NADEAH MIRANDA - "Wild at Heart", on the stage and that voice...!

Now that we are at the festival season and every media are focused on them, seems a goof timing to chill out a little and publish this conversation with one of the Nouvelle Vague singers. I saw Nadeah performing here in my hometown last month at a local festival also. Probably not the best environment (stadium, and facing the Depeche Mode sudden cancelation for the same night) but this lady brought fire to a place more used to local football derbies between FC Porto and Boavista FC.

I can synthesize her performance in two words: Presence and Voice.

I believe we’ll hear from her very soon since she’ll be back in Porto and Lisbon by the end of the year.

From my side, just a great Thanks for the time, photos that I’m publishing and the mp3 file from your song “At the moment” that the blog readers can hear in the player.

Bellow, some of the relevant links to follow Nadeah’s work:

http://nadeah.com/

http://www.nouvellesvagues.com/BAND_nadeah.html

http://www.hollywoodmonamour.com/info

KING_LEER (KL):

Nadeah,

First of all let me congratulate you for the astonishing performance at the Super Bock Super Rock Festival here in Porto, last week. It was the first time I saw you and Nouvelle Vague live and although the audience was very quiet in the beginning you brought the fire into the crowd.

NADEAH MIRANDA (NM):

Cheers Oh great King Leerful one. I think it’s normal for an audience who perhaps don’t know you or your music to be quiet at the beginning of a show. A lot of the people at the festival would have been there to see depeche mode , so perhaps they did not know what to expect from us. Personally I thought they were a great crowd, very attentive but a lot of fun when we got going.

(KL):

Are you always that comfortable with this kind of approach with the audience? You literally went into the middle of them!

(NM):

Yes …the most important thing about a concert for me is to make a connection with the audience…if that means going into the audience, or pulling people onstage or saying or doing something funny or silly to make that connection, then so be it. There’s nothing worse than feeling like the audience are not with you so I do my best to make friends fast s since we’re all choosing to spend the night together. As a performer I think you have to put yourself out there…make the first move since the people in the audience have already done that by coming to hear your show.

(KL):

Your past is full of projects and collaborations. Tell us a little more about your roots. When did you start to sing?

(NM):

I was about three years old when I realized I wanted to be a singer. But since I was far too shy to tell anyone and I had good grades, I just told people I wanted to be a doctor because I thought it sounded good. I was twelve when I first performed onstage. It was to represent my class in a song competition. You see, at my high school they had an annual singing audition which all the first form students had to do. This audition was the first time I had ever sung in public and I remember feeling like I was flying and it was probably the first time anyone in my class paid any attention to me. Before the audition I had about two friends… but after I that, the whole class wanted to be my friend… for at least a week anyway.

As for my own projects, I wrote my first song at 13 years old… about a boy of course. .At the time I was more involved with musical comedies but at sixteen I stopped doing these shows, learned the guitar, and started writing songs again with people from school etc.

At 18 I moved to Europe and busted my way around France and Britain and since then I have always had my own band…the loveGods, being the main one prior to now, an alternative rock collaboration with French guitarist Art Menuteau.

On moving to Paris I started singing for various other projects including..Marc Collin’s Hollywood mon amour, Katia Labeque’s B for Bang and of course Nouvelle Vague

(KL):

You have joined Nouvelle Vague last year. How was your reaction?

(NM):

Absolutely ecstatic. At the time I was studying French for as I figured I probably needed to g speak the language in order to get a proper job living in Paris. I had just about given up on music as a full time job. So when Marc asked me to join NV ( he heard me sing at a club in Paris after being invited by a friend from school) I really felt like THE luckiest singer in the world….saved by the proverbial bell I suppose.

(KL):

What is Nouvelle’s work method? Since we are talking about versions, the musical arrangements are written and then you and the other singers add the vocals? Do you take part on the arrangements side?

(NM):

The arrangements are 100%Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux’s. The singers can propose songs they think would be good to include, but since New Wave really wasn’t my thing and since Nouvelle Vague is after all, Marc and Olivier’s baby , I prefer to leave them to do the choosing.

