How did you get involved in Whatfest?

Whatfest has its routes back home on the family farm in Cheshire. Simon, my brother is the Director of Whatfest and it grew out of the music he used to play, out of the music we all played through the years.

What is the idea behind the festival?

Farms are struggling at the moment so you've got to find something else to do. We had to diversify so we went organic and now have an organic farm shop. We began getting friends around who played in bands and started 'Beer in the Barn' a few years ago, which became very popular. A lot of people came along to listen to new bands.

It seems like beer and music is a winning combination…

Actually, after a few beers one night we decided that as we had all this space we would organise our own festival. After the first Whatfest last year, the general feedback we got from everyone: the bands, the locals, the council, it was all very positive. Bands liked the fact that they could play on a professional stage, with good sound quality and high production levels.

So what can we expect in this the second year of Whatfest?

It has changed massively, from a small local festival to a high quality regional festival. After the event you have to sit back and assess things. We spent a lot of time looking at what went wrong last year and built on that. There's now two stages, bigger and more varied acts, a wide array of food stalls and a fairground as well.

Once the word had gone round, were you inundated with bands that wanted to play?

Yes, we have turned away in the region of 300 bands. You get these unsigned festivals that book the first ones that apply, but we've really made an effort not to go down that route.

You appear to have a mixture of new acts and more established bands.

We have classic Britpop bands like the Bluetones, Dodgy and Tom from the Inspiral Carpets, but we also have some of the best acts coming out of Liverpool and Manchester at the moment. We've given them the chance to play with legends.

Did you have any heated debates about the line-up?

We had massive arguments, but you can't have just one person's taste in music. We have two stages this year so if the main stage isn't your cup of tea then on the second stage we'll have a contrast with alternative indie, reggae, jazz, rock or metal all featuring over the weekend.

Did you take inspiration from that other famous farmer? Are you going to be the new Michael Eavis without the beard?

I did have the beard when I was at Glasto in June, but I don't think we are ever going to get to that level. I don't really want us to. Glastonbury is great, you can go and see Blur and stand behind 100,000 people at the back of a field but you don't get that connection with the band. It's a real problem in the music industry at the moment. You get a good gig but you don't feel that you are really involved. Live gigs are in danger of becoming a bit bland.

So what makes Whatfest different?

We are trying to get people involved in the grass routes of music, where you can go and see people like The Cordels from Manchester for example, who have just won an award and are soon to headline at another festival.

Would you describe yours as a boutique festival? Do you like that term?

I don't like the word boutique personally; it makes me think of WAGs.

I'm talking about smaller festivals like yours with a capacity of 4,000 as opposed to footballers wives…

Well, I suppose if it applies to something that is a bit more selective that's fine. You could call it boutique in that we are putting a real emphasis on regional music. There's such great talent in Manchester, Liverpool, Warrington, the whole North West. We've had a lot of interest from Record Companies who want to come and see some of the bands we have playing.

That makes sense. It's difficult to make money from records now. If you can play live there's a revenue stream…

The whole music industry has changed. You are no longer about how many records you can sell; it's about how many people you can get in a venue. That's what Whatfest is all about, giving these bands that live exposure.

What other attractions do you have besides music?

We're not just about the music, there has to be an element of the experience. We have fairground rides and play pools. We are very family oriented.

How would you advise someone who wants to put on their own festival? It's not as easy at it looks.

The bigger you get the more you realise what a nightmare it can be. There are so many aspects you just can't overlook. Things like insurance, licensing, curfew times etc. We certainly don't want to be paying fines like Glastonbury did this year.

What happens if it rains?

Luckily, the fields are sand based and water tends to drain away, so we don't expect flooding. We also have a covered stage.

So no mudfest then?

We were thinking about digging out a big hole and making a place for some mud diving. People don't mind a bit of mud, we could market it as an attraction.

What about the clean up?

