M3P - User contributions [en]

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-21T10:48:14Z

Chasing Pandora:

'''Chasing Pandora''' are a band from Gozo.

''‘This is what popular music should sound like !’'' Classic Rock Magazine comments on Chasing Pandora’s new album ''‘The Driver and the Dancer’''. An invite from BBC Radio 2 to perform a live session on Janice Long, ‘Featured Artist’ on BBC Radio 2 ‘Good Morning Sunday’ a wonderful live review from the UK’s Independent newspaper for their concert at The Roundhouse – London, being chosen to perform at NXNE in Toronto, no wonder people are asking, who are Chasing Pandora ? Well for this hard working band from Malta it’s about time !

Since the release of their ‘ground breaking’ – The Times - album ''‘Mocking The Mockingbird’'' Chasing Pandora have built up a solid following, performing to thousands in Malta and at key London venues over the last year and half, Melissa’s lyrics have been likened to Leonard Cohen, Tori Amos and PJ Harvey, Keith Anthony praised for his beautiful poignant melodies by all UK Music press. Since their beginning as a singer/songwriting duo they have evolved into a band with the addition of writing partner Ismael Azzopardi on Keyboards, Simon Vella on Violin and Dru Mayer on Percussion.

== Member Biographies ==

[[Melissa Portelli]]

[[Keith Anthony]]

[[Ismael Azzopardi]]

[[Simon Vella]]

[[Dru Mayer]]

== Music ==

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J415qkGrQtc Watch the music video for our new single 'People']

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cga54ltSm-c Watch the music video for our hit single 'Memories']

== Management ==

Chasing Pandora are managed by Tickety-boo.

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]
<nowiki></nowiki>

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-21T10:47:50Z

Chasing Pandora:

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-21T10:47:31Z

Chasing Pandora:

'''Chasing Pandora''' are a band from Gozo.
''
‘This is what popular music should sound like !’'' Classic Rock Magazine comments on Chasing Pandora’s new album ''‘The Driver and the Dancer’''. An invite from BBC Radio 2 to perform a live session on Janice Long, ‘Featured Artist’ on BBC Radio 2 ‘Good Morning Sunday’ a wonderful live review from the UK’s Independent newspaper for their concert at The Roundhouse – London, being chosen to perform at NXNE in Toronto, no wonder people are asking, who are Chasing Pandora ? Well for this hard working band from Malta it’s about time !

Since the release of their ‘ground breaking’ – The Times - album ''‘Mocking The Mockingbird’'' Chasing Pandora have built up a solid following, performing to thousands in Malta and at key London venues over the last year and half, Melissa’s lyrics have been likened to Leonard Cohen, Tori Amos and PJ Harvey, Keith Anthony praised for his beautiful poignant melodies by all UK Music press. Since their beginning as a singer/songwriting duo they have evolved into a band with the addition of writing partner Ismael Azzopardi on Keyboards, Simon Vella on Violin and Dru Mayer on Percussion.

== Member Biographies ==

[[Melissa Portelli]]

[[Keith Anthony]]

[[Ismael Azzopardi]]

[[Simon Vella]]

[[Dru Mayer]]

== Music ==

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J415qkGrQtc Watch the music video for our new single 'People']

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cga54ltSm-c Watch the music video for our hit single 'Memories']

== Management ==

Chasing Pandora are managed by Tickety-boo.

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]
<nowiki></nowiki>

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-21T10:39:42Z

Chasing Pandora:

'''Chasing Pandora''' are a band from Gozo.

== Member Biographies ==

[[Melissa Portelli]]

[[Keith Anthony]]

[[Ismael Azzopardi]]

[[Simon Vella]]

[[Dru Mayer]]

== Music ==

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J415qkGrQtc Watch the music video for our new single 'People']

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cga54ltSm-c Watch the music video for our hit single 'Memories']

== Management ==

Chasing Pandora are managed by Tickety-boo.

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]
<nowiki></nowiki>

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-21T10:32:12Z

Chasing Pandora:

'''Chasing Pandora''' are a band from Gozo.

== Member Biographies ==

[[Melissa Portelli]]

[[Keith Anthony]]

[[Ismael Azzopardi]]

[[Simon Vella]]

[[Dru Mayer]]

== Management ==

Chasing Pandora are managed by Tickety-boo.

