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  • Leeds Festival: Indiana | QueenBeady

    Leeds Festival: Indiana | QueenBeady

    Leeds Festival is like a little bubble, once you enter it you aren’t getting out until the bubble finds a little prick and pops after a long weekend of madness. The atmosphere is electric, the music is always thumping nearby & you can guarantee someone is doing something ridiculous, like walking their pet dinosaur for example. But truth be told I love it and I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving it. I can imagine me still bopping away when I am an old aged pensioner, no doubt. We are so lucky to live on the doorstep of this Bank Holiday Festival, so close that we receive guest tickets for the pleasure of it being located so close to home.

    The person I was most looking forward to seeing aside from the top billed acts was Indiana. As soon as I heard her on the radio I knew something special was coming. The pint sized singer is about as big as my little finger, it’s hard to believe she has popped out two children, let alone the fact she has some serious pipes on her!

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    You could tell she was nervous when she came on stage. She looked so vulnerable and naive as she came out and declared ‘’If you don’t know me, I’m Indiana’’ whilst looking down at the floor and kicking her heels– we were all there to see her and knew exactly who she was. I’d made sure I got there early so I could get a front row spot, I wanted to be right at the forefront of her set because I wanted to see her that much!

    I’ve listened to a couple of her songs on Sound Cloud and have been astounded by her vocals on each and every song she has. But, nothing compares to seeing her live. Despite her very sweet entrance on to the stage as soon as she opens her mouth some sort of creature takes over and you can feel every, single word is being sung with meaning and power.

    Of course, as soon as Solo Dancing came on that was it my dancing boots were well and truly on despite it only being 2pm in the afternoon, with a Vodka & Relentless in one hand, my camera in the other I got my groove on and sang every bit of it, word for word.

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    Indiana2

    Her single ‘’Heart on Fire’’ wasn’t my favourite when I first heard it on the radio, however hearing it live gave me food for thought & I could not deny the fact that I was singing it for the next few hours. Hearing it live was an amazing experience.

    The best way to describe Indiana’s husky tones is that of Florence Welch & Stevie Nicks combined in to one but with a much edgier, cooler sound that oozes something naughty? Don’t ask me why, it just does.
    I had the pleasure of a retweet from this girl which gave me a slight fan girl moment. However, in realisation she still seems very down to earth with it all and I’m glad she gives her fans the interaction, obviously because she still feels like one of us. I can see big things for this girl and she best start believing that a lot of people are going to want to listen to her.

    Indiana’s ‘’No Romeo’’ and debut album is available on Itunes and you can purchase it here! Now excuse me whilst I go and book tickets for her tour…

    Rebecca xxx

  • Unexpected Hiatus | QueenBeady

    If you are reading this, thank you. It means that you have clicked on my blog after weeks of no posts. My blog went mute. So did my brain.

    Despite having lots of amazing posts about the music sets I saw at Lees Festival and the wonderful summer, I just haven’t been able to put finger to keyboard and write. A lot of bloggers talk about how they go on a break from their blog and how it gives them that well deserved break and detox that they oh so need. In the past I have taken a couple of days to re-group and get my thought process back together but it seems I took a little longer this time. I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol/dreamy daze that I have been in since Leeds Festival, but I think it goes back a bit pre-festival than that.

    I was writing a lot of Fashion Posts. I asked myself, why on earth would anyone be bothered to read about my style and look at the photos I had posted. I think I felt a little stupid, if I am quite honest. Almost a little naive. The time it took working out my ”styled looks”, taking the photos, loading them on to the computer, deciding which 2 out of 50 photos made the cut, then writing and scheduling. It was all becoming a bit of a chore. I have never wanted blogging to feel like that so I decided it was best to just take a hiatus from all things in the blogosphere. Not just the blog, but my social media output too. I have been a lot quieter than usual on twitter and not promoting my blog for a little while, which a few of you had noticed.

