What is it they actually do? If they are any good, then they will source bands that compliment each other genre wise, arrange for kit share, design, print and distribute flyers, posters and online marketing. In addition they should also state upfront how pay works, set-times and run the night so that sound-checks are on time.

Sounds like a pretty detailed job that you would need forward planning for. Shame that on the whole, this is exactly the opposite of what promoters generally do these days.

Promoters on the whole seem to get paid by a venue to source bands, and promote the night online and print maybe one, hell, two posters if you’re lucky. Often the email that you’ll receive will state the time you have to be at the venue and name of the other bands. Rarely are there details of equipment you will need to bring, or anything else. Pay will most certainly not be mentioned.

So how does a band go about getting a gig anyway? Usually you would need to contact the venue in question, who would subsequently give you the name of a promoter that they go through. You then find the promoters website/myspace/facebook page, send them an email and if you’re lucky you’ll get a personalised reply. Generally you’ll get a a response at a later date with a generic email sent to all bands the promoter has on their database, these can often include up to 30-40 different bands.

The worst thing about these emails is that promoters will always ask that question, “Hi there, we’re running a showcase night on x date and would like you to play, however we would require you to bring 20 people. Please let me know if you can do this. We are not interested in time wasters only hard-working bands”.

I’m sorry, only hard-working bands? Have you seen the amount of websites, database’s, ‘agents’, and other wonderful resources for bands that you of course have to pay for but really amount to some email address’ that we have to sift through. Bands pay for practice space, equipment, petrol, and several other simple overheads, oh and we write and perform the music you want us to come and play so that the promoter and venue can make money. How much more would you like us to actually do?

So why do venues use promoters anyway? It’s as if they have some sort of belief that these promoters have a vetting process or recommendation procedure….something. But no, most of the time they are people who are making money out of bands.

Money, Money, Money.

So how does a ‘hard working band’ make a living. Unless you’re a cover band, you can’t. And even if you’re a cover band, it’ll take a while to make a regular wage. Most covers venues are usually booked a good 6-7 months in advance. Of course once you get your bookings sorted you can probably expect a regular wage. In addition, covers bands are generally paid quite well. Taking an O’ Neills (pub/bars all over the country) as an example. These guys are usually booked 8-9 months in advance, have a good covers band on Friday and Saturday night, and I would say that 50% of the clientele’ are their not to see that specific band, but because people know they are going to go to a pub where lots of well-known songs will be played reasonably well, and live. It’s a great scenario and one I enjoy going to often.

How does it work for a band playing original material. More often than not money is rarely negotiated up front with the promoter and when it is bands will only really get a tiny sum. Bands will generally get £1, maybe £2 per person that they bring. The promoters will set up a facebook event and invite the bands to invite their friends. That’s basically it. Bands have to do the rest. I’m sorry, I thought that promoters were paid to do just that ‘promote‘.

A Gentleman called ‘David Goldberg’, a musician and fellow writer, penned an article similar to this and summed up the hypocrisy of the live music situation in one clear, sound paragraph:

“What if I told the wine bar owner that I have a great band and we are going to play at my house. I need someone to provide and pour wine while we play. I can’t pay much, just $75 and you must bring at least 25 people who are willing to pay a $10 cover charge at the door. Now wouldn’t they look at you like you are crazy?

“Why would I do that” they would ask?

Well because it’s great exposure for you and your wine bar. The people there would see how well you pour wine and see how good your wine is. Then they would come out to your wine bar sometime.

“But I brought all the people myself, I already know them?” they would say.

Well maybe you could make up some professional looking flyers, pass them out, and get people you don’t know to come on out.

“But you are only paying me $75. How can I afford to make up flyers?”

It’s been a while since my last post  due to illness, internet outages and musically related bits and bobs.

So where to start. I don’t want to give you so much to read as I did last time; the amount of beer/tea that you must’ve consumed whilst reading must have been incredible!

So I’m going to start with something that should actually interest all musicians and that is the Live Venue Bill that recently passed through the House of Commons.

As you may (or may not) know, in order to have live music most venues need a music license which is of course provided by the Government for a fee, (’cause they’re nice like that) and the license legally allows the venue to have live music.

The bill, currently waiting to be ‘rubber stamped’ and approved will enable venues with a capacity of 200 or less to put on live music events without having to pay for a rather costly licence. This is fantastic news for any local bands and will hopefully see some more venues for bands opening up all over the country.

The problem in most parts of the country is that there is usually one ‘big’ venue for a local band to play, and then a few smaller ones, to cut your teeth on/earn your ‘chops’.  However, since what I like to call the ‘dark age of booking gigs’ venues only seem to book through promoters,  but more on that in another post. Now hopefully smaller venues will start dealing with bands themselves rather than promoters, thereby enhancing their ability to garner a fan base and play larger venues.

In other news my punk rock band ‘Escapefrom’98‘ have recorded our first EP ‘Voyeuristic Tendencies’ and with the permission of the really nice, charming, charismatic editor (too much?) he or another of my colleagues will review it for the site. We recorded the EP at the most awesome Sizzle Studios in Boscombe, and although it was an old converted outbuilding, the sound and recording, is amazing! The EP will be available to download for free and for a couple of quid if you want an actual CD.

We are also going to be making a split EP with the ‘other’ Bournemouth Punk Rock band, ‘Pump Action Radio….more on that when it’s ready.

In the Disco’s Out Camp, nothing has really happened. Practice was cancelled 2 weeks running due to Martin playing a Powdered Cows gig, and I playing an Escapefrom’98 gig. Luckily, being a ‘Supergroup’ I’m sure we will be fine, (modesty mode deactivated)

Monkey’s Uncle have had their album reviewed on Rock-Regeneration, the album is called G-String fully loaded (see what they did there) and you can read it here: G-String Fully Loaded. It’s a brief overview of the album, but well written and I’m sure that Andy Hall, the primary writer of the music and lyrics will be pleased.

The Gigging Weekend Ahead….

Ok. This weekend is going to be a HELL of a weekend. It’s time to get your gigging shoes on and venture out into Bournemouth because the 3rd round of the Dorset Music Awards are on, The Frequency are at Mr Kyps, and many more acts are on this weekend….read on!

Friday 24th Feb…

The 3rd round of the Dorset Music Awards are on at the Winchester, tickets are £5.00 and the doors open at 20:00.

5 awesome bands battle it out for a place in the semi final at Mr Kyp’s. Bands are as follows and hyperlinked to their respective websites/facebooks.

Voice Of Reason

Veetacore

The General Public

Pachango

Pump Action Radio

You can vote for whichever band you would like to support via the Dorset Music Awards website….I’ll be calling on your guys to vote for my band next week, so come on down and get involved!

Also on the 24th Simon Townshend (The Who, yeah that Who) will be playing at Mr Kyps, supported by the awesome Frequency. £10.00 on the door, and £8.00 in advance. This promises to be a brilliant gig and Simon Townshend has had some impressive reviews!

