Bucks New University Music and Event Management

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Graduate Panel Returns

Our annual graduate panel once again hosted four alumni from our Music & Audio courses, who are now working in the industry. They each spoke briefly about their journey from uni to the workplace, and afterwards current students had the opportunity to network with them.

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“Working on the frontline of music publishing with brilliant creators of music is a privilege,” says Benjamin Akpojaro, A&R Manager at independent music publisher Reservoir. Benjamin graduated in BA (Hons) Music Management Branding & Promotion from Bucks New University in 2013 and his job involves everything from signing writers, artists and producers, to pitching songs from its catalogue to labels for artists’ projects. He said: “I grew up writing and producing and love music creation and absolutely love my job. The industry can be very testing but the rewards and my passion for music make it worthwhile.” Reservoir is based in New York City and has offices in Los Angeles, Toronto, and London, with writers based everywhere from Hollywood to Hamburg who have penned well-known tracks including Human by Rag'n'Bone Man and Havana by Camila Cabello. Benjamin has worked at Reservoir in London for five years and returned to Bucks when he joined other graduates who work in the music industry to speak to current students on the annual Music Department alumni panel.

KEEP READING

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BUCKS LIVE HOOKS UP WITH HEARING DOGS FOR ALL NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL “SUBWOOFERS”

A new partnership between Bucks New University and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People will see live music performed at the charity’s home in Saunderton this summer. A fun day out has been planned for all the family with live music, entertainment and attractions that’ll leave everyone smiling.

The event, presented in collaboration with Bucks New University’s Bucks Live, will be called SubWoofers and will take place during the bank holiday weekend on Sunday 6 May 2018 at Hearing Dogs, The Grange, Saunderton, Bucks HP27 9NS, from 1pm until 7pm.

 Michele Jennings, Chief Executive of Hearing Dogs says: “We are delighted to be working with Bucks New University on this brand new event. With the growth in music festivals over recent years, we want everyone to enjoy live music, but remember to look after their hearing! The one-day event will raise funds to train more clever, loveable hearing dogs, and we hope lots of families will enjoy a great day out with us.”

Following the success of other Bucks Live events at the University's High Wycombe Campus over recent years, students from second year Music & Live Events Management and Music Business courses have been working with Hearing Dogs over several months to create what promises to be a great fun day out.

 In the UK 11.5 million people suffer from hearing loss* and this number continues to rise. Deafness can be caused by many factors, of which frequent exposure to loud music is one, and increasingly festival goers, well-known musicians and many employed in the entertainment industry are developing hearing loss. We want this event to raise awareness of the causes of deafness, while ensuring live music can still be thoroughly enjoyed.

About Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

For anyone who loses their hearing, or is deaf from birth, everyday life presents a great many challenges. Deafness is an invisible disability, and is frequently misunderstood. Deaf people can feel isolated, cut off from family, friends and the community around them. The charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People provides clever, expertly trained assistance dogs that change the lives of deaf children and adults by providing constant companionship, and alerting them to important sounds. In addition, we provide expert support and advice across the UK for those encountering hearing loss, and we raise awareness of mild to severe deafness and the issues that surround it.

Websites: www.hearingdogs.org.uk/

www.buckslive.co.uk/

Social Media: 

https://facebook.com/BucksLivePresents

https://twitter.com/bucksliveprsnt

https://www.instagram.com/bucksliveprsnt/

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Oxford's £10.5m live music scene is 'threatened' by growing number of festivals

This article from the Oxford News

Co-ordinated by the University of Edinburgh, the census on March 9, 2017, saw university students across the country spend the night watching live music in just three case study cities: Glasgow, Newcastle-Gateshead and Oxford.

In the city of dreaming spires, 12 students from Bucks New University watched a total of 16 performances at eight venues including ambient synth-pop at The Cellar, ‘ferocious grunge noise’ at the Library and RnB at the O2 Academy.

Dubbed ‘Springwatch for live music’, the survey aimed to get a measure of live music’s cultural and economic value, discover what challenges the industry faces and inform government policy to help it flourish.

