The visible band
"It's never been easy for us, because we've never really been an easily accessible band. But we seem to be noticing it more now on the third album, because to be honest, by the time of your third album you really should be out there."
Music: Music
Sneaker Pimps used to be synonymous with trip-hop. The Hartlepool band hit the big time in 1996 with their third single, '6 Underground', an ethereal, sophisticated single that put them straight onto the musical map, thanks to elfin singer Kelli Dayton's breathy vocals and the rather unearthly musical accompaniment, with its hook lifted from the soundtrack to the classic James Bond flick Goldeneye. Their subsequent album, Becoming X, saw them become seemingly irretrievably associated with the trip-hop genre, along with such bands as Portishead and Massive Attack. ...
Music: Live
Sometimes when a great band has released their first two albums it seems that they can do no wrong. Just think of Nirvana after Nevermind, or Oasis after (What's The Story) Morning Glory? - likewise, the Foo Fighters were a storming proposition in 1997. System Of A Down are currently riding a similar wave. Their sophomore effort, last year's towering Toxicity, has helped elevate them to rock's premier league, leading to a sold-out UK tour including three nights at Brixton Academy.
Syste
Music: Classical
Willy Decker's new production of Bartok's Duke Bluebeard's Castle at the Royal Opera House was a sure visual triumph. The dilapidated ballroom complete with an enormous crashed chandelier, although an obstacle course for the singers, made for an unusually beautiful set. The lighting, so important in a staged production of Bluebeard, vividly represented the interiors of each of the rooms which Judith unlocked, aided by a few props buried in the debris scattered around the hall. ...