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!

Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields which brought back good memories of my first ever visit to Liverpool earlier this year were also included in the set followed by the catchy and upbeat number Hello Goodbye. They also performed A Day in the Life which was quite something to hear live particularly when it comes the orchestral climax. At the end of A Day in the Life, all three members of the band who at the time, were on stage disappeared into the wings of the stage as the room was abruptly left in darkness. Another figure who turned out to be George Harrison soon appeared on stage with an acoustic guitar in hand to perform the amazing While My Guitar Gently Weeps. If I closed my eyes it could easily have been the real George-it sounded just as amazing as the original!

 

The show continued with yet more Beatles classics; back to back. Let's be honest though, what song by The Beatles isn't a classic?! The set included songs such as The Ballad of John and Yoko, Let It Be, Something, Come Together, Get Back and many more! And of course finishing with one of my very favourites; Hey Jude. Hey Jude just wouldn't be Hey Jude without the audience singing along in unison. It's one of those feel good songs that just can’t help but sing along too! And oh my goodness did The Cavern Beatles do it justice!

I am so glad I heard about this show and that Heather and I decided to go see it! We both left absolutely raving about it and really hope that they bring the show back to the Gaiety Theatre very soon! I can guarantee you that we'll both be there! To find out if the Cavern Beatles are coming to an area near you click here for a direct link to their website! Definitely a performance not to miss if you love The Beatles or even just love music in general! I'd completely recommend it!

A 16 Year Old's Views on Music Streaming & Digital Downloads

Today I wanted to write a post about something that I personally am extremely passionate about and have increasingly heard more and more about it throughout the past couple of years. This is of course digital downloads, online music streaming and music being posted to the internet illegally. I feel that this subject has been covered A LOT in the media however as a sixteen (seventeen on Tuesday) year old girl I thought I might use this blog to give my unique perspective on this particular subject. I haven’t come across anything about this subject from the perspective of a teenager girl such as myself, so I thought I’d be the one to change that and write about it from my point of view. A lot of what am I about to write is personal opinion and any facts/figures that I include have come from an extensive amount of research that I have conducted over the past number of months. As time goes on I will continue to keep up to date on this subject due to personal interest and if I feel necessary may even write a follow up post. But that will very much depend on how this subject develops in future.

The subject of online music steaming has been highlighted a lot in the media particularly in the past year or so due to a number of famous singers sharing their thoughts and opinions and of course taking a stance. Music being posted illegally on the internet and music downloads perhaps haven't had as much of an emphasis in the media as streaming has however these three things all walk in hand in hand in many respects and affect artists in similar ways. Two artists that have caught my attention regarding this subject are from two different generations but both have had a massive influence in the music industry. This is of course Taylor Swift and a personal favourite of mine Prince.

I'm sure most of you will be aware of issues recently highlighted by Taylor Swift regarding one global brand in particular who had planned to create a music streaming service of which users could subscribe to a free three month trial period before paying $9.99 per month subscription fee following the trial. Fair enough some may say; however the free trial period meant that artists contributing music to this particular streaming service would not be paid a single penny until the trial period was over and users began paying a subscription fee. Rightly so, Taylor decided to take a stance and refused to allow her music catalogue to be included in the service due to the fact that she strongly opposed the company’s decision not to pay artists during the trial period. On her Tumblr account Taylor wrote an open letter about her reasoning to take these actions. In the post she states "This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew, and entire management team by playing live shows. This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create". Just a short period of time later the company reverted from their initial idea and agreed to pay all artists for their music contributed to the service. Thankfully, there are people like Taylor out there who are not afraid to stand up for what is right and look what happened? She was listened to and changes were made! If it weren't for Taylor taking a stance, indie artists wouldn't be paid for all the heart and soul that they put into their music.

Like I said earlier in this post Prince is another artist who has spoken out and taken action against music distribution on the internet. Recently, Prince had his entire catalogue of music removed from all streaming services apart from a site named Tidal which he has exclusively posted his latest album "HitNRun" on. I recently stumbled upon an article about Prince and online music streaming services and according to this article, the reason Prince had his music catalogue removed from streaming services was that like Taylor Swift, he feels that the digital music industry are making it difficult for artists to make a living off of.

Just like any normal person both musicians and singers need to make a living. They work extremely hard and tirelessly to create the music that each and every one of us love to listen too. Would you like to work for hours on end and then for your boss to turn round at the end of the day and tell you that they're not paying you for all your hard work and effort? Of course not! Why should musicians, bands and singers be treated any differently?

Despite the fact that I'm only sixteen years old and have no experience of being a full-time singer/musician for a living I can still see just how much of a struggle it is for young, indie artists to make a career for themselves in the music industry today. In many respects the digital era is definitely killing off the music industry or at least that's how I see it.

