Norwich Cathedral

Norwich Cathedral is 900 years old has always been the heart of Norfolk. The Cathedral has been a place for public worship and for private prayer. It is a very big cathedral which has a nice green garden in the middle of the Cathedral. The Cathedral itself has a small art gallery which has paintings and other crafts. I was very much impressed by how the cathedral looks from the inside and the outside. It is a very attractive building with lots of interesting features inside which make its history. It is a very big Cathedral and is definitely worth a visit.

One feature of the Cathedral is The Font in the Cathedral which is a copper vessel used for baptism. It is filled with water and is used as a symbol which is explained in the leaflet handed out to me. ‘Here God pours over his people his gift of eternal life in Christ and makes them members of the Body of Christ in the world, the church’. The Font is now an object used for baptism but somebody told me inside the Cathedral that it was originally used for making chocolate but was then given to the Cathedral. I was impressed with its size and aura when I first saw it

Norwich Cathedral also has a passageway up some stairs and this is called The Ambulatory. This is a passageway that leads to gold and silver plates and pots. The treasure was given by many parish churches. In medieval times pilgrims would have used this space for worship but now The Ambulatory is used for storage of gold and silver. You can see the treasury in a video clip that I filmed in this blog.

The Cathedral also has some other impressive features to it such as The Peace Globe and The Pulpitum. The Pulpitum is a meeting place of heaven and earth. I liked The Peace Globe because of all the candles it has on it that were very pretty. What I like about these different features is that even though they all have a religious origin, they tell a different story of what they mean and possibly what they will mean in the future. There are other features in the Cathedral which you can find out about.

Norwich Cathedral is a very important part of Norwich because of its long history and tradition. It is also very important because it is one of the city’s biggest features. It is a wonderfully crafted building that is very nice to see on a sunny day. Norwich Cathedral stands as one of many medieval churches in Norwich, over 30 in total.

Overall I really like my visit to Norwich Cathedral because I found the building fascinating. Cathedrals and churches create a very subtle and harmonious feeling which I like. It has lots of interesting features like statues, silver and gold pots, The Font and so on. The Cathedral is a very big place which I was really impressed with. If you are visiting Norwich I would recommend going to Norwich Cathedral as it is a great spectacle and a nice place to visit.



The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk




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Norwich Castle

Norwich castle has a very interesting and long history. It is today a museum and has a diverse range of displays. There are quite a mixture of art and exhibition sections in the castle such as Anglo-Saxon and Viking, Modern Art, Crome and Cotman Art Gallery, Natural History Galleries, Decorative Arts, Boudica, Special Exhibitions and the Castle Keep. Additionally I have also been to the Battlements tour and the Dungeon tour which are added features to the museum.

The castle was built in 1066 and is over 900 years ago. The castle has been a royal palace, a prison and also a museum. In the museum it says ‘But this castle was much more than a military base. It was built to show wealth, power and prestige. It was a royal castle, fit for the King. During the King’s occasional visit, the government of the country took place here’. The castle represented power and the King could show off his wealth best here. There was a room made in the castle to represent specifically the wealth and power of the King. The castle was a place where the King could show off his power and money.

The castle was transformed into a prison in the 14th Century. Throughout this time the prisons were always overcrowded and conditions were awful up until the 18th Century. The walls in the cells were crumbling and there were no roofs. Rich prisoners though could rent bedding. One interesting thing about the museum is that you get a good idea of life in the prisons and what the prisoners ate and what they did with their time. From 1822-1827 prisoners were made to work by walking on treadmills, making shoes and tailoring sacks.

Norwich castle was also a place for public hangings and at times crowds from around 20,000 gathered around to see the event. Hangings eventually stopped in 1868 because people’s attitudes towards it were changing and people now thought that it was wrong.

In terms of food, the rich prisoners would get a better quality meal depending on what they have to offer to the prison officer. By the end of the 19thcentury however regulations changed and everyone had to eat the same food no matter what your wealth was.

I enjoyed the Battlemans tour in the castle because I was standing 120 feet of the ground and got a very nice view of Norwich. From the tour I learned that Norwich has over 30 medieval churches which a lot more than London or anywhere else in the UK. I also learnt that the market place was a lot bigger in the past.

