#i made a playlist in spotify that was meant to be for certain nostalgic songs but i ended up just dumping a lot again help

[queenseowon]

"Colors of Bang Yongguk Tour" Fan Account - Oakland, CA (230616)

It’s been 2 days since I saw Yongguk live and he’s truly been on my mind non-stop for the last 48 hours. :’) 

>>Personal “Origin” Story<< Since B.A.P debuted and were active during my high school and college years, unfortunately I never had the money (or time) to be able to attend any of their concerts. When I saw that Yongguk was going on tour, I didn’t know what to think -- I’ve been in and out of my “kpop phase” for the last 12 years, and the only group that I consistently stanned throughout that time was BTS. All of my friends are either newer kpop fans or strictly girl group fans so I knew I’d be going to this concert alone, but ultimately I knew it wouldn’t be a big deal as I’ve gone solo to many concerts in the past. I saw the (shockingly) low price of the ticket and the venue being so nostalgic (I partied a decent amount at The New Parish pre-COVID lol) so I bought my ticket happily in May. The excitement did nothing but grow overtime.

I’ve been thinking about how many BABYz used to write fan accounts during fan signings/concerts waaay back in the day (if you were on Tumblr during 2012-2014, you’ll know what I mean). I remember being a teenager discovering kpop for the first time, having B.A.P be the first group where I started stanning since debut, learned every member’s name, kept up with releases on the daily, had Yongguk become my first “ult bias” (before I even knew what that was) and “fan’d” my heart out every comeback on Tumblr. I wanted to write a fan account to remember this concert but also hopefully share it with other long-time BABYz who are feeling nostalgic!

>>Going solo to the concert<< As (somewhat) expected, I met some amazing people in line as well as inside the venue who were also attending the concert solo! For me, I love hearing about how others got into stanning a certain musician or group as well as their favorite(s) song(s). As someone who didn’t grow up with other “kpop friends”, it felt so surreal to think that there were others like me 10+ years ago fully enjoying the same music, and having that musician tie everyone together now one decade later. Sometimes I get anxious in crowds and especially with strangers, but I did not feel that way for even a minute before, during, and after the concert. Maybe it’s a mix of the Bay Area/California and long-time BABY vibes. (Also fun sidenote: some people and I were comparing our tattoos in line and we said “Okay now it’s time for Yongguk to do a tattoo tour. Show the chest piece pls” -- So when Yongguk came out in that button-up shirt with only two buttons buttoned and his chest tattoo on full display… I need y’all to know we manifested that for everyone’s benefit. 😩🫡)

>>REACTION TO THE CONCERT & SONGS<< I’m not sure how long people were lined up for, but I arrived around 5PM (doors opened at 6PM and the concert started at 7PM) and I ended up standing to the right of the stage (Yongguk’s left) in the second/third-ish row right next to the speakers with an amazing up close view the entire night. (In hindsight, I should have remembered to bring my ear plugs because I’m not as young as I used to be and should probably take better care of my eardrums and hearing lol). Also, as I mentioned before, I knew the venue relatively well so I knew to go to the side closer to the stage rather than standing several rows back in the middle even if it meant having not as wide of a view of the stage. The person next to me and I were super excited because our angle meant we were going to be able to see the minute Yongguk appeared from off stage and onto the stage. 

Although normally I do not listen to the setlist of artists before their concerts, I hadn’t listened to Yongguk consistently in years so I did look up the setlist and made my own Spotify playlist to get myself hyped up and ready to sing along. As soon as Yongguk came out, I feel like I metaphorically blacked out for the first couple songs (GMT, Up, Race) because I did not remember those performances until I watched others’ fancams. I think I came to my senses during “Rain on Me” because that is THE twerk anthem. The sex appeal and confidence from him from the start of the concert (and especially during “Rain on Me”) was no joke. I feel like my jaw was probably embarrassingly dropped wide open for all of the first songs. There’s also something feral that awakes inside me everytime he says “you never fucking know” and the chorus of “UFO” starts then his voice DROPS a register as he starts rapping and hearing that live??? I was transported to another dimension.

When he started singing “Hikikomori” then went into “I Remember” I think it was then I realized he was doing this tour for us -- for the fans and the BABYz who have been here the whole time (or at least a very long time). As I’m writing this now and reflecting, everything he said during his ments/talks was him just continuously thanking us, telling us how much he loves us, and saying how it’s been “such a long time”. I literally could choke up thinking about it right now how he’s waited just as long as we have.

Yongguk asked the audience to put their phones down so he could make eye contact with every person. And like someone said, “when Bang Yongguk tells you to do something, you do it no questions asked.” Then he started singing “Screwed Up” while literally looking at every corner of the venue, balcony, floor, sidestage -- literally my delulu mind was convinced he was staring and flirting with me too. I lost the “IDGAF if this man notices me” war right then and there. (I have yet to find a fancam of “Screwed Up”, which is fair because he told us to put our phones down, but if anyone has a video of him literally making flirty eyes to the entire audience, PLEASE send it to me.) 

Right after “Screwed Up”, he goes into “Green” and at the end said something similar to “I wrote Green so I could sing it with all of my fans one day, so thank you for singing along with me.” and I just about sobbed. 

By “Ride or Die” and “YA” he is fully body rolling everywhere on stage, flirting with every single person in the audience, and everyone is losing their minds (including me).

Also at some point during the show he started sending so many air kisses to everyone. He also would be (seemingly) speechless in between sets and just repeated “wow… woah…” and kept showing his gummy smile 😭 The cheers were so loud inside the venue sometimes my ears were ringing just from the crowd singing and screaming so I wonder if he was in awe or wasn’t expecting that? (Even though he deserves all the love!)

Then at some point the crowd started chanting “take it off” (meaning his shirt that was truly barely hanging onto him) and he gets SHY and kept asking “Why?” -- I just don’t understand how someone can go from biting his shirt, flirting with the entire audience, body rolling nonstop on stage, to a completely genuine “I’m so shy” cute smiley lil baby. He was so cute I could barely process him going from rapping his lungs out to “uwu vibes” in the matter of seconds and the only single thought my single braincell had was “so cute so cute so cute”. Yongguk is truly the duality of mankind. (He did eventually give one more ab flash [in addition to his “tattoo sticker” promo shirt lifting] so you can find that photo floating around on social media.)

