Planetary Curve

Wednesday 9th May: I don’t know whether the support slots that Stolen Earth have been playing recently – The Strawbs, Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash, Colin Blunstone and, tonight, Curved Air, all with roots in the 70’s and, in all but one case, with prog sensibilities – have been a conscious choice by the band, with a view to building a fan-base by playing to audiences who would be predisposed to their music. Whether it was or not, though, the reception they get every time means that it’s working. By the third song of tonight’s set people were taking notice, something that doesn’t always happen with support bands. I even heard one punter, standing just behind me, telling whoever he was with that he was “enjoying this already”.

The set had, once again, been tweaked. This time it included the gentler Soul In A Jar and Silver Skies, both of which see Heidi playing the low whistle, which we hadn’t heard since last year’s Christmas gig. I suspect the ever-changing set-list not only gives the band more chances to practice all their songs ahead of June’s album launch gig, but also aligns their output more to the headliners, increasing the chance of picking up new fans. Tonight’s sound was, mostly, the best we’ve heard since that Christmas gig. In my opinion, though, it needed to be a bit quieter during Silver Skies, a lovely emotional song which tonight suffered slightly from a bit of “booming”. Ending, as usual, with what is almost certainly going to be the band’s anthem (initially, at least), the superbly Floyd-ian Perfect Wave, we were treated to another short, in terms of number of songs if not in length, but highly enjoyable set. Apparently, there had been a few technical issues, which had been solved with the cooperation of the headliners, before the gig started. You couldn’t tell. It’s not long until the debut album – A Far Cry From Home – is released and I’m looking forward both to it dropping through my letterbox and to hearing the full set once again.

I understand, from a few friends just slightly older than me, that posters of Sonja Kristina adorned many a teenaged boy’s bedroom wall during the early 70s. I missed out on that pleasure by a few years, being just nine when the band split in 1976, and had only heard of Curved Air through word of mouth. A couple of years ago, after reforming in 2008, they were due to play York and I had a ticket – that gig was cancelled and I was told tonight (by the person who had the other one) that it was because only two tickets were sold. I don’t know how true that figure is, but there was a lot more sold for this gig and, as seems to be the norm for gigs by 70s bands, there was a more than reasonable crowd. Sonja, now in her sixties but still showing a hint of past glories even if she can’t lay claim to a youthful figure anymore, is joined by just one original member – the marvellously named drummer Florian Pilkington-Miksa. Rounding out the rest of the band are Kit Morgan (guitar), Robert Norton (keyboards), Chris Harris (Bass and backing vocals) and Catweazle look-a-like Paul Sax (violin). 

It’s Sax who took the lead during a stirring instrumental track before Kristina entered stage left for an energetic, if slightly underwhelming vocal, performance of It Happened Today. This was followed by (I think) Young Mother which included a wonderfully dextrous keyboard solo in its middle section. Originally, Curved Air mixed prog rock with classical and folk influences, the latter being apparent in Melinda, with its gentler start and Kristina on acoustic guitar. The quieter sound allowed the vocals to come across much more clearly showing the Kristina still has a good voice as well as a formidable stage presence. Mixing the rockier with the slower, the set continued with Propositions, Screw and the lovely piano opening of Easy. It wasn’t until Hide And Seek, a much rockier number featuring a staccato drum-line, that we get the first noticeably guitar-led song, showing how much prominence the keyboards and violin have been given so far. This was followed by Midnight Wire which featured a range of guitar work from subtle to near-screaming and, finally, some good vocals during a louder song. Unfortunately, the sound seemed to be wandering at this point and The Purple Speed Queen suffered from the bass suddenly being too high. After his time in the spotlight, Morgan left the stage and Kristina once again took up the acoustic guitar for Elfin Boy, which was followed by Phantasmagoria (with Morgan back on) and the epic Marie Antoinette which showed exactly how powerful Kristina’s vocals could be (and proved to be my favourite song of the set). Everdance was followed by the only Curved Air track that resides in my CD collection (until tonight, that is), but this version of the band’s 1971 top ten hit, Back Street Luv, was more the album version than the one that I vaguely recognise. The set ended with Metamorphosis, with it’s near classical piano opening leading into crashing drums and a superb guitar solo, and then a continuation of the instrumental opener with some fast and furious violin playing from Sax. There was no encore but, after nearly and hour and three quarters of quality music, you could hardly complain.