The Dungeon tour gives you an idea of life for the prisoners. There were several forms of punishment in the dungeons such as Iron masks which were used for women who talk and nag too much. This was around the 1700-1800 period. In worst case scenarios some prisoners were left in dungeons that had no light or windows and only had one bucket.

The Crome and Cotman exhibitions were very interesting. One painting that I really liked was by Miles Edmund Cotman which is in this blog, the one with the trees and bull. Miles Edmund Cotman and John Joseph Cotman were sons of John Sell Cotman who is regarded as one of the greatest British artists ever alongside J.M.W Turner and constable. He was also the leading member of the Norwich school of artists.

The Natural History Galleries contains stuffed animals such as lions, dears, a polar bear and tigers.

Boudica was the queen of the iceni people who lived in the northern part of East Anglia. The Boudica exhibition talks about the upsiring of the iceni people and the attempts to overturn the Romans. Boudica destroyed Colchester, London and another city before eventually losing the battle.

The Timothy Gunner Gallery and the Anglo Saxon and Viking exhibition were also very impressive but I did not get enough time to look around and analyse these.

Overall I really enjoyed my visit to Norwich castle and it has taught me a lot about the city I currently live in. It has a lot of variety and character and you learn lots from it, had a good day.

I obtained this information from discussions inside the castle or from the exhibitions in the museum.

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk




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Crime genre- The Usual Suspects

What are the conventions and features that make The Usual Suspects (1995) an identifiable crime film? Furthermore how does it challenge and play with conventions of the crime and thriller genre?

Gregory Rikowski

It has been generally agreed that genre is a word meaning a certain ‘type or ‘kind’ of film (Neale, 2000, p.6). There are certain conventions of the crime genre that make it familiar and identifiable to the audience (Neale, 2000, p.42). Aspects such as iconography ‘auteurism’ and other conventions place the crime genre into a particular ‘type’ of film (Neale, 2000, p.10, p.13). In this essay I will be arguing to why (The Usual Suspects, directed by Bryan Singer, 1995) has certain conventions and characteristics that make it different from other crime films. The genres of this film involve crime, mystery and suspense. Neale says that many of these genres can overlap and can cross over (Neale, 2000, p.72). The Usual Suspects uses different types of genres that complement each other. The clips from The Usual Suspects that I will mention will function to support my argument. It is said that The Usual Suspects uses suspense and the thriller genre to torment the audience (Mason, 2002, p.163). In general crime films are often thought of as having ‘victims’ of crime and also the life of a crime figure (Crime and Gangster films, p.1).

Even though to some extent The Usual Suspects is typical of a classical Hollywood narrative in regard to the crime genre because of its logical and structured plot, it does have some key differences that can be looked at. Stephen Neale argues that most detective stories are resolved and that the criminal gets caught and punished (Neale, 2000, p.74). The Usual Suspects however is different because the story is unresolved and we do not know what happens to Keyser Soze or Verbal Kint who is hugely suspected in the end. The Usual Suspects has certain identifiable iconography uses such as guns, police cars, blood and hats (Neale, 2000, p.14). The film involves conflict between police and the criminals as well which is a common theme in crime films (Mason, 2002, p.163). What is unusual however is how the film conventions are being used. Audiences are familiar with seeing certain types of crime films that involve conventions which we are used to (Neale, 2000, p.9). Bryan Singer however makes this idea complicated. Crime and gangster films create a complicated moral scenario for the spectator (genre, p.1). The Usual Suspects has been linked very closely to Hollywood because of its stars and its connections and involvement with Hollywood, yet it is different from mainstream Hollywood filming (Neale, 2000,p.20). Fran Mason argues that because of The Usual Suspects’ mixing of codes like theft, suspense and conspiracy are used. They are so self-reflexive to an extent that these textualisations become the films narrative (Mason, 1996, p.164). The texts therefore overpower the narrative as a whole story. So the film The Usual Suspects therefore is not a straightforward narrative.