He threw water (from bottles he drank out of) into the crowd twice during “OFF” and “YAMAKAZI” and I have never been happier to be blessed with holy water. I think “OFF” is my favorite hype song in recent years so I absolutely loved hearing that live -- despite it being toward the second half of the show, his energy never stopped and the crowd’s energy also kept getting more and more hyped.

Towards the end Yongguk said, “Although tonight is the last U.S. stop for the tour, it’s not a goodbye. I promise to come back… I’ve said this all tour, but as much as you all love me, please also love yourself.” Before starting “Orange Drive”, Yongguk dedicated the song to his fans and his grandfather in heaven. Then during the encore, alongside the usual “Xie Xie” and “See You Later” he also sang “Ride or Die” one more time and did a lot of fanservice. 

His marketing worked because all the merch was soldout after the show, but I was able to snag the "tattoo sticker" sheet just like he suggested :') -- I am lowkey glad I was unable to get a meet & greet ticket because I feel like I was already internally combusting at the thought of having to meet him and take a selfie after the concert, so if it actually happened I probably would've externally exploded.

ALSO -- This man’s stamina is no joke though because he really kept going for a full 1.5 hours and jumping around on stage with minimal “ments/talking” in between songs. If this hadn’t been the last stop on his tour, I would have definitely considered attending another stop. If I had known how amazing of a performer he was and how great the energy would be to hear everything live (from him and the crowd), I would’ve balled out and gone to the LA stop the day before.

>>FUTURE?<< Yongguk promised he would release another album in the future and go on tour once again. Though none of us know when that will be, I know I will wait with anticipation for this experience to happen again (and again if he and/or other B.A.P members decide to tour). The combined elements of a small venue, love from BABYz and Yongguk, and seeing someone I feel like grew up alongside me is something that I won’t ever have the right words to describe, but can only feel. Thank you for taking the time to read my reflections and ramblings~

If you want to be mutuals, I’m on twitter @ queenseowon <3

[tuliptic]

♥️ Hello there! how have you been? I hope you've been well <333!

I'd like to participate in your "How will your Valentine's Day be like?" game, tysm for this lovely opportunity :3.

♥️ password : 🌷

♥️ my initials : C.C

♥️ The 2 PAC's that you created that completely tugged my heart (like no other boy has 😀...lol jk *I think*) :

"what sort of gift you are to people around you?"

for this PAC, I chose pile 2, and I resonated so SOO much to this reading that the beautiful words written in this reading (along the photos taken) became entirely unforgettable- like there would be times where I would just search around for PAC's to read (for both entertainment purposes and just b/c it's uplifting in ways I think others can relate to) and I would think back to "that one PAC" which would be this PAC b/c of how heard I felt. This reading really, and specifically, described who I was as a person and the kinds of genuine and compassionate intentions I intend to express/show. I felt heard since there would be times where I'd fear that my intentions or my actions are misinterpreted by others, so I stress and emphasize the acts of kindness (possibly to a fault), and knowing that I'm doing enough that it's seen by others, makes me happy. so thank you <3.

" 'you keep me awake at night,' they said but why? how?"

for this PAC, I also chose pile 2! ... okay so UH LOL, I'm a sucker for the PAC's that centers romance/FS (and I try not to rely my hopes for romance in the future on the FS pac's no worries!), but it also roots from the very fact that I'm a hopeless romantic as a whole, so yeah! when you posted this PAC, although I'm a single pringle, I just asked my guides this PAC's question regarding my FS ahah. I liked this reading the most because the illustrations you drew comforted me in a way- like it felt nostalgic (since as a child I drew the simple flowers and the such with vibrant colors, so I felt like it would be wrong to bypass this post that brought me a sense of peace and comfort), so I went towards this post and voila the reading I read made me smile. It made me smile the way I would have whenever I got boba tea LMAO. The reading for pile 2 felt like this calming and oh-so-loving message that felt like it was meant to be read. I love knowing what it would be like between me and my FS, and I've realized a funny pattern whenever I chose a pile from PAC's centering FS, and one of those patterns was in this reading, so it kind of was like a "ding ding 🛎️ confirmation perhapsssss?" YEP MHM :3 (I totally am not rereading this PAC or anything AHAH..*I am*)

I unfortunately don't have insta anymore so I can't follow you on instagram, but I sure hope and wish for any passerby to take interest in following your page, b/c I'm certain it's as lovely as your Tumblr page!!!

(wow this is spooky but I went on my love-playlist on Spotify and the song "Valentine" by Laufey just came on ERM? 😳 LIKE IM NOT EVEN KIDDING)

Also, I'm aware of the instructions I've followed, but I hope it's alright for me to add onto something of my own! I felt called to do this, so don't worry, I don't have any malice or suspicious intentions if that's what you could be wary about (I'm adding onto this heads up because I'm scared myself that my actions could be misinterpreted or some sort :'D). I just feel like I should input some songs that remind me of you (vibe/energy-wise) :

Love Affair by UMI

Irene by Jimmy Brown

Love Talk by WayV

Fukashigi No Carte

Comedy (Spy x Family)

I chose these songs because the majority of them is melodic, cheery/cutesy, and has a lot of depth and meaning in the lyrics. BUT although that's kind of the "majority" of it, the song that contradicts the cutesy parts of the songs would be "Love Talk" by WayV, because well if you listen to it and the meaning/implication of the lyrics- THEN WELL YEAH LMAO. Basically I'm trying to say that that's how your energy/overall vibe feels to me. It's like a duality of this soft/calming aura (which I felt strongly from your page's format/design) that is contradicted and mixed with this straightforward/direct and slightly impulsive aspect of yours (but it's like a very welcoming energy! which led to me following you tbh).

♥️

ANYWAYSSS have a wonderful day/evening/night wherever you are! Thank you so much for your time and energy, and I hope you take care too <3333, happy Chinese Valentine's Day as well!!

Thank you for your feedback! I enjoy reading them to the point idk how to put them into words, and thank you for the songs! I'll prolly drop by later to let you know what I think about them but I listened to them when I do your reading so... Yeah it's fun! Also I get what you mean with the duality. I wanted to have a soft aesthetic but me? Nothing soft about me I’m just a chaotic ball of fun and light hehet!

