THE X FACTOR: LITTLE MIX Vs DAMIEN RICE

So last night Little Mix won the coveted X Factor trophy gaining themselves a record deal and single released in time for the Christmas number one spot. The last few years the singles have been covers which have been, mediocre at best...this year is no different really. DON'T GET ME WRONG I love little mix, and I really wanted them to win, but Damien Rice is one of my favorite artists and you just can't turn a folk song into generic pop, especially when the lyrics are so emotional. That said, I just hope little mix do more pop/rnb songs in the future because I think they could be really fantastic as they can all sing amazingly well!! Come on Little Mix, put your stamp on the business!!

I'll leave you with a video of me and my brother performing Cannonball Live nearly a year ago. Hope you like it! And dont forget to leave your comments on the X factor, little mix, and the cover?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waJ6ohWR6Qk

Rebecca Ferguson - Heaven

If you've never heard of Rebecca Ferguson before you heard her new material, you would have no idea she'd come out of X Factor. I'm actually so pleased she didn't win as it's been, as usual, a blessing in disguise. She's managed to keep her original style and rework it with some help, into a superb album receiving rave reviews from all types of critics. This has got to be one of the most promising albums from an X Factor contestant; miles above the rest.

Think of a cross between Duffy, Adele and old Motown music and you get Rebecca's album. I remember seeing Rebecca on her very first audition (well, technically 3rd/4th, but you get the gist) in Manchester and after she'd calmed down and done a couple of songs, her voice just came across as so unique and soothing/soulful. She sang two songs, one I cant remember and the other was 'Amazing Grace' which I remember stuck in my mind and from that moment I remember thinking - 'she will be in the final.' In fact, I think I tweeted her as one to watch on that day... eye for talent eh ;)

Back to the album, its a must have for many music lovers- there's something on there for everyone. My personal favourites are the songs 'Nothing's real but love' and 'Glitter & Gold' but every song on the album is worth a listen, there's not one bad song on there, which is pretty unusual!

In conclusion, I give this album 5/5, what other reason will you need to buy it! Much better than all the usual X factor crap, well done Rebecca!!!!

FREE DOWNLOADS

Hi All, just to let you know I'm still working on the EP at the moment, things are going great and I'll keep you posted with it all :)

Just as a little Christmas present from myself, I've uploaded a few previously unheard tracks which have been well recorded, for a free download... you can listen to them on my soundcloud, and download them from there.

The three uploaded are: Alive (which is also on my youtube), Everybody, and This is Paris... feel free to let me know what you think, add me on facebook (From Small Acorns), or follow me on twitter: @beckylovatt

Happy Christmas!

Heres the link: www.soundcloud.com/beckylovatt

SUPPORTING ELLIOTT MORRIS... GUITAR BAR, NOTTINGHAM

So I was asked by NAMusic to do a support slot for a guy named Elliott Morris a few months ago, and kinda agreed to it without even hearing of the guy...

There were 3 other support acts on the night excluding myself, so it really was a beautiful fushion of different talents all on one night, so serious hats off to Neil Atkinson so organising such a fantastic event to be a part of.

So first it was me and my brother aka From Small Acorns (Becky Lovatt) to take the stage... the set actually went perfectly it couldnt have gone any better. We played 2 covers - starting with Damien Rice's masterpeice '9 crimes,' and also covering Keanes 'somewhere only we know.' And we also did 4 originals - two of which (stay - below and Stole your heart) will be on my forth coming EP, and another two - Died in your arms, and This Summer, which is a rather poppy fun tune that you can bop along too!! It was only Cals second gig and he actually did fantastically well as I know I can confuse him with where im going with the song sometimes, but he stuck with me, so thanks for the accompanyment!!



Second on was Nathan Luke... so, you see this guy with gorgeous long blonde hair, and you instantly think 'this guys gunna be heavy...' let me tell you... NEVER judge a book by its cover. A genuinly nice guy with a genuinely amazing talent. Claiming he only knew 3 chords was a lie - he was fantastic on guitar and put me to shame at least! His songs are smooth, and soulful and are delivered with immense honesty which makes his lyrics just completely believable. Watch out for this guy! You can download his EP for free to on facebook - I highly highly recommend!!!

Third on was the beautiful Rosanna O'Brien who'd bought with her a keyboard which made a refreshing change on a night full of guitars. Her voice is soft and gentle which is perfect for her lyrics and keyboard accompanyment, the whole thing just worked (i also loved her style!).

Fouth on was Micheal Lynch, having seen him about 3 times before I knew what I was in for - beautiful lyrics, a soulful voice, and a confident performance - often stepping away from the mic and just singing without one, which was impressive! He also sang my favourite so i was happy - us against the world. You can check him out on facebook where you can download one of his tracks for free! He plays a lot of gigs all over everywhere so check him out, and if hes at a venue near you - get down, you wont be disappointed!!!!

Then, there was the real treat of the night... Mr. Elliott Morris. I literally cannot put into words how great this guy is as a musician. I literally cant. I sat there, having seen videos of him on youtube after knowing he was playing, and I knew what was coming, but nothing prepared me for the pure talent that was standing playing infront of me. He plays a lot of his songs one handed, and taps the beat all over the guitar with the other hand - youve never seen anything like it. That, topped off with fantastic songs and a believable genuine voice, it was one of the best gigs iv ever played at (if not the best). One of my favourite parts was in one of the songs he played a mixture of other songs but in his own styles, so we had part of justin timberlakes 'like i love you,' and White Stripes 'seven nation army,' all rolled into one song and flowing beautifully. I'll attach a video of this guy so you can see what I mean - an absolute genious on guitar, and It was an honour to share the stage with this guy...

Thanks to Guitar Bar, Neil Atkinson, NAMusic, Nathan Luke, Rosanna O'Brien, Cal (the bro), Micheal Lynch and of course Elliott Morris...

xxx

'ONE THAT GOT AWAY' KATY PERRY COVER

I'll keep it short and sweet, but basically I saw Katy Perry's performance on X Factor last night, and I loved the song, so I gave it a go!!!

