As I stand in the crowded room at the Manchester Academy, I remember why it’s called an ‘intimate’ gig. The place is heating up already and I can feel strangers’ arms touching mine, reaching out with cameras and pulling off jumpers. But tonight there is a distraction from my claustrophobia.

Looking back to 2002, floppy-haired Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon was at the top of his game. ‘Punk Rock Princess’ had just become a hit in the States, as well as hitting the UK rock charts – hard. Without a care in the world, Andrew was like a child; singing songs about growing up in America and the girls he didn’t like.

Then, suddenly, everything changed.

In 2005, Andrew embarked on his first US headlining tour with new band Jack’s Mannequin. After a number of health concerns, he visited his doctor, only to be greeted with news he was not prepared for. He had Leukemia.

The clock turns eight and I look up at the stage as the music fades. Cheers are heard around the room as Andrew walks onto the stage. If you knew his story, you wouldn’t believe it, but he looks strong. He looks ready for a fight.

A stem cell transplant from his sister gave Andrew another shot at life, and a new take on the world. Smiling at the audience, he climbs up onto the piano stool, towering over us, and starts to sing the opening lines of ‘Spinning’. And the crowd sings back. I can feel my heart wrench as the lyrics come pouring out. This man is a genius.

The set is nothing I had expected. Not quiet, not slow. A mix of old tracks and new, but a million times better than on any CD. The energy Andrew puts in is double that of the teenage frontman from long ago. For the whole two hours he alternates between two mics, one hovering over the piano and another at the front of the stage, jumping back and forth between each one and standing on the piano during ‘Bloodshot’ (yes, the piano – not the piano stool). The band finishes with ‘Me and the Moon’, an old Something Corporate album track, and it sounds like heaven.
With more UK gigs and festival sets lined up for the summer, it’s obvious that the band will have more than enough support – and I will be there.

When I’d first arrived at the Academy to meet him, dead on 5 o’clock, he hadn’t been there. I called him up.

“HELLO! HELLO!” he had yelled, in a sort of Essex-ish accent (this, I certainly hadn’t anticipated).
“Hi Finley, it’s Brooke Charlesworth here, just letting you know I’ve arrived for the inter…”
“I’M ON THA RADIOOOO! CALL ME BACK!”
And with that, he was gone.

I finally found him, half an hour later, in the Student Union bar. He was soundchecking with his band – loudly. So that’s why he hadn’t answered my last five calls.

I had been in a bad mood, but a smile appeared on my face as soon as I walked into the room. The music sounded great. A mixture of pop and reggae and hip-hop and all the stuff I don’t usually listen to… but it worked. During a break, I went over to introduce myself. The first words which came out of Finley’s mouth were, “Oi, have you nicked my spliff?”

I let out a sheepish laugh and reassured him I hadn’t, before telling him who I was. I mean, it wasn’t like I’d been watching him for an hour or anything. He thanked me for coming over and told me he’d let me know when he was ready for the interview.

Another hour and a half passed, and I was beginning to get a little nervous about missing my last train home. Then, finally, the soundcheck was done. He came over to me, winked, and simply said “Let’s do this!”
It’s official. Finley Quaye is the most laid back man in the universe.

We went outside so he could smoke. And we talked.

This is how it went.

Interview with Finley Quaye

Not doing too well.

From the makers of ‘The Emo Game’ comes ‘Fall Out Boy Trail’ – an addictive online video game based on ‘Oregon Trail’.

Despite being similar to Oregon Trail in its old-school graphics and general objectives, there are some major changes which have been made to suit the fact that… well, the game’s based on pop-punk band Fall Out Boy.

Instead of landmarks, you hit US cities, playing shows and making money in Guitar Hero-style mini games.

There are also several challenges which you need to overcome in order to score enough points to complete the game – the band must be kept fed and happy, without any sign of homesickness. Oh yeah, and there are zombies which you have to attack with lasers, and bears and sheep which explode into McNuggets.

I can imagine my favourite part of the game would be partying in DC with Barack Obama, although I didn’t quite manage to get that far. Andy died of starvation, our truck got attacked by surfing monsters, and the other two got depressed. One thing’s for sure, though – I’ll be playing again. It’s addictive!