READ MORE HERE

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Joe McCorrison at the Coffee House Sessions

Joe McCorrison was fresh off the train from Lancaster, when he arrived at Bucks Student Union to perform at the Coffee House sessions, having played an opening slot for Folk-Punk giant, Frank Turner the night before. He insists that watching Turner open for Greenday as a teenager made him realise that Acoustic Music can still be exciting. Joe Stopped by at Bucks Student Union to discuss his “whirlwind 24 -hours” and his upcoming E.P.

How would you describe your sound ?

I like to think my sound is the product of an acoustic musician who likes almost every genre of music and tries to put that into my own music in different ways. There’s a bit of pop in there, a bit of rock, there’s obviously folk connotations, there’s a bit of soul and even reggae in some of my songs .

Who are your biggest influencers?

I’m a huge huge Bob Dylan fan which is just a cliché in itself. He was one of the guys that influenced me to pick-up a guitar. I recently read Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography, ‘Born to Run’ and it is the best thing in the world . It has completely instilled this new motivation into me. I feel like I’m starting all over again with a fresh mind just because of his book . I’ve loved his music for years but you know when you listen to someone and you absolutely hammer their music constantly and you give it a little bit of a break? Well I was on a Bruce Springsteen hiatus but then I read his book and I’m hooked again ….He’s going to be the answer to every one of these questions from here on …..

You’ve got quite a hectic touring schedule . What three things do you miss most from home when you’re on the road ?

I miss my Budgie and my Girlfriend.  I miss my Family. I’m very much a homely person who likes to tour a lot . I miss touring when I’m at home then when I’m on tour I miss home a lot. Life on the road is a lot of fun. It’s just this constant rotation of not quite knowing what you want.

You just played in support of Frank Turner again , what was that like ?

Great. It was very lovely to play to such an appreciative audience.  I’ve played a lot of opening slots where you play to an empty room and I was very lucky to play to a full room last night .They were a very kind audience.

 Your first gig was at Costa Coffee, so the Coffee House sessions must be kind of reminiscent of that...

Yeah it’s actually really strange . I was actually thinking of sitting down for this gig but the last time I did that was about 2 years ago and not only is it really uncomfortable but I cant sing as well and the guitar was really digging into my ribs.

 What’s your favourite thing about playing small venues such as Bucks Student Union ?

The closeness and the heckling and the banter with the audience . I like interaction . I talk a lot of rubbish and sometimes people in the audience also talk rubbish which is great because then we connect. I feel when I go to gigs as well in a small venue it’s just a lot more special and intimate. That can be applied to bigger gigs as well on occasion though .

 Having played so many shows , do you still get nervous before you go onstage?

No. I was a bit nervous last night until I soundchecked but after that I knew what was going on and I was fine. I definitely have been nervous in the past, though . For the first couple of years I used to get nervous a lot but I just try and approach it with a different mindset nowadays.

Your next EP is released this week . What can we expect from that ?

Raw, acoustic, honest songs about subjects that vaguely related to the title of the EP. There are songs about my new-born nephew on there , songs about me comparing myself against my friends who are also musicians in much higher places than me and subconsciously comparing myself to them when I don’t really want to.

What are your top 3 Desert Island Items ?

A guitar, obviously, which is a pathetic answer but it’s very fun . I would take my Girlfriend , although she might not want to be there and … Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography.

 Joe’s latest EP ‘Existance. Familiarity’ was released Thursday January 25th  .

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Good Tiger Interview

After a respectable support set from Atlas:Empire, the 1st February 2018 saw Good Tiger dominate the SU with heavy rock riffs, fast-paced guitars and impressive Canadian vocals from frontman Elliot Coleman. They had the entire crowd in the palm of their hand as fans revelled in their love for the impeccable alternative-metal five-piece.

Music Business student Reece Rimmington caught up with band members Joe and Morgan before their set to ask them a few questions.

What is life like for Good Tiger right now?

Joe - Life’s good. We’ve just been picking up momentum because it was real slow beforehand. We’ve had the album done for a while so we just felt like everything slowed down, drastically.

Morgan – The album is out in like a week so things will pick up from here – that is the most pessimistic intro ever. It was an intentional break.

Tonight, you’re performing at a university, did any of the band go to university or contemplate going?

Joe – Everyone but the Americans went to uni because to go to uni in the states you have to be incredibly wealthy.

What did you study?

