So 2013 is behind us and we are now 15 days into 2014. Just before the end of the year we asked you for some of your XMR highlights and boy did you lot deliver!
Ester Sellitti, Seeing To Kill A King in Milan, Italy.
To Kill A King live in Milan, Italy 23-11-12. Hi, I'm Ester and I made a collage about that amazing night! I'm the first one who has thrown a bra on the stage for them! There is also the photo of the banner that I made quoting the song "Funeral". I get the setlist and after the gig I met Ralph, Grant and Taffel. The best night ever! I hope they will return in Italy soon!
Jessica Sharratt, Taking Part in a Frank Turner video
I had the pleasure of taking part in the Losing Days video in June. A bunch of tattooed Frank Turner fans got to do it. An interesting day, a chance to meet Frank and a chance to see him play a 4 song solo set to about 20 people. Have attached a few photos.
Lauren C, To Kill A King playing their Halloween show in full costume!
Dan Bell, South Sea Festival:
My Extra Mile highlight of this year was the Southsea Festival on the 14th September. I spent all my day at the extra mile stage. I had a storming day seeing lots of my favourite acts including Oxygen Thief, The Respective Soundtrack Players, Ben Marwood and crowned it all off with Beans on Toast . I manage to catch up with Barry out of Oxygen Thief who was in fine spirits and meet Ben Marwood. Ben Marwood was a such a gentlemen and managed to engage with the crowd well.
Daniel Rees, Beans on Toast at Clwb Ifor Bach
Jay had forgotten the words to MDMAmazing and asked for help from the crowd. After one failed attempt from a rather drunk chap who didn't know the words, I took over and got to sing the rest of the song with Jay. It didn't matter that i'm a terrible singer, it was my 2013 highlight!!
Laura Pain, To Kill A King wearing Xtra Mile T-shirts at Reading festival, swigging red wine from the bottle whilst informing the growing crowd of the recent signing...
Susan Paterson, Meeting Frank Turner
We met Frank! Took our youngest daughter Lucy (aged 11) to her first ever gig in April to see Frank at the O2 Glasgow. Had the pleasure of meeting him afterwards. Our oldest daughter is also a huge fan.
Here's to 2014 and another great year for XMR.
Lauren Evans, Xtra Mile 2000Trees Takeover
That half a week was the best part of 2013. On the Xtra Mile takeover day I stayed against the barrier of the main stage from around mid-day till on the evening when frank was on, keep in mind it was the hottest day of the year and I forgot sun cream:'( it killed me for a week straight. But yeah, best day ever. Oh yeah, and we camped on the camp turner camp and Frank was on his way to the greenhouse stage, he just strolled past aha. Got a picture, bless him he's lovely. Overall, 2000 Trees has the greatest atmosphere and literally everyone on the Xtra Mile record label were amazing, especially Frank and Jim Lockey.
Jake Sproston, Cut The Transmission Festival
My personal highlight was Cut The Transmission festival in September hosted in Derry. the experience was amazing saw some great bands from future of the left, Jim Lockey, as I watch you from afar and of course frank turner which was the first time I have seen him and loved it,it was also quite sad to say goodbye to fighting with wire but I wish the lads all the best for the future. I am still buzzing from that weekend and its been over three months since it has past. I met some amazing people that weekend who I am still in touch with and still good friends with them all.
Hindi Kornbluth, Ben Marwood in the US of A
I think the true highlight of my year, though, was seeing Ben Marwood perform at his first ever US show in Poughkeepsie, New York. I’ve been a fan of Ben’s music for almost two years now, so traveling to see him open for Frank Turner in July was a no-brainer. I ended up going to three shows on that tour, and it was the coolest thing, watching Ben transform a crowd of disinterested concert attendees into a mob of fans, shouting along with the chorus of “Singalong.” On the first night in Poughkeepsie, as I was leaving the pit I heard no less than five people say “That guy was great. Did you catch his name?” I ran over and practically screamed “BEN MARWOOD! That’s B-e-n-space-M-a-r…” I have since been to Frank Turner concerts where people in the crowd turned to each other to ask if they were at the July tour, and did they remember that amazing singer who opened the show?
Christine Randall, The arrival of Tape Deck Heart
My son Joe is seven, he was five when he really got into Frank Turner. His dad is English and started listening to FT pretty heavily a couple of years ago, Joe caught the bug and soon was a big FT fan. I took this video on Xmas eve 2012 and sent it to Frank:
He replied, thanking us and wishing us a happy new year, Joe was thrilled.
Joe was promised at the start of the year that if FT played a show in or near Columbus OH in 2013 then he could definitely go to at least one show. As it turned out, he saw 4 shows in 3 states plus a Radio appearance. Here is that tale:
Tape Deck Heart came out in April, I had pre ordered it so Joe was looking forward to its arrival:
A Show highlight from Detroit - Shortly before Frank came on, I took Joe up to the front, and as before, the crowd was considerate and gave us way. I got us front and center and I stood behind Joe with my arms on the barrier on either side of him. I was getting battered but I managed to keep him isolated and safe. After the second song, Frank looked down at us and said, “Wow, you’re brave! Do you want to come up on stage?” OF COURSE! Security helped us up and Frank told me he’d probably bring Joe out later to do a song. I said that would be fine, he knows them all. We went to the side of the stage and someone gave us bottles of water – can you imagine the excitement?!?! Joe and I were both in heaven, singing and dancing like crazy.
Valerie Gritsch, Xtra Mile sweethearts
In August I went to England for two weeks. I got to catch up a little with Jay Beans On Toast when I ran into him at the Monarch and meet the eternally lovely Chris T-T at a Folk In A Box gig. I also saw Frank Turner play at the Hatfield Forum and the famous Reading Festival - what an introduction he had there, rolling out like Kurt Cobain and then rocking faces off! However cool that was though, it didn't compare to a show called ValFest which amazingly was named after me. At this gig I got to meet and finally see live Xtra Mile sweethearts The Retrospective Soundtrack Players and Oxygen Thief, along with seeing Ben Marwood again. It was such an incredible evening in a Bristol pub called The Mother's Ruin, and the best part was the last song of the night. Oxygen Thief played my favorite song of his "All Done Bye Bye", by request, and was joined by Ben at the end of it.
That night was probably the best night of my entire year, but that one performance from Barry and Ben - that's the top highlight of 2013 for me.