Joe Brooks O2 Academy Islington London

Chatting with Joe Brooks in London

On the 21st of September singer/song-writer Joe Brooks returned to London for a highly anticipated show after touring countries such as South Korea and America for a long time. The O2 Academy in Islington is a great venue with an 800 person capacity and a high ceiling that produces excellent acoustics for a considerably intimate gig. I arrived a little late to the venue but caught the second half of Tyrone Wells' set. Tyrone comes from Washington and although I had not specifically followed his music before I did recognise a few songs as he has been frequently featured in television shows such as Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill and The Vampire Diaries. It was clear that he has had a lot of experience in front of an audience because he had the ability to captivate everyone not only with his charming music, but also his story-telling in between songs. Personally, I think the highlight of his set was when he asked the audience to remain silent whilst he sang without the microphone. The created an amazing atmosphere and the whole crowd fell silent (with exception to an incredibly rude guy who shouted in the middle but then received death glares) as they listened to Tyrone's impressive vocals. I always love how concerts can bring a crowd of 800 people of different ages, genders and backgrounds together to share a love for music and in that moment, it feels like everyone is equal.

Hugging Joe Brooks after his set

As Tyrone departed the stage, I was left exhilarated and ready to get caught up all over again in the music. The stage was decorated with bulbs hanging from the ceiling and an antique rug on the floor which was fitting for the British, home-coming theme. Joe took to the stage and opened with his new song 'Till My Heart Stops Beating'. He played the acoustic guitar and was accompanied by drums and the keyboard. I had a good view of the whole stage and thoroughly enjoyed singing along and dancing, beaming every time I hear an introduction to my favourite Joe Brooks songs. Along with his well-known tracks such as 'Green Eyes', 'Kaleidoscope' and 'I Find the Light in You', Joe did some covers including 'Cough Syrup' by Young The Giant, 'Come Together' by The Beatles and a Jessie J medley. The passion and soul throughout the whole show was overwhelming and it has been a very long time since I have seen an artist get so lost in his love for music and performing. The emotion in the way Joe sang and played his music was echoed by the audience even in songs that many had not heard before such as 'Carousel' and 'Oh Toronto' which are from his upcoming record 'The Boy with the Broken Machine'. When Joe performed 'Holes Inside' (which he proudly told us went to Number One in South Korea) and everybody joined to sing the line "sometimes fate and your dreams will collide" it was clear by his expression that he loved being home in the UK very much and was as happy to see us as we were to see him. After the show, I was fortunate enough to meet the talent that I had just seen on stage only to find out that Joe is an extremely nice guy to talk to as well. His Southampton accent had elements of American creeping in which I guess is expected seeing as he lives in Los Angeles now and he spends a lot of time with his American band. I had a fantastic, unforgettable night and if you ever get the chance to hear this boy's vocals live you must not pass the opportunity.

If you follow me on twitter ( @heyitselliejay ) you were probably expecting an interview with previous Artist Of The Week Tom Mann, but unfortunately he could not make it down to the show however, never fear, I have been promised a written interview in the not too distance future so keep checking back!

Luddstock Festival 2012 - Interview with Sam Gray

Sam Gray and I in the rain

With a list of questions, a huge umbrella and my best pair of wellies, I was ready for my night at a truly British festival in the rain in the garden of Reynold's farm. When I arrived the marquees were all set up and the stage looked extremely scenic with a forest backdrop and decorative lights scattered around the field. I was eager to meet Sam Gray, the singer/song writer whom I had nothing but praise for in my recent 'Artist of The Week' article and as I first introduced myself it was clear he was not just a talented singer, but also a very nice guy. The interview (as you can see above) went brilliantly, despite the loud background music from the blues band playing at the time. Off camera, Sam told me that he was worried people would not get up to dance during his set and as the clouds got darker and the wind picked up, the fear that people will stay in their marquee and not support him boiled up inside me too. Nevertheless, as Sam graced the stage singing his hits such as 'Senorita', 'All of My Life' and 'Brighter Day', people braved the rain to watch him sing. Sam also did a couple of covers which was great as everyone could sing along to well-loved tunes such as 'I Wish' by Stevie Wonder and 'Brown Eyed Girl' by Van Morrison. When the beloved 'any requests?' question was asked, my family could not help but request 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder (my all-time favourite song). I thought that it would be really difficult to suddenly be able to play and sing a random song suggested by the audience, but I was pleasantly surprised when Sam and his band performed the song wonderfully. The audience were screaming 'more' every time Sam showed any sign of finishing, and I was so pleased that people were genuinely having a fantastic time listening to him. Also, the bass player for Sam was a true showman, rocking out with his instrument and smiling his head off during the whole set. Both the bass player and drummer were very impressive and never missed a beat, even with the surprise covers. Sam finished with his new single 'This Girl' which was a great way to end the set and definitely left the crowd wanting more. The rest of the night went 'swimmingly', the final band was a 'Ska' band who were great to dance to and the whole place was buzzing. It was a really good night for the excellent cause of Milestone School and a lot of money was raised, I am looking forward to next year's festival which is the 29th of June 2013!