Tag: Music

Why Adele?

Being a music writer, a music listener, and a music fanatic, I find it extraordinarily hard to miss the (forgive the phrase) ‘word on the street’. And unless you’re a chronic agoraphobic or have severely disabled hearing, you’ll know the word on the street too – it’s Adele. In fact, it’s been on the street for so long now, we’re starting to question it’s status as an elaborated metaphor and see it increasingly as a permanent piece of iconography – an image of crude graffiti – perhaps depicting a penis – attracting gazes from all pedestrians who happen to pass within its vicinity. But let‘s face it, bleach and a scouring pad isn’t even going to do the job. And when you can’t beat ’em, write about ’em.

Now in no way at all am I implying ‘Adele’ is someone to beat – as a recording artist, yes – but I have no intention of pursuing the career. The big question is, why is she someone to beat? Why is this generic, cockney, overweight lass from London suddenly the most successful singer of the 21st century? In effect it’s one of the simplest reasons that any of us can fathom, but in a cloud of opposing ideas and conflicting messages it seems nobody is quite equipped with the means to provide it. For me, it’s a hilarious irony – the fact that for years we’ve systematically debated and condemned the horrors of sexualisation, glamorisation and objectification of women – but the minute the perfect anomaly arises within our midst, the only three words we can muster is – what the fuck. When we see a buck to the trend we ask ourselves “Why“? We assumed that in the world of sexual identikit pop stars, that the rise of the antithesis to that very idea would just simply not be possible. Let’s break it down.

Continue reading Why Adele?

Jim Marshall Dies, 88

Music pioneer Jim Marshall has passed away at the age of 88.

Along with Les Paul and Leo Fender, Jim Marshall was one of the people to forever change popular music. So much so that the creations of all three remain the cornerstone of electric music today, with the “wall of Marshalls” remaining one of the most iconic sights. Launched in 1965, the Marshall amplifier wasn’t an immediate hit, and it was perhaps Jimi Hendrix more than anyone who popularised it after discovering he could daisy-chain one head to another. Today we can see that almost everyone who’s anyone in music has used a Marshall amplifier from the 1960s to the present day.

