last night an indie dj saved my life

After a crazy week, I've decided to write about it on my personal blog here. Started of Monday, with work as usual, twas' a normal day. But at 4h30pm I did get an important meeting with bands, which was pretty cool. So went to the Les Saints Club in Montreal to meet White Lies and I did get assigned a convo with the bassist Charles Cave as the singer was awfully sick (poor him!) It was really cool, sitting both in the bus, Charles chatted a lot and seemed really pleased to be there. Then, I got back to the venue, waiting for Friendly Fires to finish their soundcheck. When they finished, their tour manager presented me to their guitarist, Ed Gibson, we chatted a little bit before as we were waiting for Ed Mac and the guy from Musique Plus (a tv station in Montreal) to get out of the tourbus before I was going there with the guitarist. When they got out, Ed Mac was like, ''oh i'll join you then'' so finally I did the interview with both. The guys were pretty cool and the interview went very well..Went to the gig and it was awesome...saw my old time best friend Genevieve (now we decided our old fights were over), my other mates Brice, Keven, Dom, loads of people. Pictures and reviews on my other blog at http://londoncafe.wordpress.com On Tuesday, done my radio show live as usual even if I did get a dilemma. Los Campesinos was playin' with Sky Larkin on the same day. But as I got so much fun doing the show with my mate and singer/guitarist from a local band called The Authors, I decided to dj on that night. Wednesday was a quiet day then I got back to business on Thursday as I was interviewing Glasvegas. Went to the venue they were playin' (La Tulipe) met my contact there. Got down backstairs to interview Rab, the guitarist, when the tour manager (who told me that she loved my Roughtrade bag) introduced him to me...his cousin James, singer of the band was there so he decided to join us, but finally Rab was silent and James was talkin' all the way. gig was awesome as well...What a crazy week!

It's been a long long time since I didn't speak to you guys...Loads of things changed in my life about jobs, friends, life in general...But I'm still rock'n'rollin' in the music world. Will try to write more often then coz there's loads of music that I like.
In the last months I've seen Franz Ferdinand, James (the band from Manchester), Duffy and expecting to see Bloc Party, White Lies, Friendly Fires and Glasvegas, can't wait:)
And I'll enjoy the sunny weekend...

so, last saturday went to Arctic Monkeys gig, was correct but I seriously expected maybe a little bit more from them. Be your own pet got a great frontwoman, she's moving all around, though I think it was the same song from track to track. Arctic Monkeys were good, quite static, they don't move a lot on stage, but it was pretty cool and very intense downstairs with all the moshpits, lol:)

but seriously, I had one of the best night of my life on Monday. I hesitated before going coz I was workin' very early the day after but I decided to go see the cinematics at main hall (should try to get the pics tomorrow btw). So, I joined my friend at the tube station then we walked down the street on St-Laurent, wearing our The Rakes jacket with various band pins...that's where we saw Adam, Ross, Scott and Heather (the tour manager) who'd giveen us a quick hello...me and Genevieve we're like...wow, don't know why, but I though then maybe it was our look or something like that who made them thought we will be at their gig that night. We headed to the club, a very tiny but very nice venue, where we met some cool people (greetings to the guys who'd discussed about Nirvana and the Pumpkins with us, and also those guys from Rosemère HMV, you're so cool guys!) so we get into the venue and then I went to the merch stand where I bought Break single vinyl and cd and some pink tshirt when Heather the tour manager recognized me from the last time I saw them in March and asked me how it was going...then I bumped into Ramsay, chat a little bit with him , presented him Genevieve, my really professional co-host and well he recognized me from the last time as well and he told me 'see you after the show then' I was like OMFG! (sorry I don't want to sound fangirly, but really it's not everyday I'm meeting rockstars sooooo down to earth). then get some beers, the show began with a really cool band from Chicago called The Changes...i really recommend them, I really dig their sound. Please check them out http://www.myspace.com/thechanges . i remember when the drummer lost something, my friend gene find the thing and he was like 'oh thanks a lot'. Then the Cinematics came out on stage, me and me mate went on dancin' and singing along...well I so love their music, it's catchy and they sound really great live with a strong presence on stage...and funniest moment was went Scott talked between some songs pointed at me and said 'hey I recognized these girls from the last time we came in Montreal, you were there don't ya?' I was like, hell yeah!

setlist was:

