- Live Reviews
The wow factor.......
Magical. That's one way to describe Keaton Henson. This fragile troubadour is a spellbinding if reluctant stage presence.
The young Londoner is the antidote to some things that are frankly rubbish in modern day music and performance. Of course, his renowned stage fright is a sweet irony because he and his songs provide a romantic euphoria that gives hope for originality and flushes away the phoney.
On the radio, where I first heard Keaton Henson, you had to turn it right up. You could hear transmission static, even in this digital age, between his wispy verses and the sparse production.
Cynicism can make you question emotional rawness, but in the case of Keaton Henson it's a cynicism soon dispelled. The internet says Henson is 24-years-old, but his words and delivery display the maturity of a middle-aged 19th century poet.
With a reputation for not sticking around too long in a spotlight, the Emmanuel Centre gig is as much about our eyes as our ears. Six rows from the stage, we spy eyes with fears.
It's on the subjects of love and loss that Keaton Henson excels.
One thing you and I know about love is that my broken heart hurts more than yours. This is where Keaton Henson comes in. This seemingly stricken songwriter shares his pains in such a way that we may find collective solace from our individual heartbreak. Keaton Henson carries our weight for a while... all nine-stone-soaking-wet of him.
For about 75 minutes in Westminster, including an encore, Keaton Henson displays musicianship and a soulful-but-brittle vocal. Mostly plucking songs from this year's acclaimed 'Birthdays' album and his debut 'Dear', the audience is silently enthralled.
You could pick any of the verses he sang, but on stage this from ‘Small Hands’ was heart-wrenching for the withdrawn or simply exhausted emotion:
‘Please forget me, you were right dear,
I am cold and self-involved,
And though I'll miss you, recent lover
I am weak and therefore fold.’
- Live Reviews
The band members are older now. One short in number (Christine Mcvie, who appeared for the encore of ‘Don’t Stop’, to the biggest cheer of the night), the venues are still mega domes and the songs, well the songs are ingrained into our beings so deep, that perhaps any live renditions will always run the risk of falling short sometimes.
No support, lights dim at 8.20pm and the band kick off with an almost unrecognisable (from where we were sitting) ‘Second Hand News’. The sound was all over the place but settled more for ‘the Chain’ and found a balance on ‘Dreams’.
New arrangements (?) meant songs were either, barked out by Lindsey, abruptly finished, or dragged on to an indeterminate conclusion. The stunning ‘Gold Dust Woman’ was a case in point of the latter.
New song ‘Sad Angel’ from this year’s EP I thought was actually good, although it seems to get generally panned. 'Rhiannon', 'Tusk', 'Sara' along with others were nailed. ‘Landslide’ was rather awkwardly dedicated by Stevie Nicks to Peter Green, who was also in attendance last night she said.
The main set finished with a tremendous ‘Go Your Own Way’ when the crowd, who could not make their minds up whether to stand or sit all night, finally stood up in unison
- Live Reviews
What started as an event organized by Leeds College of Music to coincide with Freshers week, Sky Larkin, along with invited guests return to their hometown as part of a tour in support of excellent new album Motto, released just last week.
Now moved to the fabulous Brudenell, with four bands on the bill, at an unbelievable £4 entrance on the door (!), the details were actually removed from the Brudenell website such was the interest from the students from the college.
So, looking and feeling like someone from the audience's Dad, I took my place at the bar as Cardiff's RADSTEWART kicked off the night. 25 minutes of Pixies ish 3-minute spiky quiet loud quiet songs later and they were done. Promising stuff.
Next up were Cowtown, another Leeds band, who I confess I only saw their first song, before hearing the rest from the next-door bar. Again, enjoyable indie rock sounds.
So, just after 10pm, just about this reviewers limit for a school night gig, Sky Larkin took the stage with Leeds College alumnus Katie Harkin proving a dominant stage presence in front of her devoted followers and wannabes.
Performing as a 3 piece tonight, the band opened up with 'Still Windmills', first track from 2nd album Kaleide, much to the delight of the two 18 year olds standing next to me who sang every word.
As expected, the rest of the set was dominated by tracks from new and third album Motto which I suspect, being students, most of the audience had yet to hear.
- Live Reviews
I'm not a fanatic of Leonard Cohen, more a casual listener. Having been bowled over by his performance at Glastonbury a couple of years ago, (yikes just looked it up 2008) after a friend suggested going, I jumped at the chance (still owe her money for the tickets).
So arrived at Hallenstadion, Zurich, on time (in Switzerland bands start at the hour written on the tickets) and the first thing I noticed the stage was not piled high with Marshall amps ( Motorhead ) or a black backdrop (most acts). The back of the stage was draped in simple but plain white curtains that absorbed different coloured lighting throughout the evening, as the songs changed. This helped to give a more intimate feel to the evening, it reminded me of a similar style when Amy WInehouse performed at Shepherd's Bush .
