Roving Reporter & Flats . . . Just Chilling

(Bleu with her hot new Blue accessory!)

Well today, Bleu and myself had a chill day . . . sorry I mean an official blog meeting. Well the truth is Bleu and I are rubbish at having serious meetings with one another. Mainly because we tend roll off on to tangents and funny stories. We decided to ditch Shoreditch on this occasion and head over to may spiritual home of Camden. Having scoured the vintage shops for brown, ankle boots to fit Bleu's enormous, clown proportioned feet, we finally settled for a drink and chips in the Lock Bar, so we could pretend we were on holiday and wave to passing canal boats!
Whilst in Camden Mollie and I also almost (literally) walked into Kate Moss's boyfried Jamie Hince, see Camden is cool!
Following Camden, we headed to Soho and popped into Nico-D on D'arbly Street to say hey, where Bleu and Nico tried to get me into a wet-look playsuit, seriously I love it, but on me hun? No way. See I feel Nico was being genuine in his belief I could carry it off, where as Bleu was just doing it for pure amusement . . . I declined!

Bleu and myself have big plans for this blog and with an exclusive Kings of Leon interview this weekend and a chat with funny man Matthew Horne still to come, you know that you are tuning in to the hottest blog around!
The colour has changed again and there maybe a bit of deja vu when I re-post the Zane Lowe interview (its to get us linked so we can keep getting bigger and better) but all in all Fash-Pack is developing and you lot are so part of it!

xx

Oh and I forgot! We were having coffee in Kingly Court at the cute cupcake place (sometime much after Camden) and who should sit behind us but Matthew Williamson! I nearly died! I was tres excited, but sadly too shy to go up to him and confess my love! ahhhh another day!

Flats talks to . . . Jamie Delaney from Blighters

I head to the back of a little pub, totally indie’esque to find a skinny jeaned boy and pot of tea awaiting me.
With my usual hour delay, the first time ever the band or for this instance Jamie (singer and guitarist of 'Blighters') is on time, I find him, waiting, sitting comfortably, for my grilling.
To me he is quintessentially a totally English boy; I first saw 'Blighters' play at the waterfront in Norwich several years ago, when they were then called 'Monroe’s'. They have a great sound, of which many of my musical friend rave about.
Bleu: So what have you been doing with yourself recently? With the band that is? As I can clearly see you have been shopping he he.

Jamie: Oh well, yes, I went charity shop shopping today I bought an amazing jumper!

Bleu: Wow that’s awesome. Anyway so what have the band been doing?

Jamie: We are solidly writing at the moment, stopped being in London so much and moved back to Norwich now spending loads of time recording with Mike Crossly.

Bleu: Who do you think the best British band is at the moment?

Jamie: God that’s hard, there’s so many and I flick between a lot, um .... I love 'The Magistrates’, and 'The Virgins', who we played with a while back, they were really cool.
Bleu: If you could pick anyone, who would be your mistletoe kiss? (Random but all boys I’ve asked normally say another boy or band member!)
Jamie: In that case, it would totally be Lenny (the drummer)

Bleu: God no! Pick another!

Jamie: He he ok, um Ramallah, she’s an actress I filmed a movie with a while back, I don’t know why, but it would be her.

Bleu: Oh I forget your an actor in your spare time.

Jamie: Yes I really enjoy it, I had my first proper speaking part recently in a film. I really would like to do more.

Bleu: Who are your musical influences?

Jamie: It's always evolving, from the past and changing. But Michael Jackson and, at the moment, (after searching through his shopping bag he finds some Mj records –B-F) Late David Bowie is a definite, Japan and Abc.

Bleu: What influences your sound and lyrics?

Jamie: Well I take influences for lyrics from different places. But we changed our band name a few months back and that was because our sound had changed and 'The Blighters' felt like it met our new material well.

Bleu: What are you hoping to achieve this year as a band?

Jamie: Hopefully do a couple of festivals in-between recording and writing. Get an album out and get a really good single from it to.

Bleu: How did you find your manager?

Jamie: He kind of found us, came to a gig we were playing and it all just started from there.

Bleu: Lucky you, most bands strive to find a good manager. If you were an object what would you be and why?(he looks totally confused) so I give examples? Sofa, a camera etc. (a table? - RR)

Jamie: A pillow so I could smother you. (Funny of scary?! - RR)

Bleu: Oh cheers love, I'll remember that when I do a review on you!
If you could spend a day doing anything what would you do?

Jamie: That's so hard, many things (he sits thoughtfully thinking through so many ideas). Lots of things, but one would be bringing back the musical geniuses from the past, e.g. Freddy Mercury etc. and make a record with them.

Bleu: Would you invite rest of your band?

Jamie: No I'd be selfish, just me.