As you'll now realise I am extremely passionate about this subject and have done a lot of reading and research on it. Being the curious person that I am, I decided to conduct a little research into the figures and percentages that artists are paid through various revenues and was absolutely shocked by just how much of a pittance it actually is! I actually considered listing the figures here on my blog but it varies slightly on different websites and I don't want to provide incorrect information. Considering the fact that the internet is such a big place, this information is extremely easy to come by so take my advice, look it up because like me I'm sure you’ll be shocked.

Personally speaking, I refuse to join/subscribe to any music streaming sites and don't intend to anytime in the near future. I do however; confess to downloading music from the iTunes store although I even try to keep that to an absolute minimum. In every instance possible I buy a physical copy of any albums I want from one of my local music stores/record fairs. I prefer to support my local music stores rather than go to the dark side and download music. It really hit me a couple of years ago when HMV went into administration and it looked as if my local branch was going to close down meaning that there'd be no music shops whatsoever in my area. Despite the fact that many of the major HMV stores in the big cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh were shut down, my local HMV was one of the fortunate few to remain open and since then my town has even welcomed an independent music/record shop to the area. That's almost unheard of in today's society. Around the time when HMV in my local town was saved I vowed to myself to support it in every way that I possibly could. I wasn't prepared to face the possibility of it closing down again. And I am extremely proud to say that I have in fact kept to the bargain. If there's a local music store around; I’ll do everything I can to support it!

I say the exact same thing when it comes to books but seriously, there is nothing better than going out to a book store or in this instance a music store and leisurely wandering round looking for your next purchase. I love owning a physical copy of an album and being able to flick through and enjoy looking at the accompanying booklets. What if you meet the band or singer? You can't exactly get a download signed, can you? Most importantly if you buy a physical copy of an album from a local music shop; you're supporting your local music store and the artists who created the music rather than them being paid a pittance for a download or in some instances nothing at all when music is downloaded illegally!

So I'll keep this post to a minimum as I'm sure you'll get my point by now. But seriously next time you go to download a song or use a streaming service, think about how it impacts upon the music industry. Let's get the music industry growing again rather than it sinking down the plughole! To be honest I don't think I'd even mind if the prices of albums were raised a little as long as I knew the extra money I paid was going to the artist. Please do your bit to support musicians by supporting your local music store and purchasing physical copies of an album! You're small contribution over a period of time will make a huge difference and perhaps even give up and coming artists a chance in the music industry!

Pink Floyd "The Dark Side of the Moon" Album Review

During the past few weeks I've been brainstorming new ideas for my music blog so I can attempt to keep it updated on a more frequent basis. And I came up with this idea that I'm about to put into fruition by writing this post. So I've written a couple of album reviews in past but have decided on a new concept when reviewing albums as writing the long spiels that I usually do take forever meaning that I can't update my blogs as often as I'd like to. With that in mind I thought I'd write a little about the album I'm reviewing and its history/back story and then have specific questions I answer with my thoughts and opinions of its contents. For newer releases I think I'll try write in a little more detail like I have with my previous reviews however, I thought having a strategy would allow me to review albums and update my blog more frequently. I thought in order to introduce myself to new music I'd purchase a couple of new albums every so often that perhaps I like the name of, or I liked the cover art etc. By doing this I might discover some new bands and you lovely people might too! So to start us off I thought I'd write about an album I picked up a few days ago. I know it's a classic album and a lot of you will know it well but perhaps I might introduce some of my generation to this band/album by writing this review!

Anyway, today's album is by the legendary classic rock band Pink Floyd who formed in the city of London in the year of 1965, I believe. Initially the band consisted of members Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright all whom of which were just students at the time. The band gained popularity in London's underground music scene and by the year of 1967 has released a successful debut album called "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and two charting singles. Later that year David Gilmour joined the band and just a few months later in 1968, Syd Barrett left the band. Over a period numerous band members left and re-joined, touring until the year of 1994. They did however reunite for a final performance at Live 8 back in 2005 and have since been said to have no plans to reunite for any further live performances which is a shame for young fans like me. However, it would never quite be the same without the full line-up as unfortunately some of the band members have since passed away, so I suppose I'll just have to enjoy video footage and hope someone invents a time machine!

According to my research Pink Floyd has over 250 million records worldwide which is absolutely incredible! I mean seriously, how cool would it be to say you're a part of a band that has sold as many albums as that over the years?!

 

Album Name:

The Dark Side of the Moon

 

Release Date:

1st March 1973

 

Genre:

Rock

 

How Much It Cost Me:

£5.00 from Sainbury's (a great bargain if you ask me!)

 

My Favourite Song in the Album:

I know this may sound a little cliché considering this is probably the most famous song on the entire album however; I have to say "Money" is an outstanding song and is currently one of my favourite songs to jam along to on my bass guitar. But seriously, there's no denying it; it's an incredible song!

 

My Least Favourite Song:

On a lot of albums there's at least one song that I don't warm to however, there isn't really a song on this particular album that I dislike. They're all in their own right amazing pieces of music and I'd be lying to say I disliked any of the songs.