.

How will Xiexieera's Valentine's be?

You: Temperance

This card legit flipped. Like it slid out from my hands, flipped flopped and dropped itself perfectly on the part/place I wanted it to be. It’s my first time seeing a card drop itself so prettily and gracefully. And that talks about your energy, about you during your Valentine’s Day. There’s this balance and grace that you have, where you’re very conscious about what you can do, what effects you have on your person, how you want to proceed with the relationship. There’s actually another Temperance card in your spread and hence, the theme of balance and moderation is very significant in your relationship. I’m seeing more of a balance with yourself instead of a balanced give-and-take with your person.

I have a feeling that you are excited for the date with your person (I’m seeing day time instead of night so maybe you have the day off or it’s on a weekend?). You probably haven’t met them in a long while and things may have been stagnant? Which is why the excitement. I’m seeing that you dress up really, really nice, like a princess, but deep in you, you’re an empress. So it’s like… Lemme reconstruct my words. You may dress slightly younger than your age, which you definitely can pull off. But there’s this matured and gentle energy that you have below the excitement. I’m feeling a warm and gentle energy here. This would probably be you during then. You’ve been through a lot and this relationship helped you to find your personal alignment, allowed you to heal, and you’ve been content with this relationship you’re in. Satisfied, comfortable, being in your skin have never felt this good to you. For some reason, god knows why, I’m seeing a bowling date. I don’t know why. But it explains a bit, where you may wear something sporty and makes you look younger than your actual age.

Them: The Sun

They’ve been wanting to spend some alone time with you from the crowd at school/work. Things have been rough on their side as well and also within themselves, where it’s like they’re also fixing whatever issues they’re facing. There’s some sort of personal alignment here, although they’re pretty much in their head. But there’s also a Lover’s card here which definitely talks about the relationship as a destined relationship (there’s a Destiny card here too). I’m seeing that this person is pretty young at heart but still has a grounded energy to them, tho the fiery energy stands out more lmAO. They can be pretty proud at times so you gotta make sure to not feed their ego too much. Even with all these, your person loves you and has always been there for you. They’ve been waiting for you and they’re basically over the moon when you’ve agreed to date them, and they really have worked hard to earn your approval. 

I think you’re the one who suggested the bowling date cuz you noticed how they’ve been stressed up and you just want them to relax. You sometimes take up the caretaker role and make sure that they’re taking care of themselves. I don’t know why but I’m seeing that this person may be younger than you hELP.

Overall: The Devil

I don’t see any spicy energy from this card. Most probably one of you has Capricorn placements. That’s all I can capture from this. But then, I do have extra messages. This date will bring you much bliss and limitless joy, and most of all, it will make you both review the purpose of this relationship you both share. You’ve been there for each other with willing hearts and hands, and that you’ve focused on the wholeness of the relationship. But, have you focused on each other and yourself individually? This is something to think about. But your person, oh my, aren’t they romantic. “Hug me, hold me, love me like your life depends on it.” Imagine you hugging them tightly, they’ll prolly end up in tears from how you hugged them.

You’ve prolly been worried and having some fears due to them being younger but whatever they do just assures you that they love you a lot. They’ve been wanting to ask you out quite some time ago before you date, even during the dating phase as well, worried that you’ll be too busy to entertain them, which explains why they may end up in tears from you hugging them hshshshs. You probably know them from a shared community so there’s something to watch for. And they prolly like sending you cheesy messages. Very air kinda energy. I’m basically picking up random messages instead of Valentine’s only right now.

Love Message : I love you. I’m always here for you.

.

Thank you for reading until the end! Hope you enjoyed the reading and please leave feedbacks for this OvO You can leave them in my inbox so I can tag them accordingly

[noxtivagus]

bro the sky makes me so emotional this is what games have done to me 💀

[x-ximenas]

updated version to my aesthetic-ish spotify playlists:

You can request for certain concepts here! and check the masterlist to my character playlists here!

New ones:

𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪: the name is taken from the classic The Cure song, you can find songs that in my heart embody the feeling of falling and being in love.

𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳 '𝟬𝟭: songs i like to sing to and i think don’t come out half bad

𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓂𝒶𝒹𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒶 : A songs recopilation that in my opinion can’t just be listened to, they need to performed...

Empowered, ig: very self-explanatory and yes the girl in the cover is me

𝐿𝑒𝓉'𝓈 𝒹𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓀𝒾𝓉𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓃, 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔: imagine yourself looking out the window, the radio plays softly in the background as you feel the arms of your beloved wrap themselves around your frame, spinning you to face them as they whisper: let’s dance, darling

𝕏: A brief introduction to myself, "Me (101)" if you like...

𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝓃𝒹?: not mine per-say but, I made this with @strxngerlies​, it’s sort of a mash-up between my X playlist and her A playlist

𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢, 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜: finally a bilingual playlist, these are songs I like to play when I’m sad and feel like screaming out, plain and simple

ʙᴇʟᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ: opposite to the last playlist, this is meant for happier times, maybe jumping around until you’re left breathless from belting out the lyrics to these songs

𝔦𝔱'𝔰 3 𝔞𝔪 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔴𝔢 𝔡𝔬𝔫'𝔱 𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔥𝔬𝔴 𝔩𝔬𝔲𝔡 𝔴𝔢'𝔯𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔤: when i made this playlist I pictured myself singing this late at night with my friends in the street, you can feel a buzz in your head and maybe in your heart, but not a single drop of alcohol has graced your tounge, you just feel alive. some of this songs are sad, some are happier, who cares anyways

ʞunɹp ʇou ʎlǝʇıuıɟǝp ɯ,ı: i definitely AM drunk songs that I like to sing to when drunk, idk they have a je ne sais quoi about them

Old ones (you can also find them here, i literally copy-pasted the post, whoops):

Crazy: very self-explanatory, this is a playlist that has some of my favorite songs related to being crazy, acting crazy or faking craziness or that make me wanna do things without thinking about the consequences

Not interested: based on an Alex Turner fanfiction by @blueberryaltavista

... u r still in my mind: kinda personal talks about my on and off relationship with this boy that was no good for me. He played with my heart, took advantage of my precarious mental health, but he made me feel safe, weird? ik, tmi? yes. I made the playlist to cleanse...