If you’d like to check it out for yourself, click here.

If you missed the ceremony, don’t panic – yes, Kings Of Leon did win Best Album, and yes, MGMT did win Best New Band, and yes, White Lies made a special guest appearance. But one thing which did utterly catch me off guard was the one award I’d never noticed before; the Godlike Genius award.

This year The Cure picked up the prestigious award, with Robert Smith being described as ‘one of the most iconic rock stars of all time’. The award was presented by moviemaking maniac Tim Burton, made famous by wacky gothic romance films ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Edward Scissorhands’. Burton had this to say:

I just wanna say when I was chained to a desk, and I was f***ing depressed this music was the only thing that saved me. I just want to thank you for inspiring me.

I must admit, I was pleased to hear The Cure being proclaimed as Godlike Geniuses (although I find this term a little extreme). I remember standing in a queue outside Wembley Arena for 7 hours when I was fourteen years old, waiting for Blink182 to perform, when a girl behind me started shrieking and saying she’d seen Robert Smith in the car park. We laughed at her, declared her as mad, and later had to bite our tongues when the man himself came onto the stage half way through Blink’s set to sing ‘All Of This’ – and I must say, he did a marvelous job.

Fake Problems – ‘The Dream Team’

Fake Problems seem to be doing pretty well for themselves right now. With a US headlining tour underway and a bunch of festival dates, as well as a new release on Sideonedummy, the four-piece are set to be a hit in 2009.

For a taste of their latest album, ‘It’s Great To Be Alive’, check out the first single, ‘The Dream Team’. With its catchy guitar riff and simple lyrics, you’re bound to be singing along by the end of the first listen.

Album: ‘It’s Great To Be Alive’
Release date: 17th Feb ’09
But I want it now!: www.myspace.com/fakeproblems

Gavin Castleton – ‘Coffeelocks’

If there was one word to describe the music of Gavin Castleton, it would be magical. Don’t be fooled by the strange and slightly scary album artwork – Gavin’s songs are both healing and beautiful, combining pop hooks and orchestral fills with a soulful voice that literally makes you believe summer has already begun.

I particularly love ‘Coffeelocks’. Its haunting melody will make you want to go outside immediately – with your iPod, of course, so you can keep listening.

Album: ‘Home’
Release date: April 7th ’09
But I want it now!: www.purevolume.com/gavincastleton

Dashboard Confessional – ‘Even Now’

I must admit, I was disappointed with Dashboard Confessional’s latest release, ‘The Shade Of Poison Trees’. But this song more than makes up for it. Cast your mind back to the days of ‘A Mark. A Mission. A Brand. A Scar’ – this soft, sentimental acoustic track is almost reminiscent of ‘Carry This Picture’. My bets are on Dashboard bringing us the bittersweet emo anthem of ’09.

Album: TBA
Release date: TBA
But I want it now!: www.myspace.com/dashboardconfessional

The princes of punk pop, who announced their hiatus in February 2005, hinted at a reunion at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night. After weeks of rumours and speculation, it was finally made official in a statement issued after the award ceremony, as well as in a message on their official website which reads:

‘We’re back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy.’

This has come as a shock to fans wordwide who, like me, were almost certain the band members would never be on speaking terms again – let alone making more music together. After disagreements between Tom, Mark and Travis, the trio went their separate ways to form new bands Plus 44 and Angels & Airwaves.

Despite selling a reasonable number of albums and gathering relatively large fan bases, neither of the bands were ever destined to be as big as Blink (does anyone remember Boxcar Racer? Anyone? No?) and it was obvious that none of the guys were as satisfied with the new styles of music they were creating.

But what to expect next is another story. Blink182 have never failed to surprise us in the past, with their last serious self-titled album being released as a follow up to ‘Take Off Your Pants And Jacket’ – featuring songs about online dating, rollercoasters and Mark’s Grandpa eating too many hot dogs. Let’s just say I’m hoping for something fun and catchy – and maybe even the summer anthem of 2009.