- Live Reviews
Heather Trost and Jeremy Barnes are known as A Hawk and a Hacksaw and they gave an audience in
Jeremy was the drummer with Neural Milk Hotel in a previous life and an expanded drummer he remains this time around with a bass drum and drum slung over his shoulder. He also played a masterful accordion and a table mounted and extremely large Zither which, he played with what looked like 2 small sticks hitting the strings, the sound of which, was amazing.
Heather plays a haunting and exuberant violin in equal measure and the mainly instrumental songs can best be described as being influenced by traditional music from Eastern Europe, The pair also played on the first
Support on the night came from
So this was, just one of those perfect Sunday gigs.
A Hawk & A Hacksaw are on
- Live Reviews
Edwyn Collins played
To say this guy is an inspiration would be an understatement. On the long road back from his strokes in 2005, he is now on his third full album since that time. The band has guitarist James Walborne (Peter Bruntnell, The Pretenders) within their ranks who acts a great foil to Edwyn and becomes the centre of attention on a number of electric guitar solos, which in turn must give Edwyn a break from the spotlight.
As you would expect, Edwyn’s speech is slow but deliberate and not lacking in humour. The fact that he can belt out all the songs sitting on top of an amp for a 90 minute set is nothing short of miraculous.
Towards the end he stands for songs including ‘Rip it Up’ (Walborne gets the sax spot, to huge cheers) and Girl like You, leaning on his cane.
Songs back to the early Orange Juice singles through to the new solo record is the span of the set. His son William, joins the band to provide backing vocals for ‘Too Bad (That’s Sad)’, and provides guitar and vocals for ‘See It In Your Eyes’. Sometimes introducing your offspring onto the stage can be difficult but in William’s case it seems perfectly natural. Very much, ‘like father, like son’.
Acoustic encores of ‘Home Again’ and then ‘Blue Boy’ followed’ Don’t Shilly Shally’ Edwyn Collins’ status as a first class singer/songwriter is assured.
Pete
- Live Reviews
I did not get to the venue in time to have anything meaningful to say about Ulysses other than, for their last song they were joined on stage by the night’s headliners Rival Sons.
Second band up were The Temperance Movement. An excellent band drenched in the sound of ‘Southern Rock’ with a Chris Robinson gravely voiced lead singer.
The five piece band actually hails from
Rival Sons come from
The set naturally came to a ballad point, after which there was an extended guitar solo on ‘Manifest Destiny’ and a drum solo to kick off the encore so the pace did slow for a time.
They have the looks, the strut, and Jay Buchanan has the voice. The band are already getting mentioned in some quarters with the higher echelons of rock groups past. They are certainly on the ladder but there is a fair way to go yet.
Pete
- Live Reviews
It may have been a freezing cold night in
First on were Norwegian six piece Young Dreams, who must be feeling positively at home in the current unseasonal conditions. As is often the case these days they have multi-instrumentalist members who flit between guitars and vocals. What makes them stand out from the crowd is their immaculate harmonies and summery, Afro-tinged vibes – try to imagine The Beach Boys crossed with The Bhundu Boys and you'll get an idea of the warm atmosphere they create with their music.
We had a quick chat with a couple of the band after they came offstage and they were as polite and friendly as their music was good. If you get a chance to see them they come highly recommended – they have their own headline show at The Lexington tonight and I’m sure they’ll return to these shores before too long.
Headliners Sinkane put their latest album ‘Mars’ out towards the end of last year and since then it has been building a buzz amongst critics and fans alike. Front man Ahmed Gallab has brought 3 very talented musicians with him on this tour (I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone play a guitar solo with one hand while playing the keyboard with the other, but that’s what the guy in front of us was doing) and between them they do a great job with the songs from the album, stretching them out and really bringing out the rhythms of the music.
Despite the fact that a lot of the people there were clearly too cool to actually dance there was lots of frantic head-nodding and a real sense of positive vibes. On the downside the sound mix was a bit muddy, and the set was a truncated due to some issues with the keyboards, but I imagine that in the sunshine at a festival Sinkane’s mix of world music and jazz influences will sound fantastic.
