VIOLET FLARES LOOKBOOK @ Cambridge Band Competition Heat Three

 Hiya me lovelies, so this Sunday just gone my band and I competed in the third heat of The Cambridge Band Competition. This was a huuuuge deal for us as it was our first time gigging in Cambridge. I've wanted to do a band lookbook for a while now as we all have our own individual styles, but have a little bit of coordination of looking like a band. We aim to be as comfy and maneuverable as possibly on stage, yet still having our performance aesthetic. 

Olivia 

Our lead guitarist Liv normally takes center mic on stage, so it's important for her to have an outfit that's going to draw and keep the attention of the crowd central. She layered a funky printed babydoll dress over a long sleeve mesh body suit, and paired them with some black tights and black brogues. I love how the mesh looks with the black and red leopard print as it gives it effortless soft grunge appeal. We normally opt for flat shoes on stage purely because we're jumping about and it's never easy balancing with a guitar and stilettos. 
Mesh bodysuit - Missguided
Dress - ASOS
Shoes -  Vintage
Headband -  Amazon

 Lucille

Luc who plays rhythm guitar has a never ending collection of cool, wacky t-shirts and this is a perfect one from the mix. This shirt gives an unexpected clash of colour with the pastels and the edgy tiger motif yet somehow it just all works perfectly. As a shirt like this makes such a loud statement, she kept the rest of the outfit simple by adding a small black choker, a pair of hoops, black jeans and a pair of old school vans. This outfit has got a great balance of comfort and quirkiness.  

Top - The Ragged Preist 
Jeans - H&M 
Shoes - Vans
Choker - Asos

Katrina

Kat always looks effortlessly cool and mod, usually going for an all black ensemble with little hints of bold colour to add some flare. Luckily for her as a drummer she gets to sit down for an entire set, so she gets a little bit more leeway on practicality of clothing. For her all black look she added texture with a leather moto jacket and a pair of denim shorts with some tights. She went with a bold bright red lip which brings out the accents of the graphic t-shirt, and added a little tattoo style choker and timberland style boots to finish off the look. 

T-shirt - Gap

Shorts - Primark

Jacket - Primark (mens sesction)

Choker - Asos

Shoes - Primark

Amy (das me)

Bassists tend to have the stereotype of being the moody, reserved members in a band. However I prefer to channel a more vibrant vibe when on stage. My go to gig outfit is anything that has mesh/net in it as I love how it looks under the lights. I layered this red string mesh vest over a high neck black top, jeans and some converse.

I wore this vintage jacket over it as you never know how hot or cold you're gonna be on stage so layering a pieces like these are gonna make so much more bearable. I usually throw my hair up into a messy pony tail as it's keeps it out of my face yet is still able to flip around. 

Mesh vest - Vintage
Black top - New Look
Jeans - Topshop
Jacket - C&A
Shoes - Converse

We've already announce this on all our social media but we made it through to the U18s Cambridge Band Competition Final! It's this Sunday 26th March at The Portland Arms, Cambridge and kicks off around 1;30pm. We'd love to see as many people there as possible and part of the judging is based on crowd cheer, so the more we get there the better! 

Tickets - Under 18s £3

              - Over 18s £5

(Special thanks to Rob and Richard for the sick photos!)

Absolute Bangers - MARCH

Hiya lads, so this is the start of a new monthly blog series I'm starting. The majority of my blog posts are primarily fashion based, however anyone that knows me is aware of the fact that music is a pretty important aspect of me life. So the drill is once a month I'll gather up my go-to-bangers from the past few weeks and share them here, comprende? Peachy.

Bedroom/Boredom - Pill

This six piece indie band from West London who released their five-track debut EP, 'I Wouldn't Worry', last June have the perfect sound for the summer. Creating a fresh, minimalistic influenced sound with the help of a saxophone, it creates the perfect blend of funky vibes and indie rock. Their track 'Pill' is one of their most well known, probably because of its 'can't help but sing along' qualities, is comparable to the likes of Circa Waves and Viola Beach. Their lead singer Dan harmonically wails in a Luke Pritchard (The Kooks ref.) fashion over delicate guitar riffs on this track. Chatting to Dan about the lyrics behind it, they go into how friends get into hard drugs (I was given a pill by a man who was wearing a suit that was falling off // He told me don't worry if your heart stops,or your skin starts turning yellow // I just wanna feel mellow) and how quickly young people go into decline, written in the early hours of one morning. Considering the true meaning behind the lyrics, the song is so painfully good and upbeat you hardly notice.

