M3P - User contributions [en]

Dean Muscat

2014-02-17T18:58:35Z

DSMuscat: Blanked the page

Dean Muscat

2014-02-17T18:58:19Z

DSMuscat: /* External Links */

'''Dean Muscat''' is a Maltese commercial songwriter.

Reviews and stats of songs Dean has written:

*Carly Daley's 'Can't Take It Anymore' spends 2 consecutive weeks at no.1 on '''Amazing Radio''''s UK national unsigned chart.
*Carly's 'Can't Take It Anymore' featured on '''BBC H&W'''. Presenter Andrew Marston commented "absolutely loving the big commercial sound to CTIA."
*Carly's 'Crazy Baby, Insane' featured on '''BBC H&W'''. Presenter Andrew Marston described it as "amazing music."
*'Hallway of Kites' featured on '''BBC6''' Introducing show with Tom Robinson.
*'Hallway of Kites' selected by producer Andy Wright as one of a handful of runner-ups in '''Music Maker''' magazine's 2009 songwriting competition.

RomantikPolitik (launch review)

2011-05-02T13:04:59Z

DSMuscat: Created page with 'Having set foot in the Beachaven club in Xemxija last Saturday night, anyone would have been forgiven for thinking they had slipped through some subspace highway and landed back …'

Having set foot in the Beachaven club in Xemxija last Saturday night, anyone would have been forgiven for thinking they had slipped through some subspace highway and landed back in the 1980s. For one the club’s décor, with its tacky print carpet, glass dance floor, and gaudy colour gel lighting. Adding to the impression was the crowd; a babbling horde of low cut vests, 20/20 horn rimmed glasses and artsy blazers, who could have easily been the extras for a music video featuring The Smiths.

The alternative gathering was in honour of local band [NoSnow/NoAlps]’ debut album launch. Recorded with producer David Vella at Temple Studios, RomantikPolitik has been a good two years in the making and is the band’s first physical release since 2007’s well received Just Rock EP.

The punters were certainly given value for money, as NSNA invited not one, but two bands to open up for them. New girl-band on the block Stolen Creep continued to establish their own following with a confident set showcasing their mock-Manchunian accents and Joy Division-esque riffs. Red Electrick were on what seems to be never-failing blistering form, even performing a brand new riff fest in the name of Picture Perfect.

It was close to 1a.m. by the time NSNA finally took to the stage, uniformed in black t-shirts with blood-red paper hearts pinned to their chests. The crowd flooded the dance floor and the four-piece kicked off with guaranteed fan pleaser Headset. Ignition failed to immediately spark however, Nick Morales in particular visibly not the frantic frontman of usual.

He shoved microphone stands out of the way after the opener to adjust his set-up, letting the audience know what he thought of the claustrophobically small stage. Other vocalist and synth player Sarah Falzon did her best to keep the mood jovial, thanking the crowd for the great turn out and urging all to buy the album. With everything apparently good to go, the band reconvened with latest single Far Into the Night (Without You), forcing the crowd to bounce their collective indie socks off.

New songs Dorothy’s Machines and Cherry Tree kept energy levels turned up to eleven, Morales gradually relaxing through feeding off the ensuing buzz in front of him. “I’m feeling better now. I was feeling very bad before, with all the stress,” he quickly added as an explanation, a sly smile flickering on his face.

NSNA have surely been dealing with copious amounts of stress of late. If completing their debut album wasn’t pressure enough, the band have filmed and released a new music video, organised and plugged their album launch, dealing with changing venues and the logistics of three bands’ gear on one stage in the meantime.

The live setting infused a punkier edge to NSNA, their inaccuracies and imperfections making for a more volatile and electric vibe. Elizabeth, I’s infectious poppy melodies decorated with glittering guitars and soft synths, sounded impressive on the night. Space-meets-Western instrumental Laika’s Revenge - presumably named after the Soviet space dog who was the first animal to travel and die in orbit around Earth – made for raucous fun.

The late start did work slightly against the band. By the time their set drew to a close, a substantial number of the audience had dispersed, although those remaining kept the noise thriving regardless. It was NSNA’s meticulous DIY approach to each aspect of the launch – gig, promotion, video, merchandise – that made the night a true success, and their ambition to give their fans real value for money was nothing short of admirable.