 

What Made Buy This Album?

I've always been familiar with Pink Floyd's music ever since I was little; I suppose you could say I was brought up around it alongside so many other amazing bands. However, I was flicking through my music books a few weeks ago deliberating what song to learn next on my bass guitar. I came across "Money" by Pink Floyd and out of all the songs in my book that one really stuck out at me so I decided to give it a shot. I spent hours on end teaching myself "Money" from start to finish and listened to it over and over again until I got it right. I really fell in love with that song and decided to go check out "The Dark Side of the Moon" album. The music instantly caught my attention and I NEEDED to buy myself a copy of the album. So we were in our local Sainsbury's store picking up a few bits and pieces when I went for my annual look round the Entertainment isle. My eyes soon fell up that distinctive album cover; yes, that was of course "The Dark Side of the Moon" album cover! Coincidental! Without a doubt I had to buy a copy of the album particularly when it was only £5! An absolute bargain in my opinion! So my friends, that is the story of how I came to buying Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" album.

 

Do I Regret Buying This Album?

Absolutely not! It's filled with some amazing songs/pieces of music by such a legendary band and of course I got a great bargain when buying it too!

 

5 Random Facts about This Album:

1. The band's iconic album cover was designed by an artist named Storm Forgerson (brilliant name!) who was a friend of Pink Floyd's guitarist David Gilmour as teenagers and was best man at David's wedding to Polly Samson in 1994. Storm's design for the album cover featured a prism which apparently was inspired by the lighting used during the band's concerts. 

 

2. Throughout the ten tracks in the album a range of voices and laughing can be heard. These voices were actually recorded by a number of different people including roadies, the band's road manager Peter Watts and even Abbey Road Studio's doorman Gerry O'Driscoll. I also heard somewhere that one of my all-time favourite singers Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Linda were interviewed however; their voices did not make the final cut.

 

3. The album was originally meant to be called "Eclipse: A Piece for Assorted Lunatics".

 

 4. The sound engineer who worked on "The Dark Side of the Moon" album was a gentleman named Alan Parsons who also worked on another classic album which just so happened to be The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album. He was actually nominated for a Grammy for the Best Engineered Recording, Non Classic for his work on The Dark Side of the Moon album.

 

5. The Dark Side of the Moon album to date still holds the record for the longest running LP on the Billboard 200. The album remained on the Billboard 200 for over 800 week straight-incredible stuff if you ask me!

 

Overall Thoughts:

Overall, Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" album is in my opinion absolutely amazing and lives up to all the raving reviews I've heard people say about it! It's filled to the brim with some outstanding tracks which are completely unique in comparison to other music I've listened to. I know a lot of my older readers will no doubt have this album in their collection or at least have heard it but to all my younger readers out there, who haven't discovered this legendary album go out and buy it! You NEED to hear this incredible album!

Fleetwood Mac: On With the Show Tour, The SSE Hydro Arena, Glasgow 8th July 2015

A few weeks ago, my family and I caught the legendary rock band Fleetwood Mac's third and final concert in Glasgow as part of their "On With The Show" tour. If you've been keeping up with my other blog you'll probably have heard the exciting news that thanks to an amazing charity named Rays of Sunshine, I actually had the chance to go backstage at Fleetwood Mac's first Glasgow concert back in June and met with Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood. That was an amazing experience, I'm still in awe that my dream of meeting Stevie came true. It was definitely one of the most surrealist things I've ever experienced. So if you'd like to read more about my special night click here.

Again, Fleetwood Mac put on yet another outstanding show! Having seen them live on three occasions now, twice during this tour and once in the previous tour back in 2013; I'd definitely say that was the best out of the three shows. I'm only sixteen years old and have been lucky enough to see some of the most iconic/legendary bands and artists during the past few years that I've been gig-going. Out of all the bands I've been fortunate enough to see I am having serious deliberations whether Fleetwood Mac or Queen are my favourite. It's an extremely close call shall we say!

From the very second the lights fade into darkness and there's this eerie but rather exciting cricket like sound filling the room, a shiver runs down your spine. You just know it's going to be special. Before long, one by one each member of the iconic band made their way onto stage welcomed by the roars of the Scottish crowd. The loudest roars of which was probably received by Stevie and Lindsey as they walked on stage hand in hand. Moments later, arguably one of Fleetwood Mac's most famous songs "The Chain" kicked off the evening's set list. I personally, couldn't think of a better song to start with. That song instantly catches your attention but it isn't until a single spot light falls upon the band's bassist John McVie and that iconic bass line fills the rooms; it just hits you and shivers run down your spine. A great start to an amazing evening!

John McVie

The evening's set list consisted of 23 of the band biggest hits including Dreams, Rhiannon and Everywhere to name just a few. Tusk, the title track of one of the band's album released in 1979 was definitely a performance to remember. It was probably one of my favourite performances of the evening. It's what I would describe as a lively, folk rock song which really showcases just how incredible an musician and songwriter Lindsey Buckingham truly is.