Links: BandCamp

            Twitter

            Instagram

Dates: 

20th March - The Half Moon, Putney

31st March - The Brunswick Pub, Hove

Deep City - Wht Happened

There's no way I could've written this post without mentioning these guys. These four lads (Stan, Stephen, Lewis and Alex) that make up Deep City are based in Cambridge and supported my band (Violet Flares) last week at the second annual charity gig, Feel The Love 2.0, together raising £500 for the charity Mind. With a typical band set up and the addition of synths, they create this beautifully contemporary sound similar to The 1975. This track was only released last week and I've already listened the shit out of it. I also highly recommend one of their older tracks 'Slow'. 

Links: SoundCloud

             Instagram 

             Twitter

Dates: 

24th March - The Fiver @ The Junction, Cambridge

Marika Hackman ft. The Big Moon - Boyfriend

I saw both of these artists on separate occasions towards the end of last year; The Big Moon supporting Mystery Jets at the Cambridge Junction, and Marika at an intimate church venue in Bethnal Green the week before christmas. Completely falling head over heels for these babes, I was stoked when I saw that they'd collabed on Marika's first single for new label AFM Records. Released 9th of February, this track has been my pre-gig song to get me hyped and in the right mentality to perform. 

Even though Marika Hackman comes from a beautifully folky-acoustic background, she's definitely taken her sound to a whole new level with 'Boyfriend'. The song itself is mellow and psychedelic, with 'dont fuck with me' lyrics masked by their soft blend of vocals. It has the same progressive sounds as Superfoods first album 'Don't Say That'. 

Links: 

Marika- SoundCloud

             - Twitter 

             - Instagram 

The Big Moon - SoundCloud 

                           - Twitter 

                         - Instagram 

Dates:

17th May - Great Escape Festival, Brighton

29th May - Mama Roux's, Birmingham

30th May - King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

31th May - Deaf Institute, Manchester

1st June - Heaven, London

Rabid Young - Before You Go

All the way from Las Vegas, my band supported these guys at The Met Lounge in Peterborough a few weeks ago. As it was our Met debut, we were pretty nervous considering we were the youngest and only all- girl band on the bill that night. It's quite intimidating being surrounded by professionals and not really knowing any of them. However after an unfortunate powercut the other bands were so chill and made us feel right at home at the venue. Having just finished their seven date UK tour with Retro Youth, their set to do more dates in Nevada over the course of the next few months. 'Before You Go' is upbeat, synthy, and one of those songs you can't help but bop to. This is definitely a band for fans of Passion Pit, Crystal Fighters and Two Door Cinema Club. 

Lisbon - Vice

I found this track in the depths of my recommended on SoundCloud and went straight onto my prinks playlist as it gets me pumped for a night out or a sesh. Comparable to the likes of Walk the Moon and Madeon, Lisbon's 'Vice' is colourful, enigmatic and feel-fucking-good. Originally from New Castle, they're set to play their first headline tour this April. 

Links - SoundCloud 
         - Twitter

            - Instagram

Dates:
8th April - Think Tank, New Castle
11th April - The Green Door Store, Brighton
13th April - O2 Academy, Islington
14th April - The Rocking Chair, Sheffield
17th April - FRuIT, Hull

WHAT WOULD WILLSON WEAR: An Emergency Outfit

 This weekend I had a mini trip to London to see UAL's College of Fashion as I HAVE AN OFFER FOR FASHION MERCHANDISING THERE YAYAYYY. First of all, I loved how at the registration they had a whole spread of unlimited croissants, pain au chocolates and other gorgeous pastries which was a massive YAS from me. The university college itself was so contemporary and had such a creative atmosphere which really fed off the accommodation as well. But any way here is my sitch. 

So having to get up at 6:30 to make sure I didnt miss my train, it was freezing when I left the house so there's me thinking a cream wool knit sweater and my fur coat would be a great idea. Fast forward a few hours and I'm literally dying from the heat. After looking at accommodation in Finsbury Park, I realised there was a Crisis at hand. 

