WHO WANTS TO BE THIS YEAR'S BRIT GIRL?

Company is the official monthly magazine partner of the BRITs again this year, and we're looking for a blogger to represent us at the biggest night of the musical calendar.. so what are you waiting for?

Join this thread and upload a gig review below, along with your blog link and email address, and you could join us on the night - and then write all about it for Company.co.uk and .Company magazine!

Get your entry in below and you could be joining us at THE music event of the year...

iTunes Festival 2011 – Friendly Fires - Roundhouse, Camden – Thursday July 14th
I’ve always been some what of a floozy when it comes to music, never sticking to one decade or genre to sum up my musical tastes. I have the attitude in life of try anything one (within the confines of what is legal and proper of course!) and when applied to music this mantra has always seen me right. I’ve discovered over the years music I had beforehand written off as ‘not for me’ was actually not too bad once I’d taken a listen or seen them play live – the latest being my mum getting me into Seth Lakeman after me previously writing off folk music as something I’ll revisit when in my 40’s.
With all of this in mind I jumped at the chance of some new music experiences when the ballot for iTunes festival tickets opened earlier this year. I applied for tickets for any nights I was free during July with crossed fingers and toes. After numerous ‘unfortunately you have not been successful’ emails I was delighted to open my laptop up last week to see a big fat ‘congratulations’ waiting for me in my inbox. I’d won tickets to see Friendly Fires at the Roundhouse in Camden.
At this point I must admit I had heard of Friendly Fires but wasn’t 100% sure if I knew any of their music, I had however been told they put on one hell of a show so I was all fired up for a great gig.
I was most certainly NOT disappointed! As a venue the Roundhouse was fantastic. It was intimate yet spacious; we never had to wait longer than 5 minutes at any bar and even standing close to the back of the crowd you still felt like you were almost at the front of the stage.
The show itself was brilliant. I knew most of the songs they played and was singing and dancing the night away. Lead singer Ed MacFarlane is an awesome showman and turned a good show into a great one, he is worth seeing for his dancing alone, something I have since found out he is famous for.
Thanks to Friendly Fires, iTunes and The Roundhouse Camden for such a top night, I will certainly be looking for tickets for when they return to London on their up and coming tour.

Alice Langley - www.anessexwife.wordpress.com

the best gig i've been to recently was the Here come the girls tour!! I was so looking forward to seeing heather small as i was a massive M People fan back in the day, well wow, boy has she still got it, she through sounds out that i didnt think a human could do, totally amazing.. Anastacia was stunning, beautiful singer, beautiful person, she was amazing and also was well able to belt out the tunes!! Lulu wouldnt be my number 1 singer but boy did she get the crowd goin, real jump out of your seat songs, it was a great great night for the girls!!!!

I would be delighted to represent Company Magazine at the 2012 BRITS! To showcase British musical talent to Company readers and beyond would be a dream come true.
I go to roughly 3 gigs a month, most recently being the stunning Adele at O2 Apollo in Manchester.. my review is below!

I did not expect to be writing this blog as Adele has had to cancel several dates on her 21 tour due to suffering from a chest infection and laryngitis. But she did not let her fans down and managed to pull off a spellbinding performance at the O2 Apollo in Manchester on Saturday night.

In the run up to Adele’s show, she posted a blog post on her website about projecting photographs in between sets of her and her friends. She asked for fans coming to the show to send in any fun pictures and they will be shown at the specific date you are attending. I decided (for a laugh!) to send in a picture from my 21st birthday of me and my best friends, and luckily it appeared for the whole audience to see! I was absolutely delighted that it was shown and can now say that me and the girls have appeared on stage with Adele!

Adele had two support acts kicking of the show called The Civil Wars and Amos Lee. I had never heard of either act before but thoroughly enjoyed their music, especially The Civil Wars who reminded me of Mumford & Sons / Lady Antebellum. Check out their website to view some of their hits such as ‘Barton Hollow’, ‘Poison & Wine’ and ‘Between the Bars’.

Dressed in 3/4 sleeved knee length black dress, Adele began in her signature style with Hometown Glory as her opener. Then captivated the audience with her early work on the ‘19’ album with Chasing Pavements, Right As Rain and My Same and then with her latest album ‘21’. We got to hear modern classics such as Set Fire to the Rain and Turning Tables, the tear jerking Someone Like You and ending on a upbeat Rolling in the Deep which got the crowd on their feet and singing in the aisles. Throwing in a cover from The Steel Drivers and dedicating a fitting tribute to Amy Winehouse, Adele kept the crowd fixated throughout her one and a half hour set.

In true Adele fashion she kept us entertained with funny stories and jokes about who and why she wrote the songs. The show was a pleasure not just for the ears but also the eyes. A great stage setting with terracotta lamps and superb musicians who played with her provided an excellent back drop to the emotional Adele 21 tour.