A magazine review of another gig on this tour includes the quote “Curved Air’s music may not have aged as well as some of their contemporaries, but equally there’s no denying that they remain formidable live”. In hindsight, I’d have to say I agree. I walked away from tonight’s set having had my expectations of Curved Air exploded. With their much touted folk and classical influences, I expected something a little gentler or, perhaps, less rockier. I also expected the music to be slightly more dated than it sounded tonight. Having bought a two-CD retrospective and listened to some of it, I think that the originals sound more like what I was expecting. It seems that the live set has been spruced up and modernised slightly. While I like both, I know which I prefer.

After the gig, Kristina came to the merchandise table to sign purchases and chat to fans, meaning that I got to say a few words to a 70s icon. Be still my beating heart…

Black ‘n’ Stack

Sunday 6th May: Due to a couple of pre-gig pints Andy, Yvonne and I were a little late arriving at tonight’s gig and, consequently, missed the beginning of the support act’s set. I’m not sure how long they had been on stage when we arrived, but there was something vaguely familiar about them. A glance over to the merchandise table revealed a publicity poster that, even from a distance, jogged my memory into remembering them as Blackheart, an acoustic duo who I’ve heard of only because they occasionally play what amounts to the local village hall. When they finished playing whatever song we had walked in on, Andy leaned over and suggested I might want to take advantage of the more intimate venue next time they played there. Not that they were lost in the Duchess, simply that they were so good.

Rick Pilkington plays guitar, occasionally with what sounded to me like added loop effects - I have since been told by the duo that they don't use loops, which makes Rick's playing even more impressive and shows what I know... - while the stunning (in looks and voice) Chrissy Mostyn provides the vocals and, for a couple of songs, plays the omnichord (an electronic instrument manufactured by Suzuki – I had to look it up…). Introducing one downbeat song, Chrissy describes the duo as a “miserable band” but that’s not something that permeates the set. The third song we get to hear is much faster than the previous ones, played in a finger-picking style and with vocals that reminded me of Vanessa Carlton. Towards the end of the set, the duo are joined on stage by Clare Lindley (touring member of Stackridge) whose violin playing adds a little extra to the performance, although Chrissy seems a little surprised and pleased that she stays for the final song, current single Wednesday Afternoon, which is as far removed from miserable as you can get and provides a nice, foot-tapping end to an entertaining set.

There has been a few bands who found fame in the 70’s playing in York recently but Stackridge are the first that I’ve seen who I’ve never even heard of before. However, a friend who is a big fan (and whose visit York from the States missed the gig by just two days) had told me that I would probably like them. So, in for a penny…

Formed in 1970 and both opening and closing the inaugural Glastonbury festival of that year, by 1974 Stackridge appeared to be on the verge of greatness. However, line-up changes eventually led to the band splitting up in 1976. The individual members continued to make music and, in 2007, Stackridge is reborn. The current line-up includes original members Andy Cresswell-Davis (lead guitar, vocals and keyboards), James Warren (guitar and vocals) and Jim Walter (bass) with touring members Glenn Tommey (keyboards and vocals), Eddie John (drums) and Clare Lindley (violin and vocals) completing the band we see tonight.

