adem with an e.com | still always right. » McFly

McEpic.

Adem — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:26:28 +0000

Dannii and that sister of hers will certainly need to “up the ante” if they still plan on covering this. Aside from a couple of minor lyric fuck ups at the start, McFly’s cover of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” is Incredibly Good And Rather Epic Please. Though, what did Dougie do to the camera crew before the telecast to piss them off so much? I don’t think we even saw him in a shot to himself once! The guy on keys who I briefly thought was Dan Sex Sells off of The Feeling gets more airtime than Dougie!

Big thanks to Patrick for the heads up on this marvelous video.

I will get around to reviewing McFly’s very good new album sometime soon. It’s probably time I shattered the misconception that all I ever do is talk about Van She around here hey?

And on that note, a gig review for an event which Van She were a feature player at is coming this week, along with my Sneaky Sound System gig scribblings.

Live Baby Live.

Adem — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:39:52 +0000

LOTS of live music news to report today. I – quite excitedly – posted earlier this morning of the news that Róisín Murphy was coming to our shores in April for the V Festival. The side show I’ll be checking out is being held at Melbourne’s ICONIC Billboard Nightclub on April the 7th. That exciting news kicked off my morning and the live goss only grew as the day went on.

Whilst the following names have not been revealed as yet to media, I can somewhat exclusively reveal that the likes of Robyn, Van She (pictured) and Tommy Lee (yes, as in Pamela & Tommy Lee) will be on the same bill together for an event being held at Birrarung Marr. That’s all I can really say for now but once news becomes official, I’ll keep you informed.

Speaking of Van She, the boys – who are currently in Japan – are about to embark on their “Cat & The Eye Tour,” with the first show taking place at Melbourne’s Corner Hotel on February 21st. The boys also play Geelong’s Barwon Club Hotel on the 23rd… no doubt if you’re going to either of those dates, I’ll see you there. Full list of Australia-wide dates can be found on their MySpazz page. I was quite the happy camper with all of this brilliant tour news. But then something ELSE arrived in my inbox…

Whilst it’s somewhat old news that McFly are currently recording their fourth studio album in Australia, the sudden announcement of Australian concert dates completely caught me off guard. February 23rd and March 1st have been penciled in for McFly’s first ever shows down under. What a pity that both of the shows are being held in Sydney. WTF?! No Melbourne? Once again Melbourne is disregarded as Sydney takes precedence. When Girls Aloud came to Oz in 2006, their only live performance was held in Sydney. Take That in 2007 – same story. Spice Girls were officially scheduled – and canceled – a show only in Sydney, whilst the likes of Mika (who I don’t really care for anyway, but that’s beside the point) and Joss Stone all made one-off appearances in Sydney early last year, leaving Melbourne off their ‘to-perform’ lists.

Anyway, I’m really angry and incredibly upset that I won’t get to see one of my all time favourite bands play their first Australian shows purely because of the distance. And before you start saying I could fly out to Sydney to see them, you have absolutely no idea how broke I really am at the moment.

Come to Melbourne boys. Make one of my dreams come true and allow me the opportunity to watch you do what you do best in the flesh.

AdeMTV.

Adem — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:10:00 +0000

Here is the video clip for the upcoming McFly single, “The Heart Never Lies,” released in the UK on the 22nd of October 2007. As previously mentioned this song is very, very good and is by far their best song to date.The video? Well, let’s have a look…

It’s all a bit doom and gloom really but, all in all, very good. I’m not sure if I should crack any jokes about anyone getting wet during the video, but I’m sure you can pretty much guess watching Danny & Dougie get soaked in the rain was almost too much to handle for a Monday. In fact, it’s fairly common knowledge that I wouldn’t actually say no to any of them really.

Got the Parklife review coming up this week. The story-making event of the festival came from M.I.A. who, quite controversially, set fire to her Australian Visa Agreement on stage during a very political chat with the audience. More on that – with photos of the burning – in a couple of days.

Big Mc (and a little Girls Aloud story)

Adem — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:41:00 +0000

WARNING. There are times when I talk about McFly that I make complete sense and sound like I am quite aware of what I’m relaying. Other times, I make absolutely no sense and sound like a 5 year old girl. The following post may contain traces of nuts.

