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Written by Kess Anthony
We have finally got there; live music has reappeared in our lives like a rising sun at the beginning of the summer. February 2019 was the last time our team stepped on a sticky beer-soaked floor to enjoy live music, at that point we could have never in our wildest dreams come up with the impact the global pandemic would have on our favourite pastime.
I was so excited to go to my first post lockdown gig I ended up arriving at the wrong Bristol venue early without a clue why I was the only music goer in the car park, but when that light bulb finally (20 minutes later) flickered on in my head I arrived at the right venue.
Instantly, I felt the socially distanced but warm embrace of the lost community I so fondly remember being part of, yes reuniting with music fans and friends of the last few years was a huge highlight of the dreaded queue which I somehow forgot existed. The only problem is when we have all been confined to our homes for a year and a half, surprisingly we all had the same type of story to retell but I was happy to hear their stories, because the community are back and ready to re-enter our shared world of live music.
One of the most grateful common conversations we’ve had was the fact that we’re all surprised that the majority of our much-loved venues and bands have managed to reappear from the rabbit hole of the COVID blackout. Heartedly we stood and sat 2 meters apart and shared the fund-raising ideas we all dived feet first to save the venues and bands we so much need in our lives, walking through the doors of these massively influential venues is the reward that we need for a very trying 18 months of only listening to music on your devices.
When you grow old before your technological timeframe you get an instant crash to earth with the new aspects of live music, pre buying tickets for yourself and your friends and making sure you have the right number of friends to seats ratio can be a nightmare, because you don’t want the band to play thinking that someone didn’t bother to turn up when in real terms it’s the fact you run out of friends after three people and can’t fill out that fourth seat. Then the QR codes I never heard of this invention until 2021 but apparently they have been around for a long time. Try telling that to my block of a Nokia phone when you need to scan the code to get in, but all joking aside, if this is what’s needed to get everything going again give me an extra empty seat and a thousand codes I’m willing and accepting.
But let’s be honest some changes are secretly likable, being escorted to your seat gave my ego an inflated sense of being a VIP. It almost resulted in giving everyone a royal wave until you realise you're not the only one battling this new sense of importance. Then comes the app to get drinks delivered to you, venues this is an indolence I like, but maybe not the best thing for my head the next morning as I seemed to turn the waiter into a marathon training Olympic athlete, but I’m sure going from the bar to my seat with drinks bouncing around won’t win that poor soul a gold medal.
The fact that bands seem to have untapped a huge amount of new material they have created provided me with a warm glow and light headedness which allowed me to forget the fact that some seats surprisingly are not designed for watching live music. New songs felt like a reward of coming out of your house and seeing the lights of returning to a life which was very normal in 2019.
I’ve always experienced hair raising on my arms and and shivers when enjoying music Infront of my eyes and ears, but this time it felt more than that from a couple hours of escape gave me a overwhelming positive impact on my wellbeing, when talking to my reunited community after this seemed to be a shared experience which left us all smiling when returning to our cars.
Matt Nicholson's best of 2020
Our Writer Matt Nicholson
Best Single of the Year: It Might Be Time by Tame Impala
Best Album of the Year: Earth by EOB
Next week, we here at Off the Hook Music look back on the best music of 2020, naming our single, album and EP of the year.
So we gear up to our yearly awards with our much loved writer Matt naming his favourite album and single of the year.
Best Album of the Year: Earth by EOB
Best Single of the Year: It Might Be Time by Tame Impala
Best Album of the Year: Earth by EOB
For Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien's first solo album he appears to have combined all his favourite musical passions. From traditional folk sounds to modern electro beats, he creates a human and warming debut.
There is also a strong South American stemming from Ed's love of the continent. And, don't worry, those wide-ranging guitar skills are also well utilised, from finger-picked acoustics to the typical other-worldly drenches of sound.
Best Single of the Year: It Might Be Time by Tame Impala
Best Single of the Year: It Might Be Time by Tame Impala
Best Single of the Year: It Might Be Time by Tame Impala
In 2020, Tame Impala's Kevin Parker returned with his latest boundary-pushing work of detail and passion "The Slow Rush".
For me, the highlight is this lament to getting old. As well as raising a smile, it got me to my feet; particularly to the siren noises that start firing during the chorus.
Meet The Team: George Rose
George Rose's Playlist
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
These are the 5 songs which has shaped our team members life to make us want to write about great music
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
Oasis: What's the story morning glory
Every time I listen to What's the story morning glory it transports me to another world.