RomantikPolitik may have taken a few years to arrive, but it is well worth the wait. It marks a definite progression, incorporating even more stylistic subtleties into NSNA’s core indie and Ska soundscape, and will surely be the soundtrack of the summer for the local alternative scene.

Nosnow/noalps

2011-05-02T13:03:44Z

DSMuscat:

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]
== nosnow/noalps ==
[[File:nosnownoalps.jpg|200px|thumb|right|nosnow/noalps]]
'''nosnow/noalps''' are a maltese indie rock band from Malta, formed in 2006. The band consists of Nick Morales (vocals, guitars), Sarah Falzon (vocals, keyboards, keytar), Daniel Cassar (bass) and Darko Strnisa (drums, percussions). nosnow/noalps play a mixture of indie rock, sometimes fused with dub/reggae and ska elements.

The band has released one studio EP, entitled (just rock) (2007), and is currently working on their as yet untitled debut album, to be released in 2011.

nosnow/noalps have been nominated for Best New Artist and Best Video (for the single 'Headset's video) in the 2008 edition of Malta Music Awards and for Best Newcomer in the 2008 edition of the Bay Music Awards.

== History ==

'''2006: Formation'''

Nick Morales and Daniel Cassar, previously played in two other bands together, namely Noetic and Dripht. When Dripht decided to take an extended break, they decided to form a new band to continue to work together. Shortly after the band was formed they approached Darko Strnisa to join on drums after watching him play at a number of jamming sessions at Naasha Events Lounge, who agreed.

In December 2006, after working on a few songs, the need for someone to assist in vocal duties and keyboards was felt and the then unnamed band approached a mutual friend Sarah Falzon to join.

'''2007: First EP and Live Shows'''

The band settled on the name nosnow/noalps. It originally stemmed from Nick watching the Al Gore documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth', and shortly after flying over the Alps on the way to Leeds, noticing that, in fact, there was no snow on the alps in January. Contributing to the choice was also the fact that it served as reference to the warm, low elevated island of Malta.

In early 2007, nosnow/noalps booked studio time for November at Temple Studios with David Vella to produce the first EP, and hence started working to polish six songs, 'Dig Into', 'Taking my Time', 'Headset', 'Dance All Over You', 'Lights On' and 'Ever So'. Meanwhile the band also began performing shows in Malta, and their first live appearance was at Poxx Bar on the 29th of June 2007, as supporting act for The Areola Treat, playing a short 30 minute set, with the six EP songs, and two covers 'Kingston Town' and 'Norwegian Wood'. There was another appearance at Rookies Sports Bar later that year, with a one-off appearance of the song 'It's just a...'.

The band entered the studio that November and record a 6-track EP, entitled (just rock). Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by David Vella, the EP was finished by the end of the year. Artwork was Illustrated and designed by Jimmy Grima and released under local indie label 'Reciprocal Records'.

'''2008: EP release, Denmark Shows'''

In January 2008, nosnow/noalps flew to Copenhagen, Denmark to play two shows at Christianshavns Beboerhus on the 24th, and Hatten Bar, Grønjordskollegiet, on the 25th, with bass duties for these shows being filled by Steve Shaw (Retrophytes, The Areola Treat). The (just rock) EP was subsequently launched on the 22nd of February at Poxx Bar, Paceville, with special guests Dominoes. It also marked the completion of the video for 'Taking my Time', directed by Slavko Vukanovic.

In April nosnow/noalps played three shows, one of which was supporting the Beangrowers on their 'Not In A Million Lovers' album launch, at which they collaborated on a cover of the Turtles' "Happy Together".

That summer saw nosnow/noalps perform at the Isle of MTV Malta Music week street party in Paceville, with Bitterside and Cable 35, and at the Farsons Beer Festival. After that, the band directed and produced their own video for 'Headset' which subsequently got nominated for Best Video at the Malta Music Awards that year.

By the end of the year, nosnow/noalps were nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Video ("Headset") at the Malta Music Awards, and as Best Newcomer at the Bay Music Awards. They were invited to perform at both ceremonies.

'''2009-present: Album'''

In January 2009, (just rock) was voted 'Best EP' for 2008 by listeners to Toni Sant's 'Muzika Mod Ieħor'.

March 2009 saw the band playing at the launch of the new MTV mobile brand, and subsequently, the track 'Dig Into' was chosen for a series of adverts on local media.