Sunday Sun
Keep Forgetting
Race to the city
Human
Chase
A Strange Education
Maybe Someday
Break
Asleep at the wheel

encore

Rise and Fall

after the gig I stayed a little bit in the room, the small crowd of maybe 50 people already left apart from my friends Drew and Adriana who stayed a little bit and we chatted with them..so went to see Ramsay first, sayin' how good the show was then chatted a little bit with Adam (he recognized me as well from the last time) who'd noticed quite a bit Mel and Gene's love of British indie music, lol: (well our Rakes sweaters and some of the pins we had on like my New Young Pony Club one, ahah). We also came across the guys from The Changes, nice lads, even if they're americans I will support their music and try to promote them the best way I can. We met Scott then and I think it's Darren, well the singer of the changes took some pic of me and Gene with Scott, and it was so funny coz their bassist took a pic of us on his mobile, lol:) then we headed outside, seeing ramsay again but told him I had to go because I had to work early the next day and he was 'hey it's only midnite' but well I was so f**** drunk...Gene can tell you 'bout that. chatted also with Dave from the changes, then I get home safely...Well that was my hella good night!



take care

melaniexx

Went to the radio station to take out my recording stuff, then headed to the Spectrum where I've met the label rep who introduced me to the tour manager, Rachel. She brought me to one of the two tour buses coz I was going to interview one member in there whilst a girl from a commercial radio station was about to be in the other bus and the other guy from CKUT 90.3 FM was interviewing the other backstage during soundchecks...so what a surprise when I discovered I was booked to interview the drummer, Nick Hodgson...I was nervous but happy at the same time...so luckily, it went quite well.He noticed some of the band badges I had on like the Good shoes and the Franz and the Cribs one (he was really nice indeed)he signed my copy of Yours Truly Angry mob and my mate Genevieve took a pic of us...




then I came across Simon Rix on the street and then it was Peanut and Ricky turn...

Then it was time for the gig...The annuals were quite cool. Great indie pop act from NYC. The Walkmen take on the stage at about 10pm. And at 11pm it was the Kaisers...They started off with the catchy NaNaNaNaNa. Played a couple of tracks from Employment, and from Yours Truly Angry Mob. They went also with 'I predict a riot' B-side Take my temperature...was kinda cool, everyone was jumpin' around, dancin'...Kaisers really have the sense of entertainment....I predict a riot was certainly the peak of the show...






At the end, Nick threw one of his drumstick to us in the crowd...I had a fight for that with other girls, unfortunately didn't get it...and my friend Drew tried to get it to give it to me with no success unfortunately coz a security guard came to calm us down, no worries, that's just part of life....I will get over it, though I'm pretty sure the stupid blonde girl isn't a big fan and a Kaiser-related facts knowledgeable girl like me and my friend Genevieve...dammit!



so that's all, lol:)

hope you had fun readin' that

Melxxx

well just done a live session tuesday with Patrick Krief, he is a guitarist from the Montreal band The Dears it was really fun to do it...

you can listen to it here

also, today I got a day off, so I'm browsing the net, talkin' shit on MSN, listening to music, and try to find out what I will be playin' on air next Tuesday. Though, next Tuesday it will be prerecorded coz I got an appointment with these guys:

lol, yeah I know I'm such a groupie. Went to the library today and took out 'Myths of the Near Future' by J.G Ballard...seriously, I'm getting quite weird, reading Bret Easton Ellis (cos of Bloc Party's Song For Clay (Disappear Here)) and some others. Music makes me crazy! And the Rakes album is particularly brilliant despite what the NME journalists told...I completely loved it

take care
Melxx

hello everyone!
Mel was kinda busy with my real crap job and the rest...had so much fun though. Still running the radio show, and now I got a co-host, my best friend Genevieve she's kinda cool on the music listening to The Rakes from the Kaisers passing by the cinematics...and obviously went to loads of gigs.

Met Adam Goemans and Ramsay Miller of the Cinematics in March for an interview..got to thank the guy from the label for that cool meeting



then tried me out at a rock photographer as I took concert pics as well:




was a brilliant gig, will never forget it...then on March 27th...I interviewed Gordon Moakes from Bloc Party, I still cannot believe it...Since 4 years, I run my radio show and never interview well-known bands from the UK or abroad apart from The Thrills and Electrelane. Then last year, I met Franz Ferdinand, Editors, The Cribs, Forward Russia! and this year it was The Cinematics and now...BLOC PARTY...awesome gig! about to edit this interview so will post it really soon...

Next plans: Patrick Krief, guitarist from The Dears (a cool indie band from Montreal) will be on the show/podcast and we will prob meet the Kaiser Chiefs really really soon, well in 10 days to be more appropriate...

