Davy Knowles is back with new album and documentary film (Exclusive Interview)

Former Back Door Slam frontman Davy Knowles has returned to London and is about to release a series of new blues recordings, as well as the anticipated music film documentary ‘Island Bound’.

After a relentless four-year tour regime across the USA, in support of Jeff Beck, The Who, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many more, Davy Knowles is setting to release the follow-up of his 2014 hit album ‘The Outsider’.

Davy is returning back to his classic blues roots and his recognizable style, but he is also exploring different music genres and areas with vivid folk elements in his songs. “My upcoming music is guitar driven blues and rock. Blues is the music I first fell in love with and I have always connected deeply with it. There is definitely inspiration from folk music on this new album however.”

In this album, he is experimenting with several different musical instruments and is providing a variety of melodic blues sounds and tunes. “With this album, I attempted to play the mandolin and acoustic, classic and electric guitars. Playing instruments is what I enjoy doing the most. Singing was not my main passion. It just came later, when no-one else in the band I was in wanted to do it.”

Davy has also revealed that his new album will include some tribute songs to his late father, who has influenced his musical career from the beginning.

“I was inspired to pick up the guitar and learn how to play by my dad. I invited him to play with me on stage on a gig I did in Philadelphia last year. A few weeks later he passed away, so that memory has very much become a treasured one.”

The Manx-born singer will also release in 2016 the musical documentary ‘Island Bound’, in which he analyses and demonstrates, along with artists Richard Thompson and Martin Simpson, how the Celtic and European folk music was firstly preserved and passed down through generations, evolving into bluegrass, country and americana, and ultimately influencing the blues and rock music of today.

“I am very excited about this documentary and for what’s to come next. I hope people enjoy what I have created the past few years. I only wish for longevity in my career, I have no dreams of grandeur. Being a pop-star has never particularly interested me.  Just to be making a living and growing as a musician is all I have ever wanted.”

For more information visit Davy’s official website www.davyknowles.com, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Sasha McVeigh: Q&A with Britain's most exciting young country artist

At only 22 Sasha McVeigh has become a regular name in the country music scene, with her hit album ‘I Stand Alone’ and her energetic performances in the biggest music festivals in Nashville and all around the world.

The Hereford-born singer took some time out of her busy schedule to give to MashUp an exclusive interview about her fantastic journey, her career highlights and her future plans.

Can you please tell us a few things about you and introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Sasha McVeigh and I'm a British singer/songwriter from the rural part of Herefordshire. I've been singing for as long as I can remember. It’s always been my biggest passion. I'm also a huge Disney fan, so if you follow me on Instagram, you'll see a lot of photos of me dressing up as the movies’ characters.

So when and how did you decide that you wanted to be a musician?

I decided to pursue music professionally when I finished Sixth Form College in 2012. I had been writing, playing and performing since I was a kid, but I never took the professional step until then. My Nana passed away on Christmas of 2011 and it really made me re-evaluate a lot of things. I was planning on going to university, but I stopped and realised that all I wanted to do was follow my music dreams and university would have been settling. My parents supported me 100% which I'm hugely grateful for and a couple months after I finished college I flew to Nashville and the journey began.

So how has this journey been so far? Has it been easy or hard?

It has definitely been an incredible ride! I have loved every minute of it and I have come a lot further than I ever expected to. But at the same time it has been hard, because it is very ‘costly’ to become an artist today. My parents have sacrificed everything to help me achieve this dream and fund my projects. It is so sad that because I am not a millionaire, I struggle to do what I love the most.

Did your parents help you record and fund your debut album ‘I Stand Alone’?

Yes of course they did. They have done everything they possibly could and this album is a family effort. Also, the fans helped me raise money for this album on Kickstarter. Some people donated a lot of money and I felt so happy and emotional that they believed in me and wanted me to make my own records.

So how did it feel to record your very own album?

It’s a dream came true! It’s something that I have always wanted to do and I got to record it with a full band of musicians. Before, I only played acoustic songs, because that reflected what I did in my live shows. Of course I’ve still kept a bit of an acoustic sound in this album, because that’s kind of who I am. There were so many talented and award-nominated musicians involved in this album and most of it was recorded in Nashville. I couldn’t have asked for a better team of people to work with.

In a few words, how would you describe your music?

I write all of my own music and it's definitely a combination of country, pop, folk with some R&B overtones. All my songs are written from personal experiences and are usually entirely true stories. I just prefer to write that way and my fans seem to really understand what I'm saying, which is amazing. 

Do you play most of the musical instruments in your songs then?