Dance: kinda based on a tumblr post, not sure by who tbh sorry, mainly 80′s and 70′s songs that put me in a dancing mood, sexy that is

Love Means Trouble: based on my Nikki Sixx story of the same name, it’s basically the storyline tbh, and the music is basically basic indie girl, sorry

Sad in quarantine: very self-explanatory as well, i got very sad this quarantine, got nostalgic, weird combination, but works for me tbh

Love Means Toruble: Soundtrack: songs i mention in the story, will be updated as I update the story

𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝓁, 𝒷𝓇𝑜: songs that make me feel calm, they’re not necessarily lofi, and I think this playlist represents my music taste quite well (I made this with @strxngerlies), you can probably play this while doing homework, idk

[sassycassie-s-writing]

Slow Dance

By: SassyShoulderAngel319

Fandom/Character(s): Avengers - Peter Parker/Spider-Man feat. Steve Rogers

Rating: G/K

Original Idea: MAJOR ENDGAME SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! THIS ONE-SHOT WAS INSPIRED BY THE END OF ENDGAME SO... YEAH THIS IS YOUR WARNING!

Notes: (Masterlist)(By Character)(About Me) Yes, this is slightly shorter than usual but I needed it. Also I meant to put this up earlier today but... meh life happens.

^^^^^

Steve watched me trying to teach Peter how to dance with a nostalgic grin on his face. Peter was clumsy at it but he was trying. My parents had taught me swing dance when I was a little girl—because my grandparents on my mom’s side taught them. I wanted to teach Peter because he was strong enough for lifts and energetic enough to dance anyway. I thought it might help him burn off some energy too.

“Alright kids,” he said, pushing himself to his feet. “Pete, if you really wanna impress a dame with your dancing, you gotta be a little bolder.” He shuffled over. Despite his age, grey hair, and wrinkles, he was still pretty limber—he didn’t walk like an old man at all. “Here.” He turned off my phone and started up the old turntable, placing a vinyl record on it and setting the needle down. An old classic jazz song began drifting from the phonograph. Steve started to reposition my and Peter’s dance hold.

Peter’s hand slid further over my back—instead of just being rested on my shoulder blade, his fingers crossed my spine. Definitely not the proper hold. Steve also pushed us closer together and wrapped my hand so it was around the back of Peter’s shoulder with my fingers towards me.

It was a much closer position—much more intimate.

Which was kind of concerning.

Peter and I were friends but we weren’t “like that.”

I mean, I’d totally had a crush on him since the day after I met him, but he didn’t feel the same way for me—of that, I was certain.

After a few more instructions from Steve, including one that he whispered in Peter’s ear and I didn’t catch, he backed off and let Peter and I dance quietly, slowly. Going so far as to start the song over and then promptly leave the room, shutting the door behind him so we were alone.

“This isn’t what I had in mind,” I muttered.

“Me neither,” Peter admitted. “But… this… this is nice.” He pressed his chin against my temple and held me close to his body. “This feels natural.”

I hummed in agreement, letting my forehead rest against his jaw and savoring in the feeling of having him so close to me. He was warm and soft. Even though I knew he could lift more weight than Steve, his muscles under my fingers were relaxed and squishy—rather than tensed and hard as a rock. I’d danced with Steve before—when he was young before The Snap and then going back in time—and his arms felt like trying to hold onto a concrete pillar.

Peter wasn’t like that.

It felt as though our bodies were made to fit snugly against each other, like two puzzle pieces slotted firmly into place.

This close to him, I could smell the crisp scent of the laundry detergent we used at Avengers Tower clinging to his clothes—along with a slightly spicy cologne mixing with the clean smell of soap.

Our dancing was no longer bright and lively swing—hopping and spinning around to the rhythm of upbeat music. Steve changing the song selection meant we could just stand in once spot and gently sway in a circle. The record spinning on the turntable filled the room with warmer, softer music.

It felt good.

I wished I could stay like that forever.

Unfortunately, vinyl records didn’t have enough space for a three-hour-long playlist like Spotify or YouTube did, so we could only dance to the top side of the record without having to break our dance hold for a fraction of that time.

Even so, once the record ended, we stayed in our spot on the floor. Swaying in a small circle around each other. For several longer minutes.

“Peter,” I said quietly.

“Hmm?”

“I like this.”

“Me too.��

Sighing contentedly, I rested my forehead against his shoulder. He was just tall enough and I was just short enough that I could. His hand across my back held me tighter, making sure I was as close to him as possible. I’d always been a snuggle bug, as my family called it, where I liked hugs and holds to be tight and close.

Peter seemed happy to enable me.

“Do you remember anything from the five years we were gone?” Peter asked the silence.

“No. I remember getting dusty and fighting to hold myself together—and the next thing I knew I was waking up in Wakanda right where I fell apart. I woke up with my face in the dirt too. That wasn’t fun.”

Peter chuckled. “Try waking up on a deserted planet with Doctor Strange in your face.”

I giggled—I couldn’t help it. “Yes. Okay. You definitely had it worse.”

Thoughts of the battle at the ruined Avengers compound swept over both of us and we fell into a somber silence. Peter pulled me even closer. Our breathing shuddered in and out of our bodies as we thought of what we lost that day. I felt something hot splash onto my forehead.

Any time Peter cried, I cried. It was just kind of a rule. He had such a gentle nature and open heart that seeing him cry couldn’t help but hurt me too. So when his tear fell onto my forehead, I immediately teared up and squeezed him tighter.

I wished I could comfort him and tell him it would be okay.

But I couldn’t. Because it wasn’t okay.

All I could do was hold him as we continued to dance in a silent room, alone.

A bold confession of feelings and crushes didn’t seem appropriate for the moment, but it slipped out anyway. “I love you, Peter. Don’t ever forget that,” I whispered into the silence.

Our sway stopped dead. Peter’s grip on me slackened enough that I could peel myself away from him and look up into his eyes without fighting against his strength. They were always a warm brown full of heart but peering into them now, this close, there was something in his gaze that I couldn’t identify. Shock, maybe? Probably.

Then his eyes softened. “I… I love you too,” he said.