Lastly Peace, Love and Gloves are playing one of the last few gigs at Champions. These guys are also in the Dorset Music Awards and bought an enormous crowd to the first heat, so their own gig is likely to be just as electrifying!

Saturday 25th Feb…

Saturday see’s the second from last gig at Champions and its a Punk all dayer! With bands ranging from SubHumanz, C-30′s, the Gutter Ratts, Coke Can Jack hell, even Escapefrom’98 are playing, it promises to be an amazing day for punk rock bands and fans all over Bournemouth!

Sunday 26th Feb…

Sunday, Sunday is in fact the last gig that Champions will be putting on and it’s a who’s who of popular Bournemouth bands. Even my very own Discos Out (Murder in!) have been asked to play. Sharing the stage alongside big hitters Animal Talent Show, Toupe’, Grott Party, and the new but brilliantly upcoming Draw Me Ugly, this is a gig not to be missed at any cost. It’s the last night that Champions is open, so let’s all make it a good one!

See you at the front!

The Bassmonkey.

Thursday 2nd February – The Cellar Bar, Boscombe – Monkey’s Uncle & Draw Me Ugly.

If you read my previous article (here for you slow pokes) then you’ll know that I played a gig at the Cellar Bar in Boscombe with Monkey’s Uncle, in support of the funky sounds of Draw Me Ugly.

The Cellar Bar has recently won the Best Bar None competition as one of the best bars in the country and I personally regard it as Boscombe’s best kept secret. The Cellar bar was recently known as Chaplains, however with the increase of patrons attending gigs in the Cellar Bar section it made sense to change the name. Chaplains itself still exists as you walk in the door, however there are stairs leading down to the Cellar which is obviously, the Cellar Bar.

It has a tiny stage, a quirky atmosphere and a huge beer garden, the food is also amazing…..

I arrive at the Cellar Bar with my good lady in tow (I say tow, she drove!) at about 19:30 just as my fellow band mates arrive. We unload the cars and make our way downstairs to find that 3/4 of Draw Me Ugly are already there sorting out gear. Brian (bassist and acquaintance from waaaaay back at school) greets us all cheerfully and we all mingle and talk shop whilst Conrad is prepping the PA. Whilst Brian is tuning I admire his Fender P-Bass. I don’t like Fender on the whole, my personal opinion is that they are heavy, cumbersome, and I have never liked the action. But Brian’s bass, is very, very smooth.  It’s just a standard P-Bass but damned is it shiney……I’d still like a Fender Blacktop Precision though…. can we say double humbucker!

(Quick Rant – Very few bands really seem to chat/mingle or even nod in each others direction, even where there is kit share. It’s often left to the soundguy to middle manage it all. If we’re all in the same room, for god sake, chat, ask about where each other have played, equipment, influences. It’s called networking and has got me some really good gigs in the past, not to mention help with equipment in dire times. Its something I feel that a lot of bands don’t seem to get, and it irks me when they sit in the corner all on their phones barely talking to each other let alone other bands….end rant!)

Anywho, I digress. Draw Me Ugly sound-check, and sound wonderfully tight. For a band that have only really been together for about 6 months, they show brilliant song writing ability and a great stage presence.

Our turn comes, and this being our 3rd gig, doesn’t sound to bad. I haven’t played the Cellar Bar for a while, and forget how small the stage is. Setting up is often an interesting experience with everyone climbing over each other.

After sound check and a bit of tweaking in the monitors we’re set to go. So we nip off for a quick drink and then to the cash point and shop for munchies! Now I’d like to point out here that I find the amount of energy drinks on the market hilarious, they pretty much all taste the same and I often take photo’s of random ones (I know what your thinking, why can’t you be as cool as me! It’s actually for Escapefrom’98 testing at practice, we even found one called ‘Power is Black’; crazy names!) but there, lo and behold, when I didn’t have my phone/camera was an energy drink called Cannabis Energy…surely that’s an oxymoron? I thought that Cannabis was supposed to make you lethargic, not the other way around. Brilliant! I didn’t buy it, but may have to for Monday’s practice, I’m sure we can come up with some interesting review for it!So back to the Cellar Bar and it’s show time! We clamber up onto the stage and play through 7 songs. We have a little trouble I feel with 2 of them timing wise, but I’m assured by some audience members that they didn’t notice, so we got away with it. I guess it’s because we know that it didn’t sound spot on that we worry others pick up on it too. It was an enjoyable gig, but with little audience reaction. I’m not sure if this was because musically it didn’t grab the patrons, or if it was Lennon and Andy’s slight lack of experience in front manning? Bless ‘em both, they get a bit nervous and start waffling between songs. Me and Jim find it hilarious, but if you’re not in the band it’s easy to see why it wouldn’t be funny. I’m particularly guilty of this little trend, especially when I was in my last band Amity Road. I’d get a little nervous or worried that people weren’t enjoying it because there wasn’t much clapping and then start to waffle. It’s something that comes with time knowing how to work a crowd, even if they aren’t really listening, and its something that I think the guys will certainly learn quickly.

So after our set come Draw Me Ugly. Whilst they’re not a solely bass driven band, as a bassist it’s the part I obviously pick up on the most and I just love Brian’s bass lines. Some are really simple and a sterling example of the ‘Less is more’ theory that many find difficult (including yours truly) to make effective use of. At other times though, Brian’s fingers are all over the fretboard playing some really engaging bass lines that really work to compliment the guitar and vocal melodies…..and he has only been playing a year! GRRRRR!

The rest of the band is really tight; the lead guitarist (Phil) does some great work with chords I’m not sure I have seen before, and Ed has a really nice voice. This funky style really suits his vocal range and he can really hit highs! As for the drums, they provide a solid backbone for the whole band to feed off and I don’t think I heard one beat out. As a whole Draw Me Ugly are a great band and really keep you engaged, my only criticism is that they need more upbeat songs. The funky ones really stand out, but the more melodic ones I feel are a little long and somewhat ‘samey’. It maybe that the set wasn’t written around variety, but how they wanted it to flow. Either way I really enjoyed them as did their small array of friends and family come to support them.

Saturday 4th February – On The Rocks, Bournemouth – Powdered Cows, Monkey’s Uncle, El Bosco & Escapefrom’98.

Saturday, an important day for the Mrs. Hailey, my better half has started to promote and organise a monthly night at On The Rocks for live music and this was the first night with all live bands. Hailey believes (as I do) that bands should be paid for playing. Period. Bands have operating costs too, and its seems that a lot of venues and promoters have lost sight of why it is bands do what they do, (more on that in a separate article)

We also thought that it would be a great opportunity to showcase the various other bands that members of Disco’s Out (Murder’s In!) are in for all to see in one great night.