Tusk was soon followed by another song from the same album, Sisters of the Moon. A large moon is projected onto the screen and develops through the different stages such as a crescent moon and a full moon, this definitely adds to the already eerie atmosphere that the song creates. As you'll probably have gathered I am extremely inspired by Stevie Nicks, her music and of course how she brings her songs to life. Hearing Sisters of the Moon sung live gives me shivers and captures my imagination.

Before long, the audience are treated to a stunning acoustic section which if you've ready any of my other blog posts you'll know is one of my favourite parts of a concert. Like I've said before, acoustic performances capture the artists true emotion and of course the beauty of the song. During Fleetwood Mac's acoustic set, Lindsey Buckingham dedicated Big Love a song from the Tango in the Night album to his eldest son William who was celebrating his 17th birthday back home in America. Every time without fail, Big Love completely blows me away. Lindsey Buckingham is in my opinion one of the best guitarists ever and deserves so much more credit for it than he actually receives. He has one of the most unique fingerpicking styles when playing as opposed to the typical playing with a plectrum. Big Love really blows me away, it seems to catch the audience's attention as we all watch in complete and utter awe. Simply amazing!

Stevie Nicks soon joined Lindsey to perform a stunning song named Landslide-one of my Mum's all-time favourites. Prior to the song she spoke about a previous visit to Scotland where she visited Turnberry, which is situated on the West Coast of Scotland and how she spent time with the falconer and flew the birds there. She fondly told the audience of how she was asked by the falconer to name one of the birds and can anyone guess what she decided to name it? Well, she named the little bird Rhiannon after her song which is pretty special! And of course the performance of Landslide was just as breath-taking as I remembered. How can you not love that song? The mini acoustic set was concluded with Never Going Back Again from the band's biggest album, Rumours.

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham performing 'Landslide'

Another song that the audience was treated to was Gypsy from the Mirage album. Over the past few months Gypsy has become one of my all-time favourite Fleetwood Mac songs, it wasn't that I didn't like it before I just think I really began to listen to the song and the words really spoke to me. Stevie tells the most inspiring story prior to performing the song about a shop named "The Velvet Underground" that she used to visit before she became a member of Fleetwood Mac and how all her heroes such as Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell used to shop their. Basically the underlying message of Stevie's "Velvet Underground" story was to never give up on your dreams no matter what anyone tells you. Those words are of course extremely relevant and meaningful to me, more so now than ever. Towards the end of the song, as Lindsey performs his guitar solo Stevie steps to the side a little and twirls round and round. On the large screen behind the band, the camera focuses on Stevie as she twirls and a video effect is used to make it look as if though she's dancing rain-very atmospheric and fits perfectly with the feel of the song. It's very beautiful and absolutely breath-taking to sit there and watch.

After a great performance of the well known 80s hit Little Lies, my very favourite performance of the evening then took place. This was of course, Gold Dust Woman. Like I said during one of my previous posts, Gold Dust Woman blows me away every single time without fail. For me, there is something special about that song and the performance Stevie Nicks gives the audience during is mind blowing. She evidently puts her heart, mind and soul into it; the power and emotion she portrays is incredible and extremely enchanting. I sat there that night completely mesmerised by the song and awe of just how amazing a performer Stevie Nicks truly is. If you want to know the reason why I love and admire Stevie Nicks so much go look up videos of Gold Dust Woman on YouTube and you'll see why. That song is extremely special to me and hearing it live really brings the words to life in ways that I can't even begin to describe.

Lindsey Buckingham continued to enchant us with a mind-blowing performance of I'm So Afraid. The guitar solo during the song was absolutely outstanding. I can only begin to imagine just how painful and tiresome it is to play guitar like Lindsey. There are so many great guitar players out there but in my opinion Lindsey is a hidden gem that so many often forget about. Seriously, Lindsey Buckingham's guitar playing is nothing short of amazing and his performance of I'm So Afraid proves just that.

Christine McVie

As the night went on the crowd became more and more wilder. According to my parents this was a REAL Glasgow audience. I've to numerous concerts in Glasgow throughout the past few years but I don't think I've ever witnessed a crowd as lively as that before. By the time Go Your Own Way began to play everyone really lost it, everyone was up dancing, having a good time and enjoying themselves. Why shouldn't they!? Although, I must say my family and I were extremely taken aback to turn to our side and see a woman sitting there KNITTING! Seriously, who would pay good money to attend a concert and spend the entire show engrossed in knitting a scarf or jumper. No offence but there's something far wrong with that! What's the point in even going in the first place? I've certainly seen it all now!

Anyway, despite the strange person beside us Go Your Own Way was electric and the crowd was probably as loud as the band which says a lot. My family and I were up dancing around in the isle, me included in my wheelchair-it's too hard not too! The electric atmosphere continued into World Turning which consisted in a lively drum solo from Mick Fleetwood who is by far one of the craziest drummers I've seen. He had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand, making all sorts of crazy noises. I must admit I was a little hoarse by the end of the show from participating in the mad antics-oops!