The criminal named Keyser Soze is a mastermind of a criminal who forces the main criminals to do a very dangerous job (Mason, 2002, p.163). When Kobayashi (actor Pete Postlethwaite) tells Verbal Kint (actor Kevin Spacey) and the other criminals about the job that is asked of them they become very fearful because of Keyser Soze’s because use of his high profile. It is almost like the criminals are becoming the victims of more of a dangerous organization, but are being paid for it. We know this because Fred Fenster (Benicio Del Toro) got shot trying to run away. Earlier in the film Verbal explains this to Dave Kujan (actor Chazz Palminteri) about Keyser Soze.

‘‘It was Keyser Soze, Agent Kujan. I mean the Devil himself. How do you shoot the Devil in the back?’’ (Faber and Faber, 1996, p.122).

Keyser Soze adds mystery and suspense to The Usual Suspects because he is shown as a criminal who knows the act of crime better than anybody else. Additionally the way he is talked about throughout the film is as though he is fictional and not real. Keyser Soze is mentioned by Verbal Kint, Dave Kujan, and Daniel Metzheiser (actor Ron Gilbert) and many others but we do not hear from Soze himself. Mystery in the film is also used through the music which is suspenseful and mysterious and adds to the notion of uncertainty. Near the beginning for example, when the credits are being shown, the music is being played with the camera tracking along a river in the dark, to suggest something dangerous and mysterious.

Suspense thriller films focus on victims of crime or on isolated criminals (Neale, 2000, p.82). In The Usual Suspects for example the main criminals in the film become more and more isolated, especially when there is only Dean Keaton (actor Gabriel Byrne), Michael McManus (actor Stephen Baldwin) and Verbal Kint left near the end. It becomes very suspenseful at this point. The criminals are a team yet at the same time they are very individualistic and a few of them such as Dean Keaton and Todd Hockney (actor Kevin Pollack) create divisions through not caring about any of the team members as people. The surprising element to The Usual Suspects was the scene near the beginning where all the criminals are put into jail because of a truck that has been stolen. Dean Keaton refuses the job offer From Stephen McManus and says.

‘‘No you’re missing the point. I don’t want to hear anything from you. I don’t care about your ‘job’. I want nothing to do with any of you- I beg your pardon, but you can all go to hell’’ (Faber and Faber, 1996, p.28).

Dean Keaton is the person who wants to be isolated the most and not to be involved with the other criminals. Keaton does eventually join with McManus’s crime job. It is surprising to hear Keaton talk in such an overtly offensive manner especially when he has done criminal acts in the past himself. It is almost as though he thinks he is better than they are. The victim in this film appears to be Verbal Kint who seems to be quite a weak and pathetic person throughout the entire film. Audiences often associate criminals with having certain characteristics. According to Stephen Neale iconography means the objects, events and figures in films, and also their identification and description (Neale, 2000, p.14). The Usual Suspects has all of the basic iconographic features which make it a crime film. By looking at Verbal Kints identification, he seems to be a genuine victim. We do not normally associate cripples or people with disadvantages physically as being criminals. Criminals are labelled as being strong minded and willing to take risks. Verbal Kint does not give us any indication to why he could be a criminal. Except for the end where the camera focuses and tracks with him. His legs start walking in a straight line and he is no longer a cripple. His wrist also seems to be fine. He then gets in the car with Kobayashi, who in Verbal Kints words is Keyser Soze’s worker.

In conclusion The Usual Suspects shows conventions and features that make it a crime film. It has guns, police cars, blood and hats. It involves conflict between police officers and the criminals (Mason, 2002, p.163). Near the beginning of the film in particular, The Usual Suspects where conflict is clear. It is also about a crime figure and a victim of crime (Crime and gangster films, p.1). Additionally The Usual Suspects fits in with the notion of being an identifiable genre film because of the fact that Hollywood is often associated with genre (Neale, 2000, p.9). The plot is very logical and structured which makes it mainstream. It also has familiar conventions that we see associate with a crime film like suspense, mystery and detective genres and sub-genres for example (Neale, p.72, 76, 82). The role of Keyser Soze has a big role to play. The Usual Suspects challenges and plays with film conventions with the way the story is told. In most crime detective films the story normally has a solution to it but in The Usual Suspects there are still some unanswered questions (Neale, 2000, p.74). We do not know what happens to Keyser Soze and nor who he is exactly. The audience is also unsure of Verbal Kint near the end and who exactly he is. Furthermore The Usual Suspects is not a straight forward police and robber chase film (Mason, 2002, p.163). This is because the criminal organization of Keyser Soze forces the main criminals to work for him. The job involves them risking their lives. This makes it complicated and not simply a police and robber chase.

