UNITED KINGDOM: A candid recording of some of the hottest acts in the music industry is launched in London

Record ID: 1534209

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: A candid recording of some of the hottest acts in the music industry is launched in London
  • Date: 13th February 2007
  • Summary: PAN ACROSS CROWD
  • Embargoed: 2nd March 2007 17:20
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA291IR7FQ91Y6ZI6EEGJNIMD5E
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Unplugged, no rehearsals, no studio treatment - just some of the hottest acts on the music scene hanging out, talking, and improvising tunes.
    When Rachel Fuller got the idea to take a customised caravan to the biggest European music festivals she decided to invite the top headlining bands including 'The Flaming Lips', 'The Raconteurs', 'The Magic Numbers' and 'The Kooks' to stop by and jam and improvise, as well as be interviewed for her web cast talk show 'In the Attic'.
    In attracting musicians to play and be interviewed, it didn't hurt that Fuller's partner is the legendary Pete Townshend of 'The Who', who appears with most of the artists no the production, and whose songs many of them cover.
    The recordings were launched as a collection - 'Attic Jam' on Monday (February 12) at London's Pigalle Club. Although she said that was never the intention.
    "We never had any intention of creating a compilation CD when we were doing the show, as Pete said, it was just for live webcasting," Fuller told Reuters Television. "So although we wanted the sound that went out to the internet to be really good, so we did have compression and stuff, it was just a stereo track. But then when I listened back to the tracks, I just thought they were really good, they were charming they were really raw and I said: 'We should put this out on a CD.' And Pete said: 'You'll never get any clearances'."
    "I didn't think anyone would agree to do it and I'm still quite shocked that they did," Townshend agreed.
    But bands were jumping at the chance to be involved with the project. Two of the acts featured on 'Attic Jam' performed Monday's launch and explained what attracted them to the experiment:
    "You can just get on y'know? That's the thing, there's no pretence to it or put on it, like a theme to the show. It literally just is get in there, play some tunes," said Hugh Harris, lead guitarist of British band 'The Kooks', which is in the running to for best band at the upcoming Brit Awards.
    "And you get to play Pete Townshend's guitars, which are like the most beautiful guitars you can imagine," added lead singer Luke Pritchard.
    "Especially the random aspect of people just going in there and playing and having the little chats that you do and it's like," said Romeo Stodart.
    Sean Gannon drummer with the Magic Numbers said really there was nothing new about the concept.
    "It's cools, but I mean, years and years ago people used to do that, just, anyway and then all this computer stuff came out-- which is funny, now that internet is kicking off it's gone the other way around, where people are doing more live stuff and just more natural feeling kind of things."
    The occasional mistake has been left on the album, as have in-the-moment chats that have been caught on tape. In some cases the background noise of the festival can even be heard.
    'Attic Jam' is released on iTunes on February 14.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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