@TheDJCull
- Live Reviews
On at 9pm and off just over an hour later, but for £15 and one 40 minute album what can you expect? Jake Bugg worked through his self titled debut album in a sold out Cliffs Pavilion on a cold March evening, playing the hits Lightning Bolt and Two Fingers to a largely besotted audience.
What felt like a pop up Topman stall was actually the merch stand, filled with polo shirts, long sleeved chequered shirts and man bags, befitting the large percentage of the audience. Being in a room full of Wiggo style haircuts and rolled up tshirt sleeves, I felt distinctly middle class for the first time. A far mismatch from where I place myself on the social standing. This is who Bugg appeals to though, youngsters and teenagers who want to live their dream of being in The Smiths, and people in their early 30s desperately attempting to cling on to the same dream too.
Bugg does this well. He plays the part, dresses in his Fred Perry jacket and swaggers around the stage playing the odd solo with the expression on his face like he would rather be anywhere else. Despite the brief pause during one song to sort out some crowd disturbances, it was song after song followed by a shy and retiring thank you every now and then. Having just announced a third date for Brixton Academy later this year, I was at first baffled by the notion of playing to 12,000 on this one mediocre record, however the kids won't care though. They will enjoy watching JB through their phones in South London later in the year, just like this performance.
It was what is was. Not the greatest gig I will go to all year, but still worth it.
6/10 Reviewed by @thejoeeley
Jake Bugg Played;
Fire
Kenttucky
Love Me The Way You Do
Trouble Town
Seen It All
Simple As This
Side
Slumville Sunrise
Someone Told Me
Country Song
Note To Self
Someplace
Two Fingers
Taste It
Lighting Bolt
Broken
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash Cover)
- Live Reviews
'I know most of you aren't used to music that goes this fast so put on your racing helmets' said Ryan Adams as he launched into set opener 'Dirty Rain' last night (March 19th) at the Royal Albert Hall in support of Teenager Cancer Trust.
Introduced by a teenage cancer survivor Charlotte, who was flanked by Noel Gallagher, this wasn't just any ordinary show. Although Adams is such a prolific songwriter, to say that he played hit after hit would be an understatement. To any average punter this was good show, but to any passionate Adams fan this was a hit fest which included My Winding Wheel, Let It Ride and Come Pick Me Up. Not forgetting two new songs and the new smash hit improv single Loaf of Bread, of course.
It's these improv songs which make his shows so good and so unpredictable, never knowing what the setlist will be from one show to the next. In Brighton in 2011 it was a song about not drinking your orange juice, last night a loaf of bread. Adams did say that he often feels like he goes to his shows to watch the audience rather than the other way round. I for one would quite enjoy an improv show based on the constant ramblings of audience members that comes with every Ryan Adams show. Although it is usually grown men screaming I LOVE YOU RYAN!! Like a teenage girl swooning after their latest crush.
His last few UK tours have been solo adventures and so the return of a band was a refreshing one, however this wasn't any ordinary band. Flanked by Ethan Johns amongst others this was a pretty cool supergroup for the alt country fans out there. I can honestly say that he is back to his very best.
Reviewed by @thejoeeley
Ryan Adams played;
Dirty Rain
Ashes & Fire
My WInding Wheel
Fix It
Where I Meet You In My Mind
Loaf of Bread
Please Don't Let Me Go
Why Do They Leave?
Invisble Riverside
Let It Ride
Nobody Girl
In The Shadows
Oh My Sweet Carolina (Solo)
English Girls Approximately (Solo
Dear John
Do I Wait
I Love You But I Don't Know What To Say
Come Pick Me Up
- Live Reviews
Brothers in charms; Scott and Seth Avett occupy a diamond-like place in the current indie-folk love-in.
A couple of years ago the Avett Brothers played a memorable London gig - it's not easy to shake the Shepherds Bush Empire, but they did. Theirs is irresistible top-tappin' Americana, laced with sadness and pathos. But they also prove that a well-played banjo can mend a broken heart.