Continue reading Jim Marshall Dies, 88

Interview with Paul Gautrey

The Glitterati emerged onto the UK music scene in 2005 with their self-titled album and singles chart success. Characterised by energetic live shows, the early days were filled with the joys every young band dreams of, from recording with a legendary producer to being signed to one of the world’s biggest labels and touring America, but industry politics brought an untimely end to the band. We caught up with the former singer, Paul Gautrey, to discuss the past and the future.
Let’s start with the Glitterati if you don’t mind. That band felt unique in its honesty, both in the songs you released and in the way you spoke candidly in interviews and on stage. Members of that band said publicly that they weren’t too into modern music and that there wasn’t much decent guitar-based rock hitting the airwaves, at least in the UK. That resonated with me because I felt the same way, with bands like the Killers and Kings of Leon not filling the void. Is that still something you feel or do you think the scene has changed in the past few years? And did the Glitterati deliberately set out to try to change that and bring some excitement back into music?
We were always ourselves in interviews and onstage, sometimes we probably said too much but it made good entertainment. We didn’t set out to fill a void for anyone but ourselves, because like you said there wasn’t really much great rock music around, there weren’t any bands breaking through we loved. It seemed that people treated rock music like some ironic joke, in London especially; all hip kids throwing air guitar and rock horns became cool, [but] we probably benefitted from this too as we got signed for a shitload of money and were all over magazines like the NME, but we never wanted any part of that.
I first heard of the band on the New Kings of Rock N Roll show that aired in the late hours. You were featured on that before your debut album was released, can you tell us how that came about?
Yeah, it was a week of gigs that were broadcast on channel 4 [and] it was supposed to feature all the bands who were getting touted by the press and radio as the best new bands, some were already big and some were up and coming like us. The show we actually played was us supporting The Vines but when it went out on channel 4 they showed us and Jet, I’m not sure why, maybe because we had the same label as Jet, but I kind of wanted to show us with The Vines. I really liked them at the time but they were pretty shambolic live the night we played with them so I thought it would make us look better, ha ha!
Can you talk a bit about the early days after you moved to London and started to get noticed; did success feel to you as rapid as it appeared to the public? You’ve said previously that when you didn’t have a manager you were courted by the labels and getting free meals out of them. Did that require any effort on your part or did it just happen from your reputation as a live band?
It was rapid from the time we all moved to London as we were getting offers from all over the place within a few months, but me, John and Bill had been in bands in Leeds together for a few years before the Glitterati, Nic had already had one record deal in another band, we really were just like “Fuck it, we aren’t getting anywhere in Leeds so let’s move to london where the streets are paved with gold.” I’ve no idea what we would have done if it hadn’t happened, and luckily it happened quickly as we probably couldn’t have afforded to stay for more than a few months, we were living on one pound a day each for food.
How did you live on a pound a day?
It wasn’t a rule, we didn’t give anyone a hard time if they splashed out £2 on a burger and chips, but we were broke and had to be careful as we didn’t want to be on the next Megabus back to Leeds within a few weeks. We also had the regular nights at the posh restaurants courtesy of the labels and managers, besides Costcutter noodles were only about 15p a pack……..we ate a lot of Costcutter noodles, ha ha!
We didnt have a reputation as a live band as we hadnt played even a single gig together, we just had a demo we did at Nic’s house with our mate, we only gave it to one person – Paul Harris – who at the time worked for B-unique records and he played it to someone else, they played it to someone else and it snowballed. We were meeting all these massive labels and managers within weeks, we would bring them all to where we rehearsed and play them 3 or 4 songs live but we hadn’t played a gig together. We didn’t plan anything but everything fell into place like a dream, we signed to Universal Publishing not long after and they helped set us up with even more managers and labels, we did an indie single on Alan McGee’s Poptones label, he wanted to sign us but we ended up going with Atlantic who won us over with nights at Stringfellows and a record deal worth stupid amounts of money. We were pretty wealthy for a while, but that soon changed once we started doing things like paying £35,000 to do one album launch gig and other daft things, but we definitely had fun.
You recorded the debut album in LA with Mike Clink and I understand that there was talk of the band relocating there. Is there any truth to that and what made you choose to stay in the UK?
Yes we considered moving there, this was between the first and the second album, we weren’t on Atlantic anymore and were looking for a new label. We had just toured over there off our own backs and we were getting quite a lot of interest and people were loving us,especially in LA.
Whilst out there we signed a management deal with a big company and it looked like it was all going to happen for us  like it did here; it was almost identical to when we moved to London, kind of like we were in the right place at the right time.
I wanted us to just pack up and move, things were obviously better for us there than here, some of us wanted to go but other guys just didn’t want to.
It was never spoken about at the time, the reasons for not going were usually to do with money, visas etc, but by this time the guys had their own houses and were in long-term relationships, things they didn’t want to or couldn’t just give up. I can understand that now, but I really think if we had moved at that point we would have done really well out there. Looking back, two guys left the band not long after so i can understand why they didn’t want to up sticks and move to LA if they were thinking of leaving, but yeah we came back to London [and] things eventually fizzled out with the manager with us being here and them there and I think we missed a great oppurtunity but who knows, maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
In interviews both you and John stated that the Glitterati was one of those bands that if something could go wrong, it would go wrong. Yet at the same time, you seemed to have enough luck or momentum to make quite an impact – having chart success with your singles before being snapped up by Atlantic, getting a TV slot before you had released an album, and touring with some big bands like the Wildhearts. You even opened in Wembley. Was the bad luck down to any turmoil within the band, or did it just feel like fate was against you?
We always felt like we had bad luck at the time, I’m sure a lot of bands do, it’s why most bands can all see Spinal Tap in themselves.We always had the ability to laugh at it, and when i look back we had a lot of good luck too.
The main thing was probably not luck but timing, we moved to London at the right time, the industry were looking for a band like us, [so were] the labels and the press. This allowed us to sign a huge deal and live out all our dreams, it was the best time of my life and I’m grateful for that.
We also had bad timing, there was a year between us signing with Atlantic and releasing our album; a lot had changed in 12 months, there was a backlash against The Darkness in the music press, and us being a rock band on the same label we were kind of lumped in with all that, and also a lot changed at Atlantic.
It had been a year since they signed us and a LOT can change at a major label in a year. By the time the album was released a lot of our supporters at the label had left and we were always fighting an uphill battle there once the album came out. The same person who sat us down a year earlier and told us we should sign with them because they were a label who were interested in longevity and great albums and not just having hit singles blah blah blah told us they were going to get rid of us if our next single, which was only our third for them, didn’t go top 10 in the charts, and that was the day we set off on a 35-date headline tour – our biggest yet – so that was a tough time. Great way to run a label, sign a band for a huge amount of money, have no idea what to do with them once they’ve signed and give them 3 singles to have a top 10 hit, you really couldn’t make some of it up but that’s pretty much the standard blueprint for major labels, or it was then, now you don’t even get the fun part of blowing loads of money but the rest is still pretty much the same.
