- Live Reviews
A fine bill has been laid on tonight by local promoters ‘Crushing Death & Grief Fuzzy Lights offshoot ‘Violet Woods’ get the evening off to a sparkling start with lovely tunes and jangly sonic guitars.
I watched the BBC4 Prog Britannia TV show at the weekend and it talked about the
Next up, the quite original ‘The Doomed Bird of Providence’ fronted by the larger than life Australian Mark Kluzek - a “non-accordion player”, who played the accordion and sang fervently on cold dark tales of woe from the debut album ‘Will Ever Pray’
Apparently the band, who were in a six piece mode last night, have the support of BBC 6Music’s Tom Ravenscroft and you would think, a pretty decent future in front of them. A great live set.
Last up and the night’s headliners are
Based in
With the songs sung via two mics simultaneously, the music become all the more layered and doom laden (in a nice way). This is an exceptional outfit, and quite why they are not up there with the recognition of say an Editors, Glasvegas or Foals is beyond me after three albums.
There, I got through the
The ticket price for this gig was £5, and the small venue was only 50% full. It really is worth going out on a Sunday night!
Pete
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SPRING 2012 tour
25th March:
26th March:
27th March:
28th March: Preston, The Continental
29th March: Lancaster, Yorkshire House
30th March: Glossop, The Oakwood
31st March: Wigan, The Tudor
1st April:
- Live Reviews
In the run up to The Shins' Forum gigs, a little battle was brewing amongst friends - which of the Shins' albums is their classic?
My vote, quite passionately expressed, was for Oh, Inverted World, the original, the best in my view, and the one with the song that will change your life, according to the film
But based on Friday night's performance it turns out I might have been wrong. Because the highlights of the night, standing out above even the fragile beauty of New Slang, came from the Shins' third album ‘Wincing the Night Away’.
Sleeping Lessons was the stand out track by a million miles. Despite having listened to the album hundreds of times, I'm not sure I'd ever really heard this song. "If the old guards still offend, they’ve got nothing left on which you depend", "You don't have to swallow anything you despise"? Pick your issue - these are fighting words for our times.
In fact, the whole performance brought a new passion to old songs. The new band members were enthused, energetic and clearly delighted to be performing for us. James Mercer looked the same, but he seemed relaxed and confident in the company of his new colleagues. New songs such as Simple Song and the title track of the new
There was nothing not to like about this gig, however, just varying levels of pleasure and enjoyment. There was a lot of talk before this tour about whether James Mercer had made a mistake in replacing his original band. Tonight he proved that new blood brings extra freshness and life to already excellent material. With their tequila shots, crazy hair, and enthusiasm, it felt a little like discovering the next big thing. Or even better, the next big thing who already have four albums to argue over.
Wonderful.
Louise Neilan
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- Live Reviews
A night out for us UK-based SXSW drop-outs, who really wanted to be in
Rob St John was the support. I thought he really showed promise, with some great support from his two band members. Seemingly in the territory of Low, but most closely aligned with Mark Kozalek/Red House Painters - who when talking to a member of the band after the show, he had never heard of, so there you go! Potentially a lo-fi gem.
Tall Firs are on their third record, but the first released via ATP. On the new record called ‘Out of it, Into it’, the harmonies and songs are delightfully intense and gentle in equal measure. Live, the songs take on a rawer edge. At times they sound a little REM or Bruce Springsteen, at others more like Kings of Convenience. Often the difference in style depends on which of the two friends has taken on the ‘lead singer’ role – something they change throughout the set. What is consistent, however, is the great friendship that Dave Mies and Aaron Mullen have going – they’re very relaxed together and they have the straight and funny guy routine off pat!
The only complaints of the evening are the incompatibility between a seated band and a low stage (meaning we could see almost nothing of the guys and their guitars), and the rude audience members who clearly had no intention of listening, and chatted throughout.
But the band are clearly delighted to be part of the ATP crowd and are enjoying being on the road and chatting to fans. The new record was pretty much covered during the hour long set and comes highly recommended for your 2012 album collection.
Lovely evening.