The day is spent relaxing, Xbox, TV, food all the good things in life etc… I pack the car up at about 17:00 ready to leave at 17:30. Escapefrom’98 are supplying the back line (Drums and Amps) so we need to be there early in order to make sure we’re set up for soundchecks to run smoothly. However come 17:15 a hiccup occurs….Tubbs, the drummer for El Bosco sends me a text saying that his lift has fallen through so he can’t get his stuff to the gig and that he’s..well, a word I can’t really post on here! Hailey instantly saves the day and offers to go to Disco’s Out HQ and retrieve his equipment. I would have asked Mandy if Tubbs could use her breakables (Cymbals, Snare, Kick drum Pedal) but as I’m in Discos Out with Tubbs, I know how hard he hits those things, and it wouldn’t be fair to ask Mandy (EF’98′s drummer).

So we get to Steve’s about 18:00 to pack Tubb’s stuff and head to the venue at about 18:15. We arrive and start setting up the stage and the bass amp and are shortly joined by Mandy and Lennon (EF’98 guitarist) who go about setting up their respective instruments and gear.

Once set up a quick soundcheck commences. We soundcheck a new song called Secret Auntie and seems to sound okay. I was pretty nervous of the soundcheck as by the time we started to play, all the other bands were there and I know them all very well! Steve (Discos Out and El Bosco frontman) sits grinning at me which makes it worse. He has been given several accolades for his front manning skills and it’s somewhat intimidating trying to do it myself with him watching.

Over the course of the next hour or so everyone soundchecks and it’s all good. I have a play-list of 70′s and 80′s classic rock to see us through the course of the night whilst there aren’t any bands on (courtesy of Jim from Monkey’s Uncle) and there’s about 5 hours worth of music on there, so nothing to worry about on that score!

Come 19:45 and it doesnt appear as though anyone will be coming despite his heavy advertisement. It’s cold out, it’s raining pretty heavily and unfortunately On The Rocks is somewhat off the beaten path, so Hailey understandably starts to feel a tad concerned. But then literally at about 20:00 the first few people start filtering in, and for about the next 30mins there seems to be someone turn up every few minutes. Hailey decided that a fair door fee would be £4.00 per person. This basically equates to £1.00 per band you watch which, when you think about it, is pretty good. At the end of the night, Hailey will split the fund equally between the bands as that’s the point isn’t it, to make some money for providing music for others, (there’s also the enjoyment obviously, but it’s nice to at least cover your costs of playing)

First up – is Martin Roberts of Powdered Cows. Martin also plays in Discos Out (Murders In!) and plays trumpet, trombone, key-tar occasional whirly thing and the odd shake of a maracas. Martin will often mix up what he plays, be it solo, with a band, or an accompanying musician it’s often different! Tonight Martin opts for his classic Casio keyboard and an Mp3 player backing track. Some of the songs are terribly erratic, and it’s difficult to see where he is going but then the backing track will pause, or change tact and Martin will place a melody with the keyboard in accompaniment in some cases using a toy megaphone to augment his own voice. The Audience were all sat watching, some looking quite mesmerised others, with honest interest as to what Martin might do next. It was a nice atmosphere and whilst no-one was really stood up or dancing, I think it worked better this way, it was more intimate and because others went down a lot better than it might have done otherwise. Hey, why not have a listen to some more of Martins stuff on his bandcamp page: Powdered Cow’s.

Second on stage – is Monkey’s Uncle. This is our second gig of the week and was certainly better than that of the Cellar Bar. Timing was better, we were tighter as a band and there was less talking between songs, which I think for a band like Monkey’s Uncle is important. I wont go on too much about the set as this is mainly for my diarising experiences and what I thought of my fellow musicians. Suffice to say, I thought it was a better set than earlier that week….so there! If you want to have a listen to Monkey’s Uncle by the way you can listen or purchase on the following link….you can even download a track for free! Monkey’s Uncle, G-String fully loaded.

Third up – is El Bosco who consist of Steve, Ed and Tubbs from Discos Out, Ed picking up bass rather than trumpet duties in this band. El Bosco are loud. They like it that way and it works. It might a little too loud for some people but on the whole most seem happy. El Bosco is kind of grunge, progressive rock with some random timing and sing along bits thrown in. It really is hard to genre-fy other than perhaps ‘World Music’. Steve and Tubbs do their usual nodding and smiling and having played in bands together for years have their communication well and truly locked in. Ed on bass however is slighty inebriated…well, a little more than slighty. And the only reason you can tell is because he smiles constantly! His playing is an interesting style to listen too. Ed tends to go for slightly quirky bass lines that really work in this band. Where most bassists would usually keep to root notes Ed will do so but an octave higher. It works really well in a band that is maybe not trying to be different  but is certainly experimenting. It’s very hard to know what to write about El Bosco. They are a great foot tapping band, albeit perhaps a trifle loud for those not used to going to see live bands. They clearly love what they are doing and its an infectious energy. Go and see them, or better yet, download their free EP from here: El Bosco, ‘In Fez’

Lastly – Escapefrom’98 where I play bass and sing main vocals. We opted to perform the set we will use for the Dorset Music Awards quarter-final with an extra song thrown in to make up the time. Again I’ll be brief as this is primarily about other bands. The set went well, I didn’t forget any words, which I have done before, but I could not keep a pick in my hands! I rarely drop picks, and will switch to fingers no problem, but it got really annoying towards the end! Most peculiar! As I said the set went well, and we all had good fun on stage. I don’t think we were as tight as we could be, but it was a good dry run for the upcoming DMA’s.

A huge thanks to Hailey for promoting the gig, arranging kit share, doing the door and making sure that all the bands got some money. Thanks also to Sully the proprietor of On The Rocks who when he wasn’t tending the bar was trying to watch and support the bands, and also thanks to his right-hand drunk punk, Tim who was kind enough to do the sound.

Sunday 5th February – The Joiners, Southampton – Unknown, Home Delivery, Disco’s Out (Murders In!) & Reclaim the Sky’s.

Booked rather a while back I plumb forgot about this gig until Steve reminded me the night before! As it was in Southampton the Hailey and I thought it would be nice to spend the afternoon there, do a bit of shopping and then go to the gig for 17:30 soundcheck.

Southampton I have always joked was the home of the Emo kids, they then migrate down to Bournemouth to hang around outside, (what was), Borders. Today however seemed to be peoplewhoshopinnextandburtonday. Seriously most people we encountered were wearing high boot type welly things with beige or tan tight trouser/leggings and a padded body warmer  jacket. Is Southampton paying homage to England’s farming roots? It was very odd! I went in to Next to look for a new coat (TK MAXX won out in the end by the way) and everything in there (for the men at least) seem to be geared to toward some sort of glamorous farming life on the cover of a magazine. I was pretty damned baffled by it all and was pleased by the distraction of Guitar Central. Run by a bunch of awesome guys they will look after you, chat to you about your needs and then do what they can to accommodate. You can tell they have played on the music ‘scene’ for years as they know what does and doesn’t work, and have that kind of ‘yeah, I know what you’re going through’ aura about them.