I tilted up onto my tiptoes and kissed his jaw gently, the closest, easiest part to reach.

“I’m glad we did this,” I said.

“Me too,” he agreed.

“Thanks for dancing with me.”

“Any time.”

^^^^^

Steve watched the two teenagers slow dancing through the glass window in the door to the sparring room with a nostalgic smile on his face.

Tony would be so proud of Peter.

The thought made Steve sigh wistfully. They lost a lot that day, way back when for him. Yet swaying in that room was proof that love and life went on. Steve was proud of them too.

When he saw her shift up onto her tiptoes and brush a kiss on Peter’s jawline, Steve smiled and walked away, deciding it was best to give them their privacy. “Good luck, kids,” he said quietly. “And always keep dancing.”

[findasongblog]

Find A Song about reminiscing

Stephenlucas - Nostalgia

This song is meant for the listener to draw their own connections to the word and meaning behind "Nostalgia". Reminiscing is something all humans do, and it can trigger certain emotions that allow the listener to form a special connection with the song. Feeling nostalgic is therapeutic for me. Being able to take a peek in the past for answers, joy, or just to purely reminisce, I find the feeling of nostalgia to be comforting. But again that is just my personal connection. My hope is that this song makes people FEEL something. In an increasingly comparative society, it's so important to realize who you were as a kid. What made you happy, what made you look at the world with such open eyes. It's things like that which make nostalgia such a special feeling.

Added to FAS Spotify playlist hip hop/rap.

via Musosoup

[existentialmagazine]

Review: Amanda McBrayer's second single 'fun' will softly break your heart

With only two Spotify releases to her name, Amanda McBrayer is still a little new to the music industry - not that that's stopping her from immediately finding her place. With an astonishing 4,000 monthly listeners in such a short period of time, it's without a doubt that Amanda's music is appealing to the masses.

Her latest, and second single, 'fun' released only recently yet has found itself with more plays than she has listeners. This strikingly beautiful, paired back track isn't made just for a casual listen, instead unapologetically aiming to get under your skin and evoke some real emotions. From the introductory softened piano notes and gentle plucked guitar, Amanda makes it clear that 'fun' is going to weigh down your heart in a way that makes it ever-so unique. Her authenticity as an artist shines through every word, as it proudly makes itself known to be a heart-wrencher of a track without all the feel-good facades that others use to cover their intimacy. Each line sung drips with Amanda's candid tone and quivering emotions leaving it unavoidable but to empathise as though each emotion were your own.

If the breadth of the instrumental soundscape wasn't enough to soften your heart, the very-real penned words of 'fun' come straight from Amanda's heart. Feeling like a partner meant more to her than she ever meant to them, Amanda found herself sitting down and using this single as a way to process how she was feeling. Perfect for anyone with an unrequited crush, or an inattentive partner, 'fun' is universally relatable and the much-needed reminder that everyone deserves someone who appreciates them for more than just being fun. As the track reflects upon memories with this treasured individual, like a night spent together on a freezing roof, there's an apparent tear between this nostalgic throwback and the realisation that these memories were only held close to her heart and not theirs. There's an almost theatrical undertone in 'fun' too, as the track builds up towards an ever-growing symphony of sounds, paralleling the growing strength of the narrative with lines like 'know that I deserve to be something more to somebody' loudly spoken with more conviction.

Yearning for a mandatory spot on everybody's saddest of playlists, 'fun' can be listened to here for a certain tear-jerking experience that only speaks of how artistically Amanda constructs her songs.

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Sarah Dame

[stevenvenn]

Steven's Nifty 50 of 2017 - Albums #50 - #41

It's that time again and I'm not disappointing you. Here are my favourite albums of 2017 starting with albums 50 - 41 (of 50). These are in no particular order just how I saw them relating to each other. Doing a true countdown would be too nerve-wracking. You can listen to my favourite cuts from each of the albums on Spotify and watch them on YouTube (links below). You can also read my thoughts on the albums below the links broken into 5 posts counting down by 10s. Enjoy and feel free to comment.

Spotify playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/user/stevenvenn/playlist/7qSpcgdwXuoLtIStRQeRto?si=09LiErQ9QwCONq0XEfG91Q

Youtube playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqUMf7mP_mnMOmDl94VCPIJPFliPf62a5

NOTES

41. Four Tet - New Energy (Text Records)

Kieran Hebden is back in 2017 with another beautiful collection of rich samples, zen beats, and incredible melodies that make this album, on his own Text Records label, a startling release. Incorporating small sounds of birds, countryside, and other natural sounds Hebden makes this more of a meditative headphone listen than an upbeat groover (but then that's what we've come to expect from Hebden this many albums in). There's something of the gentle grace of Boards of Canada and the 90s ambient of Aphex Twin in the retro electronics and economy of well-constructed layers. The dulcimer on "Two Thousand and Seventeen," steel drums on "Lush," and kalimba on "You Are Loved" as textural examples carry us along on their magical long loops as dreamy, marshmallow-y, and tiny synth stabs throb and dissipate over top of low tempo percussion samples. The looped melodies often create a rhythm all on their own in a lot of the songs. The meditation album session wraps up with the pulsating zen bumper "Planet" incorporating temple bells, spacey moog, and Japanese string samples. Nothing especially new here but there is a simplicity and organic quality that Hebden has really carved out over his career. This has helped him maintain his status of one of the best in electronic music.

42. Bonobo - Migration (Ninja Tune)

Another artist Simon Green has, like Four Tet, been exploring the confluence of soothing organic sounds, acoustic instrumentals, and world music with a infectious glitchy rhythm that crosses into low-key jazz textures at times. Here we have kalimba, harps, and other African instruments crashing into soft meditative synth pads. This might the most "easy listening" album by Green in his discography (not meant as a slight). The use of smooth singers like Rhye's Mike Milosh make Migration a truly chilled out affair and one of the most tranquil and relaxing listens yet.