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]
<nowiki></nowiki>

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-21T10:31:42Z

Chasing Pandora:

Simon Vella

2011-01-21T10:30:53Z

Chasing Pandora: Created page with ' == Simon's Bio == Background : Born in a family of 5 (I'm the youngest) in Mellieha.....a very musical family - everyone plays some kind of instrument but I'm the only violin…'

== Simon's Bio ==

Background :

Born in a family of 5 (I'm the youngest) in Mellieha.....a very musical family - everyone plays some kind of instrument but I'm the only violinist. Started playing the violin at the age of 5. Was actually going to start learning the guitar (as my father is a guitarist), but I heard a violinist playing with a church folk group my dad leads and I decided there and then I wanted to start playing the violin ( I don't know the exact reason why though). At 8 I also started playing the keyboards, but it always remained as my "second" instrument.....At 7 I started playing in this church folk group and at 8 I started playing in hotels with my dad....playing in hotels taught me a lot about improvising and playing by ear..things which I still use a lot now and have hopefully got much better at. I kept on studying classical music till I was 17 and got my diplomas. Played with a number of orchestras but eventually decided not to focus that much on classical music any more. I also studied jazz improvisation.....eventually I started getting interested in composition and particularly in electronic music production. I eventually graduated @ university in Computer Science so using software / hardware technologies with music is one of my main interests.

Musical Tastes / Influences :

I'm really not attached to any particular styles. As long as a song can transmit a genuine feeling to me, it doesn't matter the style. Artists I get insipiration from vary from electronic music greats (Enigma, Faithless, Moby) to Jazz artists ( Jean Luc Ponti, Regina Carter, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones). Currently my favourite violinist is Alex Depue. Other artists I enjoy listening to include Sting, Santana and Muse. I also enjoy musicals and some neo-classical music - with one of my favorite composers being Ennio Morricone.

Other Bands :

Since I was quite young I used to play as a session violinist with various bands around Malta. So I did a number of live and recording sessions with various bands ranging in styles from dance music to hip-hop / RnB to rock. I was also the co-founder of Sixth Simfoni - a classical / hip-hop fusion band. I spent some time playing in a jazz / folk fusion group called Quadrophonic and a number of years playing with a "conventional" jazz band. I still do a good number of sessions with acoustic rock groups, jazz bands as well as with DJs in clubs. Since I was 16 I also work on solo material in which I try and blend violin compositions which can range from simple melodies to more technical pieces with electronic beats and soundscapes - I've released 2 solo albums.

Childhood Dreams :

As cliche as it might sound, music was always my main goal in life. It was the one thing which helped me grow up and make me gain confidence in what I can do. While growing up I wasn't always proud of being a violinist ( let's put it this way - a guitarist or drummer playing rock music would always look cooler than me always carrying my violin behind my back). I even found ways of carrying the violin in strange ways so I would not make it obvious that I'm actually carrying a violin! However I always had that drive inside me to go on stage and perform. It's strange, but it felt like I was almost afraid to show anyone I played the violin until I stepped on stage. When on stage - whether in a small bar, hotel, school activity, classical concert and so on - I always felt at ease and felt the drive to actually transmit something to whoever is listening to me.

However, I was always thought that I should have a "backup plan". And that's why I never actually did music full-time while I was studying, although I actually spent A LOT of time on it. There were times when I thought that I should stop all my studies and concentrate on music but for various reasons I never did that. As I grew up I actually started to appreciate this mentality much more. While I respect and totally admire musicians that dedicate their whole life to music, I feel that having "another" life apart from the music life gives me even more drive to do music. People who know me say that I do two full-time jobs, one of them being music. Of course a lot of time-management and sacrifices are needed, but in a way I feel I'm privileged to be able to do this so I don't complain.