    Most non-bloggers won’t understand how much time, effort and pain goes in to writing blogs. If you are a non-blogger and take offence to that comment I sincerely apologise but seriously, it really is a long process to get our words out to you! Also, some bloggers will read this and roll their eyes ”one of them?” they will probably say. But we all hit a wall at some point. We are not perfect and sometimes you just need a little down time to yourself.

    As I’m writing this, I’m happy. It feels like I’m talking from the heart and not forcing anything out that isn’t required because I’m not really having to think too hard about what I want to say. It feels natural. That is how blogging should feel.

    Anyone feeling this way I urge you to just shut down blogspot/wordpress and stop tapping on your phone. If your blog is going to stand the test of time, people will still follow you. Hey, my blog has still received about 30 followers on blog lovin and I haven’t wrote diddley squat for weeks. At the end of it all your true readers will be there still and all things will pick up again when you have given yourself that time. Just don’t forget about you along the way.

    I make no apologies for leaving my blog for a little while and neither should you. Expect better writing and posts from me, especially now the nights are drawing in with Autumn on our doorstep.

    Lastly, thank you to those who are still reading this.

    Rebecca xxx

  • Concrete Love by The Courteeners Album Review | Guest Post by Bethany Worrall

    Concrete Love by The Courteeners Album Review | Guest Post by Bethany Worrall

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    I’m Beth – I blog at bethanyworrall.com. But today I’ve been allowed to take over Rebecca’s blog – as she’s off to Leeds Festival we thought I should write a little review of The Courteeners new album, Concrete Love (They’re playing there, duh).

    If this is the first you’ve heard of The Courteeners then we can’t be friends… no seriously. I could write a whole post on how much I love this band and how the first time I saw them in 2009 at Liverpool University changed my life, but I’ll save that one for another day. Or maybe never as nobody would want to fall asleep whilst reading a blog post, would they?

    Concrete Love is the 4th Album from The Courteeners and was released on Monday (18th August 2014). I got my hands on my 13232 copies on Saturday as I pre-ordered a CD and Vinyl. I then bought another copy on iTunes on Monday – Love them. Concrete Love was written by frontman Liam Fray whilst in Paris. In my opinion, it’s a bit of a weird destination but I’m glad it was Paris as the inspiration has created some amazing tracks. I think the sound is completely different to the previous three albums which is what I love about these guys. Each album is different, it’s exciting.

    The two singles released before Concrete Love were Summer and How Good It Was. Summer was released at the perfect time in June, and has been my track of the Summer. How Good It Was wasn’t long after and the buzz for the release of Concrete Love was huge. These tunes are St Jude’s Fallowfield Hillbilly and I envy those going to Reading/Leeds to see these live.

    Small Bones has received a lot of loving via Twitter and Instagram with good reason. I think the lyrics are beautiful, which is also the case for Beautiful Head, Dreamers and Has He Told You That He Loves You Yet. I genuinely don’t think there is a bad track on this album, where a with past albums I’d be able to pick a song I just didn’t like. I’ve been listening to the album 24/7 since Saturday, in the car, on the train, even at work. I’m finding it hard to choose my favourite track, but at the moment I’d have to say International.

    I love going to Courteeners gigs and screaming along to the lyrics whilst jumping up and down like a maniac. But I equally love those where everyone stands and sings in unison. I think Concrete Love is a perfect balance between two and whilst I think people expecting old school Courteeners will be disappointed, Concrete Loves proves the boys can step up and create an album with wider appeal.

    If you give this a listen, please let me know what you think – it’s a grower, trust me.

    BETHXFOOTER

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  • Post Festival Recovery Guide | Guest Post by SarahxSarah

    Post Festival Recovery Guide | Guest Post by SarahxSarah

    SarahxSarah’s Post-Festival Recovery Guide.


    Hello! I’m Sarah, another Leeds based blogger, Yorkshire born and bred. I absolutely love gigs, festival and anything involving live music. I’ve been to Leeds Fest several times but it’s been a while since my last visit!