I’m having a heavy McFly week. I’ve been watching and listening to them at a full pace for the last 7 days. This will probably be followed with a Girls Aloud week, which always progresses onto a Madonna week, then a Dannii Minogue week. That then turns into a Kylie Minogue weekend, which closes with 3 days of Bjork/Tori Amos obsession. There is a method, it seems to happen twice, maybe three times a year, and that is how it operates. I like it when it pops up because I don’t have to worry about what CD’s to take in the car. But back to McFly. Their music has the ability to make me laugh, cry, dance, sing, get up and do my thing. I discovered them in the early stages of 2005, shortly after having some life-changing lung surgery, so they – alongside the Popjustice forums (which I had also just discovered) and Girls Aloud – played a giant part in my recovery process. There are four acts I “collect” and “scrapbook” things of. Madonna, Girls Aloud, Dannii Minogue and McFly. If you were to ask me who my favourite acts of the last 20 years were, Madge, GA & McFly would be the top 3. Dannii’s top 10, don’t worry. One day I may divulge the others. Erm, anyway…

A couple of weeks ago I finally received my copy of the re-released edition of McFly’s “Motion In The Ocean” album, which contains a brand spankin’ new DVD of the entire Motion In The Ocean Tour 2006 show, Live from Wembley. There was a confusing uproar from a lot of the fans over the re-release. People were claiming it to be “cynical marketing,” and feeling they were being “ripped off.” The confusing part about all this was that, only a short few months earlier, these very fans were complaining about the news this tour was NOT going to be released on DVD at all. There were complaints it had not come in a proper DVD casing (!!), and “I’ve already got the Motion In The Ocean album!” The fact that they were getting the show in full didn’t seem to register, or the fact that they were going to be paying CD price for the package rather than a DVD price (which, by the looks of it, is more expensive than buying CD’s in the UK!) So after all that, it’s nice to finally have the disc in my hands.

The show begins with “Please Please,” which you may recall is “loosely” (such an appropriate word to associate with her, too) based on turbo-slut, lover of knives and friend of the Minnillo (ugh), Lindsay Lohan. Easily one of their better video clips, however the song hasn’t aged well. But then again, most novelty songs wear very thin on me after a couple of months, and “Please Please” really IS a novelty song. There is, however, an incredibly healthy amount of boxer shorts-shots through this opener. There’s also a shot of a nice-looking-indeed teenage emo-esque boy singing the lyrics in the audience. Which is an exciting change to all the screaming girls they show in the crowd.

There are highlights galore, including a cover of “Ghostbusters.” Their cover of the Beastie Boys classic “Fight For Your Right” just doesn’t cut it when compared to the ace late 90’s dance remake by NYCC, but really, what does? These guys are a talented bunch of musicians and songwriters (I’m leaning towards “Wonderland” being my favourite McAlbum of all time now by the way), regardless of what a lot of pop fans might think. Tom Fletcher is a musical genius, and that Danny Jones has the greatest pipes in all of man-land. Danny’s solo of “Not Alone” on the DVD is earth-shatteringly good. You know that wave of euphoria you get when you hear something really special in a song or a performance? It’s the feeling I got when I saw Madonna crucified on a cross for the first time. That very same feeling ran through me whilst watching this. If you ever wanted proof as to why Danny Jones is one of the greatest male vocalist’s of the 21st century than this IS IT. Watch out for the harmonica action, which almost evokes an internal combustion every time I hear it.

There’s also some ex-Busted action, as Matt Willis makes a very welcome guest appearance during “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Though – quite alarmingly – there are a total of ZERO boxer shorts-shots. Tsk Tsk Matt, Tsk Tsk.

Danny’s hair is exceptional through out the show. Whilst most people seem to focus on charming young Dougie’s hair, ever since Danny ditched the hair straighteners, I’ve been a solid Danny Jones boy. Early 2006, it was always Dougie or Danny. My moods would change, and so would my preferred McFly totty (like Lindsay, I’ve been through them all), but I have been a Danny Jones boy for a strong 8 months now. We’re soooo going steady… There’s also that smile which will probably result in my very first heart attack were I to see it in the flesh. Combine that with those curly locks… Christ alive…

But back to the show. Overall, this is a vast improvement on the Wonderland Tour, even if there was no “Silence Is A Scary Sound” this time round. I would have given an arm, leg, and vital organ to have been at either (or both) of those shows. I’ve no fucking idea why they’ve not attempted to crack the Australian market yet. What is going on there boys? How else am I supposed to stalk you around Melbourne until I get a photograph with you unless you actually come to this country? Though, if I ever did get to meet them, it would probably just end up exactly the same way it did when I met Girls Aloud last year* in Melbourne. But seriously, they’ve got a fan base down here so why not give it a go? If Girls Aloud were able to do it then they can too. Come on Camp McFly, chop chop.

DOWNLOAD: Danny Jones & George Karalexis – Forget All You Know
Last year Danny recorded some stuff with a guy by the name of George. A few of the songs appeared on his MySpazz page recently, and this is probably the better of the selection. It’s a ballad; it’s not brilliant, but it is nice to have in the collection if you’re a fan like I. Quality is pretty medium-to-low, sorry. Special thanks to the ace boys and girls over at McFly Media for the rip.

