My 3 Wonders of the World

It's fair to say, I've been about a bit... and not in the licentious sense, (cheeky!), in the globe-hopping, aeroplane sense. This makes me incredibly lucky. Not only has traveling broadened my outlook of the earth we inhabit, it has also made me genuinely appreciative of other cultures, foreign cuisine, history and sheer natural beauty.

Thats the gushing stuff over with.

So, here are 3 places which I have visited, photographed and loved. It's quite simple really, enjoy!

p.s All pictures are un-edited and have been taken by me, on my trusted Olympus Pen.

1. Yosemite National Park, North America 

In the summer of 2012, my family and I embarked on our biggest adventure of all: a 3 week road-trip across California. Not only did we have to get to grips with driving, and parking, a 32ft R.V- the challenges of Bear Lockers (seriously, to stop bears breaking in and stealing your cake), sewage pipes and falling pine-cones proved somewhat of a struggle. However, after abandoning Gladys (our trusted motor-home) in a rickety and dusty campsite we were rewarded with Yosemite. Nothing can prepare you for the sheer natural sublimity of this place. With a scale beyond imagination; tumbling waterfalls, dense forestry and softly domed mountains greet you upon entry. Few places have reduced me to a similar state of awe. 

2. Pompeii, Italy

School trips, for me, have scarcely stretched beyond the mundane. Usually involving cramped coach journeys, travel sickness, feigned illness and mashed potato, they are hardly my fondest memories. But clearly A'Level Geography has it's perks, as this cheeky jaunt to Sorrento has got to be one of the highlights. Pompeii is eerily quiet. With twilight encroaching as we wandered the crumbling, dusty streets, you feel not only stunned by the absolute quality of that which remains, but an overwhelming sense of sadness for a society which lost everything. Preserved in ash, entire corpses, mosaics and buildings remain. Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all? ... Sorry, couldn't resist a Bastille quote.

3. Hua Hin, Thailand

Hua Hin, a beach town, south of Bangkok has long been a destination for my family. Embarking on my 11th trip there this summer, it's safe to say my experiences of this extraordinary country have helped to mould my cultural outlook. A first trip to Thailand is a little like an assault on the senses; immediately you are stuck by the pungent, aromatic odours; resplendent colourings and the invasion of a thriving community in full, noisy cry. Embrace it, and you will certainly be hungry for more. 

Roo Panes - 'Indigo Home'

I love discovering new music. This guy has an exceptionally moving voice; sombre yet affectionately charming. With folky, acoustic melodies and gritty, yet warm, vocals it's that sort of song to listen to on long, winding car journeys. Keep your eye on this one.

Bella Figura by Jiří Kylián

Bella Figura by Jiří Kylián

Netherlands Dans Theatre

Have you ever been on public transport, and you accidentally catch the eye of someone sat opposite? You both squirm with discomfort- yet can’t quite look away, because you are somewhat intrigued? … Yes, I’m afraid I did just compare Jiri Kylian’s immense collaboration of modern dance and classical ballet to being checked-out by some leering pervert on the Tube, but the analogy works, since there is something fascinating about the off-kilter quality to Kylian’s choreography.

An NDT dancer is a curious being: maintaining an extraordinary level of strength and movement dexterity, yet sustaining the ability to contort, twist and contract like a pipe-cleaner. Kylian’s forte appears to be one of innovation; the physical exploration of the human body in Bella Figura will surely have the geriatrics in the front row choking on that gentle, full-bodied Shiraz they ordered during the interval… for the gender of the dancers is almost undefinable. Through the use of billowing russet skirts, nudity and an interesting pair of beige knickers; both men and women are stripped down to the barest level of vulnerability; adopting regressional and distressing foetal contortions.

But I feel I should warn you: if twee country-side sets and smiling bourrées, that clatter in a perfect resonance with a sweet, orchestral score, float your boat… Bella Figura ain’t for you. The stage is sparse- with an industrial, exposed lighting-rig and unoccupied wings- creating a stage of an enthralling, infinite size. The dancers begin, vacant and unstructured, simply marking-through movement; a nod to the ‘performance’ that Kylian attempts to subvert. Then the music: a rich, luxurious drone which sways the piece away from the former unrehearsed nonchalance to an altogether more melancholy tone- with a constant, frugal wash of light standing as a contrast to the wealth and detail of Kylian’s movement vocabulary.