Deep Dark Terrible Secrets :

Not so deep dark and terrible. I have this habit of getting paranoid about anything that can go wrong with my instruments / equipment before going on stage. I don't really worry that much about what I'll be playing, but I'm always thinking about what I'd do if one of the violin strings goes bust (in fact I always have some sort of spare violin close to me on stage!), if my effects box doesn't work and so on. Before I go on stage I always need a few minutes for myself to make sure everything is set up properly, to stretch my fingers, take some deep breaths and so on.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in people I meet every day. Deep down I always analyze people I meet - their personality, character and way of dealing with simple situations in life. And I always try and learn something from them - as tiny as it is.
I also find inspiration in negative experiences in life, especially when it comes to being a musician - struggles, betrayals, people promising much and delivering nothing etc. Such situations help to build that right amount of "anger" that is needed to drive you on in life.
I love travelling and that also helps a lot when it comes to inspiration.
But at the end of the day my main inspiration is the inner feeling of wanting to express myself through music.

Ismael Azzopardi

2011-01-21T10:29:11Z

Chasing Pandora:

== Izzy's Bio ==

I was born in Xewkija and at an early age I used to go on our old electric keyboard on which my older brother used to practice and I’d spend hours playing. Some years later I was sent to a music school in Sannat where I got to learn music properly. After some years I couldn’t find a reason why I should keep playing when all I could do was practice those boring piano exercises over and over again, and for what? I stopped playing for about a year and all I did was listen to Beatles, Creedance Clear Water Revival, Thin Lizzy, The Who, Uriah Heep and such on my dad’s cassettes till they didn’t work any more. I felt empty, uninspired and unmotivated to play until one day I got my first keyboard that we swapped for our classic piano and this changed everything. I started playing the Sunday mass at our local church and this gave me another perspective of being a musician that is being in a band and I really started enjoying what I did.

As years went by I began playing with friends; I had quite a lot of bands that never made it out of my garage. My friends and I were always into rock’n’roll and metal but I also started listening to many different types of genres. Meanwhile, I had already started playing in restaurants and hotels as a part time job and eventually also ended up playing with my dad’s band.

One day Keith called me to play with ‘Mel and Keith’ for a couple of gigs; I had met Keith some time before and I really can’t recall how. Anyway, after 5 years of playing a bit more than a couple of gigs with them, here I am. An official member of Chasing Pandora, I never saw that coming.

I always had a thing for dark music and clothes, it reminds me of dark days I might have had as a child/teenager, but it also makes me feel peaceful at the same time. Occasionally I put black nail polish on only because I like it and think it’s cool though and yes only black nail polish :) I think that my biggest idol is Canadian musician and record producer Devin Townsend whom I admire for his unique music in which there’s much more to it then just metal.

I dreamt for years to have a band where we could write our own music and tour around the world to play our own material for the crowds. So Chasing Pandora is a dream come true because I get the chance to write my own music for people in my country and also other countries to listen! How cool is that? Although it’s not metal, I enjoy every bit of it and feel lucky that I can write with people like Mel and Keith. Despite the different music tastes we have I think that we mesh together pretty well and believe we can take Chasing Pandora up to another level also with the help of our latest addition, Simon.

Ismael Azzopardi

2011-01-21T10:27:49Z

Chasing Pandora: Created page with 'I was born in Xewkija and at an early age I used to go on our old electric keyboard on which my older brother used to practice and I’d spend hours playing. Some years later I w…'

I was born in Xewkija and at an early age I used to go on our old electric keyboard on which my older brother used to practice and I’d spend hours playing. Some years later I was sent to a music school in Sannat where I got to learn music properly. After some years I couldn’t find a reason why I should keep playing when all I could do was practice those boring piano exercises over and over again, and for what? I stopped playing for about a year and all I did was listen to Beatles, Creedance Clear Water Revival, Thin Lizzy, The Who, Uriah Heep and such on my dad’s cassettes till they didn’t work any more. I felt empty, uninspired and unmotivated to play until one day I got my first keyboard that we swapped for our classic piano and this changed everything. I started playing the Sunday mass at our local church and this gave me another perspective of being a musician that is being in a band and I really started enjoying what I did.

As years went by I began playing with friends; I had quite a lot of bands that never made it out of my garage. My friends and I were always into rock’n’roll and metal but I also started listening to many different types of genres. Meanwhile, I had already started playing in restaurants and hotels as a part time job and eventually also ended up playing with my dad’s band.

One day Keith called me to play with ‘Mel and Keith’ for a couple of gigs; I had met Keith some time before and I really can’t recall how. Anyway, after 5 years of playing a bit more than a couple of gigs with them, here I am. An official member of Chasing Pandora, I never saw that coming.