I loved Adele’s show because she is just a young girl, around the same age as me, following her dreams. She has a made a success out of her ex-boyfriends and bad relationship break ups. She is the girl who you would love as a best friend, a sister, or to party hard with on a night out. Adele has not let fame get to her head and I hope this continues for the foreseeable future. I urge anyone who has not seen Adele live before to do so on her next tour as you will be blown out of this world!

Katie Gray - http://nannag90.tumblr.com

Pulp - Brixton Academy - 31st August 2011

Pulp have been my favourite band since I can remember. Slightly odd coming from a 19 year old, not the most appropriate songs to be listening to while growing up, but jumped at the chance to see them. Travelling down from North Yorkshire (which was stressful enough as I had forgotten my purse, dad came to the rescue in York), was more than worth it.
Brixton Academy is one of the most beautiful venues I have ever been to, slap bang in the middle of Brixton, seems so out of place.
Baxter Dury was the support act for the evening, while the audience filled the venue, he supplied beautiful, simple rhythms, with a folky edge. Not many people realising that this was the son of 70's rock star Ian Dury, he certainly got the mood set for what was going to be one of the best gigs of the year.

A spectacular laser got the crowd going as it read out quotes such as 'You look nice. Yes you. Fancy a drink?' and of course the infamous line 'Do you remember the first time?' got the crowd screaming for Jarvis %&*$#.
I was clearly one of the youngest people there, but for the first time, felt so at ease within the crowd, everyone was there to enjoy one of the last gigs Pulp will ever play.

They came onto Do you remember the first time?, followed by some b-sides and rare songs which was a breath of fresh air. This gig was for the fans, and Jarvis made sure we knew that. Then of course there were the classics, Disco 2000, Common People, Babies and a song which is particularly close to me, Something Changed. Now it's not every gig that you shed a tear, but Something Changed was beautiful.
Jarvis threw out his well known dance moves, showing that this 48 year old still had the energy of a 20 something.
In between songs, %&*$# would interact with the crowd, something bands these days don't tend to do a lot, having a drink and a chat made the audience feel welcome.

There was an overwhelming sense of love for this band, at the back of our minds we knew this would be the last (first and last for me) time the band would be performing and Jarvis relished every second.

Their encore consisted of Razzamatazz and Mis-Shapes, which he dedicated to students studying at art college. Something which I am doing, and was part of only a handful of people that cheered at the dedication.
The night was full of nostalgia, lights, unique dance moves and singing. Pulp have definitely not lost their touch and enjoyed every second of the night.
Was a truly unforgettable night, totally worth the 300 odd mile round trip.
Do you remember the first time? I will never forget it.

emily.ward@hotmail.co.uk
http://emilywardart.blogspot.com/

Listening to music, and writing about it, has been my daily thing since I can remember. As a college graduate, my years of "hard studying" were, or spent on-line, or going to every gig I could thing of, or festival hutting with my friends.
Being really honest when I say that there was no college party, better than the musical experiences I fortunately had until today.

So you can see how hard working my college years were. I get to finish it and decided to continue my learning journey in the worlds most desirable place, were to an outcast from the hot, sandy lands, praises the cold and the hot tea afternoons. London, is calling me since I'm 14 years old and this is the perfect chance to get myself out there, and show everyone ,a.k.a my parents, what I can do. But between all the chitchat and the countless shows my 20 years of living provided, August 5th, 2011 and December 7th, 2010 were the dates that outstaged any other birthday, even the all first crush situation.

The story behind December 7th, started way back in that same year at the summer season, when for the first time, and many years of waiting I saw Mcfly live at rock in rio 2010 in Lisbon. I was more excited than any kid out there. The fun thing was all the massive fans were all my age, for the simple fact that we all grew up listening to those 4 cute British guys. Besides the BSB phenomenon, Mcfly was always the British version, with the cute accent and approximate ages which was a plus. So, in December 2010, They announced a private, gig at one of our local clubs "gossip", were only 600 people could get in, to see the show, and get their album signed. At the Facebook event page, the number of people confirming the show was higher than 1500 people. Panic installed, and made me get out of class early just so that I could get a spot, which I knew was nothing, compared with all the girls that were there since 5 a.m.

I was always that kind of girl, who thought that starving, or spent an entire day, waiting, camping style, for an artist was not for me. But at the moment I was starring at Dougie, asking me, and apologizing for waiting in the rain, every opinion created till date, vanished. Was the first time and definitely not the last , that I became, one dedicated fan to the artist I love, making me repeat, not the same, but close experience again at Sudoeste Festival, for Kayne West 2nd concert in Portugal. My friends and family were already sick of me, talking about this show. Then the date finally arrived.