Burgh Island EP - Ben Howard

'Every Kingdom' was a masterpiece, reminiscent of a British summer and romanticised friendships; gaining Ben Howard the publicity he deserved as an acoustic, folk-inspired musician. But don't become complacent, because this Devon-lad has so much more to offer. Released on the 10th December 2012, 'Burgh Island' takes on a darker, more gritty, tone. The eclectic mix of lethargic, layered vocals and coarse, electrified instruments has resulted in a record with verisimilitude levels of realism. Fuelled by a gruelling tour schedule, the 4 tracks take on a rather more brooding outlook; speaking of heartbreak and abandonment. 'Esmerelda', 'Oats in the Water', 'To Be Alone' and 'Burgh Island' are a long, long way from the blissful, acoustic tenderness which Howard has dominated radio stations and venues alike with over the last 12 months. With equal levels of beauty and maturity, 'Burgh Island' is definitely worth a listen.

Kal Lavelle, Antonio Lulić and Craig Sutton live @ St James's Wine Vaults

Well, it’s that time again. That time where I whip off my pointe shoes and leotard whilst thrusting aside my A-level geography text-book and pretend to be something I’m not: a hard-hitting musically savvy journalist. Well… I suppose a mediocre blogger with 7 followers will have to do for now.

On Friday night, buzzing with suppressed excitement, I headed of to St James’s Wine Vaults in Bath for an intimate acoustic gathering. I was excited to say the least, not just because it was another chance to see live music from fantastic up-and-coming artists near my home town… but because these particular 2 artists happened to be 2 of my favourites.

The venue was perfect: a little like a twinkling, candle-lit underground bunker with a slight scent of cigarette smoke and stale larger; an ambience that seemed ideal for the musical genre of the evening. First up was Craig Sutton, aka ‘The Flamenco Thief’, a guitar playing postman from Bath whose music took me entirely by surprise. His skill was impeccable and each song was entirely different to anything I have ever heard before. His innovative way of playing flamenco music with a loop-pedal was both original and impressive… and puts my guitar playing to shame! (Just so you know, I can painfully twang ‘All you need is love’ by The Beatles… literally, that is it!).

What is it about Kal Lavelle? The bleach-blonde hair? The repertoire of sensational jumpers? Or is it simply the raw musical talent? Because I swear to God, I can’t go and see one gig at which she is playing without her entirely stealing the show and captivating the audience’s hearts! Needless to say, her performance was flawless. ‘The Ocean’ was just as I remembered: emotive and passionate with beautiful vocals, from then onwards, it  was obvious that Kal’s performance wasn’t going to disappoint. But it wasn’t just her music that was startling, her witty rapport and individual performance style was charming to watch; putting her natural humour and charisma to its full potential. She promised a complimentary Skype conversation with her and her mother to all of those who purchased her debut EP ‘Shivers’ (which, by the way, is excellent!). She later divulged to us the heart-wrenching story behind her song ‘Disaster’- which was emotive, melancholy and beautiful, with sparse chords and powerful vocals to display her exceptional talent as an artist; I think every audience member was captivated from that point onwards. ‘Shivers’ was impeccable- with faultlessly crafted lyrics and chords- to create a truly awe-inspiring song. She closed with a wonderful cover of Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’- complete with a short burst of Aloe Black’s ‘I Need a Dollar’- which brought a perfect end to an otherwise spotless set: it has suddenly become very apparent that bigger venues beckon her.

Next up was Antonio Lulić, a North-East England born-and-bred rock/folk musician whom I have been waiting to see live for... well, quite a while! I know I never seem to write bad reviews of people, but when artists like this exist in the world, is there any point in slagging them off, I ask you?

Clearly, the answer is no.

His vocals were faultless, his guitar playing captivating and his energy and passion for music infectious, therefore it wasn’t long until he won the entire audience over with his dashing good-looks and musically rustic charm. He opened with the new ‘Beckoning Drum’; unleashing a flood of energetic guitar chords and soulful vocals in to the already buzzing audience. ‘Never or Tonight’ was just as I expected, Antonio’s performance was enthralling and his voice soared effortlessly over each note to fill the entire venue- singing ‘Meet me at Bath Spa station, out on the edge of town/ I’ll be waiting on the platform as the sun goes down’ resulted in a bout of laughter from the audience… clearly hiding the swoons from each of the women. Next up was the popular anthem introduced as ‘This song is about the sound of the girl next door singing… and it’s called ‘The sound of the girl next door, singing’ and it was perfect. I was a little disappointed to see that he wasn’t going to perform it with Kal’s backing-vocals, but once he got into the swing of things I couldn’t fault his performance- maybe even my favourite song of the night? Finally, after a truly tremendous set, he closed with his beautiful song about forgiveness: ‘Hey, it’s okay’- which deftly walked the line between being intriguingly melancholy and a toe-tapping sing-along number. I can hardly wait to hear more!