The Avetts been making great music for over a decade, so on the one hand it's irksome that harmless-enough Mumfords come along and take the limelight in this stretchy genre.
On the other hand, the Avett Brothers remain, to some extent, a special secret this side of the Atlantic. They are the real thing. There's moonshine in their blood and snakes in their boots.
The former Town and Country Club is a fine venue. It fits some bands better than others and it's not an easy place to get buzzing, but despite its scale and the icy winter night, the Avett Brothers make this feel like a cosy Carolina sing-along. It's about as intimate as you can get with a couple of thousand others.
With no disrespect to the rest of their European dates, the Avetts say they have had an eye on this one since they set out on tour. Latest album 'The Carpenter' gets a strong outing. It got mixed reviews last year, from good to excellent; sharper critics rightly allowed for this band's high standards. It's a fine record with some of their best songwriting.
The Avett Brothers have to be seen and heard live. As good as they are on record (especially with Rick Rubin on the knobs) nothing compares to their stage performances. They open as most bands would hope to close, bringing down the house with a stomping 'Down with the Shine'. It's a safe bet when you've got such depth in your catalogue. The warm up is complete.
There's a universal cheer when Scott Avett sings, "I keep telling myself that I can't make everybody happy, but I do!" Erstwhile understatement and self-deprecation makes this all possible.
Remember the TV show The Waltons? Imagine what the costume department must've looked like. Now you can see The Forum on March 14th - there's old school plaid, flat caps and even belts and braces on show. On stage however, the siblings seem to have found their inner James Brown. Nothing's chequered. The brothers look skinny as whippets and they rock out. It even gets a bit funky - Avett senior does a little shuffle and slide (not holding his banjo, that would look silly).But when they pare it back, the Avett Brothers steal hearts.
It seems Seth Avett leads the vocals more often on this tour. His voice isn't the more powerful or soulful, but it's more countrified and carries an eye-watering vulnerability. "If I live the life I'm given, I won't be scared to die," he sings on the new record's title track. They've toured for months, but this sounds fresh with a resigned mix of wistful positivity and aching insecurity.
Throughout, we're reminded of the partnership's perfect combination of strengths: the words and the tunes are marvellous. The band is fantastic too, especially with a cello and double bass up front of stage,
The hands-off romance of 'Laundry Room' is one of the night's most popular songs: "... stall your mother, disregard your father's words - close the laundry door, tiptoe across the floor, keep your clothes on, I got all that I can take."
This is a delicate love song, possibly of love denied. It resonates one-to-one with everyone from the beardy Stella-swigging chaps (usual disappointing lack of ales at the bar) to the significant contingent of swooning thirty-something ladies. When the brothers sing together, especially just before the encore with the desperate and despondent 'Backwards With Time', their roots are bared. Time and again, the songs are seemingly simple and yet meaningful. They are clever lyricists and it's satisfying that they're not easily pigeon-holed; it's blue grass meets folk meets country meets Appalachian meets southern soul. If they were food, they'd be Mississippi mudpie.
Hearts ache and grown men swallow hard when 'Through My Prayers' is sung. It's too much to take - the groaning sense of loss is palpable. You can't understand how they can perform this without a hug.
Highlights include the hard-to-beat 'I and Love and You', 'The Once and Future Carpenter' and, in the encore, the almost polemic 'Life' - an arresting and life-affirming finale.
Nigel Watts
- Live Reviews
You could not have fitted an extra fag paper into the Cambridge Junction last night when Johnny Marr and cohorts hit the stage. The band cranked the pace up immediately under bright white lights it really was like watching a hungry (can’t say young) new band in action.
The band really does have an energy that transmits to the crowd. With enough space to nod your head in this case, people did the best they could.
Songs came in quick succession, fired out at machine gun pace. Apart from a line about
We had a career spanning selection of songs covering, the new solo album, and nods back to days of The Smiths and Electronic. We even got a Clash (I Fought the Law) cover thrown in on the encore!
