This past year has been another incredible year of highs, and not many lows, and I’d like to thank everyone involved. That means all who have contributed to Mudkiss whether it be writing, reviewing, interviewing, or photographing, not forgetting all the artists, musicians, creative people, PR companies, record labels, and band managers - Melanie Smith
On a purely personal note, as many of you may be aware that live photography is my real forte and I have shot 46 shows of all genres and types this year and wanted to share some of my favourite moments in pictures with you all.
A Year In Photos - taken from the Mudkiss Photography archives: by Melanie Smith. www.mudkiss.com/myyearinphotos.htm
Mel shows off some of her favourite live show photographs from the year, and tells us why. Artists: Jessie Rose / The Virginmarys/ The Raveonettes/ Adam Ant/ The Phoenix Experiment / Dressing For Pleasure/ Sylver Tongue/ Chris Isaak/ Morten Harkett/ Scissor Sisters/ Jack White/ Tim Burgess/ The Damned/ Choking Susan/ Emilie Autumn/ Morrissey/ Ren Harvieu/ Palma Violets/ Jordan Reyne/ Icarus Line.
A few words from Andy Barnes: As the door to 2012 closes, one overriding word fills my mind....Thank you....on three separate levels. Firstly, thank you to all the contributors to Mudkiss Fazine over the year, without your boundless enthusiasm and thirst for amazing underground music, we couldn’t exist. We may have lost a few along the way, further education rightly taking priority, fortunately we’ve also gained a few, keeping the Mudkiss flag flying even higher in relation to interviews, album, single, EP and gig reviews, along with a whole raft of amazing images.
Secondly, thanks to you, the readers, who point your cursors and press your touch screens on a regular basis, bringing mudkiss.com, the Facebook pages or Twitter feeds to digital life. Your desire to hear something new and outstanding, fuels our yearning for discovery and dispersal of the word. A whole world of incredible music lies beneath the surface of mainstream day time radio, it’s our job to mind those seams and expose as much as humanly possible.
Thirdly, and most importantly, thank you to the artists we have featured and those we are yet to discover, as music becomes ever more a vocation and less a career, the sheer bloody mindedness of musicians to create, whatever the financial constraints or climate not only to be applauded, but also supported. Yes, it’s easy to obtain free music, but let’s make a communal resolution, buy just a touch more and help the bands and artists we love continue to produce such inspiring and thought provoking sounds and lyrics. Without them, the world would be a much more lacklustre place. Here’s to 2013, another voyage of aural discovery on the good ship Mudkiss.
A few words from a fine photographer & reviewer Shay Rowan: With a record breaking year of gigs under my belt - 2012 was an exceptionally fine year of music for me and the signs are all there that the coming year holds much promise indeed.
Having the opportunity to contribute to Mudkiss alongside such a talented set of photographers and writers whilst watching the site grow in stature and acquire increasing respect from all corners has certainly added to the pleasure. Without doubt the highlight of the year for me arrived in the form of a rain soaked morning photo shoot in the company of our illustrious leader Mel as we battled the elements to capture singer Little sparrow for this months [January] issue. Frustratingly cut short by the elements we both, nevertheless succeeded in getting some good results and I very much look forward to having another chance or two to learn from the 'master' again in the coming year as I look to sharpen up my photo skills! - Shay Rowan
Freelance writer Teddie Dahlin takes a look back at 2012: As the year draws to a close, I find myself looking back at the amazing people I have met and had the pleasure of interviewing for Mudkiss. I started the year in a live chat with the beautiful and talented Anne Pigalle; French chanteuse and multi-artiste. Her erotique music and artwork is diverse and ever changing, yet still true to that which is punk inspired and different.
When Mudkiss was offered an interview with Killing Jokes Jaz Coleman, I practically begged my boss, Melanie Smith, give it me. Jaz is known as being tricky to interview and it was with mild trepidation that I met him at his West End hotel. I needn’t have worried, as it turned out. We got on famously and had an interesting chat about his past and his occult beliefs, which lasted much longer than the 45 minutes I had been allotted. He invited me and Mel to cover his Manchester gig.
Glen Matlock visited Oslo in May and we got together for lunch to talk about his solo tour and plans for the future. As many of you know; I knew the ‘other bassist’ of the Sex Pistols and it was a fantastic chance for me to meet Glen and talk a little bit about Sid, but mostly about what Glen has been up to after he was so famously fired from the job as Sex Pistols bass player in 1976. Glen is such a nice, easy going guy and it was a pleasure to meet him.
Oslo was proud to guest another punk icon this summer; Charlie Harper (UK Subs). He visited us to celebrate his close friend, Paul Mileman’s birthday and to play a gig with Pauls band Riots. I got a chat with him at the sound check and covered the gig. Such a gent and definitely still going strong.