After drooling over an Ampeg SVT 450 and being very unimpressed by a Dean Passive bass (I have a Dean Edge and the neck is like butter dipped in Jesus!…what happened to this one?) off to soundcheck I go. We were told to be there about 17:30 so we roll up at 16:57 to the NCP car park at St Mary’s. It’s not clear to a lot of people but it’s free to park after 18:00 and only 80p for an hour, so in went 80p! I call Steve to ascertain his whereabouts and it turns out that they (Steve, Tubbs, Martin & Ed) haven’t left yet as Ed had only just woken up.

It would appear that Mr White (Ed) continued the drinking into the wee hours of the this morning and had only just risen from his bed/ditch.  So I unload my gear at the Joiners, as Reclaim the Sky’s start their soundcheck. Very tight and awesome band. Seem like nice guys too. To me they sounded a lot like Funeral for a Friend meets New Found Glory, both worthy accolades, (well I thought so anyway)!

I let the soundguy know that my associates are going to be late and to get the other bands checked, we will just line check, (plug in to make sure stuff works).

The next band to soundcheck were the original openers ‘Home Delivery’ however a fourth band have been added to the bill so they are bumped up to second.

‘Home Delivery’ I believe are all of 17 and bless em, they look it. I happened to bring my bass amp along just in case as, whilst I was told there was an amp there to use, sometimes that’s not the case or there’s a problem, so its good to be prepped. In this instance the bass amp that was there was a tiny little Ashdown. I don’t know what the wattage was but when it was played on stage it sounded pretty quiet, but then it went through the PA and it was pretty damned loud! I asked if anyone minded me using my own amp, and if the support acts could also thereby saving change-over time and allowing the headliners to get on stage quicker. No-one seemed to mind so on it went.

Steve said prior that he didn’t need his amp so I knew he wouldn’t be bringing it (also difficult with 4 people in a Suzuki Swift!) so I asked if Reclaim the Skies would mind him using theirs, they were fine with the cabs being used but not the heads. This was certainly fair enough, they had full Marshall rigs that looked pretty pricey, too many people don’t look after other people’s stuff so I can understand their reticence.

I asked ‘Home Delivery’ if they wouldn’t mind and if their bassist could use my amp. They were more than happy with this and the bassist said he was actually quite excited to use my amp (I love my amp ha ha). To be honest, I’m glad he used it, I’m assuming he didn’t have his own amp, and when I was his age a lot of the bands around at the time were really snobbish and sharing was very difficult. I gave him a hand with the set-up and cabling and off he went for soundcheck.

After Home Delivery had soundchecked I called Ed to see whereabouts they were. Ed said they were about 10 minutes away and I hear Steve laugh in the background, not quite what I was hoping for, however Ed stated that they had just gone past that lovely modern looking high-rise tower shortly after turning off the M25….yup, he meant that horribly dilapidated tower block that you all know and love!

As I mentioned earlier, a fourth band was added to the bill, I didn’t actually catch their names (although I don’t think they introduced themselves) their sound check consisted off a drummer, lead electric guitarist and an acoustic guitarist/vocalist. Pretty odd arrangement, but I’ll get to that in a sec.

Just as the mystery fourth band are halfway through soundcheck my own erstwhile band mates finally arrive. Steve said that they had to leave later than before and made the journey in about 28 minutes….that’s pretty good going!

Once everyone is unloaded we all go our separate ways to get food. It’s about 19:00 and everyone is hungry. Hailey and I go to the Cowherders for hot food, as we’re starving, and frankly it’s freezing!

After dinner we arrive back at the Joiners at about 20:00. I always forget that this place doesn’t have a single heater in it. Everyone is in coats, gloves, and scarves all except one barman in a short-sleeved shirt. He is either so numb that he can’t feel anything anymore, extraordinarily manly or from up north, in which case this is probably summer to him (it was about -6 degrees)

So the first mystery band go on and other than the ending to their songs (self-confessed that they don’t know how to end their songs) they are tight, and kind of folky, meets Pete Docherty, meets the White Stripes. Like Home Delivery, these guys look to be in their teens and have what would appear a lack of stage experience. Not a lot of moving around of energy, but still a good tight set. Notable praise goes to the drummer. I don’t know how old he is, but if he continues playing the way he does now and pushes himself he will be an incredible drummer in the future!

I would like to confess at this stage that I only saw the earlier half of mystery bands set and the latter half of Home Delivery’s set. I got so cold that I went back to the car to put the heating on. It was ridiculously cold, I could barely feel my hands, and I was due to play soon. Having numb hands is not an ideal situation!So I turn up halfway through Home Delivery’s set and really liked what I heard. Listening to them you would say that they grew up as teens in the 90′s rather than 2010 – 2012. Reminiscent of Green day, Offspring, and Less Than Jake without the brass, the songs were tight, punchy and great fun, (I love punk rock by the way)! My only critique’ would be again, a lack of stage experience, but this comes with time. Lead vox/guitar obviously can’t move much due to having to sing, however the bassist and lead guitarist need to move around a bit more, and just have a bit more confidence in themselves. The only other thing is that they did have to stop a song halfway through due to pedal board malfunction. They then opted to start the song again from the start. A word from the wise (well maybe not wise, but you get my drift) most audiences do not want to hear you play a song that you just fluffed up or had to stop due to technical difficulties. Next time trying asking the audience if they want to hear it properly. Hell make a joke or make a bet out of it, but don’t just do it.

Other than that, I really really like these guys, and I’m going to ask Hailey if there is any way she can book them for the Bournemouth at On The Rocks due to their age.

So after freezing our nips off, watching the other bands, freezing the rest of our extremities off and setting up, it came our turn to play. It was good fun, sound was pretty good in the monitors and yeah….however by the time we went on there we only a few guys from Home Delivery and the headlining band had left. It’s difficult to feed off an audience that isn’t there. We did what we could, and sort of just chatted with who was left. On a humourous side note, Ed looked as though he was to pass out after every blow on his trumpet…poor bloke, he did not look well. Ah, drink, what fun!

After our gig we started packing up and the headlining band after being there from about 16:30 announced that they weren’t going to play. To be fair I don’t blame them. It was cold, late and only 4 people in the venue, one of which was the sound man. A huge shame as judging by their soundcheck they would have been really good. But what’s the point of putting on a gig where there isn’t anyone to watch it. This is another case of the venue not promoting the gig (there was no mention on any posters) and expecting bands to do all the work. As I said before, more on that in another post.

It’s now 02:14 in the morning, I’ve had some sort of allergic reaction as my lips and surrounding skin is really sore (no jokes thankyou!) and I think I’m just about done with this weeks Weekend Review. I just need to add some pictures for you all to laugh/point/forward/ponder at and then I’ll submit it for the overlord in the ivory tower (sorry, editor’s) review.

See you at Fridays post!

Lee

P.S. Your not an overlord really Mr Editor, please don’t beat me!

Episode 2 – Tango Foam Anyone?

What I thought was going to be a quiet week turned out to be rather busy…

Monday as usual was practice with Escapefrom’98 at Blueline studio’s.  If you read my article last week you’ll know that Blueline studios is run by a chap called Dan Cook. In the next few weeks I’ll be getting an interview with Dan (I haven’t told him yet) and his thoughts on the local music scene and how to get in touch with him.