I always had a thing for dark music and clothes, it reminds me of dark days I might have had as a child/teenager, but it also makes me feel peaceful at the same time. Occasionally I put black nail polish on only because I like it and think it’s cool though and yes only black nail polish  I think that my biggest idol is Canadian musician and record producer Devin Townsend whom I admire for his unique music in which there’s much more to it then just metal.

I dreamt for years to have a band where we could write our own music and tour around the world to play our own material for the crowds. So Chasing Pandora is a dream come true because I get the chance to write my own music for people in my country and also other countries to listen! How cool is that? Although it’s not metal, I enjoy every bit of it and feel lucky that I can write with people like Mel and Keith. Despite the different music tastes we have I think that we mesh together pretty well and believe we can take Chasing Pandora up to another level also with the help of our latest addition, Simon.

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-21T10:17:25Z

Chasing Pandora:

'''Chasing Pandora''' are a band from Gozo.

== Member Biographies ==

[[Melissa Portelli]]

[[Keith Anthony]]

[[Ismael Azzopardi]]

[[Simon Vella]]

[[Dru Mayer]]

== Management ==

Chasing Pandora are managed by Tickety-boo.

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]
<math>Insert formula here</math>

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]
<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki>

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-21T10:16:52Z

Chasing Pandora:

'''Chasing Pandora''' are a band from Gozo.

== Member Biographies ==

[[Melissa Portelli]]

[[Keith Anthony]]

[[Ismael Azzopardi]]

[[Simon Vella]]

== Management ==

Chasing Pandora are managed by Tickety-boo.

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]
<math>Insert formula here</math>

[[Category:A-Z of the Malta Music Scene]]

[[Category:Musical groups from Malta]]
<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki>

Keith Anthony

2011-01-14T11:30:15Z

Chasing Pandora: /* Keith's Biog */

== Keith's Bio ==

When I was 8 years old I thought to myself; Why the hell should I play this piece of crap when all it does is hurt my fingers and buzz?

The guitar leaned in the corner of my room collecting dust.

Every day Id hear Led Zeppelin and Peter Gabriel blaring on my fathers stereo and I thought; I wanna play like that I want to be a rock star.

Its been 12 years since I started playing and every step of the way has been exhilarating. Music is my drug, it possesses me, thrills me and sometimes it feels as if it just might kill me. My emotions are amplified a thousand fold, and playing transports me to a place where hours become minutes - it affects me in ways that I just cant explain.

My inspiration comes from many artists.

I started listening to Bob Dylan for his lyrics, Crosby Stills and Nash for their harmonies and Jeff Buckley for his exceptional songwriting and voice. Now I listen to every genre and learn something new every day.

I have learned from the numerous musicians that I have worked with, every one of whom I thank deeply.

I am thrilled to be part of Chasing Pandora. I have known Mel for many years - we hung out together as teens and got hammered most weekends. Id play the guitar while she screamed at the top of her lungs but I never knew she had such a unique and beautiful voice until we started writing together. We discovered that there was extraordinary chemistry between us, and we wrote loads of songs in just a few weeks. The tunes just kept on coming and we both felt that there was something very special happening. I have been in many bands, all of which I have enjoyed immensely, but this is different!

I hope that our music conveys the emotion and excitement that we both felt when it was being created.

Keith Anthony

2011-01-14T11:27:45Z

Chasing Pandora: Created page with ' == Keith's Biog == When I was 8 years old I thought to myself; Why the hell should I play this piece of crap when all it does is hurt my fingers and buzz? The guitar leaned i…'

== Keith's Biog ==

When I was 8 years old I thought to myself; Why the hell should I play this piece of crap when all it does is hurt my fingers and buzz?

The guitar leaned in the corner of my room collecting dust.

Every day Id hear Led Zeppelin and Peter Gabriel blaring on my fathers stereo and I thought; I wanna play like that I want to be a rock star.

Its been 12 years since I started playing and every step of the way has been exhilarating. Music is my drug, it possesses me, thrills me and sometimes it feels as if it just might kill me. My emotions are amplified a thousand fold, and playing transports me to a place where hours become minutes - it affects me in ways that I just cant explain.

My inspiration comes from many artists.

