CELLAR DOOR HEADLINE DEBUT AND MORE MUSIC AT MUTHERS STUDIO

(Cellar Door on stage at their headline show - 22nd November 2019 // photo credit - @rhysboylevisuals)

Sonic Gun Concerts presented Birmingham based alt-emo rock band Cellar Door's headline show last week, on the 22nd November. Obviously, I arrived late because I can't go anywhere on time, but despite that, I was welcomed into a bustling room full of fellow gig goers. Hugs and hello's were exchanged, drinks were bought and then in was time to do my job and focus on some music.

Idle Pilots Society
"With a summery outlook, and a wild sense of adventure, Idle Pilots Society touch down with the ultimate sound for your road trip playlist." - band bio. 

Straight away the band exude summer vibes and warm up the room during this cold November weather, not only with the indie inspired music but also with their summery attire. I really enjoyed the harmonies throughout their set, the two vocals complimented each other nicely and created a full and round sound without things sounding too busy. The mix of the acoustic guitar with the sound of the rest of the band works well to create the whole sound original to Idle Pilots Society. I also have to rave about the originality of the lead vocal, his voice is super strong and controlled, it reminded me heavily of Jack White.

While I did get a strong Circa Waves feel throughout the set they played, mainly due to the summer road trip lyricism and instrumental, I could sense a nod toward a little bit of country and also, oddly fitting into this list, Artic Monkeys. The effects featured on the guitar during some songs gave that more distorted tone that Artic Monkeys base their sound on. The only criticism I have for Idle Pilots Society is to maybe work a little on their stage presence as the confidence brought by the lead vocalist almost leaves the rest of the band feeling like his backing musicians, rather than one cohesive band.

Deafs Door
"In world full of avocados, anxiety ridden snowflakes and a burning urge to take offense and push personal agendas on others, one band seeks to address all with a heavy yet melodic injection of riffs and captivating lyricism. With songs written about a mix of life experiences and the mass dissatisfaction of todays' modern world, they strongly raise a middle finger up to society and its outdated structures. Time is running out. 'knock knock' you're on Deafs Door" - band bio

The first thing I assumed when listening to this band is that 'Bring Me the Horizon' must be one of their inspirations. The gritty and raw guitar tones work well with the heavy riffs that dominated their set and they had a good stage presence which injected some interest into their performance. Although the music wasn't bad, it didn't seem to connect too much with a lot of the audience, especially after they spouted their political views and I watched as members of the audience left to go smoke or play pool. Stating 'Fuck Boris, fuck Corbyn' might've been a political statement a while ago, but now it makes you sound a tad shallow whilst everyone one else is over the faces and now worrying about issues that run much deeper - issues you seem to undermine (or at least that's how it came across).  

I do get that in this political climate people want to make comments and that it's hard to say anything right about the shit storm that is happening, but on a night like this one, I think things are better left unsaid. On that note I would also politely suggest working a little bit on the wording of their band bio as it reads like they're saying a big 'fuck you' to a society of under-represented and struggling peoples rather than the society of judgemental assholes that I hope they're actually talking about. 

I didn't not like their music but personally, I didn't connect with what they played mainly because it didn't really feel particularly personal or unique. 

Kick The Clown

(photo credit to - @seven_months_in_79)

These guys are awesome. They have the look of a proper band, not like they're a bunch of random people thrown together yet they still all look individual and full of personality. They all came across so confident and their stage presence was immense. The guitar tone could've been a little better as it felt too clean and needed to be more gritty, in my opinion, to fit in with the whole 70's punk, 'The Clash' kind of vibe. The vocal mixed a more modern post-punk feel which brought the sound into something that is more than just an ode the pioneers of punk. 

These guys seemed to be the only support that actually fitted the genre of the headline. The line up of the whole evening was a little odd, lots of genres all pilled together that don't really fit or flow very well aside each other, the night was just a bit confusing and jarring. When coming to see a relatively emo headline band I didn't expect 'indie' music but I was glad that there was at least this band that worked well. 

Afterglow

You could tell that Afterglow are going for a 90's inspired grunge like sound, but for me it was overshadowed by the questionable choice of tones across the instruments. The guitar tones ruined the dissonant harmonies and left it sounding messy which was a shame as it was obvious that each individual is very talented on their respective instruments, it just couldn't come together as one cohesive sound. I don't want to be incredibly negative but I just didn't see anything that new or exciting about them, the indie 4 piece band has had it's time and now it's over used and tired if bands don't try to evolve a little more.

Cellar Door 

(Cellar Door // photo credit - @rhysboylevisuals)

Cellar Door owned the stage the minute they walked onto it. The vocals were raw and cut through the instrumental, he sounded so passionate and full of emotion, all super emo. The instruments all work perfectly together, nice, strong tones that create this harsh and in your face sound. There's a great mix of sad sounds and deep, full, angsty bass lines - I love.