Don't Stop came next much to the delight of the audience before a stunning performance of Silver Springs. And last but certainly not least was the song that my Mum in particular had waited a VERY long time to finally here live; that was of course Songbird. Christine McVie took centre stage with a grand piano to perform this with Lindsey Buckingham perched on a stool beside her, accompanying on guitar. It was a perfect ending to yet an another amazing show!

Mick Fleetwood

The entire band gathered together on stage for one final time that evening to take a bow before disappearing off into the darkness of the wings leaving Mick Fleetwood to say his final farewell to the audience. What an brilliant evening! I can't quite believe I booked tickets to see Fleetwood Mac all those months ago and it's over already! I sincerely hope I will have another opportunity to see them perform live as every single show I've attended has been nothing short of amazing! To those of you living in Australia and New Zealand, if you can go buy tickets for one of their shows towards the end of the year! If I could, I'd be over there on flash for one of the shows (okay, maybe two or three!). I'd seriously do anything to see them live again so seriously, if you ever get the opportunity to see Fleetwood Mac DO IT!

Graeme Clark: An Clachan Cafe June 2015

Graeme and I after the gig

Less than two weeks ago, my Mum and I went on another of our mad music treks to Glasgow to see Graeme Clark, bassist of Wet Wet Wet who happened to be playing an intimate gig in a tiny café named An Clachan situated in Kelvingrove Park. I first attended one of Graeme's solo concerts last year when he played a gig at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine. Had we not picked up one of those "What's On" guides in our local supermarket we'd probably never have even heard about it. Thankfully on that occasion we did and decided to go along-if you know me well you'll know that I never need an excuse for live music! Both Mum and I thoroughly enjoyed the gig and were extremely excited to hear that Graeme was holding another gig in Glasgow this year. Literally the very second that the show was announced and tickets went on sale; I quickly added them to the online shopping basket and confirmed the order just seconds later.

So on Wednesday 24th June, we arrived at the tiny café situated behind the gates of Kelvingrove Park just a short period of time before the doors were due to open. At this point a small crowd of people had already accumulated and there amongst them was Graeme Clark and his fellow bandmate/drummer of Wet Wet Wet, Tommy Cunningham chatting with those who had come along for the gig. Having spoken via twitter on a couple of occasions, Graeme recognised me and came over to chat before popping off to get a bite to eat whilst everyone else went inside to get a seat.

The café was so small, very cute and reminded Mum and I of a café we often visited during my regular visits to London as a small child. It's small, intimate setting was the perfect place for live music in my opinion! Initially, there was meant to be only 25 tickets available for the gig but due to such high demand they managed to increase the numbers to something like 42 (I'm pretty sure that's what I heard anyway!) which considering the size of the room, was pretty remarkable.

At around 7pm, Graeme's support act took to the stage to perform for us all. Fiona Cuthill and Stevie Lawrence are a Scottish contemporary guitar and fiddle duo who successfully warmed us all up by playing a range of music from their album "A Cruel Kindness". Throughout their entire set, the sound of people clapping along to the beat of the music filled the room around us. It's infectious in a way, without warning you find yourself joining in and clapping along-there's nothing wrong with that though! I'm sure those who were in attendance would all agree that their set was most definitely a great start to what was most definitely a great evening!

After a short interval Graeme arrived through the backdoor, with his guitar in hand to a warm applause from the Glasgow crowd. Over the course of the evening we were treated to a set list which was filled to the brim with music from Graeme's career as a solo artist and as a member of Wet Wet Wet. I'm pretty sure there'd have been a few disappointed members of the audience had the Wet Wet Wet hits not been included! In between songs we were entertained with Graeme's humorous stories of his time in the Wets and the back stories of how they came to write some of their biggest hits, which is always interesting to hear as you really learn a lot.

As I mentioned a little earlier in the post Tommy, drummer of Wet Wet Wet was also in attendance and filmed the entire show on Graeme's behalf with the intentions of uploading the footage to Graeme's YouTube account. At one point towards the end of the concert, Tommy decided to film from a different angle which happened to be just a short distance in front of me. Being the camera fanatic that I am; I couldn't help but find myself engrossed in the recording of the gig-it was rather fascinating to watch I must admit! Tommy's evidently got an eye for filming and from what I could see captured each moment in an unique and creative perspective. So be sure to pop over to YouTube and check out the concert footage once it's uploaded but in the meantime why not check out Graeme's other videos via the link at the end of this post!

Like I said, Graeme played a bunch of songs from his solo catalogue which I've been a big fan of ever since I first heard it performed live at his concert in Irvine last year. Graeme is a very talented singer, songwriter and musician and I really admire the work he's produced over the years. Not only does his music sound great recorded on an album, it also translates perfectly when performed live in front of an audience.