Cohen opened with "Dance me to the end of Love" and that set the tone for the evening. Upbeat, professional, no messing around, pre-scripted (?) banter but musically sound and a pure joy.
The musicians are made up of professional world-class guitarists, violinist, and percussionists. For me the light tones of singers The Webb Sisters and Sharon Robertson were a perfect compliment to Cohen's deep rich cavernous voice. Cohen refers to The Webb Sisters as the "sublime" Webb Sisters throughout the show. You can check here for a full list of band members Here
Half time - quick glass of Prosecco and back to hear Cohen opened with second half with the "Tower of Song” one of my favorites. His voice goes so low at times throughout the songs that it ripples through your body up from the toes to top of the head, just like a Marshall Amp powered Bass guitar.
Sharon Roberston sang a beautiful song called "Alexandra Leaving" and then one by the Webb sisters, " If it be your will" , accompanied by one of them playing the harp, it was sublime. Hallelujah and I'm you your man sang to an appreciative but quiet Zurich crowd.
In all a great concert, we were given three hours of skillful entertainment. I think that it was a little pre-scripted at times and I felt a spark missing but I cannot fault the entertainment at all.
Just thinking if Leonard Cohen auditioned for X-Factor or the Voice, would he get through? I don't think so but this man possesses the X Factor and he has THE Voice.
Angela.
- Live Reviews
Remember 'I'm In Love with a German Film Star'? There are 80s covers and there are 80s covers, but few acts are peddling this gem of new wave/post-punk in an intimate live set.
Intimate, you ask? In this case, fewer than a hundred people in a candle-lit pub near Angel, in
Glaswegian four-piece (but two-piece tonight) The Lotus Project have been around a few years. You could call them art-house, an old-fashioned term used affectionately in this case and
Maybe they're nu-art, but they are not as Portishead-a-like as I was led to believe; they're more star-gazing than shoe-gazing. In 1981 The Passions had their only hit with that 'German film star' single. The Lotus Project's cover seems to be a clue for their roots.
The Lotus Project is likeable for many reasons. For starters, they share half a name with the Lotus Eaters, and there's that superb late 90s REM single about eating the Lotus.
The venue is 'The Islington', a five-minute walk from Angel, and a relative newcomer to the
This evening, with only the duo performing, instrumentation is a drum, some bells and an electric guitar.
- Live Reviews
Vic Galloway’s book launch was at Rough Trade East on Wednesday 7th August. The book is called 'Songs in the Key of Fife' and is the story of the amazing music emanating from
The evening got off to a very generous start when Vic invited everyone to share some bottles of Aberfeldy Single Malt. This generosity continued throughout the evening with the result that my fellow Rock Clubber Matt later declared “it was the best gig ever at Rough Trade”, before stumbling home with a grin on his face.
Vic read out some crazy stories about Gordon Anderson and The Beta Band before introducing Johnny Lynch (The Pictish Trail) who treated us to some of his songs.
A very interesting interview with Johnny followed and we heard about his musical heritage and his partnership with Kenny Anderson (King Creosote) in the running of that collective of musicians known as the Fence Collective. Sadly it appears that partnership is over and the future of the Fence Collective is now in doubt. So watch this space …….
Vic is a charismatic, engaging personality and the queue that formed at the end clutching their newly purchased copies of 'Songs in the Key of Fife' for his signature was testament to a successful evening.
We are all off to the Green Man Festival on Thursday and are looking forward to hearing Johnny perform there again with many other performances from the existing Fence Collective who will be there in force..
Ken
- Live Reviews
Atoms for Peace: The Roundhouse, 24-26 July 2013
Is that Bootsy Collins wearing a Thom Yorke suit?
'Supergroup' is an odd term though. It’s open to debate. The Travelling Wilburys? A supergroup by nature, but a supergroup? On stage, Atoms for Peace are a bona fide supergroup. Here is the frontman of arguably the most progressive of mega-rock groups. But because it's Thom Yorke this is a sideshow, at first glance. The evening does prove however, that it is just possible that this is a sideshow that could upstage the main act.
While Thom Yorke's Eraser project was largely a solo effort, Atoms is a far more distracting and thrilling proposition. Nigel Godrich is the ever-present. On stage, his emergence could be a reckoning moment for clever desk-bound producers everywhere. Not that his significance was ever in doubt.
This year's venture gives us a loosened Thom Yorke. He's making shapes and revelling in the fleshed-out funky beats that previously oozed from between the minor chords of Radiohead releases.
This is serious fun. Yorke appears to be in his element but, it's also an adventure rammed with mesmerising musicianship and infused endorphin thunderbolts.
- Live Reviews
Ethan Johns best know for his work as a producer for Ryan Adams. Laura Marling, Rufus Wainwright and Kings of Leon amongst others and son of world famous producer Glyns Johns, was in town last night but this time, with his singer/songwriter hat on.