I think for fans the band’s break-up felt as sudden as how quickly you emerged – you released ‘Fight Fight Fight’ as a single, released the album, and were waiting to embark on a headline tour but instead broke up. On the New Kings of Rock N Roll show you stated that a lot of bands don’t give it the time to get successful and break up too early. Do you felt that the band broke up prematurely, that it would have been easier to continue with the Glitterati than start from the ground up again in a new band, or was it the only real option?
We really tried to make it work,we tried everything,we had such high hopes for the second album. We funded the recording, got a great producer in Matt Hyde, we shopped it round labels ourselves, at times it was soul destroying and there were probably times where we all thought about splitting up, but we managed to hold it together and eventually signed to Demolition, who released the second album.
The plan was lots of touring to promote the album, both here and Europe where we had never really toured, but the touring never happened, through no fault of ours. We had a co-headline tour that fell through at the last minute as the other band’s agent felt they should headline all the shows. I won’t mention the other band but to be honest it was laughable that either they or their agent suggested that, so the day we were going to announce it we were off that tour, we were told not to worry as we were guaranteed the european tour with the New York Dolls. That fell through too.
So we were now left with an album that had been out months and nothing had been done to promote it, if we had good management at this point we could maybe have salvaged it but doing it ourselves and just coming up against brick walls everywhere eventually just ground us down and I don’t think any of us had the energy to fight for it anymore. John actually left the band a month or two before we split, we thought about finding a new guitarist but I think we all knew the band had naturally come to an end. It’s sad to me even now talking about it as it was a great band that should have done more, but I’ve nothing but amazing memories, I got to be in a band with my best mates and we were my favourite band, I had the time of my life, and everything has to end some time.
Were the hard times with the labels what inspired songs like Overnight Superstar?
Yes it is, a lot of that second album was about things that happened with the label and stuff. Lyrically it’s an angrier record than the first, the first album is about 5 mates having the time of their lives and being slightly naive and wide eyed to everything that was happening, and the second is more about dealing with the aftermath of that, trying to keep things together – friendships, relationships, the band – and basically wondering what the fuck happened to us and what do we do next. Regardless of the fact we didn’t get to give it anywhere near the promotion it deserved I’m still proud we at least got that second album out there, as the two albums pretty much tell our whole story, the good times and the bad. It nearly killed us getting it out there but at least we managed it in the end.
Two of the original members quit before the second album was recorded, how did that affect things?
When Nic and Jamie left the band it was really tough, it sounds silly and probably is but it really is like someone walking out of a marriage as it’s such a big part of everyones life. When they left it was tough,we had begun talking with Matt Hyde about producing the album and stuff, and [were] just about to set off on a UK headline tour so we were all pretty optimistic, so it was a bit out of the blue.
We were rehearsing for tour and Jamie rang and told us he was leaving the band, but would do the rehearsals and tour, which was actually pretty brave as he could have just left us in the lurch. The rehearsals were a bit tense but we got through that tour the best we could, I think the tour went pretty well, we were all laughing and joking about him ditching us and stuff, definitely gallows humour. It was really sad on that last gig in the dressing room, we had all been through so much, we were like a gang and this was the first chink in the armour. I’m pretty sure we all tried to be super manly about it and make out like it wasn’t a big deal and stuff but it was a sad time.
We were all determined to carry on, but Nic had been pretty quiet the whole tour, I just thought it was because him and Jamie were the closest so he didn’t really want to talk about replacements or anything, but I remember near the end of the tour getting the feeling Nic was about to jump ship too. I dont know if he and Jamie had both talked about leaving and decided between them not to both do it at the same time for the good of the tour, but a day or so after the tour ended Nic called me and said he was leaving too, so we were down to a 3 piece.
It was a tough time,when you are so into something, and it’s your life you can’t understand why someone else feels differently and would walk away from it, but they had their reasons and did what was best for them, it just wasn’t their whole life anymore and they wanted to do something else.
We went on to get Baz in and Gaff as replacements and getting new guys in definitely lifted the morale. They hadn’t been through the shit we had and had enthusiasm and excitement for everything, which was just what we needed at that point. Making the second album was so much fun, getting a second record deal was exciting too and we had some great times with the new line up, it’s just a shame we couldn’t have had a few more.
All of us have moved on to different things now but we will always be connected through the amazing times we had. It was a great time in all our lives, and I’m glad I got to share it with my mates because at the end of the day we were just mates doing the things we had always dreamed of doing.
I gather that you’re putting together, or have put together, a new band now. How’s that progressing, and is it anyone people may have heard of?
Yes i have, I’ve been working on it for a while, for a lot of reasons it’s taken longer than I imagined, but it’s really starting to come together now. I’m really enjoying it and I’m excited for people to hear it. I’m taking my time, I don’t feel under any pressure, I just want to make the kind of music I want to hear and hope other people like it too.
What can we expect from the new band sound-wise, and when can we expect to see you playing on the live circuit again?
It won’t sound like the Glitterati, I just don’t see the point, and I wouldn’t want to be in another band with a similair style as we may as well have just carried on. I’ve had the chance to join a few and it would have been the easier and maybe the more accepted thing to do, but I need to do something different,and right now if I was playing that kind of music my heart wouldn’t be in it, so like I said I’m just doing what i love first and foremost and hope lots of other people like it. If they don’t, I’ll live, ha ha!
If I’m honest, as much as I still love bands like GNR and New York Dolls it’s not something I really listen to much these days. Don’t get me wrong, I love those bands but it doesn’t influence my songwriting anymore. I’ve always been really into 50s rock n roll and I’m really into a lot of old blues stuff. The new band has elements of that, it’s kind of dirty, bluesy, vintagey rock n roll.
When the Glitterati disbanded, did you ever feel like throwing in the towel on music and trying something else, or is this all you’re compelled to do?
No I’ll never stop making music. I didn’t want to be in a band for a while after the Glitterati, that’s why it’s taken so long. I started the new thing on my own, I was just writing songs [and] I didn’t know if it would be a band. I thought I’d just get mates who are musicians to help me record whenever I needed to but as it went along I started wanting a more permanent thing again, I missed the laughs you have as a band and I missed having people to make music with.
Going off-topic, you’ve said before that you think Appetite for Destruction is the best rock album ever made – and millions would agree with you. The hot topic right now is Guns N’ Roses being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame next month, as a fan what’s your opinion on that, and do you think they will, or should, put their differences aside to play on the night?
I still think it is, I have a lot of people who I know who are quite close to the band members so I hear a lot of different stories and different opinions. My personal opinion is I’d love to see them put their differences aside, it would be amazing for the fans, [but] I’m not sure if they ever will. The bad feeling between Axl and Slash obviously runs deep, it would take a lot of egos being left at the door and there are some massive massive egos involved. I hope it happens one day, but I think time’s almost up on them doing it and it still being cool – I dont want to see them up there at 70………….actually I probably would still want to see it, but I dont want it to be a train wreck.