Bibliography

Crime and gangster films. Submission of work, 2009. Access online: http://www.filmsite.org/crimefilms2.html. American Movie Classics Company, LCC.

Genre (No date, no author). Access online: http://www.northallertoncoll.org.uk/media/media%20web/genretheory.htm

Mcquarrie, Christopher (edited by). (1996). The Usual Suspects. Faber and Faber. London and Boston.

Mason, Fran. (edited by). (2002). American Gangster Cinema. From Little Caesar to Pulp Fiction. Palgrave Macmilan, Great Britain.

Neale, Stephen (edited by). (2000). Genre and Hollywood. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group. London and New York

Filmography

Singer, Bryan. (1995). The Usual Suspects

The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk




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New Media

Assessment 1: In this essay I will be using the internet in order to explain why this form of new media is innovative. I will also criticise this claim in various ways.

Gregory Rikowski

Innovation is something which needs to be new and that has a significant social and cultural effects on the society we live in (Mansell, 2009, p.3). New media has a connection with older forms of mediums whilst transforming them into something new (Marshall, 2004, p.2). New media today is based on digital media and refers to technologies such as computers and cameras, whereas old media forms in the past involve mediums such as typewriters and cassette players (Gitezman and Pingree, 2003, p.11).

In this essay I will be focusing on the internet which is a form of digital media that is popular. I will be focusing on ways that audiences engage with this form of media.

Additionally the aim of this essay will be to discuss claims that new media is innovative and I will also be critical of this idea.

One way of understanding new media today is by looking at technology and the effects that it has (Flew, 2008, p.2). A way of understanding new media and the effects it has is by looking at convergence (Flew, 2008, p.2). Because technology is today based on digital information, this means that new media is combined with different attributes (Flew, 2008, p.2). Statistics show that internet users worldwide have been continuously increasing from 1991-2006 (Flew, 2008, p.8). In 1991 there was an estimates 376,000 internet users compared to 2006 where there was an estimated 394,991,609 users (Flew, 2008, p.8).Innovation today means that:

‘‘The ability to invent and innovate that is to create knowledge and new ideas that are then embodied in products, processes and organizations, has always served to fuel development’’ (Mansell, 2009, p.3).

New media today is based on digital media that combines and integrates data such as texts and sounds (Flew, 2008, p.2). One argument for the internet being innovative is that it is networkable (Flew, 2008, p.3). This emphasises computer communication and less on face to face interaction. Because of the internet you can now share and exchange information simultaneously which and you can now contact more than one person at a time. When emailing, for example you can email to more than one person at a time. Social networks like facebook allow you to write on your page so that your friends can see what your thoughts are. More than one person can read your message at a time. Before the internet was introduced this form of communication and interactivity was not possible (Flew, 2008, p.2). It could be argued that this type of communication is innovative because of its new dimensions. Some people however would argue that the use of internet in terms of networking is not innovative because it creates collective confusion and social disorder (Mansell, 2009, p.7). In regard to instant messaging for example you could be talking to somebody on the internet but another person may join in the discussion and interrupt what you have been talking about. It is also possible that when you are emailing to multiple people you could enter the wrong contact in without realising it thus creating confusion.

Another argument used to why the internet could not be seen as innovative is because it uses older forms of medium and so it can be questioned to what extent it is innovative (Marshall, 2004, p.4). In terms to Email for example it could be argued that it has been influenced by the telegraph, an existing old media form. Instant messaging was influenced by letters and text messaging. In order for something to be innovative it needs to be new and creative and the line between what is innovative and imitative can be vague (Mansell, 2009, p.3).