Subscribe to my channel and add me as a friend, leave comments, like etc http://www.youtube.com/BEX9637

And, follow me on twitter if you have it @beckylovatt

Lots of gigs coming up - find out where I am go to http://www.beckylovattmusic.co.uk

Thanks!

THE NEW RANGE OF BEKL MOTIVATION BRACELETS...

So tonight sees the launch of the new range from 'Bekl Motivation Bracelets.' As I'm sure you all know, this is my company which is why its appearing on a music blog... oops!

Anyway, the range launched tonight, with 5 different designs with superb quality designer Clarke & Clarke fabric. Each design is still only £2.99 and you can still have any quote you like on the bracelet... There is also a twist to the designer bracelets range. There is only 20 per design, and when they have gone, that design will not be back! So your bracelet will only be 1 of 20 ever made! once the design has run out, it will be replaced with a completely different one, so there is only ever a maximum of 5 designs to choose from. It makes your bracelet truly unique, especially as you can still have a custom made quote for the same price!!

Also, when we get to 300+ followers on twitter ( @beklbracelets ) we will be doing a designer bracelet giveaway, so its worth giving us a follow for your chance to win a limited edition designer bracelet!!!

I'll leave you with the picture of the new range. The 5 designs can be bought and viewed on the website http://www.beklmotivationbracelets.co.uk and if you have any questions please email me using the address on there, comment below, or tweet us @beklbracelets

The 5 designs are : Teacups, Bird, Scotty Dog, Brown Flower and stripe...

GUITAR BAR, NOTTINGHAM...

It feels like ages since I did a blog post, so I felt it was time to update. A lots been going off behind the scenes at the moment (all will be revealed soon) as regards to an EP, anyway, all will be revealed at a later date...

(not from the gig, just an idea of the guitar bars atmosphere)

On Wednesday evening I set off to play at the guitar bar in Nottingham. I got my satnav at the ready, picked up the boyfriend, and headed up to Nottingham (Clumber St). I had never been to the guitar bar before but I did know a few people who'd played there before and said it was a nice little venue.

The gig was kind of last minute just to get a feel for the place and the sort of people there are to work with. Organised by Neil Atkinson of NA Music the night was full of great talent, and a real pleasure to share the stage with.

First on was Marc Reeves, a folk singer-songwriter from Nottingham with simply awesome songs and a really relaxing, mature voice. Infact I was listening to my Chilli Peppers CD in the car and the intro to 'Road Trippin' really reminds me of my favourite song of Marcs - Judgement Day. You can check him out on youtube and facebook so if you like Folk music with some great guitar combinations, go go go!

Second up was Daniel Graham. Coincidentally me, Daniel and Marc all played at Rescue Rooms (Acoustic Rooms) last week which was the first time we met, so it was lovely to see them again! Daniels voice reminds me of a cross between Jamie Scott and James Morrison, its really unique and really rather soulful. He sings every word like he means it, and his originals are truly fantastic with well thought out, catchy lyrics and tunes. He also included a very stylish, unique cover of Otis Readings' classic 'Sitting on the dock of the bay.' A voice to watch for the future I'd say...

Next was...ME (Becky Lovatt)! I ended up playing a 5 tune set, doing 3 covers (Scientist, Songbird and my take on the song House of The Rising Sun), and 2 originals (Alive and I've Had Enough... both of which are on my youtube channel BEX9637). I thought it went really well and I got positive feedback afterwards so hey, I cant complain!

Next up was Mr. Chris Reeve with his fantastic banjo skills... It was actually a really refreshing change after an evening of all guitars to have something a bit different, and his skills were pretty impressive! I will definitely be going to another gig, mainly because I do love that sort of music and its something completely different to whats on the 'scene' at the moment!

Last up was Micheal Lynch... I wasn't really sure what to expect at first as I'd never stumbled across Micheal's music, but it was a very pleasant surprise. A soulful, soothing voice mixed with great guitar skills really makes me a happy bunny! I loved his original songs, and he even threw in part of a cover of Alicia keys 'No One,' which I know from singing myself is a tough song, let alone for a guy!

All in all the night was packed FULL of talent. If you ever get a chance to see any of these guys around Nottingham or anywhere else, get down because you wont be disappointed.

Thanks to everyone who played, the sound guy at the Guitar Bar who did a great job, and to Neil who organised it all. I, personally, can't wait for the next one!

B x

PS photos ARE NOT from the night!!! x

NO MORE OF THIS OVER PRODUCED CRAP...

So, its been a while since I've done a proper music blog - usually its just me babbling about my recent gigs and songs/covers... I appologise! Today, I'm focusing on real music. The sort of music which doesnt need lots of digital tweaking to make a voice in tune, or effect after effect to make a band sound energetic and in time...

My first love, although many see it as very geeky (I dont really care), is classical music. Currently I'm listening to Ludovica Einduadi's album a lot, and playing a few of his peices on my keyboard (its like a portable grand piano)... I Giorni is by far my favourite ever song, if you've never heard it, heres a clip i found on youtube... if your emotional, this piece of music will definitely bring a tear to your eye and make you think! Truely beautiful...

 Im off to the classical spectacular at the Royal Albert Hall in November, and I'm kinda hoping they play this!!! Im so looking forward to it. I started off playing classical music at about the age of 6 or 7, and it will always have a place in my heart. It amazes me how just one instrument can make you feel a whole array of emotion... Anyway, on to my next piece i wanted to direct you to...

This next piece just makes me cry everytime I hear it, its my favourite song by Andrea Bocelli, I just find it so touching, even though half of it I dont actually know what precisely they're saying, It doesnt matter, and I just find that so amazing about music...no matter what language you speak, you can all share music together...

This next one is a little more 'mainstream' shall we say, but I absolutely love this guy... Damien Rice is just an amazing guitarist, songwriter, and musician in general... this song just speaks for itself, its beautifully written, its timeless, and its emotive, what more could you want from an artist!?