As well as performing a selection of his older songs, Graeme treated us, the audience to a new acoustic track named "Sometimes". Just a couple of weeks prior to the gig, I'd seen a clip of "Sometimes" that he'd posted up on his Facebook account. I instantly fell in love with this song and was absolutely delighted that Graeme had decided to play it live at his concert. Just like his other songs it sounded great and I for one can't wait until it's released as part of an album or on iTunes so I can purchase a copy and listen to it on the move.

Just as I had the previous time I saw Graeme in concert, I left the gig absolutely raving about his cover of "Summer Breeze" by The Isley Brothers. Of course I love the original, but Graeme's cover absolutely blew me away on the two occasions I've heard him sing it live. "Summer Breeze" is a magical song anyway but Graeme's take on it is something extremely special! It's absolutely breath-taking to listen to! To be completely honest I actually prefer Graeme's version to the original recording and would've been extremely disappointed had he not included it in the evening's set list. That was the one song that I really wanted to hear him sing so as you can imagine I left the venue one happy girl after hearing it again! I really hope that one day Graeme might even record his version of this amazing song to include in one of his future albums-it's far too good not to in my opinion!

As the concert came to an end, Fiona and Stevie who opened for Graeme were invited back up in front of the audience to perform Wet Wet Wets' biggest hit "Love Is All Around" much to everyone's delight! There was such a nice buzz within the room as everyone joined in singing the lyrics we all know and love. It's so nice to look around and see so many people enjoying themselves and of course enjoying the music. That's the power of music for you; it brings people together, uplifts them and puts a big smile on their faces! That's one of the very reasons why I love it so much! 

Unfortunately, all good things have to come an end and so did the gig! It was another excellent show from Graeme, filled with amazing music and good Scottish humour! I seriously hope it's not too long until next time! If you ever get the chance make sure to pop along to one of Graeme's future gigs in your area-you don't know what you're missing out on!

 

If you want to find out more about Graeme's music be sure to click on one of the following links:

Official Website: http://www.graemeclark.co.uk

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/graemeclark1000?ob=5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GraemeClarkOfficial?sk=wall
Twitter: https://twitter.com/graemeclark1

 

Fleetwood Mac Concert Review Rant

As you'll probably have noticed I posted this alot later than I had initially anticipated, I've had an extremely crazy few weeks which as a result means that keeping up to date with my blogs has been a little tricky at times. If you follow one of my social media accounts you may have noticed that I had a special meeting with Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood at their concert in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. If you'd like to read all about my experience please click here.

This blog post was initially intended to be a Fleetwood Mac concert review however my dynamics and intentions have changed direction meaning that my plans for this particular post has changed a little. I am however, attending another Fleetwood Mac concert in just over a week so I will have a proper concert review posted here on my blog in the not so distant future.

A few days ago I found myself checking out the influx of concert reviews following Fleetwood Mac's first show in Glasgow of their "On With the Show" tour like I do following most concerts I attend. Unfortunately, I came across a review which absolutely riled me if I am being completely honest. I mean most of the review was in my opinion acceptable although in my eyes the show deserved a lot more credit than this review actually offered. However, it wasn't until my eyes fell upon a sentence towards the end of the review which described the performance of Gold Dust Woman, a song from the band's most famous album Rumours as having "too much hammy latitude". I'm sorry but that is completely criminal to even suggest that!

I am unsure of who exactly wrote the article but one thing for certain is that I completely disagree with their thoughts on the portrayal of Gold Dust Woman. On both occasions that I have been lucky enough to see Fleetwood Mac live in concert I've left the show both mesmerised and raving about Gold Dust Woman. I even described that particular song on both instances as my favourite performance of the entire concert. The portrayal of Gold Dust Woman that I witnessed was absolutely breath-taking and most definitely a work of art. With that in mind I cannot help but wonder if the gig reviewer was actually at the same concert as me in the first place?

Yes, I do not for one second dispute that what I saw was dramatic but the way in which Stevie Nicks portrays the drama within the song and in her live performances is extremely tasteful. I felt that the review I came across looked at Gold Dust Woman in a negative light and didn't give it the credit that it truly deserves.

Firstly, what I'd like to ask the author of the review if the opportunity were to arise is 'have you actually read and studied the lyrics of the song? Have you ever considered what the song is really about?' Yes, we'll never fully discover the exact meaning behind it and of course there will always be the element of mystery behind the songs we all know and love but it's always interesting to have some sort of knowledge and understanding of the lyrics. I personally have spent time over the past few years studying the lyrics and to some degree I think I've sussed the meaning behind the words. Having intently watched Stevie perform Gold Dust Woman live on two occasions and again, via video footage posted on YouTube I feel that my interpretation of the song lyrics accurately gels with the story Stevie tells on stage through music and movement. Then again I could be completely wrong but that's the beauty of interpretation and I'm sure the same lyric will mean something completely different to every set of ears that listens to it. I truly admire the fact that artists and musicians alike can quite literally create a work of art by channelling their inner thoughts and feelings; they put their blood, sweat and tears into it and at times I'm sure could easily give up. But for whatever reason they don't and something encourages them to go on and well, the final result they've created can then go on to touch and inspire the lives of so many others. People look at a piece of art or listen to a piece of music and instantly relate to someone else who once felt the same thoughts and emotions as they did. Music is both calming and comforting in that way and that's one of the many reasons I love it so much.