Morgan – I studied music at Goldsmiths in London, it was very good *laughs*

Joe – I studied music production at Leeds

The new album ‘We Will All Be Gone’ is due out on the 9th February, how did the creation of this album differ from ‘A Head Full of Moonlight’?

Morgan – The first album was less of a collaborative effort, it was spearheaded by Dez. The new album is less metal and more mature.

Joe – I think it’s heavier in other ways.

You’ve previously toured with the likes of Biffy Clyro, Dance Gavin Dance, Mongol Horde etc., what’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you on tour?

Joe – We were on our way back at the end of tour and we had like a hundred-hour drive. Elliot was driving – he was in shorts because it was warm. We had just had coffees and he said ‘I really need a piss, but I don’t wanna stop’. He gets the cup and pisses perfectly into this cup and it was beautiful. So, I was like ‘wow, that’s impressive, well done.’ He wound down the window and any sane person would tip it backwards, but he tipped it forwards and it went all over his arm and face.

This is day 3 of your UK headline tour, what has it been like touring with Atlas:Empire so far?

Both – They’re great, they’re lovely people.

Morgan – We like them a lot. The bassist offered me a string today.

Joe – It sucks that it’s such a short tour. Usually, it takes a while for people to really get to know each other because you don’t really see them that much.

Finally, what can we expect from Good Tiger in the future?

Morgan – Nothing

Joe – Absolutely nothing

Morgan – We’re calling it a day. No, new album, you can expect that very soon and a number of tours surrounding that album.

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Time Out in Amsterdam

Second and Third year Music and Event Management students took time out in Amsterdam recently for an international study trip. In a busy 3 days they visited the amazing Melkweg for a guided tour of the venue, heard from security expert Syan Schapp of the Event Safety Institute and took time to see The Hunna in concert.

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Record Breaking Winterland Returns

Photo: Gloria Gryta

First year Music and Live Events Management students hosted the biggest and most successful Bucks Live event to date on Saturday 9th December, when close to 3,500 visitors descended on the High Wycombe Campus to enjoy all the delights on offer at ‘Winterland'.

The giant ferris wheel was a major attraction, along with assorted fairground rides, the always popular indoor play zone – which featured a guest appearance from ‘Frozen' star Elsa – and, for the first time, a visit from Santa Claus. Live music was a feature of the day with performances from Holmer Green Choir and Rock Band, The Wycombe Rock Project, our very own Accapella Society and more. A generous sprinkling of snow made the day complete. Module Leader Neil Mackey said: “This was a fantastic day, and a great way for me to sign off with a hugely successful event delivered by an incredibly hard working group of students who have only been with us since September. It was a marker for how far Bucks Live has come over the past few years, and it’s great to see the High Wycombe community enjoy the day so much."

The next Bucks Live event will be staged in partnership with The Hearing Dogs For The Deaf in May.

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Marie White

Lauren Woodland chats with another of our visitors from The Coffee House Sessions

Marie White is one of the newest artists to the Coffee House Sessions. 22 years young, she enjoys making music, hanging out with her girlfriend, and writing about herself in the third person.

I heard you sound checking earlier, you have a great voice – it reminds me of Tracy Chapman!

I get that quite a lot when I’m playing with my function band, I always get requests to play Fast Car! I can’t really complain about being compared to her though, she’s a bit of a hero really. Some people don’t like being compared to other musicians but I think it’s always a compliment when you are referred to someone who is doing better than you.

What artists do you look up to and who influences your music?

Not in terms of song-writing but I still do a lot of covers with my function band so I like to cover people such as Stevie Wonder. Personally I don’t really listen to a lot of music so in terms of song-writing I wouldn’t necessarily say that I have an influence but I do like sort of soulful, funky stuff.

In terms of your song-writing process, are your lyrics personal to you or purely fictional?

My lyrics are always personal, it’s actually really annoying because I wish I could be more generic. At the moment it feels a bit like writing a diary and then offering it to everyone to read. Rather than handing out these Coffee House coasters, I may as well hand out a copy of my diary. But yeah, my lyrics are always personal and are normally about my girlfriend or something that is happening in my life.

I read something online about how you like to stick to a 30 minute rule, can you tell us what that is?

If a song is not written in half an hour, it’s going in the bin. I only ever write songs when I need an output and half an hour is my limit unless I find myself singing the chorus a week later. I don’t set a timer or anything but if I’m watching TV and Emmerdale is on, I know that by the time it’s finished I will either like what I have started to write or it’s time to get rid of it.