At that time I've already watched, The Kooks, Beyonce, Example and Local Natives. That concert was a massive add to my list of all time favorite artist to see live. I knew, it was going to be packed with fans, so me and my friend Rita new exactly what to do. Starve, forget about bathroom services, and just prepare ourselves a 10 hour wait session for the all mighty Kayne. And we did. We meet every security guard, played cards with other crazy maniacs like us, been shoved and kicked, but we take it. All of it.

Because even with an hour delay, Kayne showed up, and I could see him, and he could see me, and maybe thought, how cool a girl like me wasted all her day, just to see him perform (So I wish). I do not have any miracle backstage opportunity meetings, or crazy stuck in traffic, running down the street to see my idol, or any life lesson to teach, but this two dates, were special, and describe me well. Everyone is born with a lot of passions and music is one of mine, and I'll keep upgrading my adventures, and fulfilled my life with music, because basically is everything I need, besides family and friends.
You can Follow all of my favorite artists, bands and music updates in my website - Spottedtoshare.com
email:denisesonnemberg@gmail.com

Thank you Everyone

Plan B - Pilton Party.

I've been to the Pilton party once before when my cousin got me free tickets to see Florence & the Machine and Dizzee Rascal. It was one of the most atmospheric experiences of my entire 14-year old life. Nothing could ever beat it I thought. The time arose again after I was once again handed this time 2 tickets, saying that he had bought them but unfortunately was not able to go. I'd had the tickets about a week and had forgotten to ask him who was playing! I immediately phoned him up and he replied down the line Plan B.
I do indeed own Plan B's Defamation of The Strickland Banks, but was slightly sceptical about going as I was worried that he would play all of his old grimey music that I did not know. As I had two tickets I also, slightly hesitantly I must admit, asked my boyfriend, Chaz, to come along with me.
Before a gig, I get a huge rush of adrenaline. This was no exception. I literally ran to the front of the stage, with little knowledge that I was to be stood there for 4 and a half hours before the big man was to greet us with his immense talent...
Those were the longest 4 and a half hours of my day. But as the sky got darker and the stage lights became brighter, the 'Defamation of Strickland Banks' sign was unveiled and the atmosphere of the crowd became electrified. I still get chills thinking about it now.
As the band came out one by one the decibels of the audience got louder in hope that they would see the man nearly 3,000 of us had been waiting to see. The tension grew and the adrenaline reached the ceiling. Suddenly acoustic clicks filled the air. The heavy bass line swept in and the instrumental of 'She said' was echoed to Glastonbury Tor.
A slick silhouetted figure in a suit came from the side of the stage stood in front of the microphone and ushered a 'cut' action. We all fell silent. I looked at Chaz in utter confusion. Suddenly the lights flashed as 'Welcome to Hell' filled the tent. It was that moment that really gives you goosebumps.
There was a dedication I will never forget "This goes to all the men that go down on their girlfriends" I just knew it was 'Love Goes Down'. The song I had been waiting for all night. Chaz and I have planned to have this as our wedding song for when we get married. Throughout that song I was in floods of tears. I couldn't help it. It was beautiful.
The night grew and each song was equally mesmerising, and I couldn't take my eyes off him.
He closed with the all time favourite 'She Said' and as he drew to a close the sign switched off and you could hear the sound effect of a prison lock, effectively 'locking him back into his cell for the night'.

kittydiamonds.tumblr.com
molly.stelcel@hotmail.co.uk

Standing in turquoise heels and printed high wasted trouser my attire seemed so out of place when fused with the sounds of African drums and beats. I suddenly felt as if I was in the tropics of Africa the smell and the scenery all foreign to me, but yet I felt comfortable despite being the “English girl”. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the night being a typical lover of House and POP. My Nigerian mother introduced me to music that was strange, but captured and forced me to dance along to the drums and sing along to the catchy choruses (which I did not understand).

So there I stood at an African concert at the O2Indigo, hoping I would get the same excitement the same feeling when listening to the music in my kitchen whilst my mum cooks.

The stage was simple and bare not what you would expect from a typical concert, however, the music and atmosphere were engaging, I let myself be free as I enjoyed this new experience. I knew none of the songs but that didn’t matter as I unwind to the music which was in a language unfamiliar to me. As the artists came on they all brought their own style and personality to the stage, which transformed the bleak stage into an animated theatrical place, where I desperately wanted to be.

One artist in particular had the crowd going crazy, Nigeria’s equivalent to Kanye West (minus the pompous attitude and glitzy jewellery). I soaked it all in: watching him jump across the stage, run into the crown to finally grab a face towel to wipe the sweat off his head. I laughed in delight enjoying this amicable experience. The same amount of energy transgressed into his second song ‘Undisputed Champion’ everyone seemed to know the words, not wanting to miss out on this feeling of unity I also tried to sing along with some success.