Another way of understanding today’s media in regard to digital media is to realise that it can be manipulable (Flew, 2008, p.3). This means that digital information can be changed easily and that it can be adaptable as well for all stages of creation, storage delivery and use (Flew, 2008, p.3). Ways in which digital media is manipulable and innovative is that it creates a new relationship between the authors and the texts being mentioned (Levy, 1997, p.366). Digital media can be changed and altered and it offers a new form of interactivity with the reader (Flew, 2008, p.3). This creates new forms of interaction and opportunities for participants (Mansell, 2009, p.7). The experience becomes more dynamic and it is more controllable and influenced by the user (The Digital Turn). Whilst searching on Wikipedia for example you may find that when you search for a topic, and when you search for the same thing over a different period of time the results may change. Websites can also be changed overtime and so can images, texts and sounds (Flew, 2008, p.3).

You could argue that the digital media being manipulable is innovative but you could also argue against this claim. For something to be innovative it needs to be original and Walter Benjamin argues that original pieces of work are more special than those which can be copied (Benjamin, 1985, p.680). He argues that mechanical reproduction today means that the concept of authenticity has become less influential (Benjamin, 1985, p.678). The internet for example is a copy and this means that it becomes less innovative because of this.

In conclusion I have discussed ways in which new media is innovative but I have also criticised it because of the fact that it relies on older forms of media (Marshall, 2004, p.4). New media is innovative in some ways because it is networkable. In regard to email you can send one email to lots of different people. One criticism towards the internet being networkable is that it creates social disorder and chaos (Mansell, 2009, p.7).

The internet being manipulable is positive because it becomes more dynamic and creates a new experience (The Digital Turn). It can be negative however because it is a copy which takes away its authenticity and becomes less innovative (Benjamin, 1985, p.678).

Bibliography

Flew, Terry (Edited by), 2008. New Media: an introduction (3rd edition). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Gitezman, Lisa and Pingree B. Geoffrey (Edited by), 2003. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Press. London.

Levy, Pierre (Edited by), 1997. Collective intelligence: Mankind’s Emerging World in Cyberspace. Plenum, New York.

Mansell Robin (Edited by), 2009. Power, Media Culture and New Media. University of Bremen, Germany.

Marshall, P. David (Edited by), 2004. New Media cultures. Oxford University Press. London; Arnold New York.

Mast Gerard and Cohen Marshall (Edited by), 1985. Walter Benjamin In Film Theory and Criticism. Columbic University Press. New York.

The Digital Turn: Week 3: University of East Anglia handout.



The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk




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Michael Jackson tribute at the O2. 1958-2009

Yesterday would have been one out of 50 concerts that Michael Jackson would have performed in. Instead of which, thousands of fans including me gathered together and celebrated the life of this wonderful man. I went with my mum and she brought her friend along with her. It was an ideal tribute to one of the greatest ever entertainers of our time. The fans wanted to give Michael Jackson the best possible send off. People were dressing up like Michael Jackson and wearing his hats as well.

Throughout the day people were playing Michael Jackson songs on big speakers. The song that was stuck in my head was ‘They don’t care about us’. Me and my mum had a memorable night which was full of emotion and a great spirit. I stayed at the 02 for about 4 and half hours in total. I also spent some time in the 02 arena which was incredible. There were lots of shops and restaurants inside. It was the first time I had ever been in the Millennium Dome.

There were many messages on the wall at the back which were written and dedicated to Michael Jackson. The main stage at the back had some great dancers, such as Michael Lewis who did a fantastic job in capturing Michael Jackson’s charisma. At times there would be many fans standing on the stage calling Michael Jackson’s name and mixing with the crowd. I sang some Michael Jackson songs with the smaller crowd. Songs such as ‘Heal The World and ‘You Are Not Alone’ were a few I sang. There was also a massive screen high up at the back showing pictures of Michael Jackson from when he was a child and as an adult. I thought it was really beautiful when it was dark and fans were lighting candles and throwing lighted balloons into the air. There were also white and black balloons of Michael Jackson which were also released into the air. They were great moments.