Anyway, the long in the short of what I'm really trying to say is that what I saw and what the other person saw were evidently two very different things. Opposites to be precise. The reviewer saw the performance as over the top, dramatic or "hammy" as they described it, whereas I saw something hauntingly beautiful and filled with power. That is one of the many reasons why I alongside many others love and admire Stevie Nicks. Her beauty and her individuality is something that stands out and separates her from other female singers in the music industry; past, present and future. I do not believe that there will ever be another singer/performer like her and that is exactly why she'll be remembered; for being herself and expressing herself and through Gold Dust Woman she does just that!

Paul McCartney: Out There Tour, Liverpool Echo Arena 28th May 2015

 

On Thursday 28th May 2015, one of my biggest dreams came true. After years of waiting I finally got to see one my musical inspirations live in concert. Yes, I got to see the Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney at The Echo Arena in his hometown of Liverpool.

After spending the day exploring Liverpool with my family, Mum and I joined the quickly growing line outside the arena filled with the lucky fans who'd managed to bag tickets for the Liverpool show. Bagging tickets for Paul's Liverpool gig felt like I'd won one of Willie Wonka's golden tickets, tickets were so badly sought after and I still can't believe I actually managed to get hold of them! Once the venue doors were finally opened the arena quickly began to fill up and I could feel my excitement growing and growing.

The view from our seats were amazing! We were so close to the stage it was unbelievable-I couldn't have asked for better seats! Usually, accessible seating in venues are quite far back and often the bands are like little dots in the horizon. This however, would put a lot of other venues I've visited to shame.

Paul didn't arrive on stage until around half past eight but in the meantime they played a soundtrack of songs spanning through Paul's entire career including music from The Beatles, Wings and his solo work. Video footage and photographs of Paul as a child up until the present day alongside his friends and family were projected onto the screen at either side of the stage.

At around half past eight the lights dimmed into darkness and the music was brought to a halt. People began to stand up in what looked like a Mexican wave motion. Seconds later the man himself, Sir Paul McCartney appeared from the wings of the stage as the room erupted in roars of excitement. Everywhere I looked people held their "Welcome Home Paul" signs that we'd been given by the stewards when entering the venue, high above their heads. It must have been quite something witnessing such a sight from the stage.

Before long the first song "Eight Days a Week" began to fill the room, marking the first of many classics the audience would hear through he course of the evening. Now, I could easily have written a brief summary of each song played during the show but considering that it was a 40 song set list spanning over 3 hours I think I'll mainly discuss the highlights. Otherwise, we'd be here all day.

Paul and his band performed a bunch of songs from Paul's lengthy career including music from his time in The Beatles, Wings and of course songs from his solo work. Towards the end of the Wings song "Let Me Roll It" the tune changed as they burst into Jimi Hendrix's Foxy Lady (love that song!). This lead onto Paul telling us the about Jimi playing "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band" at one his gigs just days after the album's release. Jimi's guitar apparently went out of tune to which he peered into the audience and shouted "is Eric there?". Yes, he was looking for Eric Clapton. So it turns out Eric was there right enough and basically told Jimi to tune the guitar himself. 
 

 

 A song or two later Paul took to one of the two pianos they had that evening to perform a song called "My Valentine" which he wrote for his wife Nancy who happened to be somewhere amongst the audience. Unfortunately, I didn't see her. He also dedicated "Maybe I'm Amazed" to his first wife Linda who unfortunately passed away back in 1997. Throughout the song a combination of photographs and video footage of Paul and his children were used to create a moving picture effect. It's such a beautiful song and my goodness did Paul hit some impressive notes during it!

"Hope for the Future" one of Paul's latest releases, which was written for a video game named Destiny was also performed. I have to say I really like that song, it's quite eerie but at the same time very powerful. I'm so glad I actually got to hear it performed live!

Paul stepped out onto an extended part of the stage to perform one of Mum's favourites "Blackbird". Slowly the stage began to rise up into air and stopped when Paul was at the same height as those seated in the second tier of the arena. Usually, I spend a lot of time watching concert footage on YouTube before attending gigs yet somehow I'd missed the footage of "Blackbird" so it was a nice surprise.

Paul's colourful "Lady Madonna" piano (I'm pretty sure that's what it's nicknamed-but don't hold me on that!) was brought out onto centre stage as Paul performed yet another handful of songs including newer releases such as "New" (funnily enough) which could easily have made it's way onto one of The Beatle's albums back in the 60s. I was so excited to actually hear "New" live, I remember hearing it for the very first time just minutes after its release.