43. Indian Wells - Cascades (Friends of Friends)

Italian producer Pietro Iannuzzi returns with a meditative collection of intricate and clean-sounding techno complete with beeps, blips, and bounces that all flow together beautifully like a dreamy electronic river. The sounds are all very colourful and bright and deliver a hypnotic and mesmerizing quality overall. There's a certain feeling of travel through music here as if by train, boat, or plane in sped up montage expressing the look of a well worn and stamped passport. Also you can't help think of the natural world of sights and sounds with song titles like "Alps" and "Forest Hills." There is a sound akin to Pantha Du Prince and other electronic producers who take you on a journey both within a song and over the course of an album and Iannuzzi's is no exception. The title track "Cascades" and the album as a whole embodies that impression of flowing falls, sounds continuing to rush by as you sit beside and get carried along by rapid beats and sounds.

44. Bing & Ruth - No Home of the Mind (4AD)

The project of composer and producer David Moore No Home of the Mind is his first on the exclusive label home for all things arty on a grand scale, 4AD. It's a dreamy and melancholy release of repeated piano notes that move along with the rhythm of a train on songs like "How It Sped." There's an emotional quality to Moore's playing that recalls other composers who cross over into the ambient and electronic genres like Max Richter and Brian Eno. Alongside all the thought-provoking and mesmerizing piano drones and repetitive phrases are various textures provided by synths and samples. What Moore's newest release also resembles too me at times is the soundtrack work of Michael Nyman. Indeed a lot of No Home of the Mind feels very cinematic.

45. High Plains - Cinderland (Kranky)

No year end check-in would be complete without a release by Scott Morgan (aka Loscil) who has released some of my favourite minimal electronic albums over the years. Following on the heels of his excellent release Monument Builders as Loscil, Morgan teams up with classically trained cellist Mark Bridges as High Plains for an album inspired by a small town in the Wyoming mountains. This a very wintry and melancholic affair with incredible depth from both collaborators with Morgan effectively laying the musical groundwork for Bridges' solemn and isolated cello sound. There's a bit of a modern twist on chamber music here that feels like a bleak winter scene from a prairie noir. At the same time there's a touch of Tangerine Dream to the pulsating electronic beds by Morgan that can't help but create images of open nocturnal spaces and thrilling mystery in the listener's mind.

46. Slow Meadow - Costero (Hammock Music)

Matt Kidd and his moving chamber ensemble and sound project return with a sophomore album of inventive, soaring, and melancholy compositions. There's a feeling of recalling past memories forever clad in amber with a patina of sadness. This pensive quality pervades the whole album but it's not so much sorrowful as accepting of memories as just the sometimes darker side of life broken up by moments of grace and sunlight. There's a really intimate quality to Kidd's compositions that describes a lot of emotion and depth just below the minimal musical surface.

47. Sarah Davachi - All My Circles Run (Students of Decay)

Vancouver-based ultra-minimal drone composer Sarah Davachi's albums always sound more like feeling you get walking around an art gallery looking at Mark Rothko paintings than following any kind of distinct rhythm. Many of the compositions here are in fact beatless and made of minimal mesmerizing drones for strings, piano, organ, and voice. In a similar way to Rothko, the simplicity is deceiving at first but if you spend time with his work you can see a lot of emotion and depth unfolding after prolonged exposure. Musically Davachi is Rothko's compositional kin. The seemingly isolated and lunar soundscape of "For Voice" takes its cues from haunting classical vocal pieces like Ligeti's "Lux Aeterna" best known as the music used to set the mood of the moonscape portion of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The very minute variances in the drones here lend Davachi's pieces a feeling of nordic temperature and desolation as well with the glacially paced tonal whispers reverberating in the listener's mind long after the song has ended. There's a real sense of the importance of the smallest of variation having incredible impact.

48. Ryuichi Sakamoto - async (Milan)

The Japanese composer musical artist has been creating stunning works for 40 years or more and after a battle with cancer years ago he has released his first solo work in 8 years after being busy with other sound projects and working on the soundtrack to The Revenant. async is a literal soundscape to float within comprised mostly of soaring background retro synths, field recordings, spoken word, and occasional appearances by Sakamoto's solemn and haunting piano. The inspiration for this release was creating a soundtrack for an imaginary Tarkovsky film. You can really feel how Sakamoto interpreted the pace and experimentation of the Russian film master. There are art sound experiments that are very cinematic like the excellent "disintegration", "walker" and "full moon" that sound like art installations. The title track is a captivating piece that wouldn't be out of place as an experimental dance piece full of chilling percussive attacks on instruments. Sakamoto has always pushed the boundaries of music as a "visual art" and the moods and impressions that async provides are incredible.

49. Hotel Neon - Context (Fluid Audio)

The Philadelphia-based trio have created here an incredible sea of sonic texture that you immediately immerse yourself in and float. All the song titles are reflective of either the times they seem to have been made perhaps (early am) or perhaps reflect Hotel Neon's desire to describe the feeling and headspace you would be in at those times, either dreaming, in hypnogogic states, or walking in the early hours of a cold morning with streetlight radiating and filling up the streets with soft orange light. There are no beats to Context just various realms of foggy and dense sound to step into.

50. Federico Durand - La Niña Junco (12K)

Hailing from Argentina Federico Durand set a very strict limit for his wonderful sophomore collection of songs that speak of the small objects in life and our memory of those precious moments that the objects take us to. There's a nostalgic sentiment to the weathered and dusty keepsakes from our younger times that make us smile when we consider them. So it is with Durand's improvised compositions here. The album was recorded in just one take, over a series of two days, using only Durand's aged and well worn Crumar Performer synthesizer and some loop pedals. The economy of instruments mirrors the economy of sounds but despite the feeling of "small" there is a lot of emotion and reflection to the songs on La Niña Junco. The melodies and pulses are minimal but the effect is intriguing. I feel like he's a bit of an Alexander Calder of electronic music here, creating simple but beautiful mobiles of fragile pieces, not of twisted bits of wire, but of quiet simple notes. Like Calder the motion of the parts is tranquil and effortless but incredibly reflective and beautiful. So much from so little.

[poppedmusic]

Sound City 2017

Clarence Docks, Liverpool, 27th-28th May 2017

Words: Gary Lambert

Photos: Gary Coughlan

In Liverpool music terms, the last weekend of May means one thing…. Liverpool Sound City. So there was only one place for Popped Music to head. Obviously. This year Sound City had moved from its previous home of Bramley Moore Dock to the larger surroundings of Clarence Dock. This may seem like a small change, but the difference put a lot more responsibility on the festival itself as they lost the big warehouse which had seen some special events make memories in just two festivals, I’m sure the brickwork must still have a tiny residual shake from the performance by Swans two years ago, let alone the raw punk of Fucked Up last year. In its place came a medium-sized traditional festival tent to accompany the Main Stage which was designed facing the city centre so that the audience were looking out to sea.