Currently Escapefrom’98 are due to play the quarter finals of the Dorset Music Awards on the 2nd of March, so we’re pretty deep in strategy and planning. That’s right, we’re actually planning stuff, so it’s going to be a good one! For those that are following the Dorset Music Award’s there is another Punk Rock band (I know, the sheer audacity!) called Pump Action Radio. Nice bunch of guys, and I know the drummer pretty well. We had been chatting and jokingly trash talking each other over email at work. So we came up with the idea of doing some videos and trying to work a bit of friendly rivally into the competition. We have also agreed to support each other should the other band not go through.

At practice we also like to test/sample/experiment with randomly new released products. Food, drinks etc… This week we tested the wonder that is Tango Foam, video here: Escapefrom’98 test’s Tango Foam.

So after practice on Monday (also my good friend Karl’s birthday) we went to The Inferno, awesome bar in the Lansdowne, Bournemouth that caters for students and normal people alike. Jukebox, live music and great atmosphere. Had a drink and called Matt, Pump Action Radio’s drummer and set about our first video.

The first of our little video’s can be seen here: Escapefrom’98 vs Pump Action Radio…..Tango Foam, its got quite a range on it!

Tuesday night see’s Monkey’s Uncle practice at Uncle Pablo’s. Uncle Pablo’s has been going a long long time, and I also hope to do a feature on it in the future. So, more on that later….

Now, as I’m British, it’s my right to rant about the weather, and dear god its been cold this week! The walk to Pablo’s was somewhat brisk to say the least. T-shirt, two jumpers, coat and bass on the back kind of brisk.

Practice was really enjoyable this week, we had a gig on Thursday to prep for (review of gigs this weekend will be on Sunday) and we added a new song to the set called ‘Monkey’

What I love about Tuesday’s practice’s are that we have a great time, play some good tunes and pretty much quote Bill & Ted, Waynes World and many many other awesome 80′s movies!

Wednesday was a night off for me, so off to Tower Park for Pizza Express and Cinema courtesy of Orange Wednesday. If you didn’t know, if your an Orange customer then by texting the word ‘Film’ to the number 241 you get a code which gives you buy one get one free (BOGOF to you sales kids!) on cinema tickets. IN ADDITION, if you go to Pizza Express on a Wednesday you will 2 free starters and a BOGOF pizza deal! It would appear however that you need to ask for this deal, as there is no posters or advertising anywhere.

The Movie of choice was Underworld Awakening 3D…or more to the point Kate Beckinsale, in 3D. The film was awesome actionwise, and the 3D effects were well used and not put in for the hell of it like some films do. The plot…was ok. Fairly predictable but kept the momentum of the film going. I’m not really a movie critic so I’ll let my colleages on the Farm do that, but I enjoyed it, and so did my parents. It was their first 3D experience, bless em!

Thursday was gig day. Home from work, chicken carbonara for dinner and then off to the Cellar Bar in Boscombe to play with Draw Me Ugly. As I said earlier, more on that Sunday.

The Week Ahead…

Friday 3rd – There are alot of gig’s on Friday and it’s difficult to recommend which to go to. The Frequency are playing the Thomas Tripp in Christchuch, Draillion and 101% Pantera tribute are playing Sound Circus, Steve Craddock Band (from Ocean Colour Scene) are playing The Cellar in Portsmouth but then Bournemouth’s very own Andy Stock is playing the Cellar Bar in Boscombe. With a choice like that I cant recommend fairly, so whatever takes your fancy!

Saturday 4th – States of Matter and Empire Affair are playing Champions in Bournemouth, which is always going to be good with that sort of lineup. Also as a side note, Champions will be closing down at the end of February so now is a good time to use it and appreciate it whilst your still can.

James Morrison is playing at the Southampton Guildhall + additional support. Not really my cup of tea, but from what I have read the show is a really good one, and enjoyable to attend.

Lastly there is Discos Out (Alternative Bands In!) at On The Rocks on Beacon Road just behind the BIC. As you may know I play in a band called Discos Out (Murders In!) and On The Rocks are playing host to an event that see’s the bands various side projects take to the stage. To start with you have Powdered Cows (Martin’s band/solo project), Monkey’s Uncle, (one of my other bands), El Bosco (Steve, Ed and Tubbs other band) and finally Escapefrom’98 (yet another of my bands). Obviously I’m biased toward the event, but I think its an interesting mix of musical styles and genres all from people who share a band in addition to their own projects elsewhere.

Some of you may have realised that over the weekend we have been having some downtime, this was to allow us to offer faster browsing of our site and related sites along with improving our back end network for our hosted services. There may be some more short term downtime during the evening or overnight as we finalise some changes.

This should allow us in future to provide streamed services to the viewers of The Electronic Farmyard.

If you have any issues or questions, feel free to get in touch with Brad, brad@electronicfarmyard.com

Regards

The Team

So without further ado….

For my first piece im going to tell you about last week. It was a hell of a busy week and I had the best time! It started on Monday 16th January with band practice. Monday consists of practice with Escapefrom’98 which is a punk/rock band near and dear to my heart because I sing lead vocals and play bass. I’ve always loved punk/rock, it’s catchy, you can sing and bounce along and I have always wanted to be in a punk-rock band, so now, here I am with one!

We practice at the well equipped and centrally located Blueline studios in Bournemouth. This week we are preparing for a gig at Sound Circus in Bournemouth along side ‘The Snipers’ and the ‘Sex Pistols Tribute’.  Monday practice also meant that we had time to prepare for the most prestigious Dorset Music Award’s.  For those of you that don’t know, the DMA’s (as we in the ‘biz’ call them) are like a battle of the bands, and yet so much more. Bands are given the opportunity to play venues that are difficult to book, play in front of industry professionals and at the end win some epic prizes including recording time, photo shoots etc… Oh and the final, yeah that’s at the O2 in Bournemouth/Boscombe.

The first stage involves playing 2 songs, and whilst that’s not a lot of stage time, it’s more than enough for the judges to decide if you can play well enough for the next round. So we have to pick our songs carefully. Many bands went with an upbeat number and a slower one, my guess is that it will enable the bands to show some musical variety.

So the 3 hours we spent at Blueline studio’s on Monday were solely based on playing those 2 songs over and over and then run through our repertoire (such as it is, we have only been together for 6 months and have 6/7 songs) to make sure we’re tight for the other gigs that we have.

Tuesday was to be practice for Monkey’s Uncle. This is a largely acoustic band, but with a nice foot tapping groove behind it. Think Crowded House but unplugged.  Alas this had to be cancelled due to work commitments, (honestly, I have to work AND play in bands, there’s no justice I tell you!) We have however been practicing quite a bit recently and knew which songs we were going to play in the Dorset Music Awards. Oh yes, I entered in 2 bands. What can I say I want to play music for a living rather than work for insurance, wouldn’t you?