Bieber’s Mum To Release Tell-All Book About Her Superstar Son

Apparently there just isn’t enough Justin Bieber news in the world already – the videos, songs, pictures, stories and books that adorn every facet of stores and Twitter fall short of the cravings of preteens the world over. With this in mind, Bieber’s mother Pattie Mallette has apparently signed a deal with Revell Books to release the currently titled Nowhere But Up: The Story of Justin Bieber’s Mom, due on September 18. The story reportedly explains her role in turning her offspring from regular Canadian youth into the world’s most famous (and perhaps annoying) teen on the planet.

The main curiosity is knowing just what can be said in a tell-all book about a person who is barely eighteen years of age. Aside from tedious stories about his romantic life with Selena Gomez, even the press has a hard time delving into his private life; and with his mother as his chaperone, how much can there be to tell? Maybe if he’d accepted Slash’s invite to a strip club the book could have a juicy chapter or two.

To make sure no one accuses her of just cashing in on her son’s success though, the book will also detail her own personal trauma, which includes the “abuse and addiction” she suffered in her youth, as well as her attempted suicide at the age of seventeen. As with all such memoirs, she told told Billboard.com that she wants the book to inspire anyone who faces similar hardships (although the cynics among us may well claim that such people are unlikely to be fans of Bieber and thus unlikely to read the book): “I want them to see that no matter how desperate their circumstances may be, they can have hope for a better future.” To prove her dedication to inspiring others, part of any profits from the book will be donated to charity.

