Saturday 27 February 2010

A Young Favourite in a New Venue

Thursday 25th February: For me, at least, live music in York is beginning to kick into high gear. (Just wait until you see how many posts I make if I get to all the gigs I have pencilled in for March...) Tonight circumstances beyond anybody's control mean that it's just me and Roy out to see an old (but young) favourite in a new venue.

In what seems to be a trend at the moment, we arrived after tonight's support act had already started. Jess Gardham is a singer songwriter from York who began writing songs at the age of 12. As we entered the Duchess she (and her band) were playing a keyboard-heavy song, the title of which we missed, which immediately grabbed our attention and reminded Roy of Tracy Chapman. At the end of that song, Jess announced a couple of more "funky" numbers, which initially put us off slightly, but I'm happy to report that they weren't that funky and were still pretty entertaining. Jess plays acoustic guitar and was accompanied tonight by Charlie on keyboards (when he wasn't wandering around in the crowd), Emma (I think) on drums and a bass-player whose name I've completely forgotten but whose smile lit up the stage. Her MySpace page lists her style as acoustic/folk/R&B, so I was slightly surprised when the one cover version in her set was the Black Eyed Peas Where Is The Love. If I were forced to pick a favourite Peas song, that would be it and it was interesting to see it performed in a completely different style. With a clear voice, an obvious enjoyment of being on stage and some very nice and varied songs, Jess becomes the latest in a long list of artistes that I wouldn't mind seeing again. A debut album is available (sadly, I missed buying it on the night, but I'm working on it) and I believe another is on the way. Jess also plays regular acoustic sets at York's Living Room on Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons. Well worth checking her out.

Tonight's main act was The Chantel McGregor Band and, as part of The Awakening tour, appears to be the beginning of a new stage in Chantel's musical career. It has to be said that, on a proper stage with a proper sound system, the already incredible music was raised to new heights. Chantel herself took full advantage of the larger stage area and the strange positioning of her microphone to the side was soon explained as she used the centre to perform her stunning solos free of the mike. Martin Rushworth seemed to be playing the drums harder than any time we had seen him in the Bath and Alex (dressed up for the occasion) Jeffrey's bass lines really came through strongly on the much better sound system. Favourites from previous gigs were in evidence, along with songs that I don't remember hearing her perform before (such as Joe Bonamassa's Sloe Gin) and others that we definitely hadn't heard before. The middle of the two hour (with no break) set saw Chantel playing three songs acoustically and unaccompanied. These included Fleetwood Mac's Landslide. Bob Dylan's All Along The Watchtower and Not Here With Me, a lovely ballady-type thing about lost love penned by Chantel herself. I had, in fact, been expecting an original song as one had been mentioned in various postings from recent gigs. What I wasn't expecting was a second - the full-on electric rocker Freefalling, which showed that Chantel is equally at home writing both styles of song. Both originals were superb.

One of the most endearing aspects of Chantel's performance is the fact that her youth isn't hidden away and tonight her excitement (bordering on giddiness) at upcoming gigs in London and Manchester was very evident. You also can't help laughing as the pocket rocket chats to the audience between songs, recognising old friends, telling us how clean the stage is and, perhaps a bit too far, explaining how her cardigan leaves fluff under her armpits despite her having "bathed and shaved and everything...!"

This is the first time we Yorkies have had to pay to see the band and we have always felt a bit lucky to see them for free. Chantel told us after the gig that they are no longer playing pubs (good for her - nobody bumping into her mike stand from now on) and would probably only be playing York once or twice a year (bad for us fans...) and that she is halfway through getting the songs ready for her debut album, which she predicted would be about six months away. Can't wait, especially if the rest of the songs are as good as those we heard tonight.

Friday 26 February 2010

Surprisingly Wild Ninjas

Friday 19th February: After a day out around Malham it was a bit of a rush for me but, finally, the regulars are together for the first time this year. We are at Fibbers to see four bands.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned rush and bus times meant that I arrived after the first band and I didn't get their name. That's probably good as the short bit of their set that I did see (about a song and a half) did nothing for me - they were loud, shouty, discordant and the songs sounded a bit disjointed to me.

Disjointed is a word that could also be used to describe Wild Honey's set. In this case, however, it would refer more to the gaps between the songs rather than the music itself. Vocalist Luke Byrne did apologise for the somewhat chaotic changeovers saying that the band "didn't have as many musicians as they would like" but the gap before the final song stretched on for a good couple of minutes, during which some of the crowd seemed to be getting a bit restless. The set opened with an instrumental, which basically set the scene for the type of music we were going to get. Very prevalent was Luke Lunn's trumpet (or, possibly, cornet - I'm no expert) which gave the songs a definite Mexican feel. Byrne's voice immediately reminded me of somebody else and, after a few other suggestions (none of whom I'd heard of) Roj hit the nail on the head with Divine Comedy. To quote from the above link, "We are a group of musicians, using instruments from different countries and cultures to create a unique sound" - maybe not totally unique as the brass reminded me and Andy of The Littlemores but certainly different enough to be enjoyable.