He also performed a song named "Queenie Eye" which was also featured on his "New" album released back in 2013. The song is absolute genius! Only Paul McCartney could write a song about a game he used to play as child with his friends in the streets of Liverpool. Again, I was absolutely delighted to hear this song live after hearing it so many times on the album. I have to say the colourful piano really brought Paul's childhood memories of a game he evidently loved alive, even to someone live me from a completely different generation.

"Altogether Now" from the Yellow Submarine film/album was dedicated to the "kids" in the audience although it looked like the adults seemed to be enjoying it just as much! It was a very fun and light hearted performance that put a smile on everyone's faces.

After a selection of yet more Beatles classics including "Lovely Rita", "Eleanor Rigby" and "The Benefit of Mr Kite", Paul pulled an ukulele out of what seemed like nowhere. He told the audience that he discovered his love for the instrument (the ukulele) thanks to George Harrison. Apparently, they'd spend hours visiting each others homes contently jamming on their ukuleles together. In tribute to George he began to play "Something" which was pretty special. The audience as you can imagine were ecstatic! There obliviously were a lot of big Beatles fans in the house and as soon as there was even mention of one of Paul's legendary bandmates, the room erupted in roars. I'm sure it brought back a few memories for Paul of the audiences back in the 60s, we certainly didn't hold back that evening!

There was back to back hits including one of my very favourite Beatles songs "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" which I hoped would be a part of the evening's setlist. I'd been pretty loud and excitable all evening anyway but as I heard those cheery chords on the piano, I was on a complete and utter high. I was belting out the words just as loud as the band and of course I was dancing around in my wheelchair like there was no tomorrow.

A couple of women sitting along from us caught my eye on a couple occasions, I'd obliviously been entertaining them with my enthusiasm and excitement-it can't be helped! You'll probably be bored sick of me saying this but "I'd waited such a long time for this" so I was going to make the most of every, single second! Funnily enough, when we arrived back at the hotel later that evening the same two women were right in front of us in the queue for the lift. So much for going somewhere, letting loose and thinking that I'd never see these people again-typical!
 

 

 "Live and Let Die" which was written for one of the James Bond films, was absolutely amazing live! Despite the fact that I already knew what was coming, I jumped out my skin when massive flames came shouting up from the stage. I seriously, don't think I ever seen as much stage fireworks and flames. The heat up there on stage must have been extremely oppressive, particularly for Paul's guitarist and bassist who were constantly on the move. They actually looked more tired than Paul who just kept going and showed no signs of exhaustion whatsoever! 

My favourite part of the entire show came next and that part just so happened to be arguably one of The Beatle's most famous songs "Hey Jude". Hearing that song live was such a magical moment. It was one of those moments that you had to pinch yourself to check you weren't dreaming. Thankfully, I wasn't; I was well and truly there!

The atmosphere in that room was out of this world, everyone was singing along proving just how powerful music can be. That song has played such a big role in music history and I'm so glad I can say I've hear it sung live. After probably the best eight minutes of live music I've ever heard the song came to an end (I wish it went on forever!) and Paul and his band came to the centre of the stage and bowed for the audience. The stage lights turned off leaving the room in darkness as the crowd went into a frenzy of cheers and roars, before long everyone was singing "Hey Jude" louder than they had minutes before. I can honestly say I have NEVER seen anything like this before and I've seen some of the biggest names in music over the past few years.
 

 

 Where Mum and I were seated, we could see figures standing in the doorway leading to the dressings. I'm guessing it was Paul and the band-it must have been quite something standing there listening to a room filled with thousands of people singing the lyrics to a song you wrote. This continued for a further few minutes before Paul reappeared waving the British flag in the air much to the crowd's delight.

He treated the audience to two encores, the first consisted of "Hi Hi Hi", "Another Girl" a song by The Beatles that had it's live debut earlier last month which was followed by "Can't Buy Me Love". He dedicated this to a couple that he invited up on stage after reading a sign the gentlemen had brought asking Paul if he could propose to his girlfriend on stage. What a story to tell the grandkids!

Sitting down at his piano for the final time that evening, Paul told the audience that the next couple of the songs would be the final few songs of the evening

 and that it was time to head home. Let's just say I didn't ever think I'd see 12,000 argue with Paul McCartney-it was like going to a pantomime!

A medley of "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight" and "The End" from the legendary Abbey Road enchanted the room at the end of an incredible night. Paul bid the audience farewell as canons of red, blue and white confetti exploded filling the air with colour. What a night that was!

At long last I can tick off seeing Paul McCartney in concert off the bucket list and maybe one day I'll be able to tick off actually meeting him too-until then I'll just keep dreaming! As I'm sure you already have gathered, it was an absolutely incredible night and I'm so glad I got to spend it in the city of Liverpool!