We have a big re-cycling programme going on after the festival. As organic farmers we are very keen to get across the idea that this doesn't have to be a big blot on the environmental landscape. We want to be as low impact as possible.

Whatfest takes place from July 17 to 19. For ticket details go to woZZon.com or see www.whatfest.co.uk

When did you start Blow Up and why?

I started the club in autumn 1993 as a place to play the music that meant something to me: which I felt was not being represented anywhere at that time. Just prior to starting the club I had DJ-ed at key London shows for bands that I felt an affinity with: such as Suede and Blur. Blow Up was in part, a reaction against grunge and the complacency of the UK indie scene.

What's the ethos behind it? How would you describe your vision?

The idea was to create a reaction, to bring back a sense of occasion for clubbing, to offer something new but inspired from the past. It was bringing together artists from the emerging new British scene alongside great music of the past, particularly 60s stuff. Whether it was film soundtracks, 60s r&b or pop: I wanted the sound, energy and atmosphere that I imagined was present in swinging 60s London. Above all, it had to be great music and a lot of fun.
It was very much an underground position at the time: the Britpop scene as such was yet to appear on the radar.

So when Britpop happened you were in the right place at the right time.

Yes, but when the term Britpop was used, the club was already going strong. Britpop often gets used as a phrase to encompass a lot of disparate types of music these days. Yet, back in 1994 it was very much a Camden area scene in those early days, based around Blow Up. It was a real scene already functioning and not media created.

And then things really took off…

Blow Up was leading this scene on a club level, then in mid-1994 it exploded nationwide and had impact internationally. We had people coming, first from all over the country, then from all over the world. It was a time for change and an incredible era for British music in general.

Where was the launch pad for all this excitement?

I was actually working at Out On The Floor Records in Camden Town before the club night started; I met a lot of people there who would become club regulars. These people, along with friends from the Southend scene made up the majority of the original audience at Blow Up. I took on the upstairs room of Camden pub The Laurel Tree on October 16th 1993 and by January 1994 I was operating the club on two floors. By August 1994 Blow Up had been featured in a four-page article in Select Magazine, along with the club providing the DJ soundtrack around Blur's Parklife tour, in May of the same year.

Your longest running stint was at the Metro Club in London's Oxford Street until its demise.

Blow Up was at The Metro Club for seven years. I had started running the Metro in 2001 after the demise of The Wag Club, where Blow Up had been the resident Saturday night for the five years previously: so it made sense to put Blow Up into the Metro. The Metro closed in January this year to make way for the new Crossrail link at Tottenham Court Road Station.

You must have some very good memories of the club. What was your proudest moment?

Well, we won a Club of the Year award in 2003 and in a little over a year we had gone from being a little known basement club to a place hosting early shows for some of the emerging big acts of this decade. So, we were in the middle of yet another emerging scene. The Killers played one their first UK dates; Kings Of Leon did their first London show and Yeah Yeah Yeah's had their first London headline gig. The Libertines and Bloc Party all played shows at The Metro early on in their careers, alongside far many too many others to mention.

Any other memorable occasions?

Faust bringing their own 15-piece marching band takes some beating. US rock‘n’roll icon Dion playing his first and only UK show for 18 years: with Robert Plant, plus members of Primal Scream and The Coral in attendance was also quite something.

With the economic downturn, it must be hard for promoters. What's your advice for any would be live music impresarios?

Work with music that you enjoy and have a genuine passion for. Find a venue that you can make work and treat the bands fairly. Hopefully things should come together.

You are now concentrating on the Blow Up record company, but isn't it a very bad time to have a label now? Surely downloading is the future of music?

It's a tough time for physical sales for labels, but there's always going to be an appetite for music. There's a change in technology, yes, but we've released more albums then ever: five albums over the last 18 months. But times of change like this can create opportunities, particularly for independents that can adapt quicker. It is incredible that an artist or label can get their music all over the World via the Internet, in so little time and to so many people.

So, which of your bands should we be listening out for?