    This year I opted for Belgian festival
    Groezrock and had a pretty inedible time, despite a VERY long car journey with 4 people and a lot of tents!  While the lovely Rebecca is away at Leeds Fest, I’m sharing some of my post-festival recovery tips for wellie toting ladies.

    1) Clean. Everything.

    If you’ve managed to stay squeaky clean after a festival I salute you, but for most of us it’s a bit of a muddy nightmare. A good facial scrub is probably in order. Something to exfoliate the lingering festival dirt from your face and skin.

    You may even want to go for a long soak in something bubbly, I recommend you go for something soothing with aloe etc. or something fruity to overpower that smell. Yes, you stink. You can’t smell it but trust me everyone else can.

    Unless the hair gods blessed you (not fair!), it’s likely you’ll need to tame your post festival mane. It’s also likely you’ll need to de-tangle that mother. I do like Tangle Teezer type brushes combined with a detangling spray to help you out.

    Bonfires and smoky smells in particular will stick to your hair. In your normal shampoo/conditioner routine, I’d recommend using a hair mask, something that needs at least 20 minutes to work. Finish up by putting hair oil on wet hair and you’ll feel like a new woman.

    2) Sleep!

    Its pretty obvious but catching up on sleep is essential. Festival lifestyle is like a little bubble where you forget about the outside world and normality. Bring it back to earth by trying not to sleep all day.  Try to get straight back into a routine, it’s tough but it’ll make the return to the real world a little easier.

    If you’re struggling and your ears are still ringing from the music and late night partying, don’t get frustrated with yourself. The worst thing you can do is over-think getting to sleep, you’ll keep yourself up!

    Try drinking a soothing herbal tea, listening to some quiet music (the noise usually helps me after having music pumping for several days). If it’s still not going well, try herbal sleep supplements (make sure you read the bottle!).

    3) Water.

    Again, pretty obvious and I might now be starting to sound a little like your mother. But it is really important. Even the most health conscious of us can forget to drink water whilst partying it up at a festival. Once you get back, especially after drinking, make sure you make an effort to drink water. If you really aren’t a fan, mix in squash or cordial and if you need a bit of an energy boost, get some dissolvable vitamin tablets!

    4) Reminisce

    Even if you’re only back for your first day, your feet my hurt (tip – soak them in warm water!) and you might be tired but remember it was all worth it. Perk yourself up with photos and telling anyone who’ll listen how much fun you’ve had! You won’t feel so bad if you have good memories.

    Don’t forget to check out my blog or follow me on twitter for a chat!

  • Bardot Babe | QueenBeady

    Bardot Babe | QueenBeady

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    DRESS Quiz Clothing | SHOES Gold Glitter Jimmy Choo’s

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    First things first, excuse the terrible photos. I was battling with the windy elements and it did not make for easy photo taking.
    I wanted to share with you some of the treats that I managed to buy with the voucher I won from Quiz Clothing at the Blog Yorkshire Event which you can read about here! I couldn’t wait to spend the vouchers and after endlessly browsing the website it was time to visit a store where I could spend them.

    To say I’ve always been wary of Quiz Clothing is an understatement. I have always seen the brand as quite a garish clothing company, but, after being assured times were changing at Quiz HQ my opinions have slowly started to change.

    I managed to blag 3 items with my £50 voucher and I can’t wait to share the other pieces with you soon.
    As soon as I walked in to the bright & airy store I was immediately drawn in by this dress. The pretty’’ ‘’porcelain’’ blue & white is so dainty but was saddened that my size was not available, but ever the optimistic I picked up the dress that was 2 sizes small & headed to the changing room. I’m glad I did because it fit! The stretchy, bodycon style material allowed for my rather, bigger bust and fit perfectly.

    The floaty-ness of the dress makes me feel so girly & I cannot wait to wear this out on the final summer nights that we have.

    Of course, a pretty dress warrants a pretty pair of shoes! So out came my magical, gold glittery Jimmy Choo’s that I wore for our wedding.

    Have you bought anything from Quiz recently? I’d love to know what styles you went for?

    Rebecca xxx