Yes, I have been playing keyboard since I was ten, but I only started playing the guitar three years ago and now it has become like another limb. I don't go anywhere without my Martin guitar, named 'Dean', or my Taylor guitar, named 'Elizabeth'. I recently picked up the banjo too!

What was the feedback you received from the fans? Do you find people recognise you more now?

I have received such amazing feedback and comments from the fans, it’s overwhelming! It is extremely touching that people can relate to my songs and sing them back to me at my live shows. It totally freaks me out when people recognise me on the street, because I’m just me and it’s so odd when they say ‘hello’ or ask for a picture. But I love meeting new people!

Who were your main musical inspirations for this album?

My biggest musical inspirations are probably Elvis Presley, Zac Brown Band, John Denver, Taylor Swift and just Motown music in general. They are all artists and genres I've been listening to either since I was a little girl or since I started song-writing at the age of 12. Their influence is obvious on my album. But honestly, I listen to all different genres, I love Adele, Amy Winehouse, Michael Bolton, The Script, the composer Alan Menken, Elton John, to name a few. 

And if you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

Ah! That's such a tough question, because I'd like to collaborate with so many different artists for different reasons. But, if I had to narrow it down, I'd say Alan Menken, because he's composed some of the most incredible scores and pieces for Disney movies, or the Zac Brown Band, because they're my favourite country act on the circuit right now.

What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far, your best music memory?

If I had to pick just one, it was probably when I was invited, by The Academy of Country Music, to perform at the ACM Awards Kick-Off Concert in Las Vegas. My name and face was on a 100ft billboard on the Las Vegas strip - it was insane!! The ACM Awards are like the Oscars of country music and it was such an honour to be invited by the Academy to perform for them, especially when I'm an unsigned artist. That was one of the greatest nights of my life!

What are your thoughts on the music industry today and the current artists?

For a time, everyone was worried that the music industry being driven into the ground, but I think when you look at the quality of music being produced both last year and already this year, I don't think we have anything to worry about. There is so much talent out there. As for the shift in digital and physical sales, I think that just shows the change in times. iTunes, GooglePlay and other online streaming platforms are bound to be more popular now than physical albums, because it's easier for people to download the songs or stream them on their phones rather than listening to the CD only when they have a player around.

Before we end this interview tell us what would be the ultimate dream for your music career?

To get to a level where I can perform wherever I want and wherever the fans want me to go. It's a very expensive to hire venues and sometimes you can't perform in all the cities you want, because there simply isn't enough budget for it. I'd love to not be restricted by that and be able to go directly to the fans. The point is, artists are nothing without their fans. I love hearing from my fans and communicating with them, we're like a big family. So to be able to have no limitations on performing for them, that's the dream.

Finally Sasha, where can we find you performing?

I have been on a UK tour since March and now I am heading to Europe for more shows. All the dates can be found on my website (SashaMcVeighMusic.com). I am so excited to get back on the road again and especially in Europe, because the fans out there are so enthusiastic. I'll be heading back out to the USA to tour in the summer. There's a lot to look forward to this year including releasing some new music which I'm thrilled about. I can't wait to get started!

Council’s plans for new schools in Hillingdon met with backlash from Labour party members

Conservatives’ decision to build and expand primary and secondary schools in Hillingdon has been met with resistance from the Labour Party who demand protection for green belt areas.

The Hillingdon Council Budget Meeting, on the 25^th of February 2016  

© Pauline Karavasili

Schools in Hillingdon are to receive a boost of £47million to meet the rising demands for student places, the Hillingdon Council has announced. Councillor Jonathan Bianco, Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Business Services, stated during the budget meeting that the Council’s future plan to invest in education “is the largest school building project in London and it is our commitment to provide every child with a proper place in a modern, well-equipped school.”

Councillor Michael White (CON, Cavendish) also told the budget meeting that “all Councils are struggling to cope with such an influx of students at the moment and in some boroughs, school halls are being used as temporary classrooms.”

Cllr Jonathan Bianco announcing the Conservative

plans at the Budget Meeting

© Pauline Karavasili

The school building project comes after claims from the Local Government Association that in recent years primary schools have been struggling to keep up with growing demands for school places. By 2024 Councils in England will have to cater for nearly 3.3m more secondary school places, an increase of 20% on now.

Rhona Johnston, Head Teacher at Queensmead School in South Ruislip, declared that “these investments are necessary. There are more children in primary education currently in Hillingdon than there are places available in secondary schools.  Without the investment there will not be enough school places for 11 year olds starting next academic year.”