Pete & Lou
Rob St John’s album Weald is available on Toad Records
Tall Firs – Out of It, Into It is available via ATP Records
Our review of the album
- Live Reviews
Although, I have known the album cover of 'In the Aeroplane over the Sea' for many years, from the bargain bins, I only brought it for I guess £5 a couple of years ago. The early tales of Nineties first love, angst and wild landscape sonic guitars passed be by at the time but, I can appreciate them now in a cinematic way, where you go to watch a movie about a past time at the Picture House I guess. I then discovered ‘On Avery Island’ and both records are regulars on any road trips.
The Union Chapel was a warm place tonight with the heaters blazing and the place pretty much full by the time The Music Tapes took to the stage. Julian Koster like Jeff, an erstwhile member of Netural Milk Hotel is the front man of tonight’s 3 piece (Laura Carter appeared with the band during Jeff’s set).
The band are a whirlwind of sound and visual attention grabbing impact along the lines of say, a Devotchka or A Hawk & A Hacksaw. Eastern European stories and sounds predominate. Julian’s favourite instruments seem to be a Banjo played with a bow and a Saw, again played with a bow. Great fun but any commercial success must be limited.
- Live Reviews
Oh Come, All Ye Faithful
Tuesday night at chapel and there's a different kind of reverence going on between the stone pillars near Highbury Corner.
From the altar, one man and his many guitars had this
In this case, it's important to mention place. The Union Chapel is an understandably and increasingly popular venue. It seems there isn’t a singer or a band that doesn't want to play here these days. They usually stand, gaze around and go "Wow!"
I've seen a few of what you might call top gigs here. And some utter rubbish too. This venue itself, splendid as it is, cannot make a gig. At worst, it can be unforgiving: mid-January, with a boney backside on a sub-zero pew, and - no criticism, it is a place of prayer - you're not even allowed a wee dram inside. So supping coffee and watching Mangum was fine, but something stronger might've softened the relative blandness of others on this same stage (yes, Gutter Twins).
- Live Reviews
It’s back to our favourite venue of the moment, the Junction
The audience is made up of a mix of LC devotees and people (like myself) who have just never got around to seeing him live before. Lloyd did make a comment half way through, thanking partners of twosomes for coming along supporting their loved one, as it very rare in a partnership that he finds both people liking his music.
Still best known as singer/songwriter of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (1984 to 1989) he remains without doubt a marvellous performer who has a crisp clear 50 something voice which delivers the stories of the songs very effectively. Self effacing he plays a crowd pleasing set reaching through a vast back catalogue and new songs too boot, all of which, are covered over two, one hour sets.
Most of his chat centres around his accommodation for the night which is, the brand named hotel next to the venue, which still remains best outlined by John Grant’s introduction to his song ‘Where Dreams Go to Die’, Much I think in the thoughts of LC.
So a very pleasant intimate gig with a charming troubadour.
Pete
- Live Reviews
The CB2 cafe is a special place for gigs and really is the closest to the Glastonbury Green field’s tent experience you can get indoors. Scatted cushions all over the floor of the basement venue, tiny stage and fifty people and the place is packed. Good food / beer / wines and a very pleasant crowd, the evening is set.
Greg McDonald and Gemma Gaynor (She was battered and bruised from falling off her bike earlier in the week) put on a delightful set of folk tunes. A debut record from the pair is currently being recorded with the guy’s from Slow of Hands, in the West Country.
Next up was Ethan Ash. A jolly fellow with a great collection of songs. I guess you would say pretty much in the Ed Sheeran mode and from the look of his hand-outs a master of social networking. Boundless energy and free jelly babies for the audience, he was well received.
- Live Reviews
They know what love is .....
IN THE centre of the obtuse triangle that has pointy bits called Bob Dylan and Mr Mister and New Order – this is a Bermuda-sized triangle – there was an unimagined wasteland. It is now filled by the majestic and stomping beauty that is The War On Drugs.
If TWOD had employed Ladyhawke on a second keyboard,
TWOD are so enjoyable it's hard to be critical. Within the opening few minutes they go all Tom Petty meets Supertramp - the sound is wondrous. People smile, people melt. But at around 10.45pm it starts to cloy a little.
Guitars rule with TWOD - not in the bucket-load Band of Horses style - but theirs is a jaw-achingly pleasing loudness and intricacy. The bassy backbone is firmly 70s and 80s electro-sensibility, but there’s special warmth, perhaps like a Floridian open-top road trip with Britney Spears covering The Eagles’ greatest hits.