Wednesday consisted of practice with Disco’s Out (Murders In!). Now you may or may not have heard of these guys, but its all about big flamboyant shows, dressing up in all manner of random clothing and providing the most interesting and zany show we can. DoMi had been invited to play at Salisbury Arts Centre on Saturday so we had to go through the set, and make sure all the songs were tight together, and design a set. On top of that we started the process of writing 2 new songs and had a bit of an improv, jazz odyssey; much fun as it lasted for about 10 minutes!

Thursday I get a day off, night in with the lady watching series 7 of Bones and starting series 1 of Spooks. I have only seen up to series 6, or maybe 5 come to think of it. I had to stop watching as one of the lead guys died I hadn’t seen the episode and someone at work (Marc Corcoran I’m talking to you; that’s right named and shamed on the interwebs!) told me that he died and how!!!! I couldn’t believe it. I actually haven’t been able to bring myself to watch another episode since. However the Miss was intrigued and I thought, well if I start from the start I should be fine….although secretly I’m dreading the episode!

So Friday arrives, we arrive at Sound Circus with gear in tow (amps, guitars and what have you). It’s weird walking into a nightclub in the day, without the music or the smell of sweaty people and alcohol all over the place (classy place, I know). It smells awfully of cleaning fluids and the carpets….like velcro. I love dingy clubs, just not sure I do with the main lights on!

The drums turn up, and start setting up, however drum key, missing! Luckily my D-Lock key magically fits and the set up continues without issue. Sound check ensues, we attempt a new number, and it wasn’t too bad. Few more attempts at practice and I think we’ll be there. Once ‘The Pistols’ turn up we discover that they also have bought their bass amp (we thought we were supplying back-line for the night) so we hit upon the idea of linking and stacking the bass amps….interesting look isn’t it! (see photo below)

Saturday 21st January see’s the first heats of the Dorset Music Award’s. Escapefrom’98 were on at 15:30 but we wanted to see the competition so we all turned up at about 12:00ish. I won’t be writing up a review of the DMA’s as all the bands were good and to be fair it would be a conflict of interest on my part. All I can say is that we had a great time playing, and successfully made it through to the quarter finals.

Having played our 2 song set at the DMA’s I made my way to AFC Bournemouth stadium for a lift to Ringwood and then to Salisbury for the DoMi gig. I was reliably informed on route that there was a fridge of beer and water waiting. Now that’s a fridge that I can get on with!

The rest of the band had already arrived and sound checked so I had the rare luxury of getting to line check (making sure that the bass, cables and amps work as I walk on stage.) so I arrived in good time to help with the beer, and briefly wander round Salisbury with the band and to watch the acts that were on prior to ourselves. Our set….the stage wasn’t small but having 6 people on any sized stage can get a bit cramped. This time though I lucked out, the stage was a decent size width wise, but the depth, oh the depth. I had so much room I jumped, spun, leapt, crouched, I have never played a set so animated it was awesome!!!!

The next day (Sunday if you hadn’t kept track) was Monkey’s Uncle’s turn to play the DMA’s. Quite a few family and friends turned out and there was a little dance routine (I didn’t take part in the dance…stop chiding me, I’m left-handed and I have 2 left feet to go with it!) which the judges thought was cheesy but seemed to enjoy none the less. As it turns out, Monkey’s Uncle didn’t get through, however I have a feeling that there will be some interesting gigs coming up due to the genre and status of the band.

After playing the DMA’s it was off to the parents for my Uncles partners birthday. Good time had by all, wine, food, and more importantly Xbox Kinect….FRUIT NINJA…if you don’t know what it is, look it up, seriously.

Right on to Monday the 23rd January. Work as usual, blah, blah, blah etc… then on to practice. This was more a practice/strategic planning session for the DMA’s. We don’t have our quarter-final date yet but we certainly have some plans for it. Watch the space, can’t say much more….they could be reading. Who? All of them!

Tuesday’s Monkey’s Uncle was practice had to be cancelled by me, had a huge headache at work and didn’t shake it until late the evening.

Wednesday was DoMi Practice, this too was cancelled although by others due to work commitments and exams…. I can honestly say that I was a little relieved as I was a tad tired from all the weekend gigging and frivolities.

This brings us to today, I had the day off to indulge in some Skyrim, oh yes, that’s a level 29 Redguard for your information, although it’s taking a lot of time to play, I just don’t get the time these days!

So, that was my few weeks, todays post was extra long as I was so busy, the following posts may or may not be as long, who knows, you might be lucky…depending on which way you look at it. But it also depends on how busy I am, as to the length of the post and what I have been up to.

The Week Ahead.

FRIDAY:

I would personally recommend that you be at On The Rocks. A little gem of a venue just up the side of the BIC behind Ocean Palace. Why am I recommending it? Because Robb Blake the ‘One man ska explosion’ is playing. All instruments (drums, bass, brass) are all played and recorded by him prior to the gig and then played through the PA. Robb then plays guitar live along with singing and oi, oi, oi’s. It going to be an awesome! In addition my band Disco’s Out (Murders In!) are playing, however I would recommend this gig either way, Robb is worth seeing whenever you can because as a one man gig, it’s utter genius!

SATURDAY:

The Winchester on Poole Hill (Triangle) will be playing host to ‘Peace, Love and Gloves’ and ‘The Empire Affair’ both of which incidentally played the DMA heats and I believe that Peace, Love and Glove’s’ got through, so whilst I’m telling you to go watch one of my rival competitors I feel it’s justified. I saw them at the DMA’s and whilst not my thing personally I think they do put on a hell of an entertaining show!

Well, that’s it’s from me until Sunday where I will give you all an update on the Robb Blake’s set for those of you that can’t make it. And then my next weekly update/column will be next Friday same time.

Have a great weekend on all, I’ll see you at the front!

Lee.

As of 11 am today they were to be evicted but by midday there was still no news. Apparently by 5 pm they lost this appeal after which they’ve been given 24 hours to leave. The court procedure that was meant to be brief stretched from 20 minutes to 3 hours then 5 by all accounts yesterday.

In their attempts to retain the land several occupiers have gained the statuses of burghers/burgess’ of Stourfield Chase. They’ve also garnered the backing of Lord Peter Harvey whose lineage through Lady Plantagenet holds the legal rights to the land having previously produced the deeds in court. Many have also been registering as voters there to further their bid.

Catering to all ages ranging from visitors as young as 6 to 80 plus they’ve seen a variety of nationalities pass through their make-shift commune. The occupiers themselves come from various backgrounds and lines of work. Barney a fully qualified ski-instructor in his twenties had made his way there before the season commenced. Many others taking the time out to fight for their cause showing solidarity for the Occupy movement that began in Wall Street and has now spread worldwide.

Sandra an occupier stated of the camp ‘we look out for each other as you’d want in society; completely self-sufficient’ going on to say that they ‘provide for our own’ as everyone was welcomed. Judging by the weather at the time, (it was pretty wet and cold), they seemed adamant in this message of solidarity.

With plans to move elsewhere if they are evicted they can be found through Facebook and Twitter. They can also currently be contacted through their address: The Occupiers, 1A The Green, St Stephens Road, BH2 6DY.