This really was a very intimate show. Around forty to fifty seated patrons. House lights up all the way through and the nice studio like setting of the new and improved Portland Arms venue in
Seventy Five minutes just flew by. Songs mainly accompanied on acoustic and electric guitar “the piano was too big to fit in the van”. Ethan (a soon to be ex-smoker, as the conversations went during the evening) seemed very at ease as he ran through songs from his current album, next album, and some covers including, Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch, (with added Ryan Adams story as to how this could have been on ‘Heartbreaker album).
He did say towards the end of the show that his friend Laura Marling, being a woman of logic, has begun a trend: she doesn’t perform encores. So he doesn’t perform encores either.
Instead he just say’s this is the last song after which, he plays a cover from a album Ethan produced for Howard Eliott Payne (of the Stands), called Bright Light Ballads back in 2009 (for which studio time, Howard sold a vintage guitar he owned). This song actually closed the set, without him leaving the stage. All very civilised.
So, here’s looking forward to the next album which Ethan is recording shortly.
Pete
- Live Reviews
The engaging singer-songwriter, Annie Dressner from New York (now a resident of Cambridge) charmed our socks off with some lovely songs, to start the evening. She is playing the Green Man Festival in August so, if you are going, check her out.
Simone Felice made another welcome return to Cambridge with yet another band to play songs from last year's solo album, his Felice Brothers days, the Duke & the King era and towards the end of the set, an exuberant cover of Springsteen's 'Atlantic City' and Neil Young's 'Helpless'
Only one new (road) song, from the trio completed by, Matt Green on guitar and mandolin and Mountain John on bass during the set, with Simone rekindling the drummer in himself being behind the kit for most of the evening.
The songs have taken on a power trio vibe for this three week tour covering Ireland and the UK meaning that this show was then was a new variation of the same shows we have seen over the past eighteen months. New songs must now be the order of the day for Simone and band mates even though, this was still an electric performance and much enjoyed on a summer's evening in Cambridge.
Pete
- Live Reviews
‘This could be the last time’ … I guess we think that every time we go to see The Rolling Stones, as they get older, we get older and price of a ticket keeps climbing.
Today however, was a special day in
AEG have done a good job in revitalising the Hyde Park concert scene with their film set of a country village with two stages tucked away in tents as well as the bandstand. ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ festooned the main stage so I think the only issue was the usual 20-30 min. queue even for a bottle of water or a £5.50 pint!
First off, we braved the 300 degree temperatures of one of the tents for the intensely powerful duo Drenge. The boys must have shed a few pounds during their dynamic set. First band on and first big music smiles of the day.
- Live Reviews
The Beck ‘Song Reader’ release was about as far as you can get from modern day music distribution as is possible.
‘Song Reader’ was just that, a book of highly illustrated sheet music, for you to take away and interpret as you wished. So provided you could read music, you were away. For us that can’t, for this Thursday evening only in
The perfect acoustics of the Barbican Hall, gave weight to what really can only be described as a sublime two and a half hours of original music.
Each song had it own performer in most cases. Joan as a Policewoman started the proceedings followed by Villager’s, Conor J. O’Brien. The lady and first man from
Michhael Kiwanuka sang ‘sorry’ followed by the usual blissful voice of Beth Orton on ‘ Please leave the Lights on, when you go’ The second man from Fife, James Yorkston played ‘Ye Midnight Stars’ beautifully, on a string instrument which, is still to be defined.
- Live Reviews
Six months on from The National’s last gig in the U.K. at the ATP Festival in Camber Sands, the band were back in London last night for a one-off date at The Roundhouse with Local Natives in Support.
So let’s start there. If you know the songs from the two albums by Local Natives, then this was a ‘Greatest Hits’ set lasting around fifty minutes. Difficult to class Local Natives as a support band because they are such a fine group in their own right.
The National’s stage layout has gone up a further notch since the last tour on what is effectively a club date on their arena/festival world jaunt. Very spectacular video backdrops and lighting were on display last night, thankfully no dry ice yet!
Songs from new album (Trouble Will Find Me) and High Violet were the mainstay of the set and it was a very purposeful National that hit the stage at 9pm. Matt is back with his bottle of red, as the band fire out ‘Should Live In Salt’ and ‘Don't Swallow the Cap’ after which, they launch into ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ with the capacity crowd roaring encouragement.
I felt the band was still getting into the groove at this point, with ‘Bloodbuzz’ just a beat or two slower than normal. ‘Secret Meeting’ was sublime as was ‘Demons’ with fiery vocals from Matt. Only two songs from the new album were missed out, ‘Fireproof’ and ‘Slipped’ but all the new material ‘slipped’ seamlessly into the set as if they were old favourites.