FINALLY, I get to a choir who are just amazing at covering rock songs, but putting a choir twist on them to make them super emotional! If you watch a lot of ITV, you'll have heard their songs on the Downton Abbey adverts, I'll leave you with this fantastic cover (from the second series of Downton Abbey), enjoy...

Anyway, leave your comments :)
xxx

10 Years Since 9/11...

So tomorrow it will be ten years since the awful tragedy of 9/11, and I dont know what to say. Time seems to have flown past and I still remember the day like it was yesterday. This week the TV channels have been crammed with different documentaries, both hard hitting, sad, and some a little inappropriate, but none the less, you couldnt switch on the tv without remembering the awful day.

So, I wrote a tribute - to all those people who lost their lives, rest in peace, your gone but never forgotten... I'll leave you with my tribute because I dont think there is much else I can say...

TIBSHELF PARTY IN THE PARK...

Yesterday, as some will know if you follow the blog, I did a 'Party In the Park' event in my village (which is quite a large village, so it was pretty good!). It went very well, only one very minor mistake on my part which I dont believe anyone but my Dad (typical) noticed... So I'll keep quiet about what it was ;) lol

Anyway, the sun was kinda shining, the wind was blowing, the people were gathering and the beer was flowing! I was on about 1pm, and did a half an hour set...

I did three covers (the scientist, many of horror, jar of hearts), and three original songs off my new EP (Alive, Everybody, I've Had Enough)... Here's a link to a montage of all the songs (editted by myself so its not great :P), but it gives you a good picture really! (Thankyou to my Dad for filming the whole set)!!!!

Anyway so thats a sneak peek of my set, which I will be changing for my next gig on 19th Sept at The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham...starts at about 8pm so get yourselves down!!!

Let me know what you think anyway, and dont forget to visit my website: http://www.beckylovattmusic.co.uk

Love B xox

DIY TOUR - BECKY LOVATT, REN SPITS AT MAGPIES, KATIE RAINE & PERKIE

Hi all!!! Its been a few weeks since my last gig (which I didnt blog about) so I thought id update on here :)

I played at the Maze in Nottingham last night, in the upstairs room as there was another (heavier it must be said) gig happening downstairs. Never been in the upstairs room but it was pleasantly cosy and instantly relaxing, and perfect for an acoustic gig!!!! As usual Parisa had waved her magic wand on a dull room filling it with her fluffy fairy lights, flowers, drapes and table cloths, she really does a good job at making a room more homely!

So, it got to 8pm and the room started to fill up quite quickly, I was really pleased with the turn out, the room was full so it was lovely to play to them. I opened up about 8.20pm and people were still coming in so by the time I'd finished there were lots of faces to play to :D

I played a new setlist, but did my favourite songs so I really ended up enjoying the set so much more than some of my others. This was definitely the best one yet! I worked it so it was original, cover, original, cover (etc) just because people dont know my original stuff so well yet, so it breaks it up when you sing a song everyone will know! Anyway heres the setlist!

1. Alive (which is on youtube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF0mi3Lhsp8
2. Many of Horror (Biffy Clyro cover)
3. Everybody (original on the new EP due out 24th Oct 2011)
4. Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri (i have done a keyboard cover on youtube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fGhx4LXASQ
5. (I've had) Enough (original on the new EP)
6. The Scientist - Coldplay

Everyone seemed to enjoy it, well, they all shut up when I was playing, watched and clapped at appropriate times so I'll take that as a good sign!!!!

So, thats me, what about the others?

Ren was next up, and she was fantastic! Singing about politics, and other world issues, and making the audience laugh with her tales of her first tattoo and antics in the recent student protests. A great voice with well written, thought out songs, everyone loved her! Oh, and musical bumps was a great idea to get everyone involved!

Then Katie Raine took to the stage... wow she has a very unique voice with a great 'rasp' to it. Although she had a sore throat it really didnt matter, the songs were great, the guitar (and ukulele) were fantastic and well used, with some great rhythms and meaningful lyrics.

To close the show, we had Perkie. If you havent heard of Perkie, or heard any of her stuff, you HAVE to check it out, such a lovely lady with a fantastic voice and superb songs, I can tell you now, you will not be disappointed!!!! She used to play keyboard for the Kingblues but left to play her own stuff, and you can see why, shes amazing!!! Using just her keyboard and voice, she sang about all sorts of things, politics, old people, protests, all sorts, it was fantastic! Her voice is so unique too, youll have to see her to see what I mean, you wont be dissappointed!

So anyway, a fantastic night all round, and if you get the chance to catch the girls while theyre on tour, definitely do, its a great night!

Follow their tumblr blog here: http://perkiekatierentour.tumblr.com/

And dont forget to check out my website: http://www.beckylovattmusic.co.uk 

My EP will be released for download on the 24th October 2011, and I will make hard copies available too to sell at gigs etc.

Next gig: 3rd September, Party in the Park, Tibshelf, 1pm

CHARLIE SIMPSON COVER 'FARMER AND HIS GUN'

I love this song, and I bought Charlies album when it came out on the 15th 'Young Pilgrim.' Currently have it playing none stop in my car... and il do a review real soon when I have a minute :) In the mean time, check out my cover of 'Farmer and his Gun' from that album...

And dont forget, first 500 subs to my channel stand the chance to win an awesome music prize! SO GET SUBBING!

MASSIVE MUSIC GIVEAWAY!!!

Hello all!!

I have opened a new youtube channel, and I need your help. Please could you subscribe and tell your friends etc to subscribe to my channel, as the 500 subscribers will be entered into a prize draw and stand the chance to win an awesome music related prize, trust me, its worth a subscription!!!

The channel was set up as a more interactive channel...you can ask me questions which i will answer in a diary session, I will also do shout outs, I will do requests, etc, its just so much more interactive, so head over there, Subscribe AND tell you friends and family to do the same (the more people you know to tell, the quicker the giveaway will be!!!), so come on, give me a hand!!!

Here is the link to the channel ... theres already a request up which i did yesterday ...