As always we’ll keep you updated.

Today at 3:15 pm the ‘Occupy Bournemouth’ encampment that’s situated itself beside Bournemouth town hall entrance since the beginning of November was due to be evicted by court ordered bailiffs.

When we got there two policemen were stood across the road watching. Other people had gathered around to witness what was going on including cameras from the BBC. As half past three approached there was still no word until council officials spoke and at 3:32 pm they were told the eviction was to be postponed till tomorrow at 11 am. At 3:40 the two officers had disappeared from across the road.

This by all accounts has been a peaceful protest consisting of approximately 11 tents encamped outside the town hall. Hardly a justification for a forced evacuation, but still a substantial voice for Bournemouth’s 99%. Looking for ‘corporate transparency and accountability’ it seems the message is strong; the time for calling bankers into question is now.

They’re currently situated outside the town hall and it appears their numbers are slowly rising as Bournemouth joins the worldwide vocal movement that is also growing day-by-day.

We’ll keep you updated.

Update: latest information can be found here.

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Our friends over at Barbily Games have given us 500 keys for the Open BETA of Star Supremacy, their new free Sci-Fi browser based MMORTS title.

Keep reading to find out how you can get your hands on a BETA key code.

Star Supremacy is a free to play massively multiplayer space conquest web game. In the distant future, tensions rise as the limited resources of earth run out. This is the story of the three major human factions while they compete to survive and expand.

• Expand your empire over hundreds of planets, each with it’s own resources and dangers!
• Create an alliance with your friends and utilise dynamic alliance technologies to push your fleets beyond their limits!
• Establish an extended network of colonies as you attempt to secure your new worlds. Link up your bases and exploit numerous resources.
• Develop your own path through hundreds of technologies, gain access to unique ships, weapons and facilities to further your cause.
• In an ever changing universe, battle to control entire stars and reap their benefits as you put your perminant mark in the stars.

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Please check out the official website for more information, announcements, and events as Star Supremacy launches or follow them on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow them on Raptr!

There are two ways to enter the competition;

Twitter:

Follow us on Twitter (@Electronicfarm) and tweet the following message:

I want a #StarSupremacy #BETA key from @Electronicfarm. RT and follow the link to get yours: http://bit.ly/sYYp7y

Once you have tweeted the above message make sure you post your twitter name below. We will DM you the code so you need to be following us.

Facebook:

If you don’t use Twitter then you can enter using Facebook by liking our page here; www.facebook.com/TheElectronicFarmyard and leaving the following comment on our wall:

The Electronic Farmyard are simply the best. Thanks for my Star Supremacy open BETA key!

Then just return and and leave your name below. We will then send you a Facebook message with your code.

Simple. Claim your open BETA key for Star Supremacy today and remember to let us know how you get on.

We have teamed up with Gala Networks Europe to bring you an awesome little giveaway for Dragonica, the free-to-play hugely popular side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game or, as it’s more commonly known, an MMORPG. Think World or Warcraft without the expensive monthly fees plus added characters that look a lot more friendly and cute.

So what exactly is Dragonica about? Dragonica takes place on the continents of El Grego and Angrakka, which had experienced a golden age where humans and dragons were able to live together in peace. However, these times were not destined to last, and the dragons and humans eventually went to war in what was known as the Dragon Age. Eventually, the dragons were banished to the ancient realm of Aether.

The leader of the dragons, the Dark Dragon Elga would continue to mount attacks on the land, but was pushed back when five heroes of legend were able to defeat Elga and trap him in a dark prison known as the Shadow Cabinet, essentially shutting him out the lands of El Grego forever. However, not even the Shadow Cabinet could hold Elga forever — a thousand years after being trapped, Elga has found a way to release his darkness into the world, sending minions to attack the lands in preparation for his arrival. It is up to the players to take up arms and push back these dark forces!

New Expansion: New Origin

A new expansion has just launched for Dragonica so now is the best time to get involved! There is a new race to choose; the Drakan, which is unlocked when you reach level 20. And a new city named Kareuza, a beautiful Drakan town to accompany the new race. It also introduces for the first time player mounts available from level 23 with additional mounts available at levels 40 and 60.

This expansion also sees the launch of a brand new dungeon system, in which players are able to enter dungeons and tackle their opponents with a group called a fellowship, of up to 8 people, unlike the standard parties which only allowed groups of 4. However, it wouldn’t be an expansion without new challenges awaiting the heroes – and the Akia Cave Dungeon (Level 45+) and Black Claw Nest (Level 75+) will see that all newly acquired armour, weapons and mounts are put to good use.

You can learn a lot more about Dragonica by visiting the official website here and a selection of screenshots are included below!

So to help new and existing players alike we have 10 Starter and 10 Advanced packs to give away. These packs are designed to provide players with premium items to help them along and get started in the game.  Details are as follows:

Starter Pack – worth 10 Euros.

Advanced Pack – worth 8 Euros.

To enter and be in with a chance of winning one of these 20 item packs just reply below with a post letting us know what class you are currently playing or will be creating in the near future and why. If you are a new player and want to know more about classes please read here.

Only one entry person and the competition will close on Sunday 2^nd October. Winners will be announced on our Facebook page so make sure you ‘Like’ us. You can either use the Facebook box on the right hand side of this page (scroll up) or visit http://www.facebook.com/TheElectronicFarmyard.

Good luck!

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ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

Unluckily it appeared the grey skies had set an omen as this was to be the last flight of Flight Lieutenant Jon Eggings, aged 33, who sadly crashed his Hawk T1 aircraft; Red 4, just outside of Hurn airport at precisely 13.50PM and was pronounced dead at the scene.

People are planning to wear red in his memory during tomorrows remaining events. Whilst people wishing to pay tribute can do so by leaving floral reefs outside the Bournemouth Town Hall.

This was unbeknownst to the spectators upon Bournemouth beach as the air display carried on (although gossip was heard yet unconfirmed) and although some of the evening festivities were cancelled a fine aerial display was put on during the remainder of the day including fireworks off the end of Bournemouth Pier at 10PM.

Lou Maby from Bournemouth was quoted as saying:

The Red Arrows have always been the highlight of my trips down to the beach to watch the Air Festival.

Our thoughts remain with the family, friends and colleagues of Flight Lieutenant Jon Eggings during this difficult time.

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For those of you that were present for the 2010 Bournemouth Air Festival will likely remember being huddled together on the beach waiting anxiously to hear over the PA system whether or not any planes would be braving the weather. It was wet, cloudy, extremely windy and generally horrible in terms of the weather. This year organisers, local businesses, Bournemouth residents and of course thousands of tourists from across the United Kingdom were holding their breath and keeping fingers crossed for good weather. Unfortunately Day 1 was a washout, and I mean that quite literally.

A bus station is flooded in the centre of Bournemouth. A whole months worth of rain had fallen by early afternoon.