As for recording NV3 I don’t know how it worked for the other singers, but with me I was given half a dozen original versions of songs to learn and then Marc, Olivier and I jammed through the songs trying various musical styles and interpretations. Once we were all down with a key and a vibe the boys got working on recorded arrangements and then I just came in, sang my parts and left them to do their magic. All very easy.

(KL):

About your future projects:

Venus Gets Even – What’s behind the name of your solo project?

(NM):

The name has multiple meanings- I prefer to let people interpret the name how they want without me imposing all my personal interpretations…I am sure yours are much more interesting anyway. But even if it meant nothing, I like the sound of Venus Gets Even -I also like the image of the planet of love getting even with the world… an oxymoron I suppose.

Besides that, I think it’s more fun to have an alias rather than using your real name.

(KL):

“Song I just wrote” is a demo but i have been listening to its full of sorrow and sadness with lines like “..I stare at the right side of my double bed, books and medicines instead of you…”. On the other hand, “At the moment”, a more bluesy meets cabaret tune that catches in a more wide range your excellent vocal performance in high and low tones.

What can we expect for the full album?

(NM):

A very bi-polar mix of songs and styles and emotions and characters… I’d get bored otherwise and I think all of us humans are so multi dimentional it’d be crazy to expect someone to replicate the same sound and vibe and emotion in every song . Also since the lyrical inspiration was taken from a rather intense and surreal two month period of my life, the music had to really support that . The rich musical arrangements are thanks to Nicola Tescari , the producer and pianist in Venus gets Even, who is a trained orchestra conductor , piano virtuoso and classical arranger/composer ..I could never have made such an intricate tapestry of sound by myself…and having a kicking band of musicians also helps.

(KL):

Finally: Yesterday was the “man meets the moon in person” 40^th anniversary. From all the songs inspired by the moon tell us one that you can say it’s your favorite.

(NM):

I would have to be cliché and say Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the moon.. I am a sucker for Pink Floyd.

THE END

GARY POWELL - "THE COOL GUY"

Gary Powell, known as the Libertines drummer is (no doubt) a special character in the musical Universe. I had the chance to meet Gary back in 2005 in Lisbon where the Libertines performed on of their last shows. It was a brief contact at the time but we manage to keep in touch until now. It is for me a great asset to have the chance to publish this interview that keeps us in touch with Gary’s musical roots and his actual main projects. But, above all confirms that we must keep believing that the best way to understand each other’s is by communicating as equal partners.

Gary was a Father recently. Another reason for me to appreciate the timing on his reply to this “call”. As for myself I can only wish the best vibes for Gary and his son Wolf.

Gary’s relevant links bellow:

Hope you enjoy this moment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Powell

http://www.myspace.com/garyapowell

http://www.dirtyprettythingsband.com/

KING_LEER (KL):

I saw the “one eyed monster” interview and there’s something there that caught my attention. It’s hard for you to understand all the fuss around rock artists, - “It’s cool but I don’t understand..”. When i met you back in 2005 i kept this idea that time would prove it and in a recent dinner with producer Jake Fior would again set that profile. Gary is the cool guy, the one that keeps the “balance”. Is it really hard for you to handle and understand some parts of being in a rock band?

GARY POWELL (GP):

It isn't really hard at all to keep the balance between performing artist and just being a guy on the street - in fact it is good to make that differentiation! It helps to make every time i get up on the stage special as opposed to it all being under one banner. Every person that does anything creative has an ego and the trick is control it. Use your ego for good not evil as i prefer to say. Plus the knowledge that just because i play in a band doesn't make me any better than anybody else - and to be honest, i have met people who do nothing in the way of performance that have impressed me more than any rock star!

(KL):

You started as a musician very early in Canada I believe. Tell us a little about your past and background. What are really Gary Powell’s musical roots?

(GP):

To be honest i started of playing at home at my parent’s house when we lived in Birmingham. i was lucky enough to have parents that nurtured creativity - just as long as my school work was up to scratch! My real learning curve began when i was in Canada though in an organization from Kitchener Ontario under the instruction of Brent Montgomery and Rod Meckley. They really got me into reading and taught me the basics of interpretation. From there i went to New Jersey and was taught by tom aungst at the cadets of Bergen County. He and Willy Higgins really whipped my hands and mind into shape and if it wasn't for them i would not have the industry that i have.

