Dream Of Apollo–Victoria Vaults, 17/07/12

I arrived at the Victoria Vaults a bit later than planned and found the place nearly empty and Lee Parry, the invited support act, just starting. Apparently it had been his graduation day, which begs the question of why he wasn’t out getting drunk and celebrating. Another of York’s seeming endless supply of acoustic guitar acts, Lee managed to rise above some of the others by combining a self-effacing (“I always feel that I’m imposing on people if I play too many of my own songs”), bordering on shy, demeanour with an audience-charming smile and a great voice to give an engaging performance. With barely a glance at the audience he played a short set of just seven songs, two of which were covers – John Martyn’s May You Never, which he learned after seeing it performed on The Old Grey Whistle Test (I’m assuming on a repeat – he didn’t look old enough to have seen the original) and an unusually heartfelt and emotional version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. His own songs were steeped in real life experiences, with No Holy Man being inspired by a Swedish friend who “found religion and a girlfriend” and She Wants To Get Away being about a girl who wants to leave Birmingham. The latter featured guitar work that was a bit too “plinky” for me. Most of the other songs were based around some beautifully simplistic guitar, with one that I didn’t catch the title of being a bit more complex and Let Me Know being, apparently, the only one of his own songs in which he employs a finger-picking style. Overall, it was a nice mixture of styles and I have to agree with the person who said something along the lines of, “But they’re good” to the comment about him imposing on the audience with his own songs.

It’s just over a year since we stumbled across Dream Of Apollo and I have kind of formed that opinion that they are one of York’s best kept musical secrets. All but one of the times I’ve seen them perform has been in various pubs (although they have played at “proper” venues and, indeed, completed a mini European tour as well) with most of the attentive audiences seemingly people they know. Which is a shame as this genre-defying band are superb and it has been a genuine joy both seeing them perform and, in a small way, getting to know the various members. It was a bit of s shock, therefore, that a few days before tonight’s gig was due to take place the Facebook event was changed to reflect it being a “farewell” gig, although it wasn’t clear whether it was farewell to the band or to vocalist and songwriter Vicki who is taking a career move to London.

It wasn’t a surprise, however, that the gig turned out to be slightly more emotional than other times they have performed. Moments of light-heartedness, with Vicki mistaking Winston’s, “Count me in” for him asking if she needed counselling (“I’m a bit sad, but I’m OK…”) and near hilarity when Winston realised exactly what was making his guitar sound “wrong” served to brighten the mood but didn’t detract from the sadness that was evident in both Vicki’s performance, during which at times the emotions seemed to be coming from her in waves, and while we were chatting during the break. It might have just been my perception but it seemed as though the rest of the band were giving her a bit more space, making her a bit more prominent in some of the songs, while still maintaining the full band sound. Not that the rest took a complete back seat – Jamie seemed particularly playful on drums tonight and Winston certainly rocked up the introduction to Children Of The City more than usual (at least as far as I remember…) There was a lovely beguiling jam opening to the second half of the set, serving both to show how good the musicianship is and giving people time to finish their conversations before the band eventually launched into the relatively new All For You but it was the lyrics to Someday, a song I’ve heard many times, that suddenly took on a new meaning tonight – “You came into my life and took my breath away” being an almost perfect description of how we felt the first time we saw the band perform and, “Like a dream you fade away”, expressing what was, potentially, happening to the band from a fan’s point of view. If only Vicki’s almost plaintive, “Don’t let me go” meant that the band and fans had a choice.

Hopefully, this isn’t the end of the Dream. The band are hoping to carry on, with Vicki trying to get them some gigs in London and the potential that she may get a job at least partly based in York. Work on their album is also set to continue, which should help venues get an idea of their sound, which really isn’t easy to pin down. From my own point of view, I hope that they manage to, at very least, get together once in a while, in York, just so that I can see them again. I’m selfish that way. It would be even better if their plans came to fruition and, wherever they play, they get the bigger audiences that they undoubtedly deserve.

York 800 MOR Music Festival–Parliament Street, 07/07/12

While bad weather had put paid to the river-based activities this weekend, arguably the most ambitious gig that I can remember being staged in York was proclaimed to be going ahead. As part of the celebrations of the 800th anniversary or York’s Royal Charter, MOR Music had organised a festival – 800 minutes of live music, spread across nineteen acts, with most getting a half hour slot and just five minutes in between each one - in the middle of one of the city’s busiest and, thankfully, widest shopping streets. With rain forecast, I packed waterproofs and umbrellas and dragged the family off to spend as much time there as possible.

We missed the first act, Plumhall, but I had seen them a couple of weeks earlier and, spotting them in the crowd, managed to pass on another couple of hybrid tribute acts (Seasick Stevie Wonder and GeneSisters of Mercy) for their collection. Holly Taymar, aided as usual (at least in my experience) by Chris Bilton, was next up, her sweet vocals occasionally counterpointed by Chris’ brash guitar. Stand-out songs from this set were a chilled out cover of Hot Stuff, in tribute to Donna Summer, and Holly’s own Toes which, despite only having heard it twice, is one of my favourite songs that I don’t have in my collection.