The banners and pictures of Michael Jackson at the back were amazing. There seemed to be two main crowds of Michael Jackson fans on the night. Ones that were in the back and ones that were crowding around a smaller stereo. It was just around 15 yards from the back stage. From what I saw the fans were mainly young but there were some older ones as well. There were lots of people wearing Michael Jackson hats and costumes, to pay a great tribute. Some of the dancers were superb!

What has always gripped me about Michael Jackson was how mentally strong he was and how determined he seemed. He has a great positivity about his actions. He is a character of extremities and with him there is no middle way. Lisa Marie Presley had also said the same thing about him. Off course on the other hand however he was very vulnerable because of the fact that he did not have a proper childhood. This made him an easy target for the media and Martin Bashir. His vulnerabilities were being exploited. He was a very affectionate person with a lot to offer to the world. In time he will be recognised as a musical genius and his music will shine through; even more in years to come.

Back to the tribute night, it was full of great genuine fans who loved Michael Jackson. Towards the end of the night there was a minute silence to remember him. We all clapped together and cheered when the minute silence was over to celebrate his life.

My mum showed me a photo of the event in the Evening Standard newspaper today. I was on the right side of the photo as I was pleasantly surprised and shocked.

Overall it was a wonderful tribute to a true legend of our time. R.I.P. Michael.



The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk



Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
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Michael Jackson, 1958-2009.

For the past year or so I have been listening to Michael Jackson’s music more and more. I was devastated to find out that he had a heart attack. But what inspired me about Michael Jackson more than anything else was his incredibly loving attitude and his amazing songs. A personal favourite song of mine is ‘human nature’ which I think is such a great song for so many different reasons. It captures the inner innocence and beauty of Michael Jackson as well as his care and love for other people.

Throughout the past year or so Michael Jackson has really helped me in terms of overcoming my personal difficulties in my life. For this I cannot thank him enough. I have become a major fan of Michael Jackson because of his music and personality. He has taught me that nothing in the world is more powerful than love and art. He has changed me as a person forever.

I feel as though I can relate to Michael Jackson in several ways. He is the only person I know who understands what it is like to be truly mistreated and suppressed. His father and the media were a lot to blame for this. Michael makes me feel that I am not alone and that there is someone that cares. If I feel like I am in a crisis I know I can turn to Michael, who will be there for me whether he’s alive or dead. Jackson has not received much love in his life but this is why he wants to give love. I am surprised by how positive he was despite all the suffering and pain the world has given him.

Additionally I think the reason why Michael Jackson has such powerful and distinct dancing is not only because he is talented but because he was forced to dance by his father. My theory is that he partly dances to attack those people who have mistreated him. Michael Jackson talks a lot with his dancing. He reflects his anger and disgust by dancing in a forceful way which he has been recognised for; he dances in an eccentric and furious manner. Blood on the dance Floor is an example of a song which shows disgust for those that have offended him.

When I found out that Michael Jackson was playing in London I was so excited. I bought two tickets for me and my mother. I had a lot of trouble getting the tickets because of high demand for them. To see him live would have been something really special for me and for all of his other fans. I am extremely happy that I was wise enough to appreciate him whilst he was still alive. Perhaps if more people concentrated on his music rather than his private life then he would still be alive now.

Michael Jackson deserves to go down in history for the greatest ever pop artist, The King of Pop. Especially considering how diabolically he has been treated in his life. He is a true performer and is the greatest human being you could ever wish to see.

Michael Jackson was just simply a vulnerable talented man who had too many obstacles in his life. He tried his best to prove the media wrong about him and his poor health but in the end it was far too much for him. People like Martin Bashir completely destroyed his life and I cannot forgive Martin for this. Michael Jackson will always have a place in my heart and soul and nothing will ever change that. R.I.P. Michael.