Big Boss Man, a Hammond heavy 60s-flavoured four piece, have their third album out on Blow Up this summer. Silvery are a madcap British pop band: a hybrid of Bowie, Sparks, Blur and the Cardiacs. Baltic Fleet released a great instrumental album last year: fans of German Krautrock or Sigur Ros should check them out. Then there’s the 60s-influenced rhythms and funk meets Latin soul of The Bongolian.

As a woZZon user, does the idea of being able to access information about live events via the mobile phone while you are out and about excite you?

As a free marketing tool for clubs and bands it’s a great idea. It is something that is great to use if you are in an area and just want to find out what is on. It contains a much more varied selection of listings than the usual listings sites, so it’s definitely worth checking out.

The Blow Up Club has now moved to The Shaftesbury, 245 Shaftesbury Avenue and takes place every Friday. There are future plans to take the club to different parts of the UK and also back to Paris, Japan and USA. For detailed UK listings see woZZon.com or go to blowup.co.uk/club

What is it like being a singer/songwriter at the moment, in post credit crunch Britain?

I feel kinda weird. I feel like I shouldn't really be doing it?

Why do you feel like that?

I don't really have anyone to compare myself with, musically speaking. I feel like everyone's better than me. It seems that they've all been doing it for much longer, actually playing live etc.

You had a good following in the acoustic music scene back in Los Angeles. What made you move to London on a permanent basis in 2006?

I always planned to live here. I'd come and visit my dad. I loved London, I applied here to University and got in, so I came over. And my boyfriend is from the UK.

You are currently studying for a joint honours degree in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of London. How's it going?

If I were doing straight English I would kill myself. Modern critical theory is very hard, but my course includes play writing. Back in High School I thought I would end up as a fiction author.

China's father is the actor/singer David Soul, but does having a famous dad help or hinder your career?

I suppose it had to help when meeting my song-writing partner Chaz Jankel (Ian Dury's co-writer in the Blockheads). It hasn't really made a difference to what Chaz and I create, but I don't know if he'd have been interested if I was just some random girl. In terms of getting gigs though, I don't really say anything.

Not everyone has a dad who was a TV crimefighter..

I didn't grow up with my dad, I grew up with my mom, and so I've only just become aware of it. I've only occasionally seen Starsky & Hutch and just started listening to his music. I had the sudden realisation, recently, that he was really big back in the day.

How do you find the inspiration for your songs?

Ever since I moved to London the music I listened to has changed. Before I was focused on finding new music and new bands. Also, I was really into Weezer back in High School. Now I like listening to Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan and old jazz.

China uses woZZon to plan her nights out, but why is it so very different here to life in Los Angeles?

It's complete culture shock in the UK. In LA, you always need a car, but here you can just go out without anything planned and find something to do.

Chaz Jankel has a great pedigree. He wrote 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' and also 'Ai no corrida' (a hit for Quincy Jones) among others. What's he like to work with?

Chaz is very focused. He can play almost any instrument. We used a melodica on a track and he said, 'I've never recorded this before.' He picked it up and played it perfectly. Often, after we've finished a recording, he'd stay up all night to work on it.

'Cold' is a simply superb song. I call it nu folk meets old skool soul with a cowboy country lilt. How would you describe it?

Cool, I love that. It was the first song we recorded. Initially it was very folky, just me and guitar; then Chaz made it quite hypnotic, with all the instrumentation he added.

It's a deep, emotional love song; you seem to lay yourself bare...

I think the only thing that stops me being embarrassed about it is that people won't know exactly what it means. Anyone can have their own interpretation of the song. It's about feeling vulnerable, upset and frustrated with the person.

Your fiery, gospel-tinged, a cappella version of an obscure Nina Simone song 'Be My Husband' is a live favourite, complete with foot stomping and manic handclaps. What do you like about Nina?

She's got a unique, deep vocal style. I love to look at the techniques vocalists use. This has helped me to finally find a way to sing that sounds natural and what makes me feel the most comfortable.

woZZon believes that the place to find out information on gigs or any kind of live event is via its Internet search engine or via the mobile. Do you agree?