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLovattSessions?feature=mhee

THANKYOU VERY MUCH xox

JUST AN UPDATE FOR Y'ALL...

I havent blogged in over a week, and Im having withdrawals, so Im going to update you as to whats happening with me and my music...

So, if you follow my blog youll know that I am releasing my debut EP in late summer/early autumn. I am pleased to report all the songs have been recorded now, and im currently deciding whether to put a bonus song on or wait and gather more material for an album... if you have any opinions on this please feel free to comment!

Iv also finished my promo shots for my website and EP, the lovely Cara Jade Photography (find her on facebook) took the shots, and they look fantastic!!! Very pleased with them so far, just waiting for the rest to come back but you will be able to find them on my website when I have them. Heres one of the pictures I have from the shoot though, what do you think?

Which leads me nicely onto my next update, my website. Iv designed it myself, so let me know what you think. It pulls together my facebook, twitter, soundcloud, blog, and youtube to one place, and gives a bit of background on myself. www.beckylovattmusic.co.uk

Lastly! I have a few gigs coming up...

10th August - Jamcafe, Nottingham - open mic - FREE
25th August - The Maze, Nottingham - Myself, Katie Raine, Ren and Perkie are providing the entertainment for the night! Fantastic talent, a great venue, amazing people... get yourselves down! £3 suggested donation on the door - the link to the event is here - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=230907473607679

3rd September - Party In The Park, Tibshelf Community School Sports Field... if your local get yourselves down!!!! Live music and stalls, think theyll also be a beer tent...what more could you want?

And that sums up my updates!!!
Thanks for listening ;)

Bek x

A TRIBUTE TO AMY WINEHOUSE...

Further to my last post announcing the sad untimely passing of one of modern musics greatest heroins, I wrote a song titled 'Dear Amy...' It is obviously inspired by the news events of the last couple of days, and has a slight 'slow jazz' feel to the music... I hope you enjoy it, and appreciate it for what it is - a tribute to one of musics finest...

A SAD DAY FOR MUSIC... RIP AMY WINEHOUSE

A day tarnished with the untimely death of a beautiful talent in the music world....

Paramedics were called to Amy Winhouses flat at around 3.45pm in north London (Camden), where the singer was pronounced dead at the scene...

It is not yet known the cause of the death, but is highly suspected to be a toxic combination of a drink and drug overdose. She joins a handful of other talents who lost their lives (mainly through similar battles) at the too young age of 27 ... Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix to name a few. It unfortunately appears that rock n rolls 27 club is still alive and kicking...

Its a very sad day for the world of music, Amy Winehouse was such a fantastic talent, and a breath of fresh air into a very dull music scene... Im not saying she was a role model, but a fantastic talent, and will be sorely missed by music fans all over the world...

Id just like to take this time to say I find it highly disrespectful that people are ultimately slagging off a 27year old woman who has lost her life. She was someones daughter, someones friend, someones family member, and no matter what she has done, that should NOT be disrespected. The old proverb prevails... 'If you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all...'

I send my deepest condolences to her family, friends and fans, and just hope that people will learn a lesson from this terrible death... drugs only lead to one thing.

Rest In Peace Amy Winehouse, you will be missed x

RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS... THE ADVENTURES OF RAINDANCE MAGGIE

So, as a lot of you will know, I am a MASSIVE RHCP fan, like, MASSIVE! They can do no wrong in my eyes! So when i heard their new single 'the adventures of rain dance Maggie,' I instantly fell in love....

The Peppers are well know for their 'bassy' rock tracks, and this is no exception, awww little fleas done a great job on the bass, as usual! This song, if you've not heard it, is pretty 'groovy,' and heavy on the bass and guitar in the verses and bridge, but it so works. I can imagine them playing this at a gig and everyone just jumping around and singing along, which lets face it, makes a gig...if you cant jump around and sing, there's no atmosphere!

Obviously I'm totally biased and was going to love it anyway, but I'll leave you with this snippet and you can see for yourself what its like...

http://www.antiquiet.com/news/2011/07/rhcp-adventures-raindance-maggie/

The album is set of release on 30th August 2011, IM COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS!

NEW KEYBOARD... NEW COVER ... BIRDY 'SKINNY LOVE'

So, I hadn't heard of this young lady who goes by the name of Birdy until earlier this week when a friend heard her song 'skinny love' and suggested I do a cover...

My first thoughts when I heard the song were 'jeeez, what a haunting voice...' then I listened more closely to the lyrics and became even more depressed!! But I thought the song and her voice was fantastic, and as I had a new keyboard on order due to arrive later in the week, I thought it'd make a great first keyboard cover!

I might also like the point out the song is originally by Bon Iver, just because I know their fans get very offended when they don't get the credit they deserve... so anyway...

I bought a Yamaha NP30, I just wanted something decent but cheap, which I could learn to a better standard on (I originally had a very old keyboard my Dad bought in the 90's). I'm so impressed with it - RRP currently is around the £200-250 mark, and for that price you really cannot go wrong! The speakers aren't great on it, but I already have an amp which I can use as a speaker, and it doesn't have many voices, but I was after a grand piano 'sound-a-like' I could use to record and gig with, and for this, I cannot recommend the NP30 enough!!

Anyway here's the cover... I hope you like it!!!

NUSIC DOES ROCK CITY, NOTTS - THE WINNER PLAYS SPLENDOR FESTIVAL!

My first gig review in a while, so please bare with me here!

The date was Sunday 10th July 2011, at the infamous Rock City in Nottingham, where anyone who is anyone has played at one stage in their career...and i should explain why the hell we were there...

The event was the final of 'Nusic' The future sound of Nottingham, which in a nutshell, meant that the hundreds of entrants for bands and singers across Nottingham had been whittled down to the final 6, and these guys, and girls, had to battle it out for the top spot...and the chance to play on the main stage at Splendor Music Fest! WOW!!

So, the bands, who were they? well, id only heard of two of the bands before i turned up, 'the money' who i was rooting for, and 'the tastebuds' - a Mansfield based punk style rock band. But, i was pleasantly suprised when all the rest of the bands and singers were just as great!