In September 2009, as the band was preparing to leave for Austria to play in Linz, with Red Electrick and Ira Losco, Daniel had to be replaced temporarily by Ivan Borg (Red Electrick) due to illness.

In October nosnow/noalps decided to start work on a full-length album to be recorded the following year.

Song writing began in January, stopped in June for a pre-studio warm up gig playing with Age of Orange (Germany), with drum duties temporarily filled in by Chris Busuttil ([[The Areola Treat]]), and the first recording session began July, recording 6 of the songs. Between July and December 2010, 9 songs were written and subsequently recorded in December through January 2011. The album was produced and mixed by [[David Vella]] at [[Temple Studios]].

[[Romantikpolitik]] will be released on 16 April 2011 during a launch gig by Nosnow/noalps at Orpheum Theatre in Gzira. The event will also feature performances by [[Stolen Creep]] and [[Red Electrick]] and DJ sessions by Davide Zane.

== Musical Style ==

nosnow/noalps primary genre is indie rock, but they also integrate dub,reggae and ska, and more recently, motown and northern soul elements. The band's influences range from The Cure, The Clash, Gang of Four, The Jam, The Style Council, The Wannadies, The Cardigans, Nirvana, Blur, The Police, Rage against the machine and Muse.

== Band Members ==

* Nick Morales - vocals, guitar

* Sarah Falzon - vocals, keyboard, keytar

* Daniel Cassar - bass

* Darko Strnisa - drums

== Discography ==

* (just rock) EP - (2007)
:# Dig Into
:# Headset
:# Taking My Time
:# Dance All Over You
:# Lights On
:# Ever So

* TBA Album - (2011)

== External Links ==

[http://www.nosnownoalps.com www.nosnownoalps.com]

[http://www.myspace.com/nosnownoalps Nosnow/noalps on MySpace]

[http://www.youtube.com/nosnownoalps Nosnow/noalps on YouTube]

[http://www.facebook.com/pages/nosnownoalps/8009785887 Nosnow/noalps on Facebook]

[http://twitter.com/nosnownoalps Nosnow/noalps on Twitter]

==See also==
[[Scaling the Alps]] - ([[Michael Bugeja]] - The Sunday Times of Malta 16 March 2008)
[[Debut Album Launch]] - Dean Muscat - The Times of Malta 13 April 2011

Wirdien - Il-Masgar, Mtarfa, 02/10/2010

2011-05-02T13:02:01Z

DSMuscat:

'''Wirdien - [[Il-Masgar]], Mtarfa, 02/10/2010'''
{Dean Muscat}

After having been postponed due to bad weather, the Wirdien event was finally held last Saturday at the increasingly popular Il-Masġar venue, with folk outfits Plato’s Dream Machine, Stalko and Brikkuni all featured on the bill.

[[Plato's dream machine]] were the first to take the stage. The band finally seem to be fulfilling their collective musical potential, and sounded daring and convincing on the night. Robert Farrugia Flores’ gravelly vocals juxtaposed with the shouts and harmonies of other band members were spot on, and on songs such as Recession Street and Sugar in Your Poison they began to resemble some sort of bizarre didactic street rabble one might see in a village festa; the theme of their ravings being social unrest however and not saintly patronage.

The Maltese penned songs in PDM’s set, Fabbrika fuq l-Għolja and two new songs not featured on their debut EP, were where the band really came into their own. Flores emoted and enunciated better when singing in his native tongue, consequently allowing the lyrics to come across with endearing passionate credibility and authenticity.

While Brikkuni and PDM evoke an air of defiance and an ‘us-against-the-world’ disposition, second band of the night [[Stalko]] come across as the more charming, romantic brethren, and the least cockroach-like, of this nu-folk, movement. They opened with Flotsam and followed with Il-Mara ta’ fuq il-Bejt.

Apart from the piano, acoustic guitar, violin and bass that form the core of Stalko’s instrumentation, the four piece also made use of a number of other instruments during their set, including a xylophone, harmonica, accordion, ukulele and even a melodica, each adding delicate brushstrokes of colour to the band’s minimalist canvas.

Stalko could have been tighter as a unit in places and their harmonies need some fine-tuning, but with the help of their ambitiously crafted songs and the friendly banter of lead vocalist and pianist Tim Ellis, they received a very warm response and are beginning to garner quite the loyal following.