Teen Track
Track of your childhood
Favourite Band: Nirvana
The Smiths:
In my opinion The Smiths said something to me in my teens, it made me feel like i was on top of the world.
Favourite Band: Nirvana
New sound you need to hear
Favourite Band: Nirvana
Nirvana: In Bloom
Nirvana revolutionised the music industry and music scene in the 90's like no other band.
Guilty Pleasure: Shakira
New sound you need to hear
New sound you need to hear
Shakira: She Wolf
I totally believe that Shakira is a underrated artists now a days, she deserves more respect for her music.
New sound you need to hear
New sound you need to hear
New sound you need to hear
Asylums
Asylums are a band from Southend-on-Sea, their absolutely incredible and in an ideal world they should be the biggest band in the country.
Meet The Team: Jimmy Rock
Jimmy Rock's Playlist
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
These are the 5 songs which has shaped our team members life to make us want to write about great music
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
Beatles- Strawberry Fields Forever
Back in the good old days when cars only had tape players, my dad only ever seemed to have a Beatles Greatest hits one to play. We used to drive to stay with my grandparents in Suffolk listening to it and Strawberry Fields has always made me think of those times and was probably my first introduction to proper music- not a bad place to start.
Teen Track
Track of your childhood
Favorite band
Papa Roach- Last Resort
It had to be some objectively dire (but I love it anyway) Nu-Metal from an awkward kid who had badly grown long hair and a Linkin Park hoody at least five sized too big. Could have easily been Limp Bizkit and this isn't even my favourite Papa Roach song but it has to be the one that takes me back to that time.
Favorite band
New Sound you need to hear
Favorite band
Nine Inch Nails- March of the Pigs
Again not my favourite Nine Inch Nails song but the one that sums up the sound best. It has that fragile balance between beauty and brutality, where piano is eaten by distortion. Is highly musical and out and out noise, all in the same song and that it one of the things I love about Nine Inch Nails and why they are my favourite band.
Guilty Pleasure
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
James Blunt- High
To be honest I'm not even at all guilty about this, no matter how much the world might want me to be. People just need to accept the indisputable fact that James Blunt's first two albums are amazing and High is one of the best tracks. I will though accept any arguments that suggest that his last album should be described in terms that rhymes with hog spite.
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
Courtney Marie Andrews- Table for One
Ok, I'll admit that this one came out in 2016 and Courtney Marie Andrews has been about even longer than that but... on the basis that I consider music made after 2005 to be new and that I think not enough people have heard of this fantastic country singer, then I really think that this is a truly beautiful song to go out and listen too.
Meet the team: Writer Matt Nicholson
Matt Nicholson's playlist
Matt Nicholson's playlist
Matt Nicholson's playlist
These are the 5 songs which has shaped our team members life to make us want to write about great music.
Track of your childhood
Matt Nicholson's playlist
Matt Nicholson's playlist
Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody
Like so many young boys, Queen were one of my first musical loves.
This song blew my mind before overkill kicked in.
Teen Track
Matt Nicholson's playlist
Favorite band
Blur: Lucky
This song manages to be both emotional and intelligent.
I think everything from the lyrics to the guitar breaks is perfection. The best moment in Blur's monumental back catalog.
Favorite band
New Sound you need to hear
Favorite band
Radiohead: Lucky
Radiohead are constantly challenging and changing but always brilliant.
I've been lucky to follow their enthralling career and see them five times.
Guilty Pleasure
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
George Harrison: Let it Down
Probably a controversial choice for this category really as he was the coolest Beatle.
In my opinion, "All Things Must Pass" is the greatest solo Beatles album filled with gems stored up for years.
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
This is the Kit: Hotter Colder
They are a brilliant, experimental, folky, Bristol band led by Kate Stables.
Meet the team: Writer Kess ANthony
Kess Anthony Playlist
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
These are the 5 songs which has shaped our team members life to make us want to write about great music.
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
Track of your childhood
Status Quo: In the army now
Status Quo was the soundtrack played all day everyday by my gran when i was a child.
Teen Track
Track of your childhood
Favorite band
Silverchair: Freak
Silverchair opened my eyes to music which shocked my mind and introduced me to how a guitar should be played.
Favorite band
New Sound you need to hear
Favorite band
Editors: Sugar
I can't explain how much i love the sound which Editors produce, i know the words to every song.
I also can't stop buying tickets to their gigs.
Guilty Pleasure
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
Kate Bush: Running up that hill
No other worlds than unbelievable talent.
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
New Sound you need to hear
October Drift: Cherry Red
I can never stop telling people how excited i am about this band, their unbelievable live and their records are fantastic.