Lets get down to business here then, 6 bands, one audience, and some highly qualified judges (6?) ...the votes were split: half went on the amount of decibels the crowd made with cheering for the band, and the other half went on judges votes.... so in order of play....

The Harli Kings

Wow their following made me feel old, and I'm only 19 (20 in less than a month), and they had some lungs on them, enough to scream the place down on a few occasions!! But anyway, the band themselves were fantastic, reminiscent of 'the calling' in their style, with kind of pop rock influences. The band consisted of just one singer with no backup so it was pretty impressive that just one guy was doing the vocals along with guitar, and that left the other 3 members to concentrate on their instruments (bass, lead, drums)... Fantastic!

Austin Francis Connection

An absolute breath of fresh air, i cant think of anyone else at the moment doing anything at all similar to these guys, which is fantastic as it means they stand a great chance of getting very very far, and far they will go if this performance is anything to go by. They describe themselves as 'hip-hop' acoustic, and are made up of 3 guys : the singer (who introduced himself to the 'rowdy boys' at the front as Eddie, was chanted through the set by them, very amusing to watch!), the guitarist, and the beat-boxer (Hobbit i believe his name is), (WHO WAS FANTASTIC!!!). Well i can tell you from tonight that they found themselves a new fan! I was on the front row, bopping away, thinking i can dance, you get the picture! Anyway, i cant hype these guys up enough, when they came on they looked like half of a barber shop choir and just a random local they picked up outside, BUT, a book should never, ever be judged by its cover right...RIGHT! Very clever if you ask me, because as soon as they started beat-boxing and rapping/singing, the audience was totally stunned, take a listen...

Opie Dieno


Aww what a lovely girl with a big big voice, she was fantastic and really won the crown over too, so well done to her!! Very acoustic, folk rock in style (very much like myself), but she was, edgy? is that the right word? i loved her style, her little habits and the way she spoke was quirky, and, aww i just loved her.

The Money

These guys were the reason i was at rock city... Quirky, funky indie rock with catchy lyrics and riffs you'll be singing in your head all day, and i have been singing their song 'feels like you saved me' all day! I'm so pleased i stumbled across them a month or so ago because they're now one of my favourite bands! I happened to be playing a gig at the Maze in Nottingham on the same night as the guitarist Jake (check him out on YouTube (Jake Buckley), some very clever songs!!), heard he was in a band, did a bit of stalking to find out who they were, and voila, I'm the new biggest fan! The songs remind me of something by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, its that sort of style, and they're one of my favourite ever bands so... Instantly catchy, easy to bop and sing along to, i mean what more could you ask for!? I also loved the set opening, where they played the famous sound clip from Jerry McGuire 'show me the money...' and i also loved how they adapted the song 'Ride with me' so that Jake sang the main part of the song, and the crowd had to sing back 'hey, must be the money.' Such a simple idea but it worked really really well, and i think probably helped them to win! Anyway, here's one of their songs...

Kurt Martinez


He had a lot of fans! Either that, or he has one hell of a family! I seriously thought this guy was going to win on the sheer amount of screams he received. There were mosh pits breaking out left right and centre (i was lucky enough to be on the edge of one, but after a few scowls to some 14 year old lads, they soon calmed down...hey i may only be 5ft 3, but i can look mean when i want to be!)
Anyway, yes, I don't know how id describe his style to be honest, something similar (but not as hardcore) as pendulum and Chase and Status. He was great, had the whole crowd jumping along with his dance rock music, yer the guy was great!

Finally...

The Tastebuds


My local band really, which is why Iv heard so much about them (although id like to point out I'm not from Mansfield, as I'm from Derbyshire, BUT these are pretty hot around where I live)... My friend described the lead singer as having something 'Russell Brand-esque' about him, she clearly found him rather attractive...i will say nothing...Anyway! The music! Very old school rock in style (60s/70s), which hey, Im a sucker for so I bloody loved it!! The dress sense and style, the funny mini Angus Young jumps across the stage the lead singer had a tendency to do, and the fact they'd incorporated just about every instrument meant i had massive admiration pretty much before they started!! A great end to a great free event, so congratulations guys (and girl)! Youll have a made some loyal fans from the night, myself included....

So, after my little review i guess your all dying to know who won!? First id like to give you MY TOP 3 before the actual top 3:

3rd: The Tastebuds
2nd: The Austin Francis Connection
1st: The Money

THE REAL TOP 3, AND THE WINNER WHO WILL PLAY SPLENDOR MAIN STAGE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS TIME...

3RD: THE HARLI KINGS
2ND: THE TASTEBUDS
1ST: THE MONEY!!!!!

So i got two out of three that's not bad right!?! Anyway a massive congratulations to everyone who played and especially the Money, a well deserved win, and next stop Splendor...

Thank you to all those involved in putting on an absolutely fantastic night! Ill leave you with The Moneys music video for their sing 'looks like rain,' enjoy.

Over and out! x

THE WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED...

Ok so inline with my new little business the Bekl Motivation Bracelets, i was giving away 3 motivation bracelets to promote my new business. There were 4 entries, so unfortunately one person missed out, but the bracelets are still available on my website for just £2.99 including postage, so a real bargain!!!

Congratulations to the winners, i will email them to inform them of the good news!!! The winners were all picked at random by my brother so there was no bias. So the winners were...

1.sjmwell
2. Emma
3. Lisa

Well done ladies!!! I hope you enjoy your bracelets when they arrive!

Bek x

BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!

After all the interest and veiws on my blog in the past day due to my new little mini business 'Bekl Motivation Bracelets...' www.beklmotivationbracelets.co.uk i have decided to do a giveaway. The prize? A Bekl motivation bracelet...

If your new to the concept, heres our little 'moto' for the bracelets...

"Tie me around your wrist,
And i'll continue to persist,
To encourage you through, and sow the seed,
To help you in your life succeed...
When i start to weather and fray,
Cut me off at the end of the day,
And see that problem fly as light as a feather,
You'll have learnt a lesson to stay with you forever..."