The second song 'Headache' was a stand out from Cellar Door, its super catchy lyrics and melody have been in my head all weekend and I'm not mad about it. Everyone was having so much fun and jumping and dancing along to the emo-inspired lyrics. I also loved the cover of '102' which I was surprised by as I'm not the biggest fan of The 1975, but this heavier version of the song has way more feeling and fits their brand SO well. I think it's really cool that they've chosen to add in a cover that isn't necessarily a popular song, it definitely paid off for Cellar Door.

I really enjoyed the bouts of energy that each member of the band was giving off, they were all having so much fun and the audience were loving it. This was a huge factor through the whole set, the passion Cellar Door have for music is so infectious leaving it impossible not to dance, sing and cheer along. Each band member was so enthralled in the music, everything was very strong, clear and well rehearsed. Very impressive. 

I will say that there is a small element of 'indie' within the instrumental that I think could be dropped, not because it makes anything bad, but just so Cellar Door can reach their full sad boy potential which to me is much more fitting for them. Emo is having a come back moment, jump on that.

Towards the end of their set people were up on each others shoulders and everyone was smiling like crazy, just having a great time. Overall, Cellar Door pulled off a great headline show and made a lasting impression on everyone who attended. Check them out on Spotify and definitely get down to their shows if you can.

MY NETFLIX FAVOURITES

I've had a lot of downtime recently which means I've also been watching a lot of new series and films.  I spend more time scrolling through Netflix deciding what to watch than actually watching anything, there's too much choice and, to be honest, there's a lot of bad shows on there too. Before you say anything, no, I haven't started Stranger Things yet. Please forgive me, but I have found some really cool shows and films that I'm in love with and feel the need to shout about to anyone who will listen.

(face mask on, tea brewed, ready to spend my evening binging netflix)

The Good Place

Kristen Bell is wonderful, I want to marry her. The series is still on-going and I can't even guess what is going to happen next which is what I think I like most about it. The characters and the storyline have completely engrossed me and this is the only show I actually watch religiously every single week. If you've never seen it, the plot is kind of hard to explain but I'll try; a group of strangers find themselves in an afterlife that's a little different than expected. It's so real and human, you can see different aspects of yourself in each of the characters and what they go through is oddly relatable considering it's set in the afterlife.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

(This isn't on Netflix but it's up on loads of streaming sites like NowTV!) I put this on to have some background sound as I fell asleep and ended up watching the whole thing and absolutely loving it. The graphics are beautiful, the colours and the style of the whole film are just so gorgeous to watch, plus the storyline is really interesting! I don't particularly like superhero movies but I love animated movies and this one was just amazing.

John Mulaney 'Kid Gorgeous' at Radio City

John Mulaney has quickly become my favourite comedian which isn't hard because I don't really like many anyway. His show at Radio City is super funny, and as a little extra the staging is also absolutely gorgeous. Easy watching but it's just so clever and witty.

All of the BBC Earth Blue Planet and Planet Earth series on Netflix

Do I need to explain why these series and documentaries are so good? I watch these series or movies before going to sleep or while I'm doing assignments, I pretty much watch it whenever I need to be the calmest calm. David Attenborough is the most wonderful person in the entire world, his voice is the most relaxing sound and the visuals throughout the BBC series are stunning.

Dead To Me

This series is a friendship love story, two strong women going through awful things, brought together in less than ideal circumstances. Throughout the series I couldn't take my eyes off what was unfolding on the screen, there's so many twists and gasp worthy moments, just an emotional rollercoaster. I binged the whole season in two days and as much as I wanted more episodes the ending is just SO incredibly perfect! I still can't get over how well the show was written and again, the ending is just wow. If you watch anything I have suggested, it has to be 'Dead To Me'.

Oldies but Goodies

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Witchy, woman power is awesome. Even though this show is a little too 'teen drama' amid all the teen relationship plot lines, the main storyline is such a cool concept and the cinematography is so aesthetically pleasing. There is a great mixture of creepy stuff amongst the 'everyday' storylines which just works really well. Currently there's two seasons (i think) on Netflix but the show has reportedly been renewed for 2 more seasons which I'm super excited for.

Black Mirror

Black Mirror is the opposite of easy watching. The first episode I watched was the one with Miley Cyrus as I had never had much interest in the show as a whole, but after that one episode I wanted to see as many episodes as I could. The best part about this show, I think, is the fact that they're all stand alone episodes so you don't have to sit and watch a whole season to get the full story. Some of the stories are a little more intense than others and I will admit I didn't fully understand most of them, but they do make you think about some rather deep subjects that rattled me a little. My only tip is to not base your opinion on the whole show from just one episode, they're all completely different so find the ones you like.