- Live Reviews
The Leisure Society / Dan Michaelson -
Saturday night music starts off with Dan Michelson and the Coastguards (well Coastguard, ‘Horse’ as he's known in the band). Dan is a very talented songwriter, who plays in the band Absentee (currently “on a long lunch”) and well as producing a number of solo albums. Sudden Fiction is the latest gem.
Dan has a deep sing voice and when I say deep, let’s just say he makes Leonard Cohen sound like a soprano. The songs all carry emotion and require concentration so you do find yourself getting drawn in quite quickly. A sizeable and very quiet crowd listened intently for an all too short 30 minutes set.
This Leisure Society date should have been here last October but, a prestigious support slot on the Laura Marling tour meant the rearrangement. A Christmas show at the Barbican with a 30 piece Orchestra meant that the band are brimming with confidence on this tour.
- Live Reviews
A bitter Monday evening ... a church filled with half tramp / half hipster figures ... an absence of women is notable. Apparently this was a rendition of Ravedeath 1972 but I would have no idea, as have often tried to 'like' Hecker's output, but so far not persuaded. But a gig in a church is hard to refuse.
Lights out, hush, street lights through stained glass ... a slowly building cloud of vibrato pipe organ via a multitude of effects pedals (I guess) resulting in a quite beautiful undulating fuzzed up noisy mass ... for my liking the extended peaks of deep bass driven drones could have been even louder, but that would be straying into pure noise ... but then who doesn't like pure noise ...
'Too many notes ... ' on occasion in my opinion, but the majority of the 45 minutes or so of rising, swelling, falling, wheezing, distorted, maltreated organ sounds, with a little decay / echo in places were quite a joy. Not so sure those fans expecting his more ambient efforts would have appreciated the sometimes almost industrial evening. Certainly, an event if not, a concert.
Martin
- Live Reviews
We weren’t at the venue in time for Gil Karpas, but the main act, Ana Silvera, was highly anticipated, after high praise for her from the ‘Late Junction’ on BBC Radio 3. The small and intimate show, at the Cambridge Junction 2, featured Nick Mulvey (ex Portico Quartet) as the co-headliner.
With a wonderful voice - clear, clean and crisp - perhaps as a result of her teenage years performing with the English National Opera, classical training seemed to be evident in Ana’s performance.
Ana played keyboards and an occasional guitar, and was accompanied by another vocalist and a cello player. She varied throughout her fifty-minute set, starting with nervousness, then at points being rather too ‘high art’, but also bringing really touching moments into some of the songs.
Certainly when harmonising with her compatriot on stage, the vocals had added depth. Imogen Heap and perhaps Rachel Sage (with less flamboyance) would be a loose starting point sound wise. Some songs I thought were perhaps more suited to a stage show rather than a gig, but Ana certainly has musical talent. Upcoming dates with the Estonian Television Girls’ Choir and Imogen Heap should provide a perfect setting.
In February 2011, Ana wrote and performed a seven-part song cycle with the Roundhouse Experimental Choir and we were treated to a song from that, as well as her new record which is on the horizon. The debut album, 'The Aviary' is released on 12th March and it will, on reflection, be interesting to hear the studio versions of these very ‘wordy’ songs.
- Live Reviews
A cold wet and dark Monday night, but a trip to the bright lights of (The Cambridge)
In the (previously mentioned) lovely intimate Junction 2 venue, the evening kicks off with the return to
All of Darren’s songs have ’sing at the top of your voices’ sing-a-long lyrics and his fun interaction with the crowd means the night gets off to a great start.
A short gap and then it's the turn of King Creosote and Jon Hopkins to delivered a serious, powerful and sublime complete run though the album ‘Diamond Mind’. No talking from the stage or audience, the song are delivered with much grace and patience.
Being such a small venue you can hear every change in pitch as Kenny sings, every piano note played by Jon. As each song fades gently away, the audience is still to the very, very last note, so that they can capture every moment. Really, it’s just a stunning 30 minutes.
Once Diamond Mine is completed, the reverent spell is happily broken and the fun begins. A “muck around” though some ‘greatest hits’ over the next 45 minutes is superb. Much humorous banter between songs with on the road stories and more. A cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 'The Only Living Boy in New York' even appears during the set.
It’s like watching two separate concerts and the evening is rounded off with the affable threesome at the ‘Merch desk’ more than happy to chat with everyone.
Ahhh .. see .. Monday nights, can be special!
Pete
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