The Best Gifts You Can Buy A Music Fan

Music fans; they’re two a penny, because who doesn’t love getting lost in the transcendental bassline of your favourite song and a rift that makes you want to stand up and lose control of your limbs? In other words, music inspires so many and picks you up when you’re most in need. There’s nothing quite like putting in your headphones, shutting out the rest of the world, and blasting out your most cherished songs – at sensible volumes, of course. 

It’s not all too hard to try and find music-related gifts for the diehard fan in your life, providing, of course, your loved one’s taste in music isn’t so niche and obscure that no one else seems to have ever heard of it before. Let’s hope, for your sake, that this is not the case. Buckle up and prepare to find out how best to shop for a music fan in four easy steps. 

What Do They Like? 

Figure out which bands they like before even entertaining the idea of getting them a musically inspired gift. This should go without saying, but just because Ed Sheeran, Post Malone, and Cardi B are all the rage and dominating the charts right now, doesn’t mean that they’re universally popular. Always, always be sure of their music tastes before making your next move. 

Tickets To See A Performance

Nothing is better than seeing the musicians you love perform in front of you live, so endeavour to get some of the best seats in the house by using TicketSales.com to secure them. Getting tickets to see their favourite artists will bowl them over with joy and excitement, so if you’re eager to see the face of the music lover you love light up, you should definitely look at the upcoming events. 

Stay Away From Tat

You know what’s being referred to here, and as fun as themed gifts can be, they’re also a bit rubbish and end up cluttering up the home. Steer away from doing this by getting gifts that no one else will have purchased before and ones that are a little bit more personal, practical, and most of all, thoughtful. 

Resist the urge to buy plastic goods that will only contribute to landfill in the end, and instead opt for a gift that’s original and communicates the care and thought that you put in to selecting it. Consider the likes of a framed and signed copy of a vinyl, a CD, or a sketch of the artist made in black and white rather than just a poster. 

Lessons

Chances are that the music fan in your life might know their way around a musical instrument pretty well, but if they don’t and you know they’d like to, then invest in a music lesson or two for them. With this said, you’ll need to find out which instrument they’d most like to learn, so delve into their interests or just come out and ask. You want to get this present right, so resist the urge to guess. Piano and guitar lessons can be easily found online, so have a cursory search to locate the most highly rated and reviewed teachers in your area and get the music fan you know on their list.

Would Blur Exist Without The Beatles?

Would Blur Exist Without The Beatles?

“No Beatles means no Britpop, which means no Blur, which means no Song 2, which causes air guitar to disappear as an art form.” This was the answer of The Ringer’s Michael Baumann when he was asked what sounds at first like a simple question: “What is the farthest-reaching consequence of the erasure of the Beatles?” Go ahead and give that question a couple seconds to sink in. And if you’re like us, prepare to basically see your own brain’s gears going into overdrive.

Even those who are even just a little bit familiar with music history will know just how influential The Beatles were in shaping modern rock. And if you’re wondering what spurred this discussion to make the rounds online, look no further than the trailer for the upcoming Yesterday, a film that postulates a world in which the entire planet forgets about The Beatles overnight. According to the trailer, only one man remembers the greatest British pop-rock band in the world, and he uses it to get famous as hell. The man’s rise to stardom replicates Beatlemania in the modern era – a strange combination of pandemonium and mass amnesia, and an unexpected twist on the typical Beatles-inspired movie musical. Again, it makes perfect sense, until you think about the ramifications of The Beatles having never existed at all.

CREDIT: By Roy Kerwood - Photo by Roy Kerwood. Previously uploaded to en: with same image name May 11 2006., CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44119817



For starters, Baumann was right when he said that Blur wouldn’t exist – as confirmed by Damon Albarn. According to Albarn, John Lennon’s Imagine was what inspired him to take up songwriting in the first place, adding that he would’ve loved to work with Lennon, if only he wasn’t shot when Albarn was still stuck in school. Meanwhile, Lottoland’s list of the top influential rock songs, point out how the classic I Wanna Hold Your Hand was essential to sparking the musical revolution of the 60s. Without The Beatles, a decidedly different sound would have come out of that revolution, creating further waves in the evolution of British rock. Another instant casualty would be Graham Coxon’s work on the re-recording of the Beatles’ debut album, Please Please Me. These are just some of the more horrific possibilities posed by the upcoming Yesterday.



While early criticism of the movie points out how the trailer doesn’t seem to address these historical implications, we have to admit that the very concept has spurred a renewed interest in The Beatles and just how far their influence extends, The idea of Yesterday happening would definitely mean no Britpop as we know it. If Blur did still exist, they would definitely sport a different sound, which is a concept we’d rather not get further into. In short, The Beatles defined what rock was, is, and will be. Not bad for a couple of lads from Liverpool.

Blur just played their first surprise gig in 2019!

Head's up! Blur played a surprise gig on March 30th 2019 in an unexpected turn of events at the frontman's Africa Express gig. The band assembled on stage during Albarn's performance and performed 3 songs: 1) Song 2, 2) Clover over Dover and 3) Tender.

This marks the first time that the band has played together in 2019, and also the first time that the song Clover Over Dover has been played live in the history of the band's performances. The songs were greatly enjoyed by the audience, who had no idea what they were in stall for.

However, for those of you who know, Damon's gigs have always been full of surprises. Previous performers at the show include Paul McCartney, Paul Weller and Johnny Marr alongside famed African musicians including Baaba Maal, Oumou Sangaré and Fatoumata Diawara. It is definitely another pleasant surprise that we get to see the great band in action.

Take a look at some of the videos of the band playing these songs below.

Happy Birthday to Damon Albarn!

Another day, another year! The Blur frontman turns 51 today on March 23 2019. To celebrate, we've compiled a series of photos featuring Albarn throughout the years. Enjoy!