Speak soon,

Melaniexx

I was in a full convo with my friend Matt and my friend Mike on MSN when it decided to f***ed up. gahhhhhhhh, I so hate my computer sometimes. Though I managed to get on with my podcast playlist for Tuesday

PJ Harvey-Oh my lover
Nassau-The Water Below
This et Al-Sabbatical
Boy Kill Boy-Civil Sin
Lady Sovereign-Love me or hate me
Plan B-Mama
The Streets-Hotel Expressionnismicro
woolly leaves-People and the planets
The Magic Numbers-There is a light that never goes out
tompaulin-give me a riot in the summertime
belle and sebastian-long black scarf
badly drawn boy-one last dance
franz ferdinand-wine in the afternoon
les georges leningrad-skulls in the closet
new order-rock the shack
primal scream-suicide sally and johnny guitar
milburn-showroom
vincent vincent and the villains-on my own
the pipettes-ABC
The Fratellis-Cigarello
the dears-bandwagonneers

and well apart from that, tomorrow I'm prob going to see British sea Power at the sala rossa, well if I'm feeling alright coz I got a long day at my crappy work tomorrow (6h30am to 4pm) anyway...I'm off to write some lyrics now...

take care
Mel
xx

What's new in my life? Well it's always the same routine...Work work work pub club sleep. Tonite, I'm going to dj as usual on Tuesday in CISM 89.3 FM studios. The playlist should look like that:


badly drawn boy-born in the U.K
Love ends disaster-Ladders
Forward Russia-Twelve
The Motorettes-We are solution
Born Ruffians-Hedonistic Me
El Presidente-Old times
k-os-Mirror in the sky
Keane-This is the last time
travis-All I wanna do is rock
The Verve-The Drugs don't work
Cinephile-Comatose
Joy Division-Atmosphere
Sloan-Hardcore
Menswear-Hollywood Girl
Klaxons-Gravity's Rainbow
muse-exo-politics
bush-machine head
lost prophets-the new transmission
Broken Social Scene-Swimmers
Editors-Someone Says
The Rakes-something clicked and I fell off the edge
The Organ-Memorize the city


but for a change, my best friend Genevieve will co-host with me. I'm pretty sure we will have loads of fun spinning those tracks. And well, even if you miss it, you will be able to download it via www.cism893.ca

apart from that, I got some mails and I got one about Forward Russia! I'm going to interview the Leeds gang on November 30th when they will come play in my city, I'm just so so excited...but nervous at the same time.

Gotta go now,
speak soon and take care
Mel
xx

Don't know if it's the weather, but I'm feeling so down this week...maybe that's my crap job, I really don't know. Spend my day at work today, and now I'm back home knackered, got to write some reviews for friends, but I don't know if I will got the motivation tonite...dammit so I wrote a song, a dark one...maybe I'm too much in my 'Joy Division' phase as I loved to say it

I took a long road back home
feeling so lonely, being on my own
the sun ain't gonna shine anymore
I don't think you can do more

Chorus
Just though I was going to have fun
Instead I'm playin' with that gun
I'm feeling so horrible
It's going to be so terrible

I'm breakin' laws, I'm fighting
but you didn't seem to be caring
all I want is death
it's the only way I can pay my debt
to you I'm just another one

Chorus

but you realised the pain
you've done to me again
the lies, the cries,
and the false alibies

Chorus

I loved you with all my heart
But now for better or worse, lover
I'm going to break every part
of what we build together

Chorus (repeat and fade)

need to find the music to go with it and try to find some way to record it, I guess I will ask Nick or Pierre-Olivier, my two musician soulmates...

take care, I gotta go eat something...
Mel
xx

so that was Editors live on August 1st at Cabaret La Tulipe...gotta post some Art Brut from October 15th at the same place soon

Mel
xx

hello everyone, been such a long time I know, but I'm not doin' really interesting stuff in those days. Always at work, being a store cashier which is so crap when you'd studied medias and stuff at uni and still got no real work in it...At least I'm enjoying doin' my podcast which is available through http://www.cism893.ca (Site's in French, so you got to go in Emission and click on London Cafe to subscribe)...well it's been 3 years I'm doin' it and I should say it's my best year this year with the interviews I did with Franz Ferdinand, Editors and the Cribs and the one that is probably coming with Forward Russia...I can't wait...As my mate Genevieve said: British music is my drug! but a good drug I should say...I've also started to write some songs...need to find a way to record them though...so that's all for now, till the next update and I promise it won't be in a long time, lol:)

Melanie
xx

Met you on a rainy day
the sky was dusty and gray
I'm waiting for the sunshine to come
So dead and gone

See your ghost everywhere
See your smile up in my mind
don't know it can be so hard to find
to be in a sane world up there

Living our own lives
that's better that way

that's only a little bit of a song I'm tryin' to write on my own...