Unfortunately, this is when I had to leave; abandoning the warmth and laughter of the intimate venue and returning to the graft of my 6th-form essays. I was a little disappointed to leave before Ryan Keen’s set- because I do adore his music- but I feel I should add in here that his EP ‘Aiming for the Sun’ is flawless and by arriving early and catching the end of his sound-check, I can say with confidence that his live performances are equally so. But one thing is certain, if each of these outstanding performances didn’t secure all that performed a good reputation when it comes to performing live… I don’t know what will, because they were all exceptional.

One's To Watch

KARIMA FRANCIS

Looks can be deceiving. I’m sure that when you first spot a tall, slender androgynous looking lady, with stunningly, wild curly hair and a guitar strapped to her back- a soulful singer/songwriter isn’t what you first expect. Blackpool born-and-bred Karima Francis is currently at the top of her game, producing slick and evocative EP’s which are both beautiful and emotionally charged. Recently signed to Mercury records, her latest EP ‘The Remedy’ reached a peak position of 36 in the UK charts and has been highly acclaimed by critics and radio DJ’s alike. It’s a clean collection of emotive, confessional tunes, using layered vocals and clever lyrics to create a highly intelligent record distinctive, but heartfelt, melancholy undertones. My favourites would be‘Wherever I Go’- a ballsy ballad portraying the pain caused through loss, and‘Stay’- a beautifully crafted (Tracy Chapman- esk?) song with a sustaining hint of an intriguing darkness. I urge you to give her a listen… as I said, looks can be deceiving.

KAL LAVELLE

Well, if you have followed my blog at all over the last couple of years, you will have discovered that I am a huge Kal Lavelle fan. Having first seen her support Ed Sheeran back in 2011, I was instantly hooked on her music. The mixture of intriguing vocals and sparse guitar chords are both interesting and emotive, allowing her music to portray real and relatable feelings. After the debut of her highly acclaimed‘Shivers’ EP, she is soon to release a collaborations record with several London-based grime and rap artists (or so I’ve heard). But personally, the thing that grabs me most about Kal as an artist is her performance style. Despite her quiet and soulful music, her witty audience rapport and inclusion adds a whole other level to her gigs- making everyone warm to her personality and enjoy her natural wit. This distinctive lack of polystyrene smiles and cheesy song stories makes her music all the more, well… real, and real songs with genuine emotions appear to be far more difficult to come across in this auto-tuned, boy-band society that we inhabit. My personal favourite tracks are‘Gypsy Blood’, a beautifully nostalgic number (also the most listened to song on my IPod!) and the ‘I Fell in Love with my Friend’ duet with Mic Righteous, where the sweet, romanticised lyrics seem to blend effortlessly with the fast, grimy and intriguing rap. Check out:http://www.facebook.com/kallavellemusic .

LIANNE LA HAVAS

No one quite seems to fit the ‘up-and-coming’ title like Lianne La Havas. Having recently signed to Atlantic records and releasing a beautifully subtle duet with Willy Mason, her popularity and ability as an artist has rocketed. Her debut album ‘Is Your Love Big Enough?’ has made a tremendous impact on the UK charts, with plays on multiple radio stations and some serious download stats-but this isn’t what makes her such a tremendous musician. The mixture of interesting guitar chords, haunting vocals and highly intelligent lyrics make Lianne an incredibly unique performer. After seeing her live for the first time at Latitude festival this year I have learnt that she is enjoyable to watch and incredibly humble- even pausing to take a picture of the crowd for her Facebook page! My top tunes would have to be ‘Au Cinema’, a wonderfully sweet song with subtle melodies and beautiful lyrics, and ‘Is Your Love Big Enough?’ a real feel-good song about self-loving, which I don’t doubt will put a smile on your face. I’d watch out for Lianne, if I were you, as I’m sure this won’t be the last you hear of her.