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Post by Paula on Sept 27, 2006 5:08:34 GMT -5
Blazin’ Squad – All Night Long
Blazin’ Squad are now a lean mean foursome who’ve decided to keep the name alive despite losing over half their number since they hit the top with their debut in 2002. Platnum, Melo D, Sam and Stuart are back with what could be a hit. In the same week that rumours have surfaced about boyband Five reforming to chase some of the Take That boyband reunion cash, All Night Long sounds exactly like an old Five tune. As Five were one of the premium boybands of the day, this is a good very thing!
Verdict 4 out of 5
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Post by Paula on Sept 27, 2006 5:13:31 GMT -5
Blazin Squad' are back, but with a few fundamental changes, PinkNews.co.uk’s James Phillips asks whether the group are really gay friendly or just chasing the pink pound.
Gone are the ten 16-year-old rappers who had previously been criticised for being pioneers of chav culture. Blazin' squad split in 2005, after three members went off to form Friday Hill, with three more members working on ‘solo material’ whilst the remaining four members consisting of Stuart, Sam, Plat’num and Melo - d now make up the new and revitalised Blazin Squad.
Member changes would appear not to be the only differences made since their last foray into the British chart. We are told this time that Blazin' Squad are more mature and according to band member Melo-d, the squad now have a ‘‘more vocal’’ sound, with a greater input into the writing and producing of their material. The new single is certainly more vocal and arguably more camp, without doubt the remix will be playing in a gay club near you soon.
Along with this more vocal sound, the boys are being marketed as more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) friendly. This is not to say they were never LGBT friendly before, but lets be honest this was never their staple fan base. After performances at Cardiff Mardi Gras earlier this month and Birmingham’s Nightingales last week it would appear that the boys are certainly attempting to branch out to the ‘gay market’. Yet this raises the question are the boys really LGBT friendly or are they as cynics may suggest simply ‘gay for pay’ searching for that valuable ‘pink pound’?
I was assured by Melo-d that they love performing to their LGBT audience and that they received a great reception both at Cardiff Mardi Gras and at Nightingales. Melo-d did seem perfectly at ease talking to a gay organisation, even telling us the campest CD in his collection (Peter Andre - Flava).
However this attempt to broaden the squads marketable fan base will undoubtedly anger a portion of the LGBT community, whom have become increasingly frustrated with suave marketing tactics designed to convince us that their product is LGBT friendly.
When asked about the recent cancellation of Buju Banton and Beenie man concerts in Bournemouth and Brighton over community protests referring to their outright homophobic lyrics. Band member Melo-d said he believed that it was right these concerts were cancelled due to both areas having large LGBT communities, yet also saying he believed in ‘‘freedom of speech and that people didn’t have to listen’’.
Certainly people don’t have to listen, but Melo’d would appear to misunderstand the concerns and worries affecting their sought after audience. These concerts should not have been cancelled because of the local LGBT communities but because of their lyrical incitement to kill gay people, regardless of proximity.
This raises the question as to how much Blazin' Squad understand the concerns of their sought after gay fan base. Truly gay friendly or chasing the pink pound? The verdict is out for now, we’ll have to wait and see just how far these boys embrace their new gay audience.
Blazin Squad’s new single ‘‘All Night Long’’ which is not all that bad is released 2nd October.
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Post by Paula on Sept 27, 2006 5:24:00 GMT -5
All Night Long - Blazin' Squad
By Simon Darnell
Oh no, not again. Their last album bombed – that surely means an imminent dumping by the record label and a rapid descent into obscurity? Evidently not.
The band then exploded – some members go off and form Friday Hill, others disappear and before you know it, over half the line-up’s gone walkies.
If almost any other band suddenly lost 60 per cent of its membership in one go, that’d be it. No need to bother getting in replacements, no point limping on with what’s left, that’s your lot and all anyone will have to remember you by are some CDs gathering dust on the shelf and a Wikipedia entry that was written when all this was fields.
Luckily for Blazin’ Squad, the original line-up took in half a classroom or thereabouts, so even with all the comings (none) and goings (tons) there’s still four of them left which means they now look like a proper boyband rather than a bunch of kids that managed to wangle a day out in a recording studio.
So who’s left, then? Well, you’ve got Platnum, Sam, Stuart and Melo D.
Household names, none of them.
However, this is the world of music and names don’t matter – it’s all about the song at the end of the day.
Here’s the good news then, not only do they now look like a proper boyband, they also sound like one too.
What’s left of Blazin’ Squad have changed and good on ’em, all they need now is some decent tunes.
This isn’t quite there, but it’s a start.
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Post by Paula on Oct 5, 2006 8:27:47 GMT -5
LET'S start with some bare knuckle honesty here: Blazin' Squad aren't trying to pen classics to rival Stevie Wonder, or challenge the mainstream with their daring raps and blistering rhythms.
They know it and we know it, they're just four London geezers chasing a top ten hit like a dog after the proverbial bone.
Frankly, after a two year hiatus and losing 60 per cent of their members, Blazin' Squad should consider themselves lucky to still be a household name.
Still, All Night Long might just be that sought after breakthrough. It's not great (it's not even good) - it's just an inoffensive, slack-jawed party tune.
Released on October 9
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