It would be fair to say that the majority of the people who attended Wirdien specifically went to see the live ensemble jamboree that is [[Brikkuni]]. The crowd greeted the band on stage as heroes of sorts. They wasted no time warming into their set, jumping straight into favourite Kollox Suġġettiv, which in its own way sums up why Brikkuni are so popular.

First of all there is its music, a sound that despite its various noticeable strings of international DNA is still somehow unmistakably Maltese. Kollox Suġġettiv’s opening guitar strumming and drawn out vocal melody hint at traditional Maltese għana, and its chorus has the sort of melody and drive that could be easily translated into a festive march for a local banda, which gets the crowd at Wirdien bouncing along accordingly.

Secondly there are Kollox Suġġettiv’s lyrics, a commentary tale on stars-in-their-eyes Malta. Mario Vella’s vocals drenched in sarcasm during lines such as “għax kulħadd inpestat bit-talenti,” one second theatrically comical, next vehemently truthful. Listening to the crowd at Wirdien sing along word for word, you realize how well this song unapologetically voices what previously most people only dared to think.

Unfortunately Brikkuni’s set was cut severely short by the police, due to complaints from nearby residents over the loud noise. Vella, who made it distinctly clear what he thought of the situation and the attendant policeman (several times in fact), urged the crowd to sing as loud as they possibly could and give the band a memorable last number on Gadazz Ġiljan.

After this the plug was pulled on the front-of-house sound, but still the band persisted on stage. With just their onstage amplifiers and monitors they managed to deliver a seventh and final song Kontra Kollox u Kulħadd - an apt title given the circumstances – relying on the boisterous crowd to keep the noise levels booming. In truth, the turn of events will do no harm to Brikkuni’s anti-establishment notoriety, even if they probably would have preferred to play their full planned set for their paying devotees.

Maybe it is because of a growing disillusionment with how all that is hi-tech and corporate has drastically taken over music during the last decade, or maybe it is just another one of those cyclical trends, but folk music has had a renaissance of sorts in the international music scene. The UK has critically acclaimed Mumford & Sons and Bellowhead. The US has Fleet Foxes. Arguably Malta has Brikkuni, who have not only revived folk music on the island but also made Maltese penned songs relevant and current. PDM and Stalko are as yet in their infancy as bands, but a few years down the line might prove that they too will leave their own respective marks on local music.

[[Category:Newspaper articles]]

Given To Fly

2010-10-27T15:47:07Z

DSMuscat: Created page with ''''Airport Impressions - Tattingers, Rabat 22/10/2010''' {Dean Muscat, Published in The Times of Malta, 27/10/2010, p.22} '''Given To Fly''' Tattingers nightclub was rammed to …'

'''Airport Impressions - Tattingers, Rabat 22/10/2010''' {Dean Muscat, Published in The Times of Malta, 27/10/2010, p.22}

'''Given To Fly'''

Tattingers nightclub was rammed to the rafters with fans who turned up for [[Airport Impressions]]’ launch of their debut album [[Minutes Of A Lifetime]] last Friday. Starting from humble origins as an acoustic duo formed by Errol Sammut and Johann Schembri in 2005, this local band eventually evolved into its current four–piece line-up that includes Steve Farrugia and Chris Curmi. They have won 5 local music awards whilst also gaining quite the fanbase thanks to their well crafted tunes and engaging gigs.

The band came out on stage to a Riverdance styled instrumental and started with Minutes Of A Lifetime opener David Played Guitar, following swiftly with their current single Freedom. The four musicians’ accumulated excitement seemed to get the better of them during these first few numbers, as they all appeared slightly too eager to force a performance out of themselves.

When they had exerted their excess adrenaline, they began to really hit their stride. Fear For Life was particularly stunning; Errol’s wavering falsetto whirled around the venue over Farrugia’s thumping drumming during the song’s middle section.

The setlist also included a couple of songs from the band’s 2009 EP [[Seeing With Eyes Closed]]. Wake Up featured violinist Kathleen Cardona who enhanced the song’s Irish qualities, and mid-way through an understated performance of The Air We Breathe, Malta’s pop-rock princess and fellow Jagged House label-mate [[Ira Losco]] walked out on stage to join Errol on vocal duties to the delight of the crowd. Ira’s smoothly cool vocals complemented Errol’s mercurial timbre surprisingly well, and this in turn compensated for what would have otherwise been a completely cheesy tactic.