You are one of the newest artists to the Coffee House Sessions, how did you get into music in the first place?

I took it up when I was 15/16. Before that I actually played badminton at a national level meaning that I would train 6 days a week. I have played in High Wycombe so many times I recognised everything on my way here! I played for years until I had an accident at a training session where I damaged my knee and had an operation. I was in recovery for over a year and started writing poems to try and occupy my time. Then I thought maybe I could try and sing those poems, I was actually awful for a very long time. I remember once being in the car singing along to an Atomic Kitten song and my dad turned to my mum and said “she’s never going to be a singer”. My dad couldn’t believe it when I told him I was going on tour. I was probably awful for two years but I just kept trying and gigging. It was a complete fluke really!

You are working on your debut single at the moment – who are you working with and what we can expect?

I am working with Hugh Worskett, he is great and has worked with loads of cool people like Rae Morris, Will Joseph Cook and Birdy. I don’t have much experience of recording so I still feel a little out of my comfort zone. All of my songs are around five minutes which he says are too long. My songs are stories so cutting the middle out of them was a little disheartening. My first single is going to be “I want to know you” which is going to be released at the start of next year.  

If Glastonbury Festival were to go ahead next year and it was up to you to choose the three headliners - who would be playing?

Not myself because that wouldn’t be fair. Probably Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé and Pink. I think Pink is a much underrated artist. My manager has just finished working at V Festival and said that her live performance is phenomenal. I would put her on just so that I could watch her.

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#We Are International

The community at Bucks New Uni is wide and far reaching. Here are some of our Polish students sharing their experiences of life as a Music and Events Management student.

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It’s a Long Way Down!

First year student Eryn Anderson recounts her trip to Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, where students enjoyed a different view of the stage.

A Wednesday is usually my lazy day and the day I get to sleep in, but on this day I had to get up bright and early and face the cold outside. Of course this was a small price to pay to be given the opportunity to go behind the scenes in Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

The tour began with a brief look at the backstage dressing rooms, the theatre is currently showing Hairspray so needless to say there were wigs EVERYWHERE.

What was interesting about these rooms was their versatility, The side of stage changing room also could act as a loading bay allowing quick loading and unloading of large scale productions. It was also mentioned to us that during ballet performances this room was usually converted into a cycle room.

From there we got to centre stage which featured a large very glittery can of hairspray. From here the seating arrangements were explained. As a theatre Waterside is fairly unique in the fact that its main room can be arranged in three different ways; your usual seated set up, a flat pit 1.5m metres lower than the stage or a completely flat floor level with the stage. This is all possible due to the fact an area of the flooring is a massive lift that can lower seating to a large room underneath the auditorium. The seating is attached in large groups which have a padding mechanism underneath allowing them to hoover and be moved.

Next we got to climb higher above the stage where the pulley system to move curtains and large pieces of the set was explained to us. Next was definitely my favourite part of the tour, climbing to the highest part of the theatre we were shown the grid. Rising 20m above the stage this area of metal slats is used for loading and unloading weights onto the pulleys as well as anchoring large pieces of equipment that require extra support. Standing on this structure was a complete adrenaline rush as through the gaps in the slats you could see directly below to the stage.

Finally we finished off the tour learning a bit about the history of the theatre. The structure itself is themed around nature, built in the shape of the chiltern hills the theatre features over 10,000 individual pieces of wood each placed one by one, the lighting in the main auditorium is said to represent the eyes of woodland creatures poking out of burrows. The building is also fairly self sufficient having their heating system come from 70m below ground and their air conditioning come from wind turbines on the top of the building; not to mention that their toilets use rain water.

All in all Aylesbury Waterside is a very unique theatre that is utilising its space to the most of its ability in order to provide the public with the best experience they can have along with being able to put on as many different events as possible.

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The Wandering Hearts

Music Business student Lauren Woodland meets the Wandering Hearts.

The Wandering Hearts seem to have come from nowhere but it has been two years of hard work after chance meetings of Tim and Tara at a gig and AJ and Chess through mutual friends. Something instantly clicked between this four-piece and within 30 minutes of uploading a demo, a label discovered them, and a record deal with Decca soon followed. I met three out of four of The Wandering Hearts at their Bucks Coffee House session.