Not knowing any of their material, I was completely at the mercy of songs being introduced in a coherent way, but it wasn’t until three songs in that 1973’s The Road To Venezuala was the first to be announced. Even before that, though, Andy’s description of the band as “whimsical” seemed to be accurate and the lyrics were edging towards the quirky side. Whatever it was that came next, the brushed drums and clipped vocals gave it the feel of a Noel Coward song while the next included some lovely harmonised vocals. Clare changed from violin to acoustic guitar while Andy moved up to electric (and somehow managed to look less comfortable playing it, at least until later in the set) for Long Dark River (from the latest album, A Victory For Common Sense), which was a much rockier number which built to a stunning ending. What followed sounded familiar and I originally thought it was a cover. However, Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime was originally recorded by The Korgis, a spin-off from Stackridge (although it has also been covered by a number of artists). Then it was back to 1972 for Lummy Days before both Clare and Andy took up ukuleles amidst jokes about how all aging rockers eventually have to play them, how Clare isn’t that old and that, eventually, Jim (who, throughout the evening reminded me somehow of a children’s TV presenter of the Johnny Ball ilk) was the only member of the band not playing one – yes, even the drummer and keyboard-player could be seen strumming away. It was definitely back to the quirky and whimsical side of things, especially when Eddie also wandered to the front of stage to provide a bit of whistling. A superb instrumental piece was followed by Something About The Beatles, another Korgis song, which acknowledges John Lennon’s influence on the band’s music. Then it was back to the latest release for Lost And Found and final song Boots And Shoes, before the band returned for an instrumental encore which had a distinctly Scottish influence, starting with just Clare on violin and Eddie on what looked to me like a bodhrán drum before ending with the full band. The above makes it sound as though we were short-changed on the length of set, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Over the course of about ninety minutes we were treated to something like sixteen, mostly extended songs.

Whimsical it might have been, but you couldn’t question the quality of musicianship on show. A mix of folk and progressive rock, Stackridge’s music left me with a smile on my face. Most of the band may be in their sixties (in fact, I’m beginning to think that, if I were to add up the ages of the band members I’ve seen this year I would get something slightly older than Methuselah) but they can still play and entertain brilliantly and clearly enjoy playing. Hopefully this line-up will endure for a bit longer so that we get a chance to see them again.

CD Review: Best Of York

Thursday 3rd May: “Best of”… Perhaps the most subjective phrase that can ever be used on an album title. I remember, many years ago when I was first getting into music, pointing out to an established music fan just a couple of years older than me, that I had seen a “Best of…” album (the band escapes me) being advertised. His response was along the lines of, “You’d be better off putting a tape together of your own favourite songs from the band.” In most cases, “Best of…” translates to “most well known” or, perhaps, “most commercial”, usually with a couple of new tracks thrown in to entice the completist into making a purchase. (Although, in these days of individual track downloads, the latter is probably becoming less effective.)

To put together an album to represent, musically, the “Best of…” an entire city, even one just the size of York, is a brave thing to do. But it’s exactly what Connor Devine did as part of his BA music production course, setting out to raise a bit of money for charity as well. I first saw an advert, on Facebook, asking for interested acts to get in touch with Connor last year and I’m not sure how widely the call went out. The album itself has a nice variety of artists, covering a few genres, but is, perhaps, more representative of the smaller and, in most cases, more mainstream bands of the local music scene. By that, I mean that long-established, even if not known to the wider public, acts are conspicuous by their absence. There’s no Mostly Autumn, Shed Seven, One Night Only, or Elliot Minor and the extreme metal of the likes of RSJ probably wouldn’t sit too well alongside most of the tracks.

What you do get are is a sample of some of the younger, less established bands who, for the most part, play the support-slot, pub and festival circuits, along with a few who are beginning to move towards local headline slots and maybe one or two who have gone just a little bit further.