I will be giving away 3 of the bracelets, and all you need to do to enter is comment on the post below, simply saying 'enter me' ... or something to this effect!!

After only being released yesterday, the bracelets are already getting big blog reviews on sites which receive thousands of hits a day!! And we have a celeb fan in Gabriella Ellis (Made in Chelsea)...and im sure she wont be the last at this rate!

THE WINNERS WILL BE PICKED AT RANDOM!!!! COMPETITION CLOSES ON 8TH JULY 2011!!!

Dont forget to enter!!! You can also follow us on twitter @beklbracelets, and facebook: Bekl Motivation Bracelets

GOOD LUCK XXX (open to all European Countries, the US, Canada, and Australia/New Zealand)

P.s the bracelet will be either as shown above, the liquorice allsorts design, blue/white or pink/white (similar to above)...

BEKL MOTIVATIONAL INSPIRATIONAL WRISTBAND BRACELETS...

Im not usually a beauty blogger...but im willing to make an exception as i think its something that my followers and people who read the blog will like...

“Tie me around your wrist,

And I will continue to persist,

To encourage you through, and sow the seed,

To help you in your life succeed…

Once I start to weather and fray,

Cut me off at the end of the day, and

See that problem fly as light as a feather;

You’ll have learnt a lesson to stay with you forever.”

These bracelets are Handmade in the UK, and cost just £2.99. I got mine this morning (above picture) which reads ' Luck is believing you're lucky' a famous quote by Tennesse Williams. They are made from scraps of material, and are intended to inspire you throughout the day with words and pearls of wisdom.


"Handmade Bekl Motivation Bracelets are designed not only as a fashionable ‘festival’ style bracelet, but also to help motivate you throughout the day. Over time there has been many inspirational figures from Politics, Literature, the Arts, and History, and these people have helped shape today… Each bracelet is unique as it has been handmade so no two are the same, and has a message written on to help inspire and motivate you throughout the day. The bracelet is designed to teach and remind you of a lesson in life and motivate you into living your life to the fullest, think of it as a life coach on your wrist! Live by the rules of the bracelet and the figures who spoke the famous words, and you will live a full and happy life."


There is about 20 quotes to choose from and can be custom made for a little extra (depending on which material you are wanting etc).


Anyway what do you think of this idea? 


They are available from www.beklmotivationbracelets.co.uk or contact me through twitter @beklbracelets or @beckylovatt or through facebook Bekl motivation bracelets.


Love x

FROM SMALL ACORNS...

Good Evening!

Its kinda late to be posting a new blog post really, but i tend to work better at night (i think its a student thing), so im gunna post it anyway while in bed watching re-runs of jersey shore!

Me and my brother recently formed a band, so i thought for my band of the month, id do a peice on my own band instead of promoting other peoples :)

The band is called 'From Small Acorns,' and there is just the two of us ...

Me (Becky) ... 19 (nearly 20) Law student at Nottingham Law School....plays acoustic guitar Martin DX1, clarinet, and learning piano...reads music to a high standard...interesting fact - i used to windsurf competitively !? :)

Callum ...16, student/apprentice joiner...plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar... competitive canoer on the UK circuit... interesting fact - built his own acoustic guitar (see video below)

How were 'From Small Acorns' formed? I was asked by a friend of our mums to perform at a charity fundrasier in aid of Ashgate hospice/Kimberly Trickett Fund, and i thought, as Cal is better at guitar than me, that it would be a good idea to get him involved to play guitar so i could just concentrate on singing, and so thats what we did. We played a 4 song set list consisting of songs by Guns N Roses, Damien Rice, Oasis and Coldplay, and the set went down fantastically...since then weve been doing more music related projects together!

Your probably also wondering about the name...we were struggling for a name but one morning after one of my first open mics, my mum quoted the old saying 'from small acorns, big trees grow...' and something clicked in my head, and its stuck ever since...it also sounds quite acoustic-y dont you think!?

Im currently doing a lot of gigs in nottingham/derbyshire at the moment so if you live locally pop down...check out our facebook page for more info on the gigs front ( From Small Acorns (Becky Lovatt)) or follow us on twitter : @fromsmallacorn  @beckylovatt @callumlovatt

So yer, theres a little insight into the acorns, i hope you enjoyed it, please feel free to check out the video link to see cals guitar and hear our cover...

Thanks,

Becky (From Small Acorns)

VIDEOS OF MYSELF @ ACOUSTICKLE, THE MAZE, NOTTINGHAM

Here are the videos from when i played at the maze a few weeks ago, let me know what you think...

November (original song) by Myself....

Alive (original song) by Myself ...

Feeling Good (Muse) by Myself...

I did three other songs but they weren't recorded...i hope you enjoy these :) xxx

WHEN I PLAYED AT ACOUSTICKLE, THE MAZE, NOTTINGHAM

Well im packing them in now...last night i played a 30 minute set @ the maze in Nottingham as part of the Acoustickle night organised by Parisa Eliyon. If youve ever been to the maze, youll know its fully kitted out for any band and can hold quite a few people. It is available to hire out for gigs etc so if your interested you should check out their website - http://www.themazerocks.com/

Anyway back to the night in hand...Parisa did a fantastic job of turning the Maze (which is a bit like an underground rock venue) into a cute, chilled out venue with her little box of tricks! Fairy lights, flowers and candles all round...so we had the venue, now all we needed was the music...

I was first up (about 8.30pm), and played about 25mins of covers and originals. I started with P!nk - Perfect. This is one of my favourite songs at the moment, and its very recent so i try and get in one which isnt an old classic, i suppose to show im not a one trick pony!! I then went on to do my own track - Runaway, which is pretty self explanatory (you can check it out on my youtube channel BEX9637). I then did a new one - a cover of teenage kicks by the undertones but with a very acoustic twist on it, just to bring the tone down a bit as the first two songs were quite upbeat. I enjoyed doing that one but i dont know if il be doing it again, it wasnt my favourite.