What artists do you look up to and who inspires your music?

Chess: I think our sound has been created due to the fact that we all individually take influence from a lot of different artists, there are some crossovers though, and we do share some of the same influences. I listened to a lot of folk growing up, be that Irish folk or Simon and Garfunkel. Since then I have really gotten into artists such as First Aid Kit.

Tara: We listen to a lot of Fleetwood Mac. Chris Stapleton is also an incredible singer and musician, I would say that he is the main artist that we all crush on and bond over.

AJ: Yeah, it was one of those common interests. Despite having some artistic differences, he is definitely an influence that brings us all together.

How would you describe your sound?

Chess: In terms of genre, it’s difficult to define but we would probably call it Americana-folk. Americana in its essence is an umbrella term for country which we sometimes get comparisons to because of our focus on lyrics, song writing and melody. All things that country music really excels at.

AJ: We do like to tell a bit of a story while stirring imagination and emotion. I think truthful lyricism and epic storytelling is synonymous with country music and that’s naturally why we get so many references to country music.

You released your debut single ‘Wish I Could’ a few months back – how easy was it to choose a debut track?

Tara: We have done a lot of writing so we had around 60 songs under our belt. ‘Wish I Could’ seemed like quite a logical choice because it was one of the first songs we had actually written together as a band and it just ticked all the boxes for a first single. It represented us all individually as well as our sound that we had been working really hard towards.

AJ: In some ways the song chose us because we had it in the bag from early on despite all the writing we went on to do. When Decca got introduced to us, it was one of the first songs they heard and they were mad about it.

Could you tell us a bit about the meaning behind the debut single?

Chess: It was one of those songs which we could all individually bring something to and relate to. It describes when a relationship becomes stale, you end up snapping at each other, not really listening to each other but you struggle to pull yourself away from that. It’s essentially about accepting that a relationship has run its course and acknowledging that it’s time to call it a day but still wishing that you were in that early honeymoon period.

You recently signed a deal with Decca, what is it like having a major label backing you?

AJ: It feels like quite a scary route to take but at the same time it does feel more secure having someone like Decca behind you. Obviously being a musician and living this lifestyle is quite risky so it’s good to feel backed up.

Tara: As a musician you do end up risking a lot and giving up things to do what you want to do, Decca are putting a lot in and taking a risk by backing us too so it feels like we are doing it together which is quite motivating. They are a lovely bunch of people, it feels very personal and independent.

How did the deal come about?

Chess: It’s interesting because we met at Tim’s flat and worked on this one song, by the second rehearsal we decided to record it and upload it to Soundcloud. Tim had the tag #UKCountry on it and quite quickly…

Tara: … from that our now manager got in contact with Tim just 30 minutes after we uploaded the track! We didn’t quite believe it at first but he came to see us and it turned out everything he said was true. He started to develop and guide us as a band and quite quickly from that we were introduced to Decca.

If you could collaborate with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

AJ: Elvis

Tara: Elvis sprang to my mind too!

Chess: it’s really sad but I think it would be tom petty, I think it would have been really lovely if we could have done that.

What’s next for you guys?

Chess: Lots of coffee house sessions which is pretty exciting, we can’t wait to meet new people and get our music out there. Then it’s just gearing up for the album which will be out at the beginning of next year.

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Young Producers at The Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall has created a unique programme which offers the opportunity to organise and curate a series of events at the Hall in some of the spaces beyond the main stage.

As a Young Producer, you are given a budget, support and expert advice to help bring your event ideas to life. Through a series of fortnightly workshops with Hall staff and experts, you gain invaluable experience in putting on events; from scheduling and marketing to event management and artist liaison.

Second year Music and Live Events Management student Rebecca Fisher is one of the lucky participants in this inaugural series of workshops. Rebecca said “The process of concept to launch excites me, the ultimate reward being a successful, well received event. Being able to achieve this at such an iconic venue with a group of like-minded, highly-talented people who all have something different to offer leaves me eager to get stuck in and see what together we are able to create.” She added “I really enjoy being part of a team where I am able to brainstorm and develop ideas. This program does exactly that, which in turn will also help me improve on my confidence and interpersonal skills.”