Barely giving anyone a chance to – ahem - breathe, guitarist Johann Schembri teased the audience with the opening riff notes of the band’s soul-searching stomper Walk With Me, which since its radio release earlier this year has become one of their most instantly recognizable singles. The whole club erupted into a hubbub of epicene shrieks and roars that couldn’t even be drowned out when the full band dived into the song. Errol sang the middle-8 line - “When you got a soul then you feel alright” - like his life depended on it, resultantly forcing everyone to chant the lyric back to him word for word, hands striking the air. Red streamers were then shot out, and floated serenely above the pulsating crowd for the remainder of the song.

“He is in seventh heaven tonight,” Errol remarked whilst pointing to his left at Johann. Soaking up the passionate response, the guitarist certainly had a boyish beam glued to his face, and to be fair all four of them were practically levitating with delight.

They followed with back-to-back performances of two of the new album’s highlights, Elusive and Long Way Gone. Both beautifully crafted songs with soaring melodies that just keep growing and growing until they reach ethereal proportions.

These songs will doubtlessly become another two of the band’s near-future live favorites, so this night offered the crowd an opportunity to stay quiet and simply lose themselves in the band’s live performance while the songs are still only vaguely familiar.

Errol, in particular, was captivating to watch during these numbers. He sang with a heart-wrenching intensity and a faraway look in his eyes, which seemed to suggest that while he was physically present in the room, his mind was completely submerged in the narrative of the songs; engaged in channeling every last drop of emotion inside himself to his audience. Given this sort of evidence it is impossible not to realise that Sammut is slowly but surely becoming an unparalleled frontman on the local music scene.

Airport Impressions finished off the night with an encore of their eerily epic Borderline. In front of the stage, some of the crowd’s more slender members were lifted onto their friends’ shoulders. Session guitarist Wayne Camilleri delivered the euphoric guitar solo, setting up the song’s irresistible vocal hook-line of "Oh-oh-oh-oh-ohh,” which turned the crowd into a collective chorus, singing the line over and over and then some. The veins on Errol’s neck alarmingly protruded as he drained the last of his stored energy on this final number. The band took their bows to ear-pounding cheers and applause from a crowd drunk on two hours of pure musical emotion.

It was a truly impressive gig, even more so considering the added pressures of it being the band’s album launch where most in the audience were only really familiar with a handful of songs in the set. With Minutes Of A Lifetime now released to the public, the future looks decisively bright for Airport Impressions.

[[Category:Newspaper articles]]

Airport Impressions

2010-10-27T15:43:48Z

DSMuscat:

{{stub}}

'''Airport Impressions''' is a pop rock group from Malta.

Their CD album [[Minutes of a Lifetime]] will be released on Friday 22 October 2010 at [[Tattingers]] in Rabat. The track Freedom was drawn from this album just ahead of the launch to promote the release of the CD.

Airport Impressions are managed by [[Jagged House Management]]

==See Also==

* [[Given To Fly]]

==External links==
* [http://www.myspace.com/airportimpressions Airport Impressions on MySpace]
* [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Airport-Impressions/9231024642 Airport Impressions page on Facebook]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

Airport Impressions

2010-10-27T15:43:08Z

DSMuscat:

{{stub}}

'''Airport Impressions''' is a pop rock group from Malta.

Their CD album [[Minutes of a Lifetime]] will be released on Friday 22 October 2010 at [[Tattingers]] in Rabat. The track Freedom was drawn from this album just ahead of the launch to promote the release of the CD.

Airport Impressions are managed by [[Jagged House Management]]

==See Also==

* ''Given To Fly"

==External links==
* [http://www.myspace.com/airportimpressions Airport Impressions on MySpace]
* [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Airport-Impressions/9231024642 Airport Impressions page on Facebook]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

Airport Impressions

2010-10-27T15:42:43Z

DSMuscat:

{{stub}}

'''Airport Impressions''' is a pop rock group from Malta.

Their CD album [[Minutes of a Lifetime]] will be released on Friday 22 October 2010 at [[Tattingers]] in Rabat. The track Freedom was drawn from this album just ahead of the launch to promote the release of the CD.

Airport Impressions are managed by [[Jagged House Management]]

==See Also==

*''Give To Fly"

==External links==
* [http://www.myspace.com/airportimpressions Airport Impressions on MySpace]
* [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Airport-Impressions/9231024642 Airport Impressions page on Facebook]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

Salt

2010-10-15T00:54:36Z

DSMuscat:

Salt is a Maltese Christian rock band formed in 2003 as part of a youth group called Youth Fellowship.