Bleu: What’s your favourite snack? (It's just a filler question . . . I assume it will be haribo as he’s been tucking in to a big bag)

Jamie: Today it would be haribo.

http://www.myspace.com/blightersmusic

Flats talks to . . . Francis and Louis

Bleu caught up with Francesca from Francis and Louis:

Bleu: So, what's your inspiration, as far as the lyrics and the sound are concerned?

F & L: Personal experiences mainly. From being stuck in a car on the way to Spain (never do it), to a lover being unfaithful.
(Lucy is the lyrical genius behind Francis and Louis.)

Bleu: I love it! There's never a right way to form music, yet always an interesting way.
How long have you been together? How did the band come about?

F & L: It will be 2 years this summer that we've been together. It started in the summer of 2007, after Lucy was bought a guitar for her 15th birthday. We used to sit in her bedroom for hours playing songs we loved. Then the idea of a band seemed right.

Bleu: Bedrooms seem to be the place where all deep, subconscious, moments happen they say.
If you were a super hero, what would be your super hero name and why?

F & L: I'd be called Night Hawk - soaring through the sky at night capturing (or rescuing - RR?) innocent victims of violence under my Mama Duck wing. Lucy would have to be Super Legs and her legs are truly cracking. Even the Dutch think so.

Bleu: Legs she does have! and I bet you would have a mean mama duck wing!
What record could you drift of to sleep listening ?

F & L: Oh God, there are too many. I have a play list on my iPod called 04:59. It consists of around 200 songs I could fall asleep to easily.

Bleu: But out of all those...

F&L: Scott Matthews - Earth to Calm, Modest Mouse - Perfect Disguise (BBC Radio Session), or a song by a local band Vanilla Kick called 'The Escape' www.myspace.com/vanillakick - They are beautiful.

Bleu: Who is your fav British band at the moment ?

F & L: Bombay Bicycle Club, or Metronomy. Though, I'm concerned about the departure of Gabrielle from Metronomy. I'm not sure what's in store for them. Another upcoming talent has to be Peggy Sue (formally known as Peggy Sue and The Pirates) We'll be playing alongside of her this Friday in Norwich.

Bleu: If you were an object what would you be an why?

F & L: That's such a hard question. There are too many objects in this world. But I think I'd have to be a camera, I'd see so much.

Bleu: Where are you hoping to go with your music this year? Any plans?

F & L: We're planning on recording a new EP this summer, which will consist of 5 brand new tracks. It'll include a full band, unlike our previous EP.

Bleu: Where can we catch you playing?

F & L: This Friday! Come holla down to Wensum Lodge, Norwich, where you can catch us playing with Peggy Sue. Or July 6th at Norwich Arts Centre, as part of the Hot City Sounds week.

Bleu: Who is your music icon? and who is your fashion?

F & L: Nick Drake and Lovefoxxx.

Bleu: I'll leave you to decide which is which.

http://www.myspace.com/francisandlouis

Flats ... Chats to Zane Lowe

Well after literally walking straight in to Zane Lowe, it seemed it was the perfect opportunity to interview him.

Zane is an interesting character, he doesn’t do many interviews and so remains some what elusive to the public eye, always on the fringes and in fact causing new waves of band success, yet somehow remaining in the background. This made me determined to get an insight into the man, who introduces us to some of Britain’s best and upcoming bands.

The Radio One DJ and influential music mogul, was up for answering a few questions. His accent is quite strong and it took me most of the interview to understand what he was actually saying (thank goodness for dictaphones.)

Bleu Flats: So you showcase some of the best British bands via your show, How do you find them, Do you go to a lot of gigs?

Zane: I love music, always have and want to put out there the less known artists and give them opportunities. I am always listening to demos from bands and also going by hearsay of other people’s opinions of unsigned artists.
Gigs are a great way to find new, unsigned bands.

Bleu Flats: Who do you think the most influential British band are at the moment?

Zane: That’s hard and I don’t want to pick one, I love so many and like so many varieties and genres. But The Maccabees new material is so great , they’ve developed so much since there first album I know everyone’s excited to hear the rest of the album. White Lies are really cool too, but everybody is talking about I AM KLOOT and they are fucking awesome.

Bleu: Your favourite WWF wrestler?

Zane: Fuck, What a man am I ? I don’t know any, (pauses) I have no idea! (he blushes and looks around for reassurance).

Bleu Flats: (laughing), It's a random question, although Felix was quite excited to answer it!

Zane: Well thats because he's more of a man than me.

(He winks across the room, like he's found his long lost love! We are all convinced something is going on there . . . shhhhhh!)

Zane: Oh, I also love 'Kids Love Lies' and Bombay Bicycle Club. 'BBC Introducing' is so ace for the new bands in the festival season to, give them a place to play at the biggest UK festivals.