  It was also a bit uncoordinated in terms of what Sound City actually was. Was it the traditional style festival lasting two days? Or did it include the nostalgia nights of The Human League and John Cale performing The Velvet Underground? For Popped Music, life is all about new music so the first two nights were cast aside in order to save ourselves for the real Sound City Festival.

  It was obvious that the organizers of Sound City had decided to go for a high energy start to the day with Estrons and Vant taking on smaller slots than you would expect them to play in order to get the main stage going. Unfortunately the crowd did not come through the turnstiles in enough numbers to thrive on the performances on offer at the largest space. But that did not stop the performers. In the tent we saw local band Generation produce a set of such energy that it made complete sense as to why my taxi driver dad text me about them the day before, “a recommendation from a customer”. I’ve seen the band before and love them, but hats off to whoever that passenger was for trying to educate my dad. Bad news, he hasn’t added them to his Kitchen Disco tracks.

  Despite threats of horrific thunderstorms and rain that would get Noah doing some carpentry, the site was bathed in sunshine from much of the early part of the day. Unfortunately the banks of the royal blue Mersey have a constant heavy breeze to minor gale 365 days per year. This meant that the industrial site became reminiscent of a small town in the Sahara desert as wave after wave of sand and dust hit the audience and bands. Fickle Friends were unlucky to perform in probably the worst of it which had Nattie complaining that “it’s been a bad day to wear white jeans” and after she took over keyboard duties during Say No More, “that keyboard felt like it was made of dust”. Hats off to the band though as these were only minor distractions and final track, Swim, felt victorious that they had succeeded.

  The regular sandstorm definitely took its toll on the audience though as The Hunna’s lively, energetic performance brought nothing but hoods up and coughing. It must be tough for bands when faced with such a trying set of conditions. At least when it rains people can put their waterproof jackets on and continue to enjoy themselves. The dust clouds were demoralising at times as grit hit your throat, teeth, and eyes.

  In the corner at Pirate Studios’ stage, there was less chance for the dust to build up momentum, however if it had tried during Bang Bang Romeo’s set then I think the power of Anastasia’s vocals would have sent the particles fleeing in fear for their very existence. By Jove! That girl has one hell of a set of lungs on her. Even if they had not been on my list of bands to watch, I would have had to watch them from the moment I heard her sing. Afterwards, I overheard somebody describing her as having the strength of Adele in her voice, but I would say it was more like watching a brilliant musical theatre performer as due to the range and pressure she put her voice under. I know that this meant that the rest of the band were somewhat overshadowed, but you wouldn’t tell John Squire not to do a guitar solo.

  From the grandiose to the wonderfully simple, as a short trek across the site took me to the Baltic Stage’s tent to catch Irish punk band, Touts. If you have not heard them yet and like The Clash then I would suggest that you get involved ASAP. I loved the energy and aggression in the set which flew by in a matter of seconds. Their finale of Them’s Gloria was glorious, G-L-O-R-I-O-U-S, GLORIOUS!

  After the rough around the edges chaos of Touts, The Kills provided a beautiful contradiction to them without straying too far away. The Kills are a band who definitely divide opinion despite not seeming to be the kind of band who court hero worship or hatred. I can honestly say I would never choose to listen to them at home, but after watching them again I would actively go out of my way to watch them perform. There is an understated theatricality to their performance and sound. Maybe it could do with being even more ambitious, but The Kills make sure that you watch them on stage.

  It was obvious to me who the highlight of Sound City was going to be looking at the bill beforehand, and so it proved. Peaches, Canada’s Queen of Electronica, had the Baltic Stage tent packed to the rafters with people before she filled it even further with beats, lights, costume changes, and huge inflatable genitalia. It felt like everybody at the festival was trying to squeeze themselves into the tent to throw their arms in the air, and unite in love of life and music. The tracks from Rub such as How Do You Like My Cut? become rebel anthems in the warm, darkness of a venue. Peaches makes you feel that you could conquer the world.

  In addition to Sound City Festival, we also had the opportunity to go across the road to Invisible Wind Factory to take in some other acts. To be honest, it was like going back in time to the real Sound City when music would take over the city centre, and it was better as an event than the big stages and fairground on the waterfront. For one, Invisible Wind Factory got people nearer to each other and naturally encouraged more of a festival vibe as it felt impossible not to start making friends with people, or giving people you would have nodded to ten minutes earlier a big hug. Considering most people had been going for about ten hours at that point, you would understand if things become more chilled out, instead we had a shot in the collective arm from some high energy music acts such as Fling, Rongorongo, False Advertising (who had been stood behind me during Peaches and then rushed over to get ready for their set), and a smashing performance by Catholic Action around the corner at North Shore Troubador.

  Thankfully for the Sunday of Sound City, Saturday evening had finished with a bit of a downpour. This meant that the festival site was not going to be plagued with the sandstorms of the previous day, although the site was still pretty unforgiving underfoot.

  The stylish Red Rum Club opened up the Sunday’s party to thankfully a bigger crowd than Saturday. With smart songs and an effortless style when performing they did not drown on the big stage. Far from it.

During the mid-noughties I sort of fell out of love with indie music, which meant the performance of Milburn did not hit any nostalgic notes for me; but they know their way around working an audience and if somebody in a band is confident enough in themselves to announce “We’re Milburn, we were even less famous about ten years ago”. I can understand that though as the older tracks seemed to me to be landfill indie as so many bands were described at the time, but there is a bit more of a swagger to their newer numbers. I can see throughout this summer that Milburn are going to be a crowd pleaser in a Maximo Park kind of way at a number of festivals. I won’t be looking for another stage if I happen to come across them again.

