Jake Bugg

Lately there's been a lot of hype surrounding the name Jake Bugg, so I decided to look him up. An 18 year old singer-songwriter from Nottingham, who has just released his first single Two Fingers.  It's impressive for a first single and I was surprised to see actress Vicky McClure (best known for her role as Lol in Shane Meadows' This Is England trilogy) star in the video.

However, something has been grinding at me. Personally, I don't think his single is as brilliant as reviews have made it out to be. Yes, he's only 18 and is writing his own material, which is brilliant. In an interview with the NME, Bugg notes that he considers it his job to keep "X Factor shit off the top of the charts". But just because he writes his own music doesn't mean we should automatically drop at his feet in admiration - there has always been generic, empty, money-making music littering the airwaves, just as there have always been artists who pride themselves in creating their own work. And most good artists start young, Steve Winwood, for example, wrote hit single I'm a Man at the tender age of sixteen. His age and the fact that he writes himself shouldn't be the main subject of reviews and judgement - the music itself should be and sadly, the opening verse seems dull and uninspired to me.

"I drink to remember, I smoke to forget, Some things to be proud of, Some things to forget", seems too cliché and the vocals themselves are fairly droning and repetitive. The song picks up a little once it hits the chorus, but I wouldn't describe it as anything awe-inspiring. His song (the subject matter in particular) is very reminiscent of bands such as The Jam or The Arctic Monkeys - a kind of social commentary of working class life. However, Bugg's single is platitude and lacks the wit and relatable nature of songs such as Start! or Dancing Shoes. 

I'm not doubting Bugg's talent. He's just starting out and he has an amazing amount of potential - a likeable voice and the beginnings of some good ideas - I can see his work developing into musical brilliance. But let's not all crown him the next Bob Dylan or Paul Weller just yet.

The 16th Annual Small Faces Convention

The Small Faces Convention, £22 entry, 5pm - 1am, 229 / The Venue / Great Portland Street (London).

Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance, The Small Fakers, Stone Foundation and many more.

Seeing as I'd never been to the Small Faces Convention before, I was initially a little shocked at the £22 entry price, but as a massive Small Faces fan I didn't see how a whole night of their hits could possibly go wrong and coughed up the cash. In retrospect, I can preach that it was definitely worth it. Six hours of Marriott, Lane, Jones and Winston covers might seem a little tiresome to some but when performed with the enthusiasm of bands such as the Small Fakers, there isn't a dull second. If I was to make one criticism it would be that the bands should maybe confer over their set lists beforehand: as much as I adore What'cha Gonna Do About It and All or Nothing, I'd still like to hear a nice version of Talk To You or Donkey Rides, A Penny, A Glass.

Scooterists for Heroes 2012

Scooterists for Heroes, £5 entry, 1pm till late, Adam & Eve (Digbeth).

Jam DRC, DC Fontana, The Coopers, The Theme, Oasiis, Butterfly Collective, The Universal and many more.

Sundays at the Adam and Eve tend to be a quiet and dull affair. Considering this, it was refreshing to see lines of scooters lining the surrounding roads and crowds of mods, skinheads, punks and rudeboys joined together outside for a day of decent music with all proceeds going towards a good cause. A complete success on the whole.

Marley

Cinemas Nationwide.

The world's best known reggae star is brought to the big screen in Kevin Macdonald's 144 minute documentary Marley. I was shocked to hear a friend question how someone could make such a long film from one man's lifestory, noting that it'll "probably drag on a bit". I was glad to see him eat his words, as he watched and realised that Bob Marley was a little bit more than red, yellow & green, Three Little Birds and marijuana and began to appreciate him as the musician, philosopher and peace maker that so many came to love.

The documentary gives a detailed background of Marley's life. Showing the beautiful landscapes of Jamaica, but also revealing the harsh living conditions that go hand in hand with them - the conditions in which the rastafarian icon grew up. His influences, contemporary artists, friends and family, personal life, professional life, escape to Britain and return to Jamaica. The documentary is remarkably unbiased, showing the worse sides of him as well as highlighting the good.

If watching in the cinema, I'd advise taking some tissues. It's quite easy to become wrapped up in the story and forget the documentary will inevitably have to cover his death and his subsequent legacy.

A well formed documentary on a truly inspirational man.