*Have I ever told you that story? My best friend Ben & I drove at some ridiculous time in the morning down to the Channel 10 studio’s in Melbourne, hoping we’d somehow convince reception to let us into the studios to watch the girls perform (I had a Girls Aloud t-shirt on! Why wouldn’t they let us in?!) We were walking up to the studios through the car park of the hotel next door. Just as we were walking closer to the hotel, who should exit the revolving door but (in this order) Nicola, Kimberley, Nadine, Cheryl and Sarah. I froze, Nicola pointed at me (massive “Girls Aloud” logo on a t-shirt and about 37 of their CD’s and Vinyl in my hands was obviously not very hard to miss) and they began walking towards me. ME! They spoke (Nicola was incredibly chatty. I seriously think she’s not spoken that much in any interview before. It was amazing, seriously) to me whilst I shook, trying to speak and failing miserably at asking them any of the questions I had planned to on my drive up. They were incredibly sweet, Nadine gobbled something about my McFly baseball cap, we got photo’s with them (which I look HIDEOUS in) and stuff was signed, then they were off. Within 5 minutes Girls Aloud – the people – had come in and out of my life. It was the most surreal experience ever. I spent the following 24 hours ecstatically happy. It was a really good day folks, a really good day.

Some photography to accompany this large post all of you have probably not bothered reading…

COMING UP: Maybe some Margaret Cho appreciation.

Erm…

Adem — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 02:11:00 +0000

Is it just me, or does the following video clip from J-Pop Boy Band 5566 look incredibly familiar?

Er… Anyone called Camp McFly about this?

ARE WE ALL ENJOYING UK BIG BROTHER?! ISN’T IT MUCH BETTER THUS FAR THAN OUR SHITTY AUSTRALIAN ONE?! ISN’T DAVINA JUST FABULOUS?! CAROLE WENT TO THE SCISSOR SISTERS CONCERT DRESSED AS A MOBILE PHONE!! ISN’T SHE ALSO FABULOUS?!

Brilliant.

Adem — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 05:56:00 +0000

Below are the 2 covers for the upcoming McFly single, “Transylvania”, which is by far the greatest single of their ENTIRE career.

And then there’s the video clip, which is by far the greatest video of their ENTIRE career.

Absolute genius. This song is completely left-of-centre for McFly and so not the obvious “safe” choice for a single, which makes it all the more enjoyable. Nothing has upset me more in recent months than the publics lack of interest in their most recent album, “Motion In The Ocean” which – without a doubt – is their finest accomplishment. Their first album, whilst still lush to listen to – has not exactly aged very well. “Wonderland” will forever remain as one of the greatest musical flows of all time – if not a little depressing. But the new album truly is a happy medium of the two. It’s four young boys slowly growing into young men, who’ve found their voices, their sound and – hopefully – their clothes.

McFly are finally taking risks. Thank GOD.

McFly On A Dance Floor.

Adem — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:44:00 +0000

McFly are about to release a double A side single next week. Both of the songs in question are pretty brilliant and have found themselves up the higher end on my songs of 2006 chart. A few weeks ago I posted the video clip for the first, er, half of the double A Side, “Sorry’s Not Good Enough”. Let’s take a look at that one again.

The second single is “Friday Night” which now finally has its own clip. “Friday Night” is from an American Movie. Thankfully, it is not a Lindsay Lohan movie. But it IS from a Ben Stiller one which, ultimately, is probably worse. Well, worse for anyone who’s not seen Linday’s horrific performance in “Just My Luck”. Which is most of the global population from what I can recall.

Anyway, I’ve not really taken the time to investigate this movie, but hopefully Ben’s much funnier wife will make a cameo appearance. Sadly, there are no signs of her in the new McFly video clip. But there is plenty of Stiller. This troubles me. Observe.

But the point I’m trying to get at, is that Bop Pop has written an absolutely hilarious post on this particular video. You should consider reading it.

Whilst McFly may have a nice lit up dance floor to demonstrate that it is indeed “Friday Night” in their video clip (!!), there is no denying that the dance floor looks MUCH better with this woman on it.

Her hair was exceptionally good for this clip too, was it not? You will also notice that Danny from McFly’s hair is ALSO exceptionally good for the above mentioned video clips. Normally, right now would be a very good time to take a look at the reasons why Madonna has been the biggest inspiration in the shaping of McFly. And it should be a presentation in point form. However, it is very late, so instead I’ll be going to bed.