  Headlining the Atlantic Stage and closing the festival was another band from the noughties on a re-birth somewhat, The Kooks. With a new found fan base due to Spotify playlists throwing up their indie classics for a new generation, it was a set people had been excited about all day long. And The Kooks are a band who you can rely on to perform. I don’t like their music, but I still say their gig in the Bombed Out Church at Sound City 2011 was one of the best of my life for watching a band give it their all. Obviously circumstances were different then to now – for one the stage wasn’t made up basically of pallets – so it would not be fair of me to compare that intimacy with a giant industrial yard. But you are never going to be disappointed by a band who can hit you with tracks like Naïve and She Moves In Her Own Way. I might not like them, but they’re still brilliant floor filler indie disco numbers. And as the glitter cannons filled the air, you couldn’t help but be dragged along into the joy of The Kooks.

  It was a hard set for The Kooks too. It’d been a bit of a tough weekend for some of the audience because of the dusty air, but more pertinently prior to The Kooks’ closing the show, Liverpool and Manchester’s Metro Mayors had been out on stage to give a speech of remembrance and resilience against those who create terror which was followed by the playing of Don’t Look Back in Anger after an impeccably observed minute’s silence. If it had been a wilder or more somber band, then it might not have struck such a chord with the audience. Instead The Kooks were perfect in their moment.

  In the slot before the headliner, came one of my favourite bands of the moment White Lies. After watching their gig in Liverpool late last year, I thought that this was the kind of band who could step up to headline festivals shortly. After this performance, I am certain that they are just the kind of band who can do that. For one of the few times of the weekend, I saw a band who managed without cranking up the volume or tempo to sound perfectly suited to a space of that size. Each song is filled with drama, celebration and grandeur. One of their new songs even reminded me of the Whitney Houston classic I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I love that song. In fact, I’m sure that if a member of White Lies had a celebrity girlfriend or was in the gossip pages on a regular basis they would be headlining Glastonbury this year.

  It has been a while since I watched a set by The Jackobins, but given the improvement in the quality of their releases and the changes in band membership, there was no way I was going to miss their moment in the sun at Sound City. I have to say things have got considerably better to my taste. There is more bite to the band now, and it seems that lead members Dominic (singer) and Veso (guitar) have toned down a lot of their on-stage action which previously seemed like a U2 tribute act. Given that their bassist hardly moved, I have a feeling that the forced showmanship of the past was covering for fears in performance. Now the dancing, guitar hero’ing and general performing is entertaining and encouraging for you to join in the party. They’re constantly gigging, so get on down to watch them.

  I know Sound City took place at the end of May, but it might very well be that this summer becomes “The Summer of The Amazons“. With their debut album released on the Friday two days before, I was expecting some added excitement to their set. I did not expect to be faced with a tent that was full to the rafters for the last fifteen minutes of their soundcheck – which saw singalongs happen as each member of the band did their vocal checks with extracts of Junk Food Forever and In My Mind. As soon as the set started the atmosphere was electric, and after about fifteen seconds of audience shyness the moshpits opened up and The Amazons become fully aware that Liverpool Sound City loved them. After a couple of songs I thought it was only fair for me to leave so that someone else who hasn’t seen The Amazons several times over could take a bit of the set in.

  Celebrating the release of their 300th album, Tim Burgess and Mark Collins of The Charlatans performed a stripped back set in Tim Peaks Diner. Rumours had spread all weekend that it was going to be a full band set, but instead the simple settings suited the pairing. The acoustic version of North Country Boy will live with me forever as a beautiful version of one of my all-time favourite songs. Sadly though with a low stage and plenty of people crowding near the front, the setup felt a little bit too fragile for anybody who was beyond halfway of the moderate-sized tent.

  It says something though when Tim Burgess and Mark Collins were not the highlight on Tim’s own tent. For me, there was a choice of two. Firstly Xam Volo who stepped up from just being cool and sounding great, to making people dance, hold hands (it was too early for anything more despite it being proper seduction music), and let his guitarist loose with some impeccable solo work. I’m a big fan of Xam, and you can see more and more of his personality coming out in his shows. Let’s get a bit more funk to the sound and the world will start turning faster. The other standout moment was Tom Mouse Smith. When a little kid can keep a room quiet with only his voice and an acoustic guitar then you’ve got to take your hat off to him. The fact Tom did this without going into the realms of cutesy takes real skill. Whilst a cover of The House of The Rising Sun was a bit awkward for the more analytical members of the audience, Don’t Look Back in Anger brought cheers and a smile of victory from Tom’s dad which will have meant the world to the boy on stage. For the record, if it had gone cutesy and “Sound City’s Got Talent” I would have stormed out of there. Well done kid!

  The best thing about festivals, apart from the free love and hedonistic excess obviously, is the musical mixtape you make in your mind as you go from stage to stage. One of the best 30 minute periods I’ve stumbled across in ages was watching half of Fizzy Blood’s set which was the epitome of small stage hard rock. In fact, it felt almost sacrilegious that such riotous anger came forth from The Cavern Stage, Gerry would need a pacemaker for watching them. I almost needed a new hand as I slapped the barriers at the front of the stage in a completely ridiculous attempt of conveying the joy that was shooting through me.

To save myself from any further damage, I decided to move away from the barrier and to the Pirate Studios stage. In a haze of smoke on stage, I saw a man leave his computer and keyboards to stand at the front of the stage to do a Big Fish, Little Fish dance. That was enough to grab my attention, but then the rest of the set of high quality beats from The Baltic States had me slinking and throwing my arms in the air in a manner entirely befitting of an indie kid who cannot dance in the slightest. The Baltic States play in a way that doesn’t have you looking to close your eyes and chill out, but still doesn’t need your heart to be racing at an artificial level to reach maximum enjoyment.

  You may notice that there is not much mentioned on Sound City as a festival. To me, Sound City this year was not a festival, and had quite a few failings and disappointments. However, I do not think it would be fair to review the bands with that negativity as it might come across as a criticism of some acts who did brilliantly with a bad hand, and some other bands who were just brilliant. Obviously though, I’ll be there again next year. It is Sound City after all.

The hype beforehand may have been all about John Cale’s bananas, but it was Peaches that I’ll always remember.

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Festival Review: Sound City 2017 Sound City 2017 Clarence Docks, Liverpool, 27th-28th May 2017 Words: Gary Lambert Photos: Gary Coughlan In Liverpool music terms, the last weekend of May means one thing….