The most disappointing part of 2010 had to be the re-launch of MySpace.

What was once a valuable tool for musicians, fans and journalists is now a clunky and frustrating place to visit.

The music, biog and gigs are still on one page but somehow it is harder to find and takes longer to load!

Which is why many bands might well be migrating to BandApp this year.

It’s a service that allows musicians to create their own application (app) for the iPhone with Android devices to follow.

You pay for the use but your app won’t need approval and once you’ve added content, logos and images you are good to go.

“We’ve tried hard to build a site that really can make a difference to your band,” creator Adam Perry explained, “as well as providing a platform to actually make some money from your music!”

For a living Adam drums for “A” and “The Bloodhound Gang” and knows from long experience how difficult it is for musicians right now.

This is why he’s adding the money making element: BandApp Store – where bands will be able to sell their music for a very good return.

Adam gave me the chance to make my own version and I found it a breeze to create so I asked him how others are reacting:

“The feedback has been almost 100% positive. Music fans seem to love it, which makes the bands love it!”

And if the fans love it, I’m sure bands will be going ape for the app.

Find out more at bandapp.comat bandapp.com

First published in the Southern Daily Echo 7th Jan 2011

Holly Kirby is a young singer-songwriter from the Isle of Wight with a big following on YouTube, Her videos have been viewed over a million times, her channel main page over 150,000 times, and she has more than 10,000 subscribers. Her main instruments currently are the guitar, ukulele, piano and tin-whistle.

To make a living from playing music is the realistic dream of most musicians: earning money from your own music is where the dreams turn into fantasy.

For south coast singer and songwriter Barnaby Newman the first part has become a reality on the Country circuit.

He had been a gardener for 17 years but found “driving up and down the country at weekends to do the shows and then trying to get back in time to do the full time gardening job proved too much.”

These days he can be found playing in clubs as far north as Wales, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire while sticking to the romantic nature of a travelling musician by living in a caravan.

It’s something he loves but when the snow comes it can be quite trying: “with a hair dryer pointed at the waste pipe because it’s frozen up, I think it’s at that point that your sense of humour gets tested!”

His repertoire includes tracks by US starts like Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Dwight Yoakam, and Waylon Jennings.

Barnaby is also able to include his own songs into his set and has just released his third album “When The Music Stops”.

He writes about the south, which is quite rare for country musicians, and he thinks the reason is partly because: “English place names never seem to sound as natural as when people sing of places in America.”

So if the country life is for you visit www.barnabynewman.com

While shooting an avant-garde rock video, a south-coast production company that mixes art with business has unearthed an ironic difference between Southampton and Portsmouth.

Southampton based Still Moving has recently started employing painters and artists to create images and navigation for company web sites.

“It is very important for us to be ethical in our approach to business and using an illustrator not only gives websites a unique look and feel but also helps support an artist,” explained Still Moving’s co-founder Martin Davis. “Following the reaction of our clients we’re convinced the paintbrush is mightier than the mouse.”

Nova & Isabel Amber Ewen

Their latest collaboration is an entry to a competition to make the video for ‘Fires’ the next single by Southampton rock group Band of Skulls: the most recent south-coast act to gain major recognition in Europe and America.

vist and vote at: http://genero.tv/watch-video/10194/

“This challenge is an ideal way of introducing art into the ‘Moving’ aspect of our plan,” confirmed the other half of Still Moving, Isabel Amber Ewen,  “and although there are many great street artists in Southampton, once we saw Nova’s skull designs we knew who we wanted.”

Southampton street artist Nova uses stencils to spray multi-layered images on walls. Recently he was invited by the Portsmouth art collective P.A.M to add his creations to the alley-ways around Fratton Park.

“They have a much freer attitude towards street art in Portsmouth and they’ve opened up many walls,” he said “but the artists have to responsible and professional or this opportunity will disappear.”

Stencils and wall

The designs around the stadium have become so respected that Portsmouth football club is planning to invite P.A.M to create murals inside the ground.

With every creative aspect of this production based in and around Southampton the irony of shooting in Portsmouth is not lost on the video’s co-director Xan Phillips. “Although Southampton is famous for it’s walls, the city’s street artists have no where so public to express themselves.

Everyone who walked past Nova told him how good the art he and P.A.M have created. It definitely inspires rather than repels.”

Although the ‘Band of Skulls’ video competition has a £3000 cash prize and global exposure Isabel, who shot and edited the whole promo, is ambivalent about winning: “Every element of the project slotted into place so well that we’re already delighted with our achievement. The win would be very helpful but this video is already a great demonstration of how local art can work as a promotional device.”

NOTES

The video can be seen here http://genero.tv/watch-video/10194/

Closing date for public voting on the video – 11.59pm GMT, July 21

Winner announced: July 26, 2010

Example of a web site with local artist illustration: www.magpie-shop.co.uk

Nova can be found here: http://www.novaindustries.co.uk/

Still Moving: http://www.still-moving.co.uk/

Showcase UK: http://www.showcaseuk.tv/

P.A.M – the meaning of the acronym has not been released.

Band of Skulls www.bandofskulls.com

The single Fires will be released September 13th 2010 see http://www.nme.com/news/band-of-skulls/51147