Read more about her experiences HERE

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V Festival Set For A Re-Brand

This article from IQ Magazine.

After 22 years, Virgin Group is ending its relationship with V Festival, Virgin founder Richard Branson announced today, with V 2017 the last year of the UK festival in its current guise.

“V Festival has always been a special weekend for everyone at Virgin,” says Branson. “We’ve been proud to sponsor V Festival for the past two decades and there have been some incredible performances on the stage. Now, after 22 very enjoyable and successful years, 2017 was Virgin’s last V Festival.

V Festival, promoted by Live Nation, Metropolis Music, MCD Productions and SJM Concerts, debuted in 1996 as twin festivals in Hylands Park, Chelmsford, and Victoria Park in Warrington, with headliners Pulp, Paul Weller and Elastica. The northern England leg moved to Leeds in 1997, before settling in its current home of Weston Park in Staffordshire in 1999.

Branson describes working with the festival as “a brilliant journey filled with great people, fun times and exceptional music”, but says Virgin is now focused on “look[ing] at new ways we can disrupt the industry to ensure music is a force for good.”

“AFTER 22 VERY ENJOYABLE AND SUCCESSFUL YEARS, 2017 WAS VIRGIN’S LAST V FESTIVAL”

“Virgin already is investing in exciting music initiatives such as Sofar Sounds, who bring artists to perform live in an intimate venue and give you the chance to just be still and listen,” he continues. “Seeing my first Sofar gig reminded me of the early days of Virgin Records, where we sat on beanbags and drifted away with the music as we found new bands to sign and fall in love with.

“Relaunched music station Virgin Radio is also going strong in the UK, along with our thriving radio stations with hundreds of thousands of listeners tuning in from all over the world.

“We’re really excited about the future ahead and can’t wait to share our plans with music lovers across the globe.”

Speaking to Music Week, Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn confirms the festival will continue under a new name over the same weekend in August, with plans to expand from two to three days at both sites. Programming, meanwhile, will “very much continue to have a pop and dance focus”.

Live Nation bought a stake in V in 2013, while Metropolis joined the company this January.

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FLAWES visit Bucks for The Coffee House Sessions

The Coffee House Sessions have returned to Bucks, and ‘Set Music Free’ is their flagship campaign for 2017 – 2018. The campaign will engage students across the UK in live music performances, taking their music experiences beyond just their mobile phones and a pair of headphones.

3rd Year Music Business student Lauren Woodland interviewed Red Bull Records artists FLAWES when they came to visit recently.

Flawes’ early career took off when their self-released debut single, ‘Don’t Wait For Me’, reached #8 on Spotify’s UK Viral Chart, and was playlisted on BBC Radio 1 amidst tastemaker support from the likes of Clash and The Line Of Best Fit. The trio’s gift for dark, alt-electronica and huge soulful, pop choruses didn’t go unnoticed and FLAWES are now signed to Red Bull Records worldwide!

I sat down with FLAWES on the first date of their Coffee House tour. Here’s what they had to say:

Can you tell us a bit about FLAWES and what sort of music you guys create?  

We see ourselves as alternative-pop. We started just over two years ago, me (JC) and Huss went to school together so have known each other since we were kids, we then met Freddie through mutual friends. We decided to give it a go and somehow two years later we are still here going strong.

Would you say your music is influenced by any other artists?

We all listen to quite an eclectic mix of music which means we all have very different influences. I feel that this is reflected in our songs in that each one is slightly different to the last. I feel we are quite similar to London Grammar, just with more drums. Our sound is still developing to some extent so our influences from the beginning have probably changed quite a bit by now. Some key artists that we do take influence from are Half Moon Run and Jack Garratt.

Can you tell us a bit about the thought process behind your songs – are they based on true experiences or are they purely fictional?

Some songs tend to be about previous relationships and certain scenarios that took place within those relationships. We also tend to use other people’s stories of their relationships, get the gist of what they have been through and go off on a tangent with it to create a sort of storyline.

Your latest release was blank dice – can you tell us a bit about the meaning of that song?

The song is based on the concept of making your own luck – the harder you work, the luckier you get. A dice is the symbol for luck so we decided to strip it of its numbers because when you roll a blank dice, nothing will happen because you need to make your own chances in life.

You’ve just come back from supporting Maximo Park on tour – how well do people receive the songs, especially when they may have never heard them before?