The good thing is though what they taught me had nothing to do with how i approach drums now, but music in general as all the music we were doing was of a contemporary jazz or classical nature. This really helped me develop a thirst for more obscure music and different approaches to playing. from there i went on to freelance as a percussionist back in England for a year before i returned to the states to teach on the road and at St. Mary’s area high school, St Mary’s Penns. It wasn't until the late nineties that i even attempted to play anything that would called popular - but by then my first for all kinds of music had filled my library with music from John Adams to wire.

(KL):

Since DPT’s are past, what are at this time your main projects?

(GP):

Since the demise of DPT i have started a band of my own and am doing all the writing (thus far). It is still rock and roll (i guess) but is coloured slightly differently. I have also been writing sound track for the fashion designer Todd Lynn.

(KL):

I’m showing a video from your Drum-Tech Master class performance at the blog’s video player. I hope some future drummers will read this piece. Please explain them what you do at this meetings.

(GP):

The master classes i do are pretty simple in there structure. I talk mainly about i how i approach performance, practice, rehearsal and the music industry. the importance of finding your own musical voice is something that i try to point a out as much as humanly possible, plus the interpretation of how you approach your chosen instrument will have a great deal to say with reference to your overall sound so i go over a lot of what i call 'basic interpretation and break it down so that it is palatable to everybody in the audience, because that is what all music should be, palatable.

(KL):

It’s a festive day in my town. At the time I’m writing this lines there’s fireworks outside. You listen to a lot of sounds during the day (I’ve also saw that interview). Are they a major key for your inspiration and after that for your drum performances and practice?

(GP):

Man i listen to so much crap it is ridiculous! Right now as i answer these questions i am listening to the beach boys, but previous to that i was listening to Bernard Herman’s vertigo and a bunch of over stuff including Billy Joel! I try not to be a music snob - all though i know that is hard. Good music is good music from wherever it comes from and we can all gain so much from listening to as much as possible. I firmly believe that all of life's struggles can be answered, with a song.

(KL):

How was the experience with New York Dolls? How did you get invitation?

(GP):

I was lucky enough to receive a call from Russell Warby who was there booker at the Agency at the time (now at William Morris group) asking me if i wanted to gig. I, at the time was on my way home from a recording session (libertines second album) and when i received the call i thought nothing of it until i received music through the post with the New York dolls letter head! It was one hell of an experience, one that i shall carry to my grave. I only had one rehearsal with the band which last 4 hours and all we did was play Shangri Las tracks. The rest of the show we got down in sound check the day of the first show. Up until recently i have not been placed under as much pressure to learn a show. (I did 3 shows with razor light, Germany and Belgium and i had a day to learn the show there as well.)

(KL):

Being American, what are your thoughts on the actual American policy towards Europe and the rest of the World? Obama is saying that the other Nations must take a step forward also…..are you happy until now with this change?

(GP):

I pretty much consider myself as being English, i have an English passport and went to school here until i was 15. All be it because i have a lot of family still in the states dotted from New Jersey to Arizona i am in touch with all my family and with American politics and am a member of Democratic Party in New Jersey. with regards to America’s ascendancy to the thrown of second most hated nation by the axes of evil (Britain is number one), the American public in general know the error of their ways and are on to a good thing with Obama. of course only time will tell but he seems to be a man of great integrity and one that seems to see the bigger picture - that is one where America is a member of the nations all contributing to a better world for us all.

THE END

That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.

Now that we are at the festivals season, wich means less posts on this blog of yours, i decide come around with the help of the "man on the moon" anniversary.
Have you ever thought about the tunes that were inspired by the moon?
Take a look at the bellow link, taken from "Blogcritics" where you can find 28 examples.

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-playlist-songs-about-the-moon/

Bellow, on video, one of my favourites

P.s: Next Posts: Gary Powell, Mike Moonspell, Esser, The Kooks, Tim Chester-NME, Mercury Prize ...

Cheers,

KL