If I’m honest, some of the bands on the CD aren’t quite as well served by their tracks than others. Echo Dynamo’s Blame, a catchy indie-pop song, suffers a little from vocals swamped by the music but In Spades’ energetic Ghost In The Mirror sounds very poor (a shame since, while freely admitting that music is just a hobby and that he has no desire to try to “make it big”, frontman Stewart King works hard to get people to attend his gigs and, I suspect, saw this CD as a platform to get a bit more exposure, as a lot of the bands will have). Katie And The Questions are represented by Perfect Life, a song which evokes 60’s pop while including a grinding guitar riff and atmospheric keyboards but the vocals are nowhere near as good as when it was performed live at the launch gig. Despite that it’s still the most effective “earworm” on the album. Even Vicki Mack, usually superb vocally when performing live, seems to struggle in a few places during Dream Of Apollo’s Regrets Of The Devil which, with it’s steely guitar, moody bass and complex structure is one of that band’s most impressive songs. I have no insight into the recording process, so it might simply be that a lack of time meant that these tracks are a little less polished than the others but, despite their faults, they are excellent representations of the bands in question.

Of the other bands that I am already familiar with, the folk pop of Pelico’s is a pleasant surprise – when we saw them support Hope & Social a while back, hardly anybody was listening and the band seemed to fade into the background. At the time, I commented that they would probably be more suited to a smaller, more intimate venue and, if anything, Who You Are, with its jangly guitar, jaunty drum-line and clear vocals shows that they deserved more attention. There’s more folk, of a slightly more traditional flavour, in Until The Dawn, from Suzy Bradley And The Morning After. Along with Suzy’s lovely voice, the unique make-up of this band has provided a nice sound when I’ve seen them live. Unfortunately, I think the choice of song for the album is slightly suspect, if only for the fact that David Martin’s electric guitar is hard to pick out. Boss Caine (Dan Lucas/GT Turbo) opens the album with Ghosts And Drunks, another interesting choice as (I believe) it is the only song from his repertoire that was written by somebody else, in this case Scarborough’s Joe Solo. What that say’s about Dan’s confidence in his own output can only be speculation but it is a cracking song in it’s own right and is still very representative of the Boss Caine sound. I hadn’t heard of What The Cat Dragged in before this album was put together but I’ve said elsewhere how much they impressed me during the launch gig. They sound like a mix of The Cure and an archetypal 1920’s cabaret and their act is a mixture of darkness and burlesque (in the word’s true sense rather than the theatrical) and Emily Lies, a distinctly unstructured song with lots of style changes, is another good representation.

With the exception of In Spades, the second half of the album comprises the bands that I don’t know and, so, serves it’s purpose as a sampler. Club Smith appear to be the (arguably) biggest name on the album. I have a feeling that we saw them live a couple of times back in 2008, in a previous guise of The Hair. If anything their track, Causing Doubt – sounding exactly as you would expect from a band who have supported the likes of The Pigeon Detectives – has the best sound on the album (and is the only track not to have its recording details listed). Testtone3 are one of the more “different” sounds – Free Ride Home starts off slightly atmospheric before launching into a high-energy rock/electronica style. Stress Fracture, from Verona Fault Line, is as close to the album gets to having a “heavy” track and impresses with its distinctive drum-line and taut vocals, while Rocketsmith’s The Missing is another song recorded outside of the project itself and, again, seems to have a cleaner sound. The song tells of the effects of somebody going missing on those around him and, if anything, its energetic indie sound is almost (only almost, mind) too light for the subject. The album ends with Riff Clichards, more high-energy from Chaos In Verse, with a somewhat familiar sounding, yet elusive, opening riff.

Of the thirteen bands on the album, I have already seen seven play live (and two of them I already class as favourite acts, with a third potentially heading that way). Of the remaining six, there aren’t any that I would avoid, even if I wouldn’t necessarily buy albums from all of them. This album does have a few faults but, overall, I think it is a great (and cheap) way to sample some of York’s musical talent. Connor Devine should be applauded for his efforts

The Best Of York album is available from iTunes, www.bestofyorkalbum.com or from Rebound Records (Gillygate, York). All proceeds go to MacMillan’s Cancer Support.