The band is made up of Janice Debattista (vocals), Louise Anne Tate (vocals), Joe Gauci (backing vocals, piano/synths), David Schembri (guitars), Jude Carabot (guitars), Karl Galea (bass) and Manuel Pace (drums).

They released their debut album [[hello Truth]] in December 2006, which featured the singles Q&A, I Want To Be With You, If You Do Not Build and You.
Their second studio album [[Less Noise More Love]] was released in 2009, and featured the singles Jars of Clay, Star, Walk and Come To You, which was their first single to go to number 1 on Bay 89.7's Malta Top 10 chart.

As well as playing countless gigs in Malta, the band have also played in Germany, Gibraltar and Australia as part of the World Youth Day.

Salt has won 2 Bay Music Awards for 'Best Newcomers' in 2007 and 'Best Band' in 2008.

==External links==

*[http://saltband.net/ Salt website]
*[http://www.myspace.com/saltsound Salt myspace]

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

Less Noise More Love

2010-10-14T23:40:40Z

DSMuscat: Created page with 'Category:CD releases from Malta'

[[Category:CD releases from Malta]]

Hello Truth

2010-10-14T23:40:18Z

DSMuscat: Created page with 'Category:CD releases from Malta'

[[Category:CD releases from Malta]]

Salt

2010-10-14T23:37:11Z

DSMuscat: Created page with 'Salt is a Maltese Christian rock band formed in 2003 as part of a youth group called Youth Fellowship. The band is made up of Janice Debattista (vocals), Louise Anne Tate (vocal…'

Vine Lady

2010-10-14T23:16:41Z

DSMuscat: Created page with ''''Vine Lady''' is the debut studio album by Maltese rock band Red Electrick, released on September 24, 2010. All 5 singles from the album climbed to the number 1 position …'

'''Vine Lady''' is the debut studio album by Maltese rock band [[Red Electrick]], released on September 24, 2010.

All 5 singles from the album climbed to the number 1 position on Bay 89.7's Malta Top 10 chart.

== Track Listing ==

1. Vine Lady
2. Who the Heck is Rek!?
3. Jail Bail
4. Dimensions
5. It's A Shame
6. Black 8
7. Who's Dead
8. Pick Up The Phone
9. Ten Years Too Late
10. Miss Crane
11. The End Of It All
12. Make Up Your Mind

[[Category:CD releases from Malta]]

Winter Moods

2010-10-14T23:02:08Z

DSMuscat:

{{stub}}
'''Winter Moods''' is a Maltese rock band from [[Senglea]] originally formed in 1985.

== See also ==

*[[Winter Moods (2010 concert review)]]

==External links==

*[http://www.wintermoods.net/ Winter Moods website]
*[http://www.myspace.com/wintermoods Winter Moods myspace]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

Winter Moods

2010-10-14T23:01:51Z

DSMuscat:

{{stub}}
'''Winter Moods''' is a Maltese rock band from [[Senglea]] originally formed in 1985.

== See also ==

[[Winter Moods (2010 concert review)]]

==External links==

*[http://www.wintermoods.net/ Winter Moods website]
*[http://www.myspace.com/wintermoods Winter Moods myspace]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

Tattingers

2010-10-14T22:45:11Z

DSMuscat: Created page with 'Category:Music venues in Malta'

[[Category:Music venues in Malta]]

Winter Moods (2010 concert review)

2010-10-14T22:43:35Z

DSMuscat:

[[Winter Moods]] - [[The Granaries]], Floriana, Malta 30/07/2010
{Dean Muscat, printed in The Times of Malta, 04/08/2010 p. 25}

The Granaries in Floriana provide a fitting setting for this special night in Maltese music. The crowd shuffles in whilst new local band [[Cruz]] hit the stage. Cruz earned their place as opening act after winning a competition set by Winter Moods themselves in collaboration with radio station 89.7 Bay. The band’s blend of post-grunge and funk-rock warms the crowd up nicely. Finishing off with their winning song Red Tape, Cruz exit the stage, while the crowd waits expectantly for the men of the hour.