When we play live we tend to get a good response because the show has quite a big sound. There are only three of us onstage but we are all multitasking so it can come as a shock at first. The Maximo Park shows were quite overwhelming, we were slightly nervous ahead of the tour because their music is slightly different than ours so we were worried that the crowd might not have been into it. We got such a good response though and met some great people.

You say that you are good at multitasking on stage – what instruments do you each play?

JC: As well as vocals I play bass-synth and the keyboard which I use to trigger different samples. I also have an effects pedal which runs with the vocals.

Huss: I play a full drum kit with two sample pads that run loops throughout the songs as well as providing backing vocals.

Freddie: I play guitar along with a few peddles for effects.

You have been featured on some pretty big playlists on Spotify – how has streaming helped you reach new audiences?

We have a lot of listeners overseas. That’s the genius things about streaming – your music becomes available to anyone. It’s cool to look at the analytics map and see where people are listening to us. It does help spread the word, we speak to some people that we meet and they already know of our band because of Spotify.

Do you know which country you are most listened to in?

Well we have just got back from Germany so that’s pretty high up, then countries like Finland and Poland. It’s really useful for booking tours and festivals.

Your first EP was picked up by BBC introducing who are celebrating their tenth birthday, how have they helped you and do you have any advice for people wanting to submit their music?

I don’t think we would be here today if it wasn’t for the support of BBC Introducing. Our first single, ‘Don’t Wait For Me’, was picked up by them and that’s how our record label first heard us – they actually shazamed us! BBC Introducing got us down to do various sessions and then asked us to play Radio 1’s Big Weekend. Sharing the bill with such great artists was incredible and an experience we will never forget.

It’s a no brainer, upload you music and speak to your local dj’s because they listen to absolutely everything.

If you could collaborate with anyone who would you choose?

Someone like Halsey or Dua Lipa, I think the female vocals would fit well with ours.

If Glastonbury festival were to go ahead next year and you had full control over the headliners, who would be playing?

Fleetwood mac

Led Zep

Celine Dion… no, Jeff Buckley

What’s next for you guys?

We actually have a single out in November! We are also currently in the studio working on our album which will be out next year. Right now we are finishing up our Coffee House tour up and down the country which means a lot of time spent in the van!

[bucksmusicandevent]

Amplify ‘17

Music and Event Management students enjoyed the amazing Amplify ‘17 Event, hosted by BBC Introducing  at London’s Excel Arena. This is “the ultimate new event for musicians and music obsessives, celebrating 10 years of BBC Introducing by connecting visitors with the biggest industry names via workshops, talks and one-on-ones.” Held on 6-8 October at ExCeL London, a hefty mix of 150 music and lifestyle brands attended. Industry Sessions included Chase & Status, Courteeners, Blossoms and more. Bucks student Ali Mao Mood Mahad said "I learned a lot about the Music industry at the event, there were things that I never knew about which now I know of, I would really recommend anyone to go there in the future"

[bucksmusicandevent]

Reading Festival 2017...From The Inside

Music & Live Events Management Students joined the security team at this year’s Reading Festival and gained first hand experience of the challenges that face the organisers of a major scale festival.

First year student Phoebe Scovell said “The amount of years I have watched Reading Festival on my television or laptop at home and wished I was there singing my heart out in a massive crowd are quite honestly countless, and this year my dream was lived, not only through attending, but actually getting to work on the site”

As security administrators the students were logging most things that went through the radio communications or happened at the security cabin during evictions. Despite the stresses and the pace everything came at them, the days flew by.

Tom Mepham said of their role, “Being an Admin was an overall good experience for me, as I met some interesting and great people (both punters and staff), I had an enjoyable job and managed to see some amazing acts. After my shifts I went into the main arena and caught acts including Neck Deep, While She Sleeps, Gnarwolves and Bastille, as well as the headliners Eminem, Liam Gallagher, Kasabian, and even a secret set from Queens of the Stone Age! Seeing these bands certainly helped and motivated me after a 12 hour shift and I can't wait to do it all again next year!

Femke Bekker enthused about her experience “I got to see the belly of the beast that is called Reading Festival and I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed it,”, while second year student Chris Tomlin, on his second year of working at Reading added that “the experience was invaluable”.