It has been reported that Bournemouth received 2 weeks worth of rainfall in less than 30 minutes during the morning of Thursday 18^th August. I would like to add that it felt like a years worth of rain fell from between 10AM and 12.30PM…. especially considering I was caught in the middle of it. However being caught up in the rain did have it’s advantages, I was able to snap some quick pictures which were featured across the nations press as well as some quotes from myself. Check out the pictures below and some quotes including links to the websites I appeared on. Take a look at our YouTube channel to see some of the videos I recorded during the downpour.

It was absolutely surreal, the shops were all flooding and owners were putting down their shutters in a bid to keep the water out. The Sun.

There were loads of people grabbing any sort of shelter they could find, some were paddling in the water streaming down the streets. There was a bit of Dunkirk spirit going on a some motorists stopped to pick up stranded people and take them to dry land. The Telegraph

It was like a disaster movie. The Daily Mail

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Pictures by Kristian Wingfield-Bennett

Day 1 of Bournemouth Air Festival was cancelled and there was disappointment for everyone involved. The daytime and evening festivities were cancelled, and tourists along with the locals were both left disappointed. Fingers crossed tomorrow would be a good day.

Tomorrow (today) was a perfectly sunny, beautiful day in Bournemouth and thousands of people flocked down and battled to find a seating position on the beach between Boscombe and Bournemouth piers. Bournemouth Pier approach and as far as the eye could see either side was crammed with people ready to enjoy everything the Air Festival has to offer. They didn’t need to wait long as the Tigers Parachute team were ready and on hand to kick off the afternoon with a dramatic entrance leaping from up high to land up on the beach (amongst the crowd in some instances) with flags and flares. The applause and cheers were thunderous as the festival was now in full swing.

Over the course of the afternoon we were treated to displays by the Hawk jets, Royal Navy Merlin helicopter, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flyby team, the Breitling Wingwalkers, the Blades, the Miss Demmeanour Hunter Jet and Bournemouth’s very own Sea Vixen. The two most outstanding displays were performed by Gerald Cooper in his Avions Mudry Cap 232 aircraft who stunned and surprised the crowds with breath taking and seemingly impossible twist and turns between both piers. And then of course the Red Arrows burst across the sky in a blaze of blue, red and white. Last year the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team were cut short and unable to perform properly due to bad weather, this year however they more than made up for it with a spectacular and awe inspiring 24 minute display that had everyoneon the beach, upon the cliffs and along the piers stood up and clapping.

We are back down there again tomorrow with our Media/Press passes so expect another evening update from us. Until then check out the pictures and video from Day 2 below, both courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo.

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When we re-launched the Electronic Farmyard we did it with excitement and big plans for the future. We had new writers, new content to keep you excited and of course a new look website we nicknamed The Electronic Farmyard 2.0. Unfortunately our re-launch celebrations were cut short due to issues we started to experience with our host only hours after going live.

These issues resulted in a large amount of downtime for the site which was frustrating us but ultimately and more importantly frustrating for you, our readers. Therefore we took the decision yesterday to invest in a new host and transfer the site across to them ASAP. Firstly I need to thank Brad Gyton our webmaster for not only making the transition as smooth as possible, but also for the monetary investment he made to make the move possible. Secondly I want to thank all of you for sticking with us during the last few days.

Our hope is create a unique site and online experience where our passionate writers can share their views and opinions with you on a variety of topics from gaming, movies, technology, music, politics and much more. I also want to continue to encourage you to take part in the discussion on the site.  Feel free to post comments to blogs and opinion pieces and let us know your thoughts. Help us shape The Electronic Farmyard.

If you have any questions relating to the site or think you can help us as a writer, graphic designer or produce high quality reviews then feel free to drop me an email to kris@electronicfarmyard.com.

To celebrate the launch of our indie film review section by Giulia Giganti and her first review today; Service Entrance, we have 3 classic art-house DVD’s to give away. The Idiots by Lars Von Trier and then Jules and Jim and Stolen Kisses by Francois Truffaut. To enter simply reply below with an answer to the following question:

In the film Jules and Jim by Francois Truffaut, we are introduced to a Ménage à trois (or ‘love triangle’ ). If you were to pick 2 people in which you could live with in this way, who would you pick and why?

We encourage you to pick celebrities (past and present) and historical figures therefore avoiding you any domestics at home when your partner reads the entry. Be creative and we’ll pick our favourite winner in 7 days time.

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Disclaimer: We take no responsibility for any domestics this competition may cause between couples. Answer at your own risk!

Competition Rules:

• Entrants must be over 18 years of age.
• Entrants must be UK Citizens. This includes Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• Winners will be notified by Email. We will not email you for any other reason, or pass your details on to third parties.
• Closing date is Sunday 31st July 2011 at 20:00 GMT+0
• The Electronic Farmyard reserves the right to disqualify any person from the competition at their own discretion.
• There is no cash alternative.
• If the winner cannot be contacted by email within two weeks, then the prize will be re-allocated.
• The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into
• By entering any competition you are confirming you have read, understood, agree with and accept all above stated rules.

1,300 developers, 101 sessions, 11 keynotes, eight tracks, four conferences, three days and a pair of 3D glasses means just one thing: the biggest ever Develop Conference in Brighton, which kicks off next Tuesday to Thursday, 19-21 July.

Delegates, who attend from all over the world, can look forward to:

Four conferences

• Evolve – a one-track conference on Tuesday focused on emerging technology, territories, platforms, marketing and delivery
• Develop – Wednessday and Thursday
• Games:Edu – Wednesday
• Indie Dev Day – Thursday

101 sessions
Including 11 keynotes:

• Media Molecule talking to Phil Harrison about their future
• Andrew Wilson, EA Sports
• Moshi Monsters’ boss Michael Acton Smith
• Laura Fryer, WB Games Seattle
• Mick Hocking, SCEE – with a 3D presentation at the Odeon cinema
• Kris Jones, Jagex
• Iain McCaig, Hollywood Concept Artist
• Phil Kovats, Sony, Naughty Dog Audio Lead
• Kish Hirani and Neil Brown, SCEE
• David Braben, Frontier – design and Games:Edu  keynotes

Eight tracks

• Art, Audio, Business, Coding, Design, Evolve, Production and The Den.

One hectic social life

• Monday: The Guardian pub quiz
• Tuesday: Ice Breaker drinks and the Games Aid poker tournament
• Wednesday: The Develop Industry Excellence Awards and Eurogamer After Party
• Thursday: Closing drinks

NEW! Indie Showcase
10 unpublished games fight it out for the title of Indie Showcase winner. The judges’ choice will be presented at 1pm on Thursday, with the Peoples’ Choice following at 5pm in The Den

“We’re really looking forward to this year’s event. It promises be the broadest, deepest and most diverse yet, because we’ve got Evolve looking at everything new and emerging in game dev, the main Develop conference exploring issues facing today’s developer, but also the Games:Edu for academics and new for this year the Indie Showcase specifically created for independent developers,” commented Andy Lane, managing director of organiser Tandem Events.

Develop Conference passes can still be purchased online at: www.developconference.com