Quiet and Loud

It's been incredibly quiet here on the Alexandra Said So blog, but that's because it's been super loud in Alexandra Said So's life! (Remind me to never again refer to myself in third person, please!)

At the risk of sounding entirely too cliche, it's been a whirlwind couple of weeks. My last exam feels like it may have been years ago, but in fact it's only been a few short weeks since I finished my degree. Sad face! I've spent most of it pondering (and breaking down over) the inevitable unemployment, writing a whole load of fiction pieces and blagging and bagging myself a couple of freelance writing roles. Whilst this blog remains mostly the same, I have been contributing for a couple of other places, so I wanna have a little chat about them.

Firstly, if you follow me on any kind of social media, and/or you are the Sherlock of your time, you've probably guessed that I'm working hard this weekend for #GFW2015 (Graduate Fashion Week for all those who haven't seen my obsessive tweeting) ((It's okay, I didn't know what it stood for either!))

It's been a crazy busy couple of days but I've really taken to the scene. My fabulous access all areas pass let's me see pretty much anything I want to! So I've been channeling my inner-Anna Wintour and sitting nose-up, watching catwalks. I'm kidding, of course! I've really been getting into the show experience, all smiles and no statement sunnies in sight!

If you want to check my reporting on the events hop on over to www.gfw.org.uk (no opinions allowed I'm afraid so I'll save all that for another post on here.)

Secondly, I've managed to get a feature in my pal's online magazine, Bored! I could be super unoriginal and tell you to read if you are indeed bored, but I think you should go over there no matter how you're feeling.

I'm publishing a monthly feature about women in the music industry, only a lot less formal and a lot more hormonal. The first post of Alex's Time of the Month is available by clicking the hyperlink! It's about the wonderful Alabama Shakes! Do it, do it, do it!! Yes I've written about them on here, but the extra curricular is always worth it, right?

For now, that's all but I really hope it doesn't stay that way. I'll be back in a big way up on here so keep coming back, because I said so.

Alabama Shakes & Alexandra Drinks.

You know when you’re shouting at your best friend in a cinema to get a torch out so you can see your card number that something big is going down. Something big went the heck down. 

It happened on Friday; after a spontaneous decision to be ‘proper girly’ and go see a chick flick for a Friday-night-friend-date, we sat down in the cinema to get a notification. Alabama Shakes, in East London, with a four hundred person crowd- I’m all in! I could not give them my money fast enough. Torches were held, card numbers were read, cinema goers around us were well and truly pissed. Somehow, my pal and I managed to get exclusive tickets to see one of our all time favourite bands in an intimate space to celebrate the release of their new album Sound & Color.

We appeared, twenty four hours, a fair bit of procrastination and two red wines later in a little room above a bar in Hackney. Little is no word of a lie. Alabama Shakes, this massively talented, huge presence performing on this stage which seemed in no way deserving. 

To say that Brittany Howard’s vocals were haunting would be a little too cliche of me and to be quite honest an understatement. They were possessed, possessive, out of this world and frankly too good to put into words. The whole band; amazing. They seemed excited to play their music and the crowd were equally excited to sing along and hear what they had to say. 

At this point I’m gushing, I have no bad words to say. The set list was consistent; the perfect blend of new and old material played in a way which allowed me to hear the songs that maybe I’d not been overly keen on and instantly love them. Take ‘Over My Head’ and ‘I Found You’ as examples. What seemed stagnant on the album was brought to life on stage.

The gig was filled with moments that felt poignant; moments that I kept saying we would remember for years, even when our music tastes have changed and our lives are new. (Maybe it was more than just two glasses of red wine). I was nostalgic for the moments that hadn’t even passed yet and that’s the mark of something special. My pal and I’s ability to sing along with all the guitar riffs is certainly a memory and a half. It was bloomin’ marvellous. 

Perhaps this is all meaningless to the average person. It is just some hungover girl reminiscing about her night out and exhausting her list of positive adjectives. Take from this that you have to check these guys out, listen to their two albums: Boys & Girls and Sound & Color and if you can, please god, see them live. They’re high on the bill at Glastonbury and have London and UK tour dates in the winter-time. Honestly, I cannot wait that long to experience them again. That’s just it, they’re an experience, not just a gig. 

   Also, shout out to the 'Dice' app for organising the event and constantly introducing me to awesome live music. Download to check out who's playing in your areas and have a bloody awesome time!!