Neon Leon and I chatted about his amazing musical career, spanning over 40 years in the business. He’s played with a lot of the great bands that came out of the east coast of the US and was famously a suspect in the murder of Nancy Spungen at the Chelsea Hotel, 1978. Mentored by the New York Dolls and the Rolling Stones, his life has certainly never been dull or without excitement. He is still touring, and making music.We look forward to seeing him in Oslo soon.
Finally as 2012 draws to a close I managed to get an interview with The Boys before the release of their new album. This is the first one from The Boys in over 30 years. They played Oslo and celebrated Casino Steel’s 60th birthday with two concerts in Casino’s home town, Trondheim. The new album has yet to be named and will be released next year.
Thank you to all the people who have read my interviews and who appreciate Mudkiss. We are a tight knit team at Mudkiss and we love what we do and will keep on delivering inspirational interviews and reviews for as long as you want to read about the movers and groovers; makers and shakers in the music industry.
An occasional interviewer for Mudkiss Helen Donlon: 2012 was a year of intense involvement with music writing for me - as a music book publicist, but also as a literary licensee and agent, a researcher, an interviewer and occasional critic. But largely it was other people's writing that occupied my daily (and often nightly) life over the last 12 months.With so much talent around it is difficult to name check everyone whose work affected me but here are a few…Sylvie Simmons, whose sensitive Leonard Cohen biography 'I'm Your Man' has just been named Biography of the Year by NPR's All Things Considered. Deservedly.
So I guess that only leaves me to wish you a Happy New Year!!
Let take a look back at what we did last year, you might want to revisit some of the dedicated reviews/interviews/ music or book reviews and features from the year of 2012.
DECEMBER
NOVEMBER
OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER
AUGUST
JULY
JUNE
MAY
APRIL
MARCH
FEBRUARY:
JANUARY:
www.mudkiss.com/interviews2012.htm
MUSICIANS:
CREATIVE AND INTERESTING PEOPLE:
NEW MUSIC REVIEWS 2012
We had a massive number of albums, singles and EP’s sent across for us to review this year. So please check them all out on this link below.
www.mudkiss.com/musicreviews.htm
Blog Sound Of 2013: Who Will You be Listening To Next Year?
www.mudkiss.com/blogsoundof2013.htm
Best of year: Andy wanted to tell us what he predicts will be the ones to watch out for this year….from Metal to Folk and in-between!
Andy’s UK Metal Top Ten to watch out for in 2013: For those more inclined towards heavier musical aspects, here's a UK metal top ten of bands to look out for in 2013. Spires/Incassum/Talanas/Collibus/Bisonhammer/Agonyst/Dragged Into Sunlight/Huron /Sanguine/Kamikaze Test Pilots. - www.mudkiss.com/topukmetaltipsfor2013.htm
Andy’s Top Tips for 2013: A selection of bands / artists I have high hopes will really break through in 2013, some new, some not so new, but all worthy far more attention. Golden Fable/Feldspar/Palma Violets/The Gramotones/The Delaplains/Christine Owman/Savages - www.mudkiss.com/andystoptipsfor2013.htm
Andy Barnes shares his top 10 albums of 2012: www.mudkiss.com/andytop10albums2012.htm
www.mudkiss.com/bookreviews.htm
Books reviewed by Den Browne 2012
'Parellel Lives': by Dick Porter & Kris Needs - reviewed by Melanie Smith
MUDKISS SPECIAL FEATURES
In addition to our own regular team, we had a few contributors, from Chanteuse Anne Pigalle, writer Mary M’Meara, singer, songwriter James DeMalplaquet and Liverpool lovely Lacey.
Blue Cat Blues.............By Mary O'Meara
The closing of the Blue Cat will narrow a passageway that's already largely blocked....that passageway being a launch-pad for new bands, new songwriters, new talents to come and transfer their sounds from bedroom/garage to stage. Many did it and did it so successfully they moved rapidly on to bigger things. Karima Francis, Nell Bryden & Jessie Rose all stood on that stage as virtual unknowns. Haven, Lee Griffiths, even most recently Terry Reid plugged in and bared their souls at 17 Shaw Road. Read the full feature here
Anne PigalleE: HalTe Au Viol Artistique - By The Last Chanteuse - English translation [Stop raping artists] - "That is how it feels: not physically raped, but intellectually raped, for sure…"here
Liz Lacey: Notes From A Broad - Liz Lacey, a Liverpool lovely, is going to delight us with her quirky insights and essays. She has been a CEO of several organisations in the arts and education sectors, set up and run a number of businesses, including burlesque and cabaret events. She is now a freelance writer, or Mouse For Hire, self-employed management /PR consultant and lecturer. She returned to Liverpool from London in 1999, and has felt quite smug about this ever since. Keep watching folks. Catch her on this page
James De Ma;plaquet: An exclusive piece of writing for Mudkiss readers. An A - Z guide to the making of the new album, and beyond - 'Miss You In The Day' - prior to release. http://www.mudkiss.com/themiserablerichatoz.htm
We had a couple of events this year from fire eaters to exhibitions, to a Coronation Street play, to a DVD review.
HAPPY READING
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