Next up were 3 Foot Ninja and while I would try not to argue with the categorisation of a band, in this case I have to say that they aren't punk. They can't be. I don't like punk! The Ninjas reminded me a bit of The Mexicolas. Although, to be fair to them, that might just have been because there were three of them and they were dressed in black. Thrashing guitars and pounding drums are the order of the day, but with more of a rock vibe than an indie/punk one in my opinion. Good vocals and enough variations in the songs to keep up my interest. They may not have been the headliners tonight, but they did end up being my favourite act of the evening.

The headliners were, in fact, Surprise... Fire who, in another link to the gig where we saw the Littlemores, were the band that couldn't play that evening because they were snowed in. Now, this lot are highly thought of and have already played the Leeds and Reading festivals. For me, though, there was something lacking in the performance and I can't quite put my finger on what. Maybe it was just that I enjoyed 3 Foot Ninja. Maybe it was that the vocals were somewhat swamped by the (admittedly very good) music. It certainly wasn't the lack of energy in the performance - lead singer Joshua Finn made full use of the stage area (as well as the stage barrier and, at one point, the crowd) while the rest of the band played with a relaxed style, despite the rock sound. Maybe I need to listen to some of their recorded stuff to give myself a chance to form a more rounded opinion. Luckily, I picked up a copy of their new EP.

Afterwards, Andy and I headed over to the Roman Bath, where a Blues band were playing (again, I apologise, I didn't get their name). Andy had seen them before and pointed out that the lady playing bass was the wife of the lead-singer and that she usually played double-bass. He wasn't wrong as she switched to the bigger instrument a couple of songs after we arrived. I'm afraid I couldn't tell you whether they played originals or covers - there was certainly nothing I recognised, but I don't know much Blues. They were, however, very good. Hopefully, I'll stumble across them again one day.

Sunday 21 February 2010

Helping Haiti (again)

Wednesday 17th February: After my exertions for Haiti of a couple of weeks ago (when I joined my daughter's karate class for a sponsored fitness session to raise money for Haiti and couldn't walk without pain for four days afterwards...) tonight saw a much more civilised way of parting with a bit of cash to help the earthquake hit island, by attending a money-raising concert in the City Screen's Basement Bar. Five acts, all "single bloke with guitar", acoustic - not my usual fare, it has to be said.

First to take the stage was Andy Gaines, who I think I've previously seen with The Runaway Sons. (Although the link above states that he is now solo, which might be why we haven't seen the Sons for a while.) Andy played just four songs, mostly downbeat although the third, about a drunken fight with a girlfriend, was more upbeat and tinged with humour. The vocals were crystal-clear and the songs entertaining enough - a solid start to the evening.

Next up was Mark Wynn, another singer in the same mold as Mr Gaines. I'm afraid that his vocals were far from clear from where I was standing, although the set wasn't helped by people talking (more on that later) and one couple actually getting up to leave. Five songs this time and, if anything, the first four were even more downbeat than those of Gaines. The fifth, however, was a very much more upbeat bluesy number which, for me, included by far the most interesting guitar playing in the instrumental middle section.

James McKay (I think that link is correct - if anybody knows different, give me a shout) took to the stage next, complete with jerry-rigged guitar (the pick-ups were blu-tacked on to start with and taped on after the first song), glass of wine and burnt thumbs from a pancake day accident. The vocals were back up to scratch for this set which started slowly and built to a nice climax. His best song was, in fact, a cover which he introduced as being by Dave Dondero (again, I'm not sure of the link - partly because James said that he might be touring with Dondero later in the year, but the link is to an American West Coast singer).

I think the next act was Tom Reeve (he didn't introduce himself), who provided a change of pace with some tongue-twisting lyrics, if only in terms of the speed of his singing The Cuckold And The Whore. Tom was, for me, the best act so far - a bit more American Folk than the rest. Grave The Ballad Of John Brown's Corpse is a superb "story" song about grave-robbing and the curse that goes with it, while Jessie was a bitter-sweet song about an eighteen-year-old dog. Alongside the superb lyrics was some brilliant and mesmerising guitar playing, during which Tom's fingers seemed, at times, to fly along the frets. Recommended.