Sex Education

I spoke about 'Sex Education' on my blog a while ago so I will pop in a link to that, but I still love the show and now that the second season has been announced I'm ready to re-watch the first season in preparation. The show is beautifully candid and shares some really difficult topics, the way some of the deeper topics are brought to light is done perfectly, which is hard for a lot of TV shows to accomplish. (https://listentome-baby.blogspot.com/2019/01/why-sex-education-is-so-important.html)

So before the Christmas movies start pouring in, well Netlix is already bombarded by them, maybe you'll enjoy some of these suggestions. If you have a favourite show or movie you think I'll enjoy, I'd love to hear recommendations. 

MAKE UP I HAVE BOUGHT RECENTLY

Before Halloween I started buying a bunch of new make up ready for the exciting looks I had planned for certain parties and other Halloween like things. Obviously, because I'm me, I never actually got around to doing fun make up looks for anything. So now I have a bunch of new make up that I thought I may as well use for a little post so I can feel like I spent my money for a good reason, rather than just buying stuff that I know I probably don't need. 

I start with the 'Prime Time Replenishing Make Up Primer Spray', not really sure if this does much for my foundation but it feels really refreshing on my skin, especially when doing my make up in the evening after I've had my skin care products on since the morning. 

I've been using the C.Y.O Long Lasting Foundation for a couple weeks now and it's working really well for me so far. I do feel like you have to use quite a few pumps of this foundation to cover my entire face but the finish if really nice and I colour matched myself really well so I'm proud. I do have  a couple of bad acne scars on my cheeks which just never get covered no matter how much product I put over them, if there's any recommendations for foundations or concealers that might help me please let me know - I need help.

As always, I used the Maybeline Eraser Eye Concealer under my eyes and on my chin, foundation never wants to stick to my chin for some reason but this concealer is literally a miracle in a bottle. The Eraser concealer is a product I don't think I could replace it's so good and I basically but it all over my face. If there is ever a foundation version of this concealer released, I would buy every bottle. 

To set my under eyes and the centre of my face, I use the C.Y.O Loose Powder. I powder my face with my beauty blender because when I use a brush I find that it drys my skin out and makes my foundation a little patchy but that could just be me not knowing how to do make up.

To bring back some life to my now pale, flat face I used the NYX Contour Palette. This was the first time I used this palette after I found it in TKMaxx for literally half the price it costs anywhere else, I've wanted it for a while but I'm not spending £20 on it so... I used the lightest shade to just bronze my face, I don't really contour because I don't know how. I also use the highlighter from the contour palette which is super cute and sheer which is what I like but I know lots of people do like to be blinding. My skin's been kinda funny at the moment and I have a lot of texture so I don't want to use a super intense highlight because I find it just enhances the texture underneath it and we don't like that here.

I used an E.L.F blusher, it doesn't say what shade but it's super sheer and just adds a tiny hint of some life to my cheeks, I just wanted to add a little bit of something. Normally I love really peachy blush but I've been wearing a lot of orangey shadows and when I do that I like to wear a more natural blush.

I've been enjoying a slightly more natural brow at the moment which is a big leap from the bushy, soap brows I love. I use the Revolution Cannabis Sativa Brow Gel to push my brow hairs up and then once the product has dried down I use a dark brown shadow to give a little more definition at the arch.  Unfortunately my brows are more like distant cousins than the twins I wish they were. I can't say that this product is any different to any other brow gel but it does hold them in place well and for a long time so I won't complain too much, but if you do use this make sure to wipe of excess product before putting it through your brows as I find it can be a little messy.

For some eyeshadow I used the Morphe 15N palette. My sister-in-law gave me this when she was sorting out her collection and I use it a lot, but I still don't know if I'd re-purchase it over a cheaper product. It's got great shades in it and the formula of the shadows is nice, but the palette isn't mind blowing or anything crazy special. I use a darker orange shade in my crease and a lighter orange shadow on my lid and on my lower lash line - I've been enjoying the classic 'autumn' colours I guess. It's nothing exhilarating but I do think it compliments my brown eyes pretty nicely, maybe one day I'll surprise everyone and actually do some exciting make up. 

Coming to the end, I curl my eyelashes and use the Maybeline Great Lash mascara. I don't think I'll ever find a better mascara, I love this one and have been using it for years. The formula is great and makes my eyelashes super long and dark without being clumpy and sticky. 

After wiping off any foundation off my lips, I use the Beauty Kitchen Love Me Wonder Balm in place of lipstick. I haven't been loving lipstick now the weather is getting colder as my lips are so incredibly dry, it just looks awful if I try to put any products on my lips. I like this lip balm in particular because it's oil based so gives an almost lip-gloss effect while nursing my dry, dry lips.