The Council’s decision to build new schools and expand old ones has prompted an angry Labour reaction, who emphasised on the importance of protecting and maintaining green belt areas. Previous school building projects have been controversial among Hillingdon residents, who last year organised a protest against the building of a school in Lake Farm Country Park.

Councillor John Oswell, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group explained that “the Conservatives do not realise that any new build should be on suitable spare land and not on green belt. They recently built a new school on a much loved green belt site when there were much better options open to them.”

Councillor Tony Burles (LAB, Uxbridge South) also accused the conservative party for not having sustainable plans: “the local Conservatives are very arrogant and think that they know best without putting the needs of local people first. Their plans might sound grand, but it’s all an illusion. I call it smoke and mirrors but nothing behind it.”

“I fear that the Council has concentrated on building schools and taken its eye off the quality of the education” added Mr Burles.

 

The Conservative-led Council has invested heavily in primary education, spending over £150million on building new schools over the past five years. There are currently plans for five more infant schools in the Hillingdon Borough and Eastcote to be expanded, in order to fulfil the growing demand for new pupils.

 

On a more helpful note, Councillor Jas Dhot (LAB, Barnhill) invited both parties during the budget meeting to work together: “Labour and Conservatives are politically different, but when it comes to the betterment of our community or country, we should support each other. In Hillingdon we definitely need more schools to ensure that every child does not need to travel far for education, and together we will make this possible.”

The Council’s budget plan for schools in Hillingdon for 2016/17 – 2020/21

Councils are planning to raise taxes and cut local services after Government's spending squeeze

2016 could be a challening year for many local residents across the country, after English councils announced a possible rise of the council tax bills and cuts in several local services.

The budget meeting for the local councils will take place later in February, but many councillors are already warning that funding reductions from the Central Government will result to multi-million pound deficits for local communities.

Changes include a possible rise of council tax up to 3.99%, which is the maximum level permitted, as well as a rise of the adult social care insurance payment (premium), which means that council bills could go up by £47 a year for most Band D properties (the rating scale of the energy efficiency of a house – D is an average grade).

In addition, the reduction of the support grant from the Government to the councils might cause “deeper” cuts to a number of local services, including children's centres, short breaks for disabled children, bus subsidies, funding for theatres, museums, community gyms and projects encouraging people to stop smoking and preventing domestic violence. Also, charges for garden waste collections and bereavement services are set to rise in some areas.

It has also been revealed that over 25,000 jobs are under threat because of the cuts to services, while 15 district councils will see their central government grant withdrawn next year and 168 local authorities will have lost their full support grant by 2019/2020.

However, the Department for Communities and Local Government believes that council tax bills will be less at the end of David Cameron’s government, as now councils “will have almost £200 billion to spend on local services and they can plan their funding settlement with more certainty”.

A closer look at the Christopher Jefferies story and the contempt of court

On December 17^th 2010 Joanna Yeates, a 25-year-old landscape architect, went missing in Bristol, after a night out with colleagues.  Following one of the largest police investigations ever undertaken in the Bristol area, Yeates’ body was discovered on Christmas Day of the same year in Failand, North Somerset. A post-mortem examination showed that she had been strangled to death.

It was later revealed that Vincent Tabak, Yeates’ neighbour, was found guilty of her murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Joanna Yeates pictured in 2009

However, Christopher Jefferies, a retired teacher and Yeates’ landlord, was initially arrested on suspicion of her murder. Although it was quickly established that Jefferies – who was never charged – was innocent of any involvement in the crime, his arrest excited great interest in all media around the UK.

Several UK newspapers published negative articles about Mr. Jefferies and “compendious details of his character and personal habits”. (see Wilby, 2011)

The Sun described Jefferies as “weird, posh, lewd and a creepy oddball”, The Daily Star announced “Jo landlord a creep who freaked out schoolgirls” and “angry weirdo”, while The Daily Mirror branded him as a “nutty professor with a bizarre past, who was arrogant, rude and snob.”

Attorney General Dominic Grieve stated on December 31^st 2010, in an interview for BBC Radio 4 that “newspapers and all media are under a legal obligation to observe the principles of the Contempt of Court Act.” He also added that “contempt laws protect an individual going through the investigative and legal process to ensure a fair trial could take place.”