Female rappers also ravished the stage with bold alpha female attitudes, sporting their own individualistic swagger. Confident and striking hearing them rap over African drums and a heavy bass mixing English with their mother tongue, I enjoyed every moment of it watching them move their hips in sync with the beat.

I soaked it all up like the last days of an English summer. Within the 2hours and 45minutes of me being there I experienced the African culture and music, swopping my usual bottle of corona for a bottle of traditional African drink Supermalt. It was a low key event with no major superstar headlining but I enjoyed every moment of it and for that night I was in touch with my culture and heritage.

Lola Sole
lsole@live.com
redlipsnheels.blogspot.com

‘Get busy living or get busy dying’ Shawshank Redemption.

I returned to the UK from a short stint teaching English in South Korea in January this year. My inspiration levels were flat lining. I was down to my last ten pounds and desperate for work. I thus found myself in a terrible temp job that only just covered the rent. As I was cold calling away my mothers shrill voice would echo through my mind ‘I told you you should have…’

My head was spinning and I was in a creative black hole. But I wasn’t going to admit defeat. No way. I needed to do something. Fast. A few years ago I had embarked on a project to blag it into twenty festivals – get backstage and interview some famous musicians, editing and uploading the videos swiftly overnight on a Sunday ready for a Monday morning where I would then go to my day job. From that I was lucky enough to win some online competitions that resulted in two things; a video camera from Vodafone and a laptop from Pepsi. This got me thinking.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” — Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)

Life needed to be re-evaluated. I needed to get inspired…motivated…to take some steps to reach some goals. I had lost my way. And… I desperately needed a haircut. Life was not where I wanted it to be.

Fittingly Aloe Blacc came on the radio ‘I need a dollar dollar, a dollar is what I need’.. this got me to thinking. About wants vs needs.. living vs surviving.

‘The best way to think about reality, I had decided, was to get as far away from it as possible’ (Haruki Murakami)

I decided to embark on a personal creative project. I would call it ‘The Inspiration Series’. It would be a journey of self discovery.

“I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It’s all a question of how I view my life.” Paulo Coelho (Eleven Minutes)

Surrounded by rising unemployment levels – I had to think creatively how I could possibly work around my situation.

‘Be like water making its way through cracks’ (Bruce Lee)

With a lot of perseverance and hard work I went about filming/editing and presenting a series of short video blogs getting help from friends who wanted some experience. We attended ten festivals - where I saw some and interviewed some of my FAVOURITE bands perform - Chilly Gonzales, The Bluetones... Clare Maguire....!!!! The Bluetones frontman Mark Morriss liked the video I made so much he invited me to his final tour and I saw him perform 'Expecting to Fly' for the last time.... . I felt so honoured. You can see all the videos I made on my site - www.ohdearyme.com!

I have always dreamt of going to the Brits. Make my dream come true?!
Becki Bx
www.ohdearyme.com

The anticipation I felt at seeing a band who I had followed since their very first single 'We Cry' at a venue such as the O2 Arena was greater than I had experienced at any previous gigs. The Script have been highly successful with two albums under their belt an arena tour was next on their list, as I purchased my tickets I was thrilled to be seeing them at such a large venue.

Arriving into the arena the excitement was built to a frenzy as the band took to the stage for their first track "You Won't Feel a Thing", the band have risen to this point of success through hard work and determination and you can as an audience member pick up that they are highly appreciative of their fans and the success they have had so far.

Every album track is a stunning piece of song writing and as they perform every track I experience all types of emotions, from heartbreak to joy, tears to laughter. They manage to make such personal songs crowd pleasers at such a large venue which only goes to proove they have the passion and drive to go far in the music industry.

One moment in particular stands out, Danny has just sung one of their most iconic songs 'The Man who cant be moved' as he pauses to finish the song the crowd applaud and their is a moment of emotion from the frontman as he takes in the atmosphere of the arena, that moment showed me a band who really connected with their audience making it a concert worth being present at.

The set deign within the O2 Arena was brilliant a simple yet ideal setting for the band, enough visual elements to coincide with the songs themes but nothing that could take away from the brilliant songwriting. The standing crowd added to the atmosphere as Danny visited the front row making it well worth the long wait that some of them must of had.

Whenever I got to concerts I love the excitement and anticipation they bring with them and I always love the atmosphere of when a band sing one of their most iconic songs an example of this was 'Breakeven' by The Script, the last song of the night it was a truely rousing song choice for the end of the night, the crowd were all singing along and it was clear the band loved the fact they could hear their lyrics being sung back to them by thousands of fans. The glitter fell down from the roof at the penultimate moment as everyone took in the nights events, a fantastic concert.

Leaving the O2 Arena that night I played The Script's music all the way home enjoying such a brilliant band who had proven that they are just as great live. I will forever be a fan.


Email-Sassy349@hotmail.com