I still think there is room for a super group with Johnny on guitar down the road but in the meantime, this was a superb show.
Pete
Johnny Marr through the mists of time .....
- Live Reviews
There has never been a time when I have come away from a Sigur ros concert feeling anything other than amazed and searching for words to describe what I have just witnessed. Friday night at the Brixton Academy was no different in this cycle of wonderment.
Now down to three original members Jón Þór Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Orri Páll Dýrason. New song "Yfirborð," starts the set as green shimmering light lands on the front netting encasing the stage.This eerie lighting with the stage bathed in dark green and silver, is quite amazing and a scene setter for what is to come.
White light as Jón Þór Birgisson’s shadow is cast high of the front netting as his bow runs over the guitar strings on Ný Batterà from Ãgætis byrjun. Crowd transfixed and as ever this band will take you somewhere else for the next couple of hours.
The stage is bathed in red for a gentle slow building ‘Vaka’. We are just three songs it and already it’s an amazing show.
- Live Reviews
Stranded Horse is Yann Tambour, a French songwriter and very accomplished string musician. Two songs sung, whilst playing a mini self built, Kora and two on acoustic guitar. Yann’s songs are both lengthy and lyrical. Someone who has already been on the music scene for a decade, it was nice to discover his music first hand in a live setting.
- Live Reviews
First up were the Sulk. The post Madchester spirit is certainly alive with this five piece – in terms of funky swagger, dress and appearance. The singer was quite aware of this making an gag that they would be playing Sproston Green next (but then they’d need a keyboardist). I personally wouldn’t make the comparison with the Charlatans, however there was definitely a recollection of Molly Half Head (*1) in their sound, while the track ‘Flowers’ had an Inspiral Carpets feel to it, again sans keyboard. The baggy vibe permated the full set showcasing some lively guitar hooks and some danceable elements from the rhythm section (well, for those young enough to dance). Unfortunately not good enough to utilise the ‘What’s green and appears supporting Exit Calm at the Borderline?’.. ‘The incredible Sulk’ but entertaining enough.
- Live Reviews
I was not sure what to expect from this debut gig of The Claw, very loud, sure that’s a given and slightly odd as they are promoting themselves as a secretive, progressive, psychedelic band.
But the truth of it was a rather fun night of old school rock theatre. Warm up band Trieste were a classic, balls out, foot planted wall of noise that showcased some very tight guitar talent.
Second set was by Vodun, who quickly turned on the weird with, their Afro, Metal, Voodoo, Soul sound. Their strong lead vocalist, eccentric, Mick Fleetwood sized guitarist and powerhouse pint sized, rock chick, drum kit pilot, they got the slight crowd up off the collection of odd furniture that lined the walls like a school disco. The band ended their set with a huge selection of broken drumsticks and a guitarist lying on the floor, off the stage, to play out the last riff of the final number.
The build up to the main event saw the swelling crowd being teased by the rebuilding of the set and intermittent use of a smoke machine. With the big reveal now upon us the German heavy metal sound track was replaced by a James Bond soundtrack to accompany a parade of what can only be described as shaved Wombles in monks’ vestments.
Up goes the Claw salute and the crowd return the gesture. Cue the music, a frantic release of battered Korg keyboard, flying V and chrome guitar. A loud and atmospheric set including The Bells, Seize Decay and Undoing Wrong filled the inadequate space of Garage’s Upstairs venue with a soundtrack of noise that would be brilliant for any Hammer Horror remake.
Without knowing the songs, I was quickly into the raging rhythm of psychotic alien monks and feeling by the end of the set I had been preached to and, in truth, probably converted. I think that a sundown slot at one of this year’s rock festivals would be an ideal way to show the act off to a wider unsuspecting audience.
For those of you with a preference for loud theatrics this is worth a look. The music is all the better for the visual impact of the band, but having listened back to the music online today its one that’s going on my playlist, though not for the train section of my daily commute.
7/10 for the night, though only, because the venue was too small for power of all 3 bands.
Iain
Our Interview with The Claw