My next two songs were both originals - Alive and November (again both on my youtube channel). Alive is pretty rocky, whereas November is a bit more pop folk in style. November is probably one of my strongest songs, and since Johnny Wright (manager of the Jonas Brothers, Britney, Justin Timberlake, etc) even saw the song on youtube and complimented me on it, iv tended to do that one!! Hey, he knows right!?!

I ended the night with my favourite cover - Feeling Good by Muse. Again i recorded this song recently for youtube :) Its one of my favourite covers to do as the guitar part is so simple, yet i can show off my vocals...

(There will be videos of my last 3 songs in next couple of days when the guy who recorded them puts them up, so i will put those up in a few days).

I only got to see one other act as i had to rush off, but he was definitely worth seeing...Richard Howell. A singer-songwriter with quite a David Grey style of songwriting, but with a bit more upbeat guitar. I'd say a cross between David Grey and the Goo Goo Dolls...both of whom i love so he ticked my boxes. If you ever get a chance to check out this guys set, seriously do, his songs are definitely worth the listen, and he makes the audience feel really comfortable and at ease while your watching him... His songs are brilliant as well, and hes a great guitarist, so if you like good music, youll like this guy!! He has a few songs on youtube that i found so check him out!!

So yer, all in all a great night! I will be going back soon i enjoyed it that much! :)
Thanks to Parisa for letting me play...and the maze team also for holding a great night...
Bex x

<<< PS, do you like the converse!?! my beautiful shoes!

OPEN MIC NIGHT - JAMCAFE, NOTTINGHAM

So, Id heard about this cute little cafe in Nottingham that turned into a cool chilled out venue on a Wednesday Night. That, i can confirm, is an accurate description. Organised by a singer/songwriter called Andy, who opened the night with his awesome Newton Faulkner/Jose Gonzalez style, he organises a fantastic night. If you ever get the chance to pop down, definitely do, this is the cutest little venue youll find, with people who just appreciate music and like a good live artist to serenade them of an evening.

I went on about 9.45pm and did 4 covers... i opened with The Verve 'Sonnet,' then Jamie Scott 'Standing in the Rain,' Pink 'Perfect,' and ended with my own version of Muse 'Feeling good.' Which i recorded...

The night went great, my song choices (chosen by my boyfriend Mat, myself and friend Harry) were a great choice and went down well especially the very well known two in there.

There were some other great performances from a duo (i cant remember their names sorry), with a guy playing guitar and girl singing who were very much like a Katie Melua sound, gorgeous to listen to. A guy, Aiden, who sang like Johnny Cash, and did a couple of country/ folky tunes, and there was also a guy who was very similar to Gavin Degraw, but with a guitar and not keys.

So that was a brief little summary, ended up in the bar afterwards so i didnt get to see everyone unfortunately, but it really is a great chilled out night if thats what your after. Its up in the Lace Market, near Ice Nine and Baa Baa so if you get a chance on a wednesday night, head on up there for a great treat. I will be going back very soon, i loved it :)

Thanks for everyone who came to support me lastly, you know how much i appreciate it (Mat, Matt S, Matt O, Harry, Pearse, and Guy (who turned up after id sang...better late than never i suppose)).

This monday, 13th June, i am playing a half an hour set at the Maze in Nottingham (Mansfield Rd), so if anyones local pop up and say hi, its 7.30-8pm.

Love,
Bex x

SUCK IT AND SEE - ARCTIC MONKEYS ALBUM REVIEW

I'd totally forgot the album was out today, and id been counting down the days literally until it came out, so firstly id like to thank Andy for reminding me on facebook it was out!!! Without him id have forgot until after exams...

I was so excited i had to go buy it straight away, i think it was £8.97 from tescos, usually one of the cheaper but whatever the price i was gunna buy it anyway, and im so glad i did!!!

Every single song on the album could be a hit! Theyre just so so catchy, and you feel yourself instantly air guitaring or drumming the steering wheel as soon as you put it on.

Obviously theres two well known leaked tracks on there, 'brick by brick' and 'dont sit down (cos iv moved ya chair,' but all the others will become as well known soon, its one of those albums (a bit like songs about jane a few years ago - Maroon 5), from which everyone knows all the songs because theyre just so catchy and fabulously different from the music scene at the moment. For instance, the whole album has an indie/psychadelic/60s rock feel to it, and it makes a refreshing chance from the dull, massly churned out poppy crap lady gaga whacks out every couple of weeks. The albums been thought over, well crafted by MUSICIANS, and made with the fans (old and new) in mind. I think its a great sound personally, and im just so excited for the tour...

I mean sure, the lyrics arent up to all that much, but it doesnt matter when the actual music is this good, you can sing along and just enjoy the rifts and awesome drum and bass solos...

All in all, its a thumbs up from me!!! I'd recommend anyone to buy it, all the songs are great, not one lets the album down, and for £8/9 thats great value for money considering GaGa and Britney churn out mass produced pop crap for that price and more, with only a couple of half decent tracks...

Il leave you with a taster....

*****

LADY ANTEBELLUM - AMERICAN HONEY COVER

I have the Lady Antebellum playing in my car at the moment and i just dont want to take it out! I absolutely love it and you can sing along to all the songs which is what i personally love from an album - im one of those annoying people who always has to sing along lol. So anyway, i loved this song in particular off the album, although it would be hard to choose a favourite. So yer, i hope you like it :) Its very gentle and soft, which is perfect for my voice so im very pleased with it :)

xxx

MY BAND - FROM SMALL ACORNS - COVER THE CAVE BY MUMFORD & SONS

So an update - me and my brother officially now are playing together under the name 'From small acorns' (follow us on twitter @fromsmallacorn), and we have a youtube account www.youtube.com/fromsmallacorns. So anyway, we decided to get it up and running it needed a cover, so weve done this mumford and sons one :)

Let us know what you think - rate, comment, subscribe to us and add us as a friend if you have youtube. We will be doing a lot of gigging/open mics in the coming months so watch out for us out and about :)

Our original music is very much acoustic/folk/soft rock and pop, kinda all mixed together, and well put some originals up soon :)

Thanks for your support,
Bex - 'From Small Acorns'
xxx

OPEN MIC NIGHT 30TH APRIL 2011

This is just a quick post really to keep my blog updated on my personal gigs/mic nights!
I had my first open mic night on Saturday at a local pub in Shirland, Derbyshire. I played 2 mini sets (4 songs on total), and as sober as a judge! Lol!
It was all my original material that i sang as well, and it went down amazingly, lots of compliments, cheers, whistles, just overwhelmed with the support i got down there. I have also been invited along to support a local band, which im unsure as whether im going at the moment but il keep you posted again (its exam time so its a little hectic at the moment).