I use the Internet for everything. I just love to type in to a search engine and get all the answers I need.

Links: www.chinasoul.co.uk

When did you come up with the idea for Raysgigs.com?

About five years ago. I now have a database of 100,000 words with reviews, dates, venues etc. It's one of those things I had to get out of my system. The Internet seemed the best way of doing it.

What was the first gig you ever went to?

There was a pop magazine party at Brands Hatch with Glam rock bands like Slade and Suzi Quatro in 1973. I went with my mum. Someone threw out a box of seven-inch vinyl singles by Chris Jagger (Mick's younger brother) into the audience.

What were your best and worst ever gigs?

Best was Live Aid in 1985. It started at 12noon with Status Quo and went on for over 12 hours. Everyone played: U2, David Bowie, Queen, Roxy Music… the list was endless. Paul McCartney closed the show.
Worst gig was The Fratellis at the Hard Rock Café at the end of 2008. The band were just not interested and the crowd were certainly not into it.

Do you think you are obsessed with the live music scene?

Part of me is obsessed. I'm always looking out for new bands and thinking about it every day, so I guess I am.

How did you find out about live shows before the likes of woZZon made it easy for you to find the information?

I really don't know how I did it. It was a combination of word of mouth and magazines. It was very time consuming.

Do you consider yourself a blogger?

I quite like the word blogger: because it means anyone can do reviews. I like the fact you encourage woZZon users to put their views on your site. You can get a real feel for the music by reading people's comments.

Do you have any advice for would-be gig reviewers?

Bring along a bit of paper. Jot a few things down as you think of them and put it all together in the morning. Otherwise you might forget something important the next day.

How would you describe your writing style? It seems very brief and to the point.

I'm not getting paid and I don't want people to get bored. I wrote for the local paper for five years, full length reviews of 300 words or more. I've done that. At the moment, as I go to an average of 4 shows a week, 200 a year, I like to keep it brief.

You've been called 'the Godfather of Gig Reviewers?' How would you describe yourself?

The Sun once voted me Website of the Week and the BBC News Website called me the UK's biggest gig goer in November, when I went through the 5000-gig barrier. I wanted to do it before I was 50. On the BBC Website it prompted a huge response from people.

Here are Ray's Top Five current venues:

1. O2 Arena (Quality acts, big productions, I don't like the boulevard of shops taking your money but the acts are great: Michael Jackson and Madonna are playing soon. Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones and Prince have all played there).
2. Hammersmith Apollo (My first gigs were there so I have good memories of the venue).
3. Shepherd's Bush Empire (Great size venue – not too big. 2000 people is just right).
4. Forum Kentish Town (Now the Astoria has closed they are getting all their gigs. HMV are giving the place a lick of paint now that they are part owners).
5. 100 Club (My favourite small venue, being a punk rocker at heart. I was actually at the infamous Sex Pistols gig in 1976. Everybody claims to have been there but I can prove it. There's a picture of me up on the wall staring at Steve Jones. I was 17 years old. 'God Save The Queen' was released on my 18th Birthday).

Rays personal recommendations for Summer 2009:
Super Week in July

There's one amazing week in July where you have two nights of Madonna at the 02 Arena, two days later it's Michael Jackson at the same venue. Then Oasis play Wembley Stadium two days later.

Mott The Hoople - Hammersmith Apollo

Classic rock band. A huge influence on David Bowie and a host of new bands.

Best new band

The Jim Jones Review played Madam Jo Jo's in Soho a Month ago. They have Little Richard/Jerry Lee Lewis-style pounding keyboards and an up-tempo garage rock sound. Think the White Stripes meets MC5 and Rocket From the Crypt. They are firming up dates in the next few months.

For details of all gigs go to woZZon.com
Links: Raysgigs.com
For more on Raygigs, go to the BBC News Website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/7741457.stm