Of course, with her son a literary genius it comes as no surprise that Justin will get credited not only in the text but in the crafting of the book too, as he will be contributing the foreword.

Aside from recording, touring, writing the foreword to his mother’s book and courting controversy in the media, Justin will be following up the success of his existing book (First Step 2 Forever: My Story, published in 2010) with Justin Bieber: Just Getting Started later this year. It has also been rumoured that he will be releasing a third book in 2015, entitled Let’s See What Happens Now I Can Legally Drink. Whether his fifteen minutes of fame will be up by then remain to be seen.

 

 

Bon Scott – Master Lyricist

The 19th of this month saw the 32nd anniversary of the death of Bon Scott, the frontman who helped turn a little guitar band called AC/DC from Sydney, Australia into one of the greatest rock outfits in the world. Now, I’m not about to write a biography of the man’s tragically short life – there are plenty of those already in existence – but I am going to explain briefly why to me, he was (and remains) possibly the greatest rock lyricist ever.

I was fourteen years old when, like many teenagers, I came upon the notion that my parents weren’t cool and so I began trying hard not to become like them. One of the ways I attempted to achieve this was via music and this was very easy because I’d been brought up on a strict diet of classical. “Top Of The Pops” only ever appeared on our TV by accident and it was off again as quickly as my father could get out of his chair and push another button. To him, anything louder than Sinatra was an abomination and so to me, rock music seemed like the perfect antidote.

Therefore, with a few quid in my pocket and the name of a band (whom I knew virtually nothing about) in my head, I went to my local record store and bought a cassette tape of AC/DC. I distinctly remember it was “If You Want Blood” because I thought the album cover was amazing. Feeling like a total rebel, I smuggled it home and later in the privacy of my bedroom I pressed play on my puny little mono tape recorder and listened as this amazing new sound thrilled me. And so began a passion with a genre that defined my youth.

With the passing of years, musical taste tends to change or perhaps “develop” would be a better word and while my music library still holds a large percentage of rock, I’m quite happy to admit that it now includes many other genres. However, if I were to ever find myself in a “Desert Island Disc” sort of scenario, I can honestly say without a moment’s hesitation that Bon Scott would feature somewhere in that essential collection.

Certain tracks that I’ve been listening to since those teenage years still make me want to stop whatever it is I’m doing so that I can concentrate on Bon’s clever and often hilarious lyrics. Yes, there was no question the man had a sense of humour. “Big Balls” and “Up To My Neck In You” are two examples showcasing that. I defy anyone to listen to the former and not laugh out loud! And there was also no question what occupied his dirty little rock n roll mind a lot of the time. Just listen to “Squealer” or “Love At First Feel” and you’ll be left in no doubt. He truly was a master of the double entendre – possibly matched only by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. But Bon created characters too that could scare or amuse us or come alive in our minds as someone we’re perhaps familiar with or can relate to. “Prowler”, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” and “Sin City” are three that do just that. I could go on giving examples but you’d be much better off playing the music and experiencing his talent rather than reading about it. The fact is, Bon didn’t just have talent, he had charisma – bags of the stuff – and it was evident in his songwriting and his performance. How many rock stars can we truly say that about?

I’m still a big fan of AC/DC and I think Brian Johnson, who picked up the gauntlet (or should that be microphone) in 1980 following Bon’s death, has done a tremendous job of leading the band into the new century. Their last album “Black Ice” was to my mind one of their best since the early 80s. I love the fact that all the band’s CDs are still available in music stores; it’s clear their music continues to find new audiences. And it’s obvious why – as a rock band, they are one of the originals and have very few peers and as a singer/songwriter, Bon Scott was a rock n roll genius. I’ve no doubt whatsoever that each new generation of rock fan will discover him and come to realise the wonderful ability he had and for me that proves one thing; death is not the end.

Music Scene in New Orleans Delivers In More Ways Than One

Music lovers of the world take note: If you have never been to New Orleans for a visit, you would be doing yourself a great service by putting a visit to this great music town on your priority list of things to do in your lifetime. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. You might even find that you like it so much that you end up moving here like I did with my guitar player. As a matter of fact, I simply cannot think of a place that exists anywhere within the lower continental 48 states of the U.S. that comes anywhere as close to being as cool as what I’ve experienced here.