Shortly after 9p.m., the big screen on stage is filled with a Maltese cross against a red backdrop. Winter Moods enter the stage one by one to the sound of crackling radio frequencies and synth soundscapes provided by keyboardist Etienne Robinich. Each band member gradually feeds into the instrumental intro of Sun Won’t Shine, opening track from their latest album release [[Argento]]; guitarist Melvin Caruana injects sonorous guitar feedback into the mix, whilst bassist Joseph Rizzo and new drummer Karl Fenech form the steady rhythmic backbone.

Frontman Ivan Grech is last to come on stage, waving and showing his gratitude to the impressive 9,000 strong turnout. He is wearing a black shirt that bears the new Winter Moods logo on his right arm, and the Maltese cross on his left. Ivan is immediately on fine form, hitting big notes with his cool raspy timbre which has been a defining element of the Winter Moods sound over these last 25 years. When Ivan sings chorus line “The sun won’t shine without you”, the crowd is bathed in celestial white floodlights amongst rapturous applause and cheering. The band dive straight into second song Walk On By, after which Grech declares “Here we are, one big happy family,” while pointing to the entire audience. Clearly the band feels this is as much the crowd’s night as it is their own, a fact they are keen to emphasise throughout this emotionally charged show.

Evidently Winter Moods and the whole crew behind them have gone through great lengths to pull out all the stops and ensure the audience is treated to a show on par with international standards. Nine songs in and the Animae Gospel choir are welcomed on stage for two numbers. Crowd favourite Everyday Song is especially stunning with the supplemental gospel harmonies. Soon after, the band leave the stage and shortly reappear walking down an aisle from the back of the crowd up onto a small stage in the middle of the venue - a feat which must have required impeccable logistical organisation. Here they deliver a few acoustic numbers, including a bluesy rendition of Water and a poignant piano led cover of Maltese classic Xemx, originally recorded in the ‘70s by late Gozitan [[Dominic Grech]] and his band [[The Tramps]], which gets most of the crowd singing heartily along. Another brief interlude and the band are back on the mainstage.

Surprisingly, fan favourites such as Jamaica and Lonely Vegas were left out to make way for the new and as yet, less familiar material from the Argento album. The band’s pièce de résistance Marigold is greeted with a flurry of sparklers in the front rows. Smiles all around, the ecstatic crowd sing their hearts out to this song which has already earned its place as one of the most popular Maltese songs ever, despite it only being a few years old. By the end of their two and a half hour set, Winter Moods have boldly proven that local music can be taken to new heights with just enough hard work and dedication ... and of course with the help of a Maltese public that holds you dearly in its heart.

[[Category:Newspaper articles]]

Stalko

2010-10-14T22:40:52Z

DSMuscat:

Restless indie folk trio, Stalko are equally comfortable being minimal or grand. Surfacing in early 2010, their music is uplifting, destructive and mostly bittersweet. Rich and delicate vocals blend with captivating string arrangements to create haunting and poignant tunes. The trio are based in Malta.

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

==See also==

*[[Wirdien - Il-Masgar, Mtarfa, 02/10/2010]]

==External links==

*[http://www.myspace.com/stalkoband Stalko myspace]

Brikkuni

2010-10-14T22:38:20Z

DSMuscat:

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

==See also==

*[[Wirdien - Il-Masgar, Mtarfa, 02/10/2010]]

==External links==

*[http://www.myspace.com/brikkuni Brikkuni myspace]

Brikkuni

2010-10-14T22:36:45Z

DSMuscat:

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

==See also==

*[[Wirdien - Il-Masgar, Mtarfa, 02/10/2010]]

Stalko

2010-10-14T22:36:01Z

DSMuscat:

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]

==See also==

*[[Wirdien - Il-Masgar, Mtarfa, 02/10/2010]]

Dean Muscat

2010-10-14T22:27:59Z

DSMuscat: Created page with ''''Dean Muscat''' is a Maltese commercial songwriter. Reviews and stats of songs Dean has written: *Carly Daley's 'Can't Take It Anymore' spends 2 consecutive weeks at no.1 on…'

A shot of vocal adrenaline

2010-10-14T22:14:55Z

DSMuscat:

'''[[Voices]]: Listen to the Music ~ MCC, Valletta, 08/10/2010'''

{Dean Muscat, Published in The Times of Malta, 13/10/2010}

A shot of vocal adrenaline

Voices is back, and this year it is celebrating its 20th birthday. Twenty years of producing increasingly popular choir shows, all of which have been organized and performed entirely by volunteers, is already an achievement to be extremely proud of, but Voices also has the added satisfaction of knowing that since its inception it has helped raise well over a million Euros for local and international charitable causes.