I'm not sure if this can be called a make up tutorial so I'm going to stick by it being more of a review type thing. I'd love to hear any recommendations for products that you love, I'm always looking for more stuff to add to my make up box because buying make up makes me happy.

MY FAVOURITE OUTFITS

If you didn't already know, I'm absolutely obsessed with clothes. I love putting together different outfits and looking all cute and cool but as the cooler weather approaches I'm struggling to stay warm while also looking bomb. I love midi skirts at the moment (as you'll be able to tell) and I'm wearing them all the time with tights to keep my legs cosy. I hope you can get some ideas and inspiration for your autumnal wardrobe from these outfits!

(Top - Monki / Skirt - NewLook / Cardigan - NewLook / Bag - Primark / Shoes - Dr Martens)

Monochromatic outfits always look so sophisticated in my opinion. This skirt has such a lovely zebra pattern which looks so cool but it's not a too much 'in your face' pattern. The long sleeve Monki top fits so nicely with the high neck, the material is the softest t-shirt material I've felt and it's the perfect dark, stoney grey colour that just looks super high fashion (think the Yeezy collection colours). This cardigan is a recent purchase and I'm so excited to wear it. The knit is so soft and the slouchy fit is perfect, plus it has massive pockets which is always a plus. This mini bowling style bag was only £8 from Primark! I have so many handbags but I just couldn't leave this one in the shop. Also, a quick winter tip that I always do when wearing boots is to swap normal socks for fluffy bed socks to keep them toes toasty.

(Jumper - Monki / Trousers - H&M / Shoes - TKMaxx / Bag - Charity Shop)

These Trousers!! I am actually in love with them, thank god for the halloween section of clothing stores in October. I originally bought these thinking I would wear them for my birthday party and maybe a couple other parties but I've worn these so many times! It's surprisingly easy to dress these down, my favourite top to pair with these trousers is with this gorgeous, velvety knit Monki jumper, it's incredibly soft and brings an autumnal vibe with the mustard yellow colour. The only way I can describe these shoes are half boot, half trainer but whatever you want to call them, they look awesome and are super comfy too. 

(Top - Urban Outfitters / Skirt - NewLook / Coat - BooHoo / Shoes - Dr Martens / Bag - Vintage)

We love leopard print, especially on (fake) fur coats. This coat makes me feel so powerful, the length, the fur, the print - everything about it screams 'girl boss'. The plain, silk midi skirt is perfect to wear with literally anything, so simple but still so cute. This print on the long sleeve top is an adorable design and the slight frill that runs along the hem is so pretty. When I wear the leopard print coat I normally also wear my platform boots to add to the bad bitch vibe. 

(Top - Miss Selfridge / Skirt - Charity Shop / Coat - BooHoo / Shoes - Nike / Bag - Charity Shop)

Again with the monochrome pairings. This skirt is so cute, originally from Laura Ashley which isn't very 'me' at all, but it fits very well and looks so flattering on my hips (which are barely there so we love an accentuating style). The only downside to this skirt is that it's basically a sheet of fabric only fastened by two buttons at the top hem, this means that with the slightest blow of wind, the skirt blows open leaving little to the imagination, if you get me. Anyway. This off-the-shoulder, long sleeved top is a go to of mine at the moment, the fabric is nice and stretchy so it doesn't restrict my arm movement - which is what has put me off this style of tops for a while. The coat I decided to wear on top is the thickest and cosiest jacket, it has a high neck which I can pretty much fit my entire face into to keep myself nice and warm. I love that it's a cropped jacket because when wearing loose fitting trousers or skirts, I still look like I have some shape. With this skirt I do normally wear my Dr Martens but I wanted to bring out the white in the skirt so I replaced them with my Nike Air Force but I also would pair the shoes with my Kickers boots (right corner of the above photo) which I think would look really cool too.

(Fleece - Urban Outfitters / Skirt - NewLook / Shoes - TKMaxx / Bag - Primark)

This skirt is a recent purchase, one I wasn't completely sure on. I have many midi skirts but none with the pleats, I wasn't 100 percent sure how I could pull of this look but with the chunky trainers I think it feels more relaxed and more my own style. I LOVE these shoes, they're so chunky and funky but also so comfy and wearable. They work with nearly every outfit I put on and just look awesome all the time - plus they were only £12.99! The fleece is expensive for a fleece, but after looking for one second hand and failing to DIY my own, I finally gave in to the extortionate Urban Outfitters prices. The drawstring along the bottom hem allows the bottom to be made tight and the high neck being zipped up keeps my top half cosy warm and also the deep green colour of the fleece complements the gorgeous, bronzey/orange leopard print of the skirt.

If you haven't already, head over to my instagram to watch me put all these outfitters together on my IGTV. I haven't done a video style post in a while but I really enjoy them so I hope you do too.