Finally and, unfortunately too late for me to be able to stay for the full set and still catch the last bus home, Boss Caine arrived on stage and, almost immediately, got annoyed with the impolite loudmouth sitting in the audience. (Rightly so, it stopped me from doing it just before I ran off to the bus stop.) I can only remember seeing Mr Lucas once before but tonight he proved that his songs are not only memorable but also as comfortable as a well-worn in pair of slippers - at least three that I heard tonight were not only instantly recognisable from the gig last year, but I found that I could pretty much remember the choruses straight off. There's an album in the offing (and already on pre-order for me) and I really hope it includes the likes of Smoking In My Back Yard, Leaving Victoria (assuming that's the title) and the one about drinking wine. Assuming it didn't go vastly downhill after I left, this was a very assured and enjoyable set.

It is, perhaps, indicative of my knowledge and experience of this type of music that the only name that sprung to mind as a comparison to any of the acts tonight was Ralph McTell. I'm not sure whether the guys would appreciate that and suspect that they (or at least some of them ) would be aiming more along the lines of Bob Dylan.

Unfortunately, tonight saw a very small crowd in which I felt a little out of place as I seemed to be the only person not related to or a friend of the performers. I doubt that the amount raised will raise any eyebrows but, on the basis that every little helps, this was well worth shelling out for and there was at least a couple of acts that I wouldn't mind seeing again.

Thursday 11 February 2010

CD Review: Lost From Atlas

Thursday 11th February: With no gig last weekend and nothing taking my fancy this weekend, it's time for a CD review...

If there’s one thing that has to be said about the self-titled debut album from Lost From Atlas, it is that it successfully captures the almost mesmerising tone of the band’s live act without, perhaps, fully putting across the energy and exuberance seen on stage.

Just as in the live performance, the album tracks almost exclusively merge into each other and, if you aren’t watching the display on your CD player, most of the joins would be hard to spot. There is one transition that almost jars with its abruptness and another where the briefest silence can be “heard” but, for the most part, you could be listening to one extended track, so cleverly is the music put together.

Being a series of completely instrumental compositions, the individual tracks eschew the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure and, instead, the music ebbs, flows, shifts and changes like liquid sound. Each track seems to wind its way around a number of guitar riffs, played using a number of techniques. One riff may start a track, disappear off to be replaced by something different, only to reappear at the end, almost making it seem that the track has some full circle.

Each member of the band has their own part to play in the album. Liam Ledgeway on drums and Orlando Lloyd are a very solid rhythm section, with the vibrating bass and faux military drum-roll (which for some reason I can’t help but associate with a firing squad) on Interlude 1.0 showing, perhaps quietly, how effective such rhythms can be. For more lively examples of their skill listen for the drumming on album opener The Horse You Rode In On and the bass on Success. Perfect. Failure.

For me, however, it is the lead guitar of Danny Gallagher which stands out. Ranging from atmospheric to choppy, it is his riffs that the ear is automatically drawn to. From the echoing riffs of the aforementioned Success… to the finger-knotting of Man Is The Warmest Place To Hide (one of a number of track titles which seem to reference film or TV) he shows versatility and inventiveness in his playing.

This isn’t album without fault – there are one or two slight niggles. I’ve already mentioned the jarring transition between two of the tracks, another would be the constant cymbal-playing during Here At The End Of All Things, which I find slightly annoying and distracting. The main problem for me, though, is that the album is just too short. Weighing in at around 30 minutes, it might mimic the length (and content, as far as I can remember) of the live set but it really does leave you wanting more.

Strangely, though, the final track, Fin, while adding another five minutes to the running time, seems slightly out of place. The previous track ends the album perfectly with its pounding finale and then, almost immediately, the “Sturm und Drang” of the rest of the album gives way to acoustic “Strum and Pluck” for what is a really nice piece of music but that has a totally different feel to the rest of the album. It’s almost as though this should have been a “hidden” track, but there isn’t enough of a gap for that. (Thankfully, I have to say, those long silences can be irritating).

Overall, this is a superb debut from a band that are, in my experience, unique in their musical presentation. Buy it, sit yourself in the focal point of your speakers and let the music wash over you.

Track Listing:
1: The Horse You Rode In On
2: For That Reason... I'm Out
3: Success. Perfect. Failure
4: Interlude 2.0
5: Tom Robinson Must Die
6: Interlude 1.0
7: Man Is The Warmest Place To Hide
8: Here At The End Of All Things
9: Fin

Additional guitar provided by David Lawrie on tracks 1, 5 and 8
Additional guitar provided by Liam Ledgeway on track 8.