According to Mike Todd and Mark Hanna “the law of contempt protects the integrity of the administration of justice, and the fundamental principle that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Contempt of law most affects journalists when they publish material which might affect a trial, by making a jury more likely to find a defendant guilty – or innocent – or by influencing witness’s evidence.” (Dodd and Hanna, 2014, p. 212)

“The media may run the risk of breaking the Contempt of Court Act 1981 if they comment on active proceedings, jury deliberations, criticise the judiciary or disobey a court order.” (Bland et al., 2005, p. 15)

Jefferies pictured before his arrest in 2010

Jefferies was released from police bail on March 4^th 2011 and subsequently “the High Court granted the Attorney General permission to bring a case against tabloids and move a motion for committal of Contempt of Court against The Sun and the Daily Mirror.” (see BBC.com, 2011)

Eventually, Jefferies launched legal action against eight newspapers and won an undisclosed sum in libel and substantial damages for defamation from The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Sunday Mirror, The Daily Record, The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, The Daily Star and The Scotsman. The Sun and The Daily Mirror were also fined £18,000 and £50,000 respectively, for the way they reported his arrest.

The coverage of Christopher Jefferies’ arrest and the lawsuit against UK newspapers demonstrates that the “crime” of Contempt of Court suggests that publications about on-going legal cases might impede the administration of justice and can also create a substantial risk of serious prejudice to any potential future trial. Even though Jefferies was innocent, the media presented him as guilty and these false accusations could possibly influence the jury negatively.

Has Scuba Diving become an unpopular sport in the UK?

The last few years in the UK, a great number of scuba diving clubs, diving shops and sports centers with diving facilities have closed, due to lack of participation.

Diving instructors are worried that diving is slowly becoming an unpopular sport among young people.

Professional divers Suzy Butler and Harry Saville from the London School of Diving and the Wraysbury Diving Centre, discuss the reasons why Scuba Diving is slowly “shrinking” in the UK.

Here is a video I filmed and edited to give you an idea about UK diving:

Cameron hints Brexit if reformed plans with EU are not met

As the future EU referendum divides the nation, Cameron warns European leaders that Britain “will only stay in a reformed EU”

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron delivers a speech on EU reform, at Chatham House in London, Britain November 10, 2015. © Kirsty Wigglesworth / Reuters

When David Cameron announced during the EU reform speech at Chatham House in London last Tuesday, that he wants changes to happen in the relationship between the UK and the EU, the question about “Brexit” was raised once again.

Should the UK leave the EU or not?

Britain’s Prime Minister stated that his main priorities are “to introduce an arrangement where unwanted EU legislation could be blocked and to reduce the number of people moving to the UK from other EU countries.” Mr. Cameron gave reasoning behind these suggestions, but was immediately met with resistance over his demands.

The European Commission described Mr. Cameron’s proposals as “highly problematic”, while Jean-Claude Juncker, the Commission’s president, made it clear in a caustic speech about the UK, that Brussels is still not taking the threat of Britain leaving the EU seriously.

It is well known by now that the relationship between the UK and the EU has long been one of the most divisive issues in British politics. As John Redwood MP said “it is like a bad marriage”.

David Cameron has pledged to redraw the UK-EU relationship and hold a national referendum on EU membership by the end of 2017.

The referendum is increasingly seen by the British public as a way to settle the vast number of political issues the EU membership raises and unsurprisingly, political parties are also keen on the idea;

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson thinks that “if we are successful in our negotiations, we should stay in a reformed EU. Britain has a great deal to gain from independence and it is time our friends in the EU realise we mean it. We want to stay in, but not at any price.”

The latest poll from the Daily Mail shows a divided nation of Europhiles and Eurosceptics on whether Britain should remain a member of the EU – 51% of people would vote “No”.

Gerard Batten, UKIP MEP for London has said that “the EU is a grandiose political project, which creates an undemocratic super-state that suits the interests of a European political and ideological elite. Inside the EU, Britain will eventually cease to exist as an independent democratic nation.”

In contrast, Marina Yannakoudakis, former Conservative MEP for London, believes that a “No” vote would reopen the question about the independence of the other countries within the UK: “Wales, Scotland and Ireland all want to stay in. Does that mean that the UK would have to split?”

She also added that “it will totally be the wrong move to leave the EU. There will be many issues for England and other European countries if we go down that route.”

One thing is for sure; UK’s EU membership is in the hands of the British public and it is important that both sides of the argument are heard. It is an issue that needs to be solved with careful consideration of all the implications.

Original Sources:

Boris Johnson, Member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (CON)

Gerard Batten, Member of the European Parliament for London (UKIP)

Marina Yannakoudakis, former Member of the European Parliament for London (CON)

Dr Syed Kamall, Member of the European Parliament for London (CON)