There is something to satisfy every musical taste bud: blues, jazz, acid jazz, trip hop, rock, alternative, punk, Goth, Cajun, old New Orleans R&B, metal, trance and dub step, bluegrass, an even Celtic music on occasion. Did I mention that on any night of the week, one can sample all or most of these varying flavors that New Orleans musicians have to offer, all while not breaking your bank account? There are many places that do not charge a cover, so if you’re on a budget, this is the place to be; just be sure to tip the musicians…and your bartender. Another advantage is that all or most of the venues are either within walking distance or a cheap cab fare away.

There are so many music venues here per capita here that I have not yet had the chance to patronize them all , but here are a few of my favorites thus far:

Café Negril: Located on the famous Frenchmen St in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, on any given night you can catch some of the finest talent around kicking out the jams with roots, reggae, jazz, blues, and celtic music. This is a popular place with locals and tourists alike.

The Apple Barrel: A local haunt once frequented by the late locally and internationally renowned bluesman Coco Robicheaux. The Apple Barrel is conveniently located on Frenchmen St, directly across the street from Café Negril. This is a very cozy and down to earth venue where you can catch some of the best local musicians playing roots, blues and country blues, Cajun, jazz, and old New Orleans R&B.

The Dragon’s Den: Just around the corner from Frenchmen St on Esplanade, it is also within a short and convenient walk from the clubs on Frenchmen. The crowd here tends to be local and hip. On any night of the week you may catch an act playing rock, alternative, metal, jazz, trance, Goth, or dub step.

Checkpoint Charlie’s: Also located kitty corner from Frenchmen on the corner of Decatur and Esplanade, you can find a blend of locals and tourists hanging out, either to do laundry in the back or to check out local and touring acts who play some fierce rock-n-roll, punk, and delta blues.

One Eyed Jack’s: Located in the French Quarter on Toulouse St, this club has the class of an old Vaudeville haunt that simultaneously caters to 21st century hipsters and the ghosts of the past, all whilst managing to maintain an aura that is refreshingly unpretentious. You can catch many touring and local acts here that will quench the desires of many a musical palate, with the sounds of funk, rock, alternative, metal, gothic, punk, burlesque, 1920s bebop and everything in-between.

Hi-Ho Lounge: Located in the St. Claude neighborhood, the Hi-Ho Lounge is a short cab fare away from both Frenchmen and the French Quarter. Nestled on the up and coming St. Claude St., this club showcases some of the best local and touring acts that play rock, jazz, bluegrass, alternative/indie, and old New Orleans R&B. If you want to see where many of the locals go, then make it a point to put this club on your list of places to visit. An added bonus of visiting this club is that should you get hungry, there is a separate kitchen in the back offering up tasty Vietnamese food for a fair price.

Siberia: Located a few doors down from the Hi-Ho Lounge, this is the place that caters to your rebel within. On any and most nights, you can check out local and touring punk, metal, Goth, and rock acts that will not disappoint. There is also a kitchen in the back serving up tasty sandwiches, should you happen to get the munchies.

Always Lounge: Located directly across the street from Siberia and the Hi-Ho is yet another local favorite nighttime haunt with a very cool New Orleans vibe. The crowd here tends to be eclectic, encompassing tastes that span the range of the musical spectrum of rock, Cajun, blues, Old New Orleans R&B, jazz, alt/indie, and 20s vaudeville.

Bj’s Lounge: Located in the Upper 9th Ward/Bywater neighborhood, this is a place with a true, local feel. Stop by on a Monday night, ring the doorbell, and check out King James and the Special Men masterfully play some of the best New Orleans soul that you’ll ever hear.

A walk down the very charming Royal St. in the French Quarter on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon always brings with it pleasant surprises as one is often treated to a myriad of talented street performers who set up and play right on the street for tips. It won’t take long for you to come to the realization that every neighborhood in NOLA has its own charm and plenty of music venues. As a relative newcomer to the scene here, I have yet to experience many of the clubs that pump out music nightly in Uptown and Mid City, but I plan to soon.

The annual Jazz Fest is also an occasion that’s not to be missed. It is a two week extravaganza that features some of the best performers in the world from every conceivable genre: jazz, blues, gospel, electric blues, country blues, rock/alternative/indie, Cajun, zydeco, and everything in-between.
Music is literally everywhere here; it is so entrenched in the culture here that I have become convinced that there must be something in the water that makes it so. If you’re a music lover and you decide to visit New Orleans, you won’t be disappointed; you might even decide to move here.