enjoy
Mel
x

well in fact it haven't been really a typical day, a normal one for the little montreal dj called Melanie, lol..went to my real work in the morning...then I've done some phone calls and had to left before my real schedule coz I did get an emergency...but guess what was that emergency? Interviews with a big name of Scottish rock'n'roll. So went to the Cepsum at 12h30 and met there Robert Hardy and Andy knowles from Franz Ferdinand, they were very nice to me, we had this kind of musical chemistry it was so cool, all the results will be unveiled on Tuesday. Spent some time at the radio station tryin' to relax before going to meet The Cribs. Went supper and then that was the meeting. Their tour manager asked me if I needed tickets, guestlist stuff, but I told him I was about to see my bunch of friends. he brought me to the band's room and he left me with the guys to do my job, it was so unbelievable, they were very cool, very chatty, so it was really amazing, they sign my cd, take a pic with me, and we did the interview (results coming up on Tuesday as well), they seemed quite surprised to know that someone requested an interview for them, but they were very pleased though, especially when they found out I was quite knowing my UK music scene stuff, lol (that was the same with Franz earlier, well I mean about the fact that I know so many bands from scotland and UK in general, lol). so then, went to join my friend Marie C. we searched for JP but couldn't find him. The Cribs went on it was amazing rock'n'roll playin' practically all their huge hits (Hey Scenesters!, Martell, Mirror Kissers, etc...) Hell of a rock'n'roll nite begin...Then it was Death Cab for Cutie, found that boring, too slow, well I'm not really into them, so I almost slept with Marie on it, ahah...Franz came last! OMG! Just fuckin' brilliant! From This boy to Outsider it was pure, delightful entertainment. Alex spoke French sometimes, it was so cute, really appreciate that effort. Me and Mary just put out her Scotland flag and they looked at us, lol! We were so happy. Andy played drums with Paul and another guy it was really WOW! the show finished and I've tried to wait for the band but bloody buses and metros closing early, hadn't have enough cash to take a cab so I had to left. But really thanks to marie, she gaved my cd to Bob and now I'm sure they have it. and I also met Sofia, she was a great fan as well I was so pleased to meet her...

Luv,

Melanie

well you all know that I've met Editors, well here's a pic of me with bassist Russell, lol!
Yeah, I'm a groupie, I know it!!!

Last nite, I've passed a wonderful nite and here's some of the results:


( Read more... )

they played a quite improvised setlist with all their hits and some cool b-sides, absolutely loved the gig

much love and more updates on that soon
mel
xx

so it's how my life was shit today:
I'm a slave at work, done 10 hours today and I'm totally tired, my life is so shit workin' in some hardware store to pay my bills. apart from that, did get a row with the programming director, he didn't like the interview I did, he told me I should do things in French and not doin' my interviews totally in English...for fuck's sake I got a British indie radio show, it's totally normal I'm speakin' English with people from there on air, grrrrrrr. he's just a bloody fuckin' parisian, sorry..hope he won't find this blog...sometimes those things just makes me wanna give up all those things, so I really don't know what to do, I love helpin' mates from unsigned UK bands but at the same time I'm quite pissed off of the bosses decisions.

hope it would get better tomorrow

Mel

x

Was busy with



on Wednesday

Interviewed Russell from the band Editors on Wednesday, it should be broadcast on tuesday during my regular radio show on www.cismfm.qc.ca at 9 pm eastern (2am GMT) apart from that the gig was brilliant. They've played all the album tracks with some b-sides as the likes of Disappear. they were very strong on stage, they gave such a solid indie rock performance. just one word to describe them on stage 'perfect'. They were really energetic and that's what I like definitely. Here is the result: http://www.savefile.com/files/6529340

Went to see this band



Fuckin' rockin' hell, that was amazing..met Charlotte and Billy after the gig they were so cool.They've played all the best tracks: Rock'n'roll Queen, Oh Yeah!, 1 am...so awesome

apart from that, I did watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire this afternoon. and now I'm tryin' to sort out ideas once my mates album would be ready. it should be ready for sale soon, but now I'm bookin' them some shows, tryin' to get them some reviews, airplays on radios...

Cya
mel
xx

boring weekend...prepared my radio show for tuesday and I've not finished yet..do some food shopping for the week, work in insurance, doin' some phone calls. listening to music and watching the Olympics. Canada won till now 13 medals that's not bad... but they've been beaten at hockey by Finland and Swiss which is quite weird...I'm still tryin' to find people to start a band but that's not quite easy..
gonna leave now to watch telly,
take care
Mel
x

so, woke up today, it's one of my day off of the week, so what would I do...Already gone shopping. Got some CD'S..the newest Belle and Sebastian one, The Life Pursuit got also the Richard Ashcroft, the Beth orton, and the Clearlake one, so I would play them next week on my show. Also bought the second Malajube album, a French Canadian new band who are very cool. This afternoon, would probably relax watching some DVD's..writing some songs on my guitar, doin' some crap recordings on some old cassettes, lol! I'm not really a specialist of the new technologies for engineering, mastering and all the rest, so would stay that way, unknown and crap for the moment *laughs*... one of my mates doing a gig tonight, but I'm not sure if I would go, I really need some rest with my upcoming gigs line up (Franz, Belle and Sebastian, Stereolab, Arctic Monkeys, Art Brut, etc...)
Bye!!
Mel
x