I hadn’t come across According To Eve before today. Apparently they are usually a trio but are today playing as the original duo format. Songs such as Forget-Me-Nots, Everybody Says It’s You and the slightly funkier No Shadow showed off the talents of both Eve Maule-Cole’s soulful vocals and Tim Downie’s guitar harmonies, while Arms Wide Open, along with another song whose name I can’t read from my notes, showed off a brasher, more unusual guitar style. Worth looking out for.

By his own admission, Graham Hodge isn’t clever enough to write his one material yet, so he treated us with a set of covers from the likes of Bob Dylan, Paul Brady and Bruce Cockburn. Perhaps a little nervous between songs, his broad Yorkshire speaking voice morphed into something with a hint of Paul Simon when he started singing.

It took a few songs for Hungry Ghosts to catch on with me but, once they did, I realised that I had thoroughly enjoyed their set. They perform an edgy kind of electro-rock with band members rotating around instruments and sharing vocals to perform songs including Jumping Through Hoops and By The Bridge.

Having enjoyed their debut album I was looking forward to seeing theFALLEN, although wondered whether their brand of hard rock (which seems to be, in my opinion, aimed more at a younger audience than me) would appeal to the lunchtime “crowd” or passers-by. However, despite coming on stage dressed as though they were heading for a promotional photo-shoot, their set featured stripped down versions of some of the songs from the album, changed so much that I barely recognised even my favourites. Despite one slightly self-indulgent cover and Johnny’s voice being too low in the mix at the start of the set, the choice of performance worked well.

Personally, I would question why an event that was, at least in part, designed to showcase local music talent needed a band like Huge. It’s not like they need the exposure, although I suppose they could have been there to drag in the punters. They are very good at what they do, which is perform covers and get audiences up and moving but I’m sure that their seventy minute set could have been split between two smaller acts just as easily. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy their set, it just seemed a little out of place to me, compared to what else was on show.

After three livelier acts, it was back to quieter acoustic styles with the next few acts. I’m afraid that a “comfort break” followed by a trip to the bar meant that I missed a good portion of  Jonny Dobbs’ set, although I have seen him a couple of times before. I did manage to catch the enjoyable Devil In Me and Brand New. Similarly, a trip for an ice-cream with my daughter meant that I missed some of the next set. Jonny Gill has a great voice which we could, just about, hear while we were scoffing our frozen delicacies, despite the kiosk being behind the stage. We did get back in time to listen properly to Friday Night Lights and A Friend Indeed. This acoustic section was rounded of by Nathan Luke, who I haven’t come across before and who started off his set with the downbeat (and, perhaps, slightly macabre) Body In A Box and Buried before moving onto his forthcoming single Honest Love. Again, a nice voice but, if I’m honest, Nathan suffered a bit from being at the end of a section of the day that contained some too similar acts.

It was back to more energetic things with Curious Yak, another band who I haven’t come across before. A (ahem) curious mix of atmosphere and distortion, I’m afraid that I just didn’t “get” this set, although their cover of Helter Skelter was enjoyable.

For most of the day, things had been going more or less to schedule. Captain Zippy’s drummer did his best to scupper that by leaving some of his equipment in the singer’s car, leading to one of the band publically berating him, making sure everybody knew who was at fault for the aimless milling about on stage. It seemed a good time (in more ways than one…) to take Elizabeth off for her own comfort break. Unfortunately, by the time we got back, what must have been a fore-shortened set was drawing to a close, which was a shame because I get the impression that this could have been one of the more fun bands of the day.

I can’t seem to find anything on-line for Turnpike Trust, apart from a mention in a Gazette and Herald events listing. If anybody knows different, let me know as they deserve linking. I’m fairly certain that they only performed covers of a rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues type, nothing I recognised but plenty that I enjoyed.

By this time, the hunger pangs were setting in, so we decided to forego seeing Funktion and head off to Pizza Hut for some much needed sustenance. In hindsight, given that they seem to be a covers band who play, among other things, soul and funk, this was probably a good decision from my point of view. Nothing against the band, but they don’t sound like my cup of tea.

We returned to find rumpled and somewhat humble Scotsman David Ward Maclean on stage and getting the audience going with his covers of Let It Be, I Heard It On The Grapevine and Stand By Me. I believe that he is a well-respected songwriter in his own right, so it seems strange that he chose to perform covers (unless his own songs were at the beginning of his set).

Darkness was just beginning to fall now and the evening part of the show saw compere extraordinaire Alexander King (“I’d like to point out that even though I’m a compere called Alexander, I’m not a meerkat” – well, it made me laugh) take to the stage to introduce the rest of the acts. First up in this section was Jamie Humphries. I don’t know whether he is from York but I believe he had been giving guitar demonstrations at MOR Music throughout the day. Having played with some of the world’s top musicians, Jamie treated us to some guitar gymnastics, playing with just the aid of a backing track and, if I recall correctly, performing just three or four what were, effectively, quite simply stunning solos in his thirty minute set.