When I say Crisis, I mean my new fave charity shop on Stroud Green Road. This charity helps national homelessness giving life changing services to those who need it. I'm no Mother Teresa, however I'm hoping the money I paid for my new garms goes to someone who needs it and helps them get on their feet. 

As the temperature had shot up a this point, I wanted something pretty simple that would keep me cool. Already wearing a pink leather a-line skirt, I found this dusty grey graphic tee which was all I really wanted at that point in time. It was only when I'd bought it and changed into it my muma saw this long vertical striped shirt which picked out the colours perfectly! 

 

T-shirt - Crisis
Long Shirt - H&M (Crisis) 
Skirt - Jemporium Vintage
Shoes - Topshop

My Go To: Arch Dukes @ Southbank

Get The Look - THE BRITS 2017

Ever since I hit the frigid age of teen rebellion and discovered the world that is decent music, I religiously watch and tweet the shit out of The Brit Awards every single year. A week since the event, this is the one night a year where british music is celebrated is the best way possible; a massive sesh in the O2 where try hard bands smoke Mary J Whana under the table, a forgotten 2000's indie bloke presents an award smashed out his face, someone falls off the stage and Coldplay still don't realise that they're not relevant anymore. That being said, one of my favourite aspects of TBA definitely has to be the red carpet outfits. Of course any red carpet event is going to feature some of the best that designers have to offer at the moment, however this isn't just any old red carpet event. 

Little Mix 

With three nominations and one win for Best British Single between the girls, they slayed the whole night of The Brits. While some critics have condemned their red carpet looks as extreme fashion faux pas I literally love how each of the girls have their own take as opposed to typical girl band coordinating outfits.   

Jade Thirlwall 

Jade went for a stunning silver side-slit dress and wore it with a pair of long black leather gloves and black strappy stilettos. The silver satin suits her skin tone beautifully and is definitely channeling old hollywood mode; especially with the gloves. They make such a dramatic statement while still keeping it refined and coherent with the overall look. 

Dress -  Rare  Shoes - Public Desire

Perrie Edwards 

This gorgeous dress is screaming Black Swan aesthetic and I am L I V I N G for Perrie's look. I love the contrast of textures from the patent leather bodice that would do Madonna proud with the feathered train which gives it the ultimate red-carpet look. With a piece this show stopping, she kept it simple with a pair of black stilettos and a sleek hair style. 

Dress - Prada  Corset - Tom Ford  Shoes - TopShop

Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Trying to find this dress online was almost impossible until I stumbled across the NAMILIA instagram page and there it was in all its distressed glory. Surprisingly, this dress is possibly one of the tamest designs out of the whole SS17 collection. Leigh-Anne paired it with a pair of perspex strap stilettos and a sleek updo.  

Dress - Namilia  Shoes - Public Desire

Jesy Nelson 

This look is very typical Jesy as she tends to go for more edgier cuts and textures in her outfits. I love the zip-up slit detailing at the front as it elongates the look and shows the perfect amount of her tanned pins. Unlike the other girls, she went for a pointed patent black platform. 

Zip-up Dress - Shakuhachi  Belt - Pieces at Asos
Shoes - Louboutin  PVC Dress - Topshop Unique

Katy Perry

Serving some serious U.S. representation, Katy killed it with this Versace embellished dress and blazer coordinate . I love how the dusty pink fades to silver and it catches the light beautifully. She paired the two-piece with a choker and stilettos both with rose gold accents.

Coordinate - Atelier Versace  Shoes - Public Desire  Choker - River Island

Mollie King

Even though her Satur-days are no longer at their peak, Mollie King is still killing the red carpet game. I love how fun her Brit look was and it's definitely because of the unconventionally HUGE faux fur throw that she carried with her. Think old Hollywood glamour meets cyber gal. With this she wore a silver sequin mini dress with hoop detailing on the straps and a pair of silver mules. 

Dress - Natalie & Alanna  Shoes - Giuseppe Zanotti
Fur Stole - Katie Eary  Sequin Dress - Motel Rocks

Lianne La Havas

Nominated for best female solo artist, Lianne looked stunningly beautiful in this Jenny Packham sheer embroidered gown, making it rather risque by layering it over a black two piece set. She opted for some black platforms with embroidery butterflies and a statement black and gold choker. 

Dress - Jenny Packham  Choker - Dynasti  Red Platforms - Public Desire
Butterfly Platforms - Sophia Webster  Dress - ASOS