Hi,
I set up this blog in early 2015, as somewhere to air my musical opinions. I’d like to thank you for taking time out of whatever you’re doing to be here, it means a lot.
I was born in Camberley, Surrey, in October 1996. I’m very proud of the decade I was born in, and whilst I don’t remember it at all, the vast majority of my favourite albums are from the 90s, as well as most of my favourite artists originating from then. As a child, my Dad played me large amounts of his musical collection; David Bowie, Roxy Music, Talk Talk, Depeche Mode, The Clash, The Jam, Squeeze, to name a few. I was always interested in the Arts as a child, music, performing etc. I can’t claim to have been addicted to music since I left the womb, but I’ve always had an interest in musical pursuits.
I started teaching myself to play the guitar at the age of 13, which is when my passion for music really started to develop. I began listening to bands who would be featured in ‘Rock Music for Dummies’ (if that isn’t already a thing); AC/DC, Metallica, Van Halen, Nirvana. Gear-smashing, perm-haired, skin-tight leather trouser-wearing artists are certainly the touchpaper for the ignition of a dream – nights spent pretending to be Eddie Van Halen; nights well spent.
It was at the start of my life as a guitarist that I discovered my first favourite band; Muse. My Dad brought a burned copy of ‘Black Holes & Revelations’ home from work one day, and I loved every minute of it. I was even more over the moon to discover that this intergalactic explosion of Prog, Psychedelic, Rock and Spaghetti Western originated in Teignmouth, a sleepy town that I now lived 20 minutes away from, after moving to Devon in 2002. I lauded over everything Muse had ever released, I was, in the word’s truest sense, a fanboy. I would highly recommend Muse to any newcomer to Alternative music, for one reason alone; They are the best gateway band in the World. Whilst Muse are no longer my favourite band, and I have now become disillusioned by their campy Stadium Rock, virtually my entire musical taste was developed through Muse. My love for Spanish flamenco and salsa music came from investigating the origins of City of Delusion and Hoodoo, exploring the prelude to Showbiz lead me to the Grunge/Alternative roots of the 1990s; Jeff Buckley, Smashing Pumpkins. The inevitable, incessant (and totally wrong) comparisons caused me to discover my now-favourite-band; Radiohead. Assassin, Hyper Music and Stockholm Syndrome all introduced me to heavier, more Metal-esque bands such as Deftones, System of a Down and The Butterfly Effect. From Queen to Beethoven and even to the bands who supported Muse, such as Biffy Clyro and Rodrigo y Gabriela, almost my entire musical taste was shaped by Muse.
By this point, I was relatively proficient as both a musician and a music fan. I started my first band, Telstar, with two of my closest friends. Playing mainly Alternative and Progressive Rock, we recorded an EP at a local studio, and had a lot of good times playing gigs around Torbay. About two years ago, I also started writing solo music. This was more focused around using drum machines and synthesisers for guitar lines. If I were to pigeon-hole my entire solo catalogue to one song, it would be Thom Yorke’s Black Swan. I am in the process of writing a solo record, which is titled Mind/Body. It roughly addresses the clash between ethical practices and the Human need to thrive, in the 21st century.
As of late 2014, I have been playing lead guitar and providing vocals for a new band; Even The Animals. We play a sort neo-Grunge style; Queens of the Stone Age, Modest Mouse, Radiohead (Circa 1995).
And so that’s about it for now. This blog is currently only used for the purposes of reviewing music, but it will become a more complete profile of my musical exploits in the near future.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the blog!
Cheers,
Charlie x
Fretbuzz 