Once everyone had leisurely found their allocated seat in the [[MCC]]’s Republic Hall, the choir filed out on stage to a flurry of cheers. A number of choir members were greeted with called-out encouragements from friends and family who were present in the audience.

The two comperes Joseph Bonello and Ronnie Briffa, introduced the theme of this year’s Voices shows, Listen to the Music, with the help of a short video, urging the audience to really listen out for those around us in our daily lives who are in need. The two hosts made for a really entertaining double act; their comical sparring and bantering was laugh-out-loud funny throughout.

With everyone set, the Voices band laid down the breezy music to opening number Now We Are Free, signature piece from the soundtrack of the film Gladiator. The choir gently merged with the instrumental music, gradually building in volume, sounding heavenly.

This grand opening was followed with the jazzy pop of Sting’s We’ll Be Together, which was sung as a duet between Justin Galea and Sandrina Degabriele. The two singers sang with gusto and set the standard for the rest of the soloists of the night.

Because the Voices choir is made up of mostly amateur singers, it is always interesting to see the different category of solo performers that take the stage. Singers such as Vanessa Gatt and Louisa Wirth, who sung Beautiful and Hallelujah respectively, blew the audience away with the great technical vocal ability they possess.

Other performers’ chief merits lay in different qualities such as charisma and showmanship. In this vein was Anne Marie Mayo who sang an infectiously delightful version of the Doobie Brother’s Listen to the Music. With a smile that lit up the room, Ms Mayo wiggled and jiggled her way through one of the show’s most enjoyable numbers.

A few songs into the second half, choir director Martina Caruana explained the cogs and wheels of the choir to the audience. Each of the choir’s vocal sections began to sing their designated parts after a sequential introduction, collectively uniting for a charming a cappella medley of traditional Maltese songs. Sounding confident and perfectly harmonious, the choir proved that while it may be amateur, it still has abundant skill and talent.

After this Gianluca Bezzina took the stage, delivering a stellar performance of Viva La Vida. The young singer really worked the crowd and fully embodied the spirit of the Coldplay anthem.

If each audience member was allowed to cast a vote to select the performance of the night, there surely could have only been one sure fire winner. One did not need to be an expert in classical music and all of its complexities to realise that Edward Camilleri gave a world-class performance of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma. There were spontaneous bursts of applause seconds after Mr Camilleri’s elegant tenor vocals began to soar across the auditorium. Half the audience was already on its feet during the climactic “Vincerò!” segment, with the other half swiftly following suit as the aria drew to a close.

After a double dose of disco classics I Will Survive and Voulez-Vous, and an electrifying final encore of Shakira’s Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), which got most of the audience out of their seats happily clapping and singing along, the Voices choir and musicians left the stage to go home and get some well-deserved rest.

Having to perform ten demanding shows on top of the countless rehearsal sessions must be quite a daunting undertaking. So how does Voices manage to keep veteran and virgin volunteers so readily willing to give up their own precious free time and take part?

Choir member Ruth Grima, who is taking part in her fifth consecutive edition of Voices this year, describes the experience so; “Since Voices concerts are held every two years, going back is like one big family reunion. Although it is hard work, we always have the time of our lives performing and it feels so rewarding to know we are helping good causes. We only hope that the attending audiences experience the same sense of fun and joy we feel.”

With a great selection of songs and enough energy to compete with a Zumba dance group, one can’t help but feel the joy and good spirit at a Voices show … even if they tried.

[[Category:Newspaper articles]]

User:DSMuscat

2010-10-14T22:13:53Z

DSMuscat:

'''Dean Muscat'''

Freelance music reviewer for The Times of Malta

==External Links==
* [http://deanmuscat.blogspot.com/ Dean Muscat's Blog]

User:DSMuscat

2010-10-14T22:12:35Z

DSMuscat: Replaced content with ''''Dean Muscat''' Freelance music reviewer for The Times of Malta'

'''Dean Muscat'''

Freelance music reviewer for The Times of Malta

Brikkuni

2010-10-14T22:09:58Z

DSMuscat: Created page with 'Category:Musical groups from Malta'