Looking out
Across the night-time
The city winks a sleepless eye
Hear her voice
Shake my window
Sweet seducing sighs

2nd verse

Get me out
Into the night-time
Four walls wont hold me tonight
If this town
Is just an apple
Then let me take a bite

Chorus

If they say -
Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say -Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way

3rd verse

Reaching out
To touch a stranger
Electric eyes are evrywhere
See that girl
She knows Im watching
She likes the way I stare

Chorus

If they say -
Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say -Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
I like livin this way
I like lovin this way(instrumental section)

4th verse

Looking out
Across the morning
The citys heart begins to beat
Reaching outI touch her shoulder
Im dreaming of the street

Chorus

If they say -
Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that way
If they say -
Why, why, tell em that is human nature
Why, why, does he do me that wayI like livin this way



The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk



Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
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Myspace Music

I first came onto MySpace not knowing much about how it works. I joined mainly to write film reviews. I was pleased and surprised to discover lots of good bands on there as well. As I used it more I soon became familiar with it and the bands.

The first band that I went to see was ‘On Off Switch’ in March 2009. I saw them at a pub that was near King’s Cross station in London called ‘The Rats’. There are four members in the band. A drummer named Daniel Goudie, Kat Cheadle who is the vocalist, Robbie Sattin on Guitars and Chris Mathison who was on the Bass and synchroniser. They are a band that has a mixture of music genres. Elements of pop, rock, electronic and funk are all in the band which make them interesting. The singer Kat in my opinion is a great singer. The other members are also technically talented.

‘On Off Switch’ is only a small band but I think they have the potential to make it big. The crowd on the night was small but I think everyone could see the potential they had. The band is young and enthusiastic with lots more to offer as they are always producing new songs. I particularly liked ‘Chemicals’ and ‘OK Robot’- these were my favourite songs. The band is very energetic and they have similarities to groups such as K.T. Tunstall, Squarepusher, Madonna and Evanescence.

I came out feeling very satisfied and cheerful after the gig and talked a lot to my friend about them. I would definitely recommend them. Their MySpace address is: http://www.myspace.com/onoffswitch

The second band I went to see was ‘Mr Twist’. They played at 93 Feet East on 15th April 2009 in Brick Lane, London. The band was superb and played with other great bands that I had never heard of before. ‘Mr Twist’s’ influences are from bands such as Muse, Led Zeppelin, Biffy Clyro and Iron Maiden. They are quite an experimental band with a real passion for rock music. Their songs on Myspace are Break Before I Bend, The World Is Watching, Drink and Dial, Settle The Score and Lying On Demand.

The Venue was quite big and was fairly packed. The band is definitely unique and worth seeing. They were on stage for around 45 minutes and played first. The band has four members including a drummer, vocalist, guitar and Bass. I briefly spoke to the vocalist after the gig and he thanked me for coming. ‘Mr Twist’ are full of energy and passion and you could see that they are playing to makes themselves feel good and to make other people feel good. I hope they make it big as I think they deserve it. It is a shame that bands like Mr Twist are not bigger than they are because the guitarist, drummer and singer are all very good and committed. They made my day a little bit more special and made me cheerful. Their MySpace address is:
http://www.myspace.com/mrtwistband

The latest band I have seen is ‘Kyoshi’. I went to see them at Greenwich, London on April 23rd 2009. The band members are Leanne on Vocals, Dan on the guitars, Chris on the Bass and Ben on the drums. Some of the bands influences come from Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley.

Kyoshi have a mixture of pop, ska and indie which make them fun and exciting. The bands best beats are ‘Bang’ and ‘Your Own Beat’. The support band ‘Esteban’ I thought were also great, but I thought Kyoshi were more interesting and different. The vocalist Leanne has a Lily Allen Posture and a similar singing style.

The band played around 30-45 minutes and showed their potential. They are a young band who could do well. The gig was free which made it extra special. The venue was fairly full and I think everyone enjoyed the music. I would recommend this band to anyone and I will see them again if they play in London. This band is very energetic and has potential. Hopefully they will be successful and will keep playing great music. Their MySpace address is:
http://www.myspace.com/kyoshimusic

I will continue to see more MySpace bands in the future. Considering how low the ticket prices are you get a great deal. Bands like ‘Kyoshi’ were free and I am sure there are more. If you are in a band and want to widen your audiences then MySpace is a great place to start. Or if you are interested in getting involved with other bands that can give you advice about music then MySpace is also useful for this.




The Rikowski web site, The Flow of Ideas is at:
http://www.flowideas.co.uk




Gregory's myspace profile and his blog is at:
www.myspace.com/92945414