So anyway the gig, i think they were a little unsure as to what to expect of me at first, with my first words being "this is my first time here, please be nice." But, it seemed to work, i got a soft 'awww' from the audience, and they sat and listened (mostly, some still chatted amongst themselves). As i said i did 4 original songs 'Remember Me' - very Eva Cassidy in style, my new one 'Turn Back the Clocks' - a little more Taylor Swift-y, 'November' - just kinda poppy, and 'Night Dreamer,' which you can hear below...

I appropriately ended with 'Remember Me,' which silenced the audience at some point (usually when i sang the very high notes in it), which can only be a good thing, and i got a massive cheer and round of applause after so i presume they loved it!

A few hick ups, but nothing major, just my mic fell down but my lovely boyfriend mat helped me out and so i just carried on singing while he rescued the microphone, thanks mat!!

As i was leaving i was greeted with a few people making sure i was going to come back, and congratulating me on my songs, which meant an awful lot because as i say, i was singing originals so for people to listen and not even know the words or tune was amazing!

Thanks so much for making me feel welcome everyone who came along, i had a fantastic night and i will be back thats for sure! I will be doing another open mic night in a few weeks probably at the Poets Corner in Ashover, Derbyshire, so if anyones local, please come down id love to see you!!!

Bex x

CHARLIE SIMPSON - SINGLE - DOWN DOWN DOWN, AND EP - WHEN WE WERE LIONS

Ok so around Decemeber time Charlie Simpson AKA Charlie from Busted and Fightstar released an EP (must have been pretty low key as im a massive charlie simpson fan and iv only just discovered it). Saying that its not even on itunes yet so i doubt its been officially launched...

The EP is titled 'When we were Lions,' after the title single. The feel of the album is very Folk Rock, and hats off to him, hes made a fantastic job! He wrote all the songs (apart from Bullet), sang everything on the EP, and played everything on there too, now theres a sign of a real musician!

If you havent heard any of the songs i recommend you listen to 'Lost,' its a real hauntingly beautiful treat. His voice is so haunting and yet soulful at the same time, it really is beautiful and unique... This song in particular reminds me of something from twilight, kinda muse but folk style...just gorgeous.

So anyway, moving on from the sickeningly good EP, we have his brand new single 'Down Down Down' which is currently featured on Radio 1s playlist. The style again is rather folk rock, which a haunting vocal and sick finger picking. The guy is talented, and to any busted critics, this proves beyond reasonable doubt the guys did have real talent, especially Charlie. I have bought this single, and its the best 79p iv ever spent! That good im considering doing a cover...

So what do you think of charlies new stuff? Personally i think hes got better with age, almost like a fine wine... hes definitely hit his best so far, i just hope he can keep it up!

Take a listen to new single 'Down Down Down' here, and let me know what you think...

GIG - KIMMYS CHARITY NIGHT, CHESTERFIELD

So, my brother and I teamed up for the night to entertain about 350 people for a charity night in chesterfield. We had a 15min slot in between the full monty (well done guys, takes a lot to do that!), another singer named Danny who was great with his Micheal Buble set, and Donna Ramsdale, who as always, was great!

Its the first time me and my brother have teamed up to do a gig, but i dont think it will be the last! The night went really well, infact i think it was the best it ever went. I remembered all my lyrics, Cal remembered all his intricate solos on guitar, jobs a good 'un as they say.

We performed 4 songs in total, and picked well known songs so people could sing along (we were on at 10.15 so most were drunk enough to join in - youll hear on the videos). The first song we did was Oasis' - Little By Little, which seemed to go down a treat, plenty of people at the bar singing along, made us feel a lot more comfortable that people either appreciated the song, or just wanted to drown us out, not too sure...
The second song was the mighty Coldplays classic 'Yellow,' again, that went down a treat, and it was the first time id got all the words in order!!! Phew! What a time to get it right, when youve got 50 or so people also singing along, who know the words themselves...
The third song was an abolute classic, 'Sweet Child O Mine' by Guns N Roses...the men in the room loved that, as did everyone else, sat or stood around singing along nearly all the way through. You can even hear some of the guys singing along with their own backing vocals...they loved it!
And to finish off we took the tempo down a bit, and performed 'Cannonball' by Damien Rice...Cal learnt this after i pestered him into wanting to sing the song as im a MASSIVE Damien Rice fan, and he did :) so thanks Cal!! The song again, went down a treat and was the perfect mellowed song to end with, one of my favourite songs ever.

Once we'd finished we were greated with applause and handshakes (the drunkeness had kicked in), but people apparently loved it. My mum  was making sure she told everyone whod listen we were her kids, whilst similtaniously pointing out she had no talent apart from making cupcakes.

So thankyous... Thankyou to Tracie Holocuk and Becki Trickett for organising a fantastic night and letting us play, Thankyou to Cal who agreed to help me out, we make a good team! Thankyou to Liam & Claire Britton for recording/taking photos, Thanks to the full monty boys for putting on a great show! Thanks to Donna and Danny for also making it a great night, oh and to my mum for baking cupcakes!

Finally thanks to everyone who came, it was a great night and raised loads and loads of money for ashgate hospice!

www.youtube.com/BEX9637 for the rest of the videos :)