I started listening to Bob Dylan for his lyrics, Crosby Stills and Nash for their harmonies and Jeff Buckley for his exceptional songwriting and voice. Now I listen to every genre and learn something new every day.

I have learned from the numerous musicians that I have worked with, every one of whom I thank deeply.

I am thrilled to be part of Chasing Pandora. I have known Mel for many years - we hung out together as teens and got hammered most weekends. Id play the guitar while she screamed at the top of her lungs but I never knew she had such a unique and beautiful voice until we started writing together. We discovered that there was extraordinary chemistry between us, and we wrote loads of songs in just a few weeks. The tunes just kept on coming and we both felt that there was something very special happening. I have been in many bands, all of which I have enjoyed immensely, but this is different!

I hope that our music conveys the emotion and excitement that we both felt when it was being created.

Melissa Portelli

2011-01-14T11:26:31Z

Chasing Pandora: Created page with '== Melissa's Bio == Its surreal. I actually have a recording of some of my own compositions thats something I wouldnt have bet on in a thousand years. What were the chances of …'

== Melissa's Bio ==

Its surreal. I actually have a recording of some of my own compositions thats something I wouldnt have bet on in a thousand years. What were the chances of that happening to a secretary living in the small Mediterranean island of Gozo?

As a kid I loved singing and had always written poetry and short stories and when I started listening to Nirvana, I realized that I wanted to become a lyricist. I bought myself a shit load of diaries, and filled them with thoughts and pieces of poetry. Writing was a way of coping with my teenage confusion and helped me express my feelings in a kind of rebellious but straightforward way.

After my teenage angst had run dry my world stopped.

I went through a horrific life changing experience The brutal murder of my 27-year-old brother - which sent me on a downward spiral of confusion and anger. I crawled inside myself to suppress the hurt. I hated the world and couldnt believe that my family had to go through such a tragedy. Grief overpowered me. My life was a void with no meaning and I could no longer put my feelings into words, I no longer felt that I knew who I was. Eventually, I resorted to drinking to avoid dealing with unresolved grief and became quiet numb.

Music was my redeemer. It took me to a very private place in my soul where I found comfort, and it played a very significant role in mending the broken person that I had become. Although I chose dark, aggressive music to listen to at that time it had helped me return to my true love poetry.

Alone, pen and paper in hand. I dealt with the stabbing emotional pain - writing was my way of praying. I weathered the storm, the sun came out and eventually I found my way back right to where I had left off.

Just as I was rising from this very low time in my life it changed yet again when my boss Steve heard me singing in the office. At that time he was setting up a home recording studio with the help of Keith, a friend of mine who played electric guitar in a local band. Steve had suggested to Keith that he compose something on acoustic guitar and was so pleased with the result that he asked me to write a lyric and melody for the recording. Not only was it an exciting and liberating experience, but it was also the creative outlet that I had always yearned for.

Keith is a brilliant songwriter and his unique way of playing makes his compositions very distinctive. The sensitivity and soul in his music is what makes our songs what they are. I feel really honored to be his writing partner.

Together we are Chasing Pandora.

I really dont know where this will take us. My hope is that maybe someone will find refuge and inspiration in our songs in the same way that music helped and sustained me when I needed it most.

This is my story one of personal tragedy, overcoming fears and above all learning to let go.

Nightmares may sometimes be real but dreams can definitely come true.

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-14T11:25:06Z

Chasing Pandora:

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-14T11:18:52Z

Chasing Pandora:

'''Chasing Pandora''' are a band from Gozo.

== Members ==

[[Melissa Portelli]]

[[Keith Anthony]]

[[Ismael Azzopardi]]

[[Simon Vella]]

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-14T11:10:41Z

Chasing Pandora:

'''Chasing Pandora''' are a band from Gozo

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-14T11:08:35Z

Chasing Pandora:

Chasing Pandora are a band from Gozo

----

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-14T11:07:17Z

Chasing Pandora:

Chasing Pandora are a band from Gozo

[http://www.chasingpandora.com Official Website]

[http://www.myspace.com/chasingpandora Visit Chasing Pandora on Myspace]

Chasing Pandora

2011-01-14T11:04:20Z

Chasing Pandora: Created page with 'Chasing Pandora are a band from Gozo'

Chasing Pandora are a band from Gozo