The rocking continued after that with Aynt Skynyrd who are, obviously a tribute band to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Now, I like the originals, although I don’t have much of their output in my collection, but so varied is the performance by Aynt Skynyrd that they were three songs in before I recognised a song. The classics made up the back end of the set, with Three Steps and Sweet Home Alabama being played to a crowd who were increasingly finding the urge to get up and dance. Finally, vocalist Mick Sawyer asked, “As the great Ronnie Van Zandt used to ask, what do you want to hear?” Unsurprisingly, the expected answer came back and the band launched into as good a live rendition of Freebird as you are likely to hear outside the original band. “I wish you’d make it longer,” quipped Mr King as the band left the stage.

With a flagging nine-year-old (who had experienced her first bout of head-banging dancing along to Freebird with, I think, Sawyer’s daughter) we had to leave at this point so we missed The Buccaneers and The Littlemores, both of whom I had seen and enjoyed before.

Ambitious the day might have been, but it all seemed to go well (band issues notwithstanding) and, despite continuing well into the night and, therefore, having the potential for those who had, maybe, a little too much to drink to become slightly rambunctious, it seems to have gone off without any trouble being reported. Even the rain stayed away, making the aforementioned waterproofs and umbrellas somewhat extraneous. From a personal point of view, I think there was too much emphasis on acoustic acts, especially male ones, throughout the day – too many, one after another and they begin to blur into one to me. Apparently, MOR Music originally had over two hundred bands wanting to play. I find it strange that there wasn’t a bit more variety. Having said that, overall it was a brilliant day with a bit of something for everyone. Hopefully it will happen again, perhaps annually. Well done to all involved.

Panic Room–Fibbers, 23/06/12

The last time Panic Room played York, back in September last year, I bemoaned the size of the audience who came out to see them and wondered whether playing here was sustainable. Subsequent news that the band had signed to a record label and might, therefore, be a little more constrained in where they could choose to perform increased my concern. So, it was both a pleasure and surprise to learn that, not only would they be playing here again, but that the first date of the mini-tour to promote Skin, the band’s third album and first to be released on the Esoteric Antenna label, would be at Fibbers. Wild horses would have had a job keeping me away.

The other slightly surprising thing was that there was no support listed for tonight, especially given that the next night, at the Robin2 in Bilston (the home of live prog in the Midlands) had Howard Sinclair also on the bill. In hindsight, however, this was probably due to the fact that, when live performances have finished, Fibbers turns into a nightclub and, with Panic Room playing a near two-hour set, there just wouldn’t have been time for two acts without either starting earlier or finishing later, neither of which seems to be an option.

Apparently, there had been a few technical problems prior to the gig and, sadly, they continued throughout the evening. Most annoying was a loud hum coming through the PA. Admittedly it was only noticeable between songs (and even disappeared for a short while, only to return with a vengeance…) But with one guitar refusing to give out any sound and microphones, particularly Anne-Marie’s, refusing to stay in place, the band seemed to be a little up against it. Not that they let it bother them. In fact, we could only watch in amused awe as Ann-Marie combined singing, playing guitar and constantly re-adjusting her mic (until it finally gave in and stopped trying to put her off) without missing a beat or dropping a note.

Skin had only been posted out to those of us who had pre-ordered it a few days before tonight’s gig and wasn’t officially released until the following week, so it was perhaps appropriate that the first forty-five minutes of the set were given over to more familiar songs from the previous albums. Kicking off, as has been usual recently, with Freedom To Breathe. The sound gremlins reared their heads during 5th Amendment, with Anne-Marie’s vocals sounding very strange. Thankfully, this was sorted out in time for eco-song Yasuni but it was at the beginning of Reborn that Anne-Marie had to quickly swap guitars and yet, even then, she still managed to sing with a huge smile, showing just how to deal with adversity. The band’s superb cover version of ELP’s Bitches Crystal followed and, for the first time I noticed Paul playing this “bottleneck” style. For one who is usually a bit of a quiet man on stage, Paul not only seemed to be being a bit more playful (for want of a better word) with his guitar work but also came to the fore a bit more than usual, engaging with the audience while Anne-Marie was otherwise engaged trying to work through the guitar problems. Next up was Apocalypstick and then The Fall which, apparently, wasn’t due to be in tonight’s set but had been specially requested by one family group in the audience.

The band then moved on to the new material, well mostly. Fifty minutes of songs from Skin started with Song For Tomorrow, which they have been playing live for over a year, ever since they started work on the latest album. The full album wasn’t played live, but we were treated to Screens, Chameleon, Freefalling, Promises (another song that was first played at the beginning of last year) and Skin itself, all of which were given snappy little introductions by Anne-Marie, telling the story behind them where possible – Freefalling was inspired by Anne-Marie’s recent foray into Sky-diving while Skin tells of the impact of a friend’s premature death. All the new songs sounded superb, technical issues notwithstanding.Many have the unmistakable underlying Panic Room sound, while being just different enough to show that the band are progressing creatively. As usual, Yatim’s bass playing was incredible – here’s a man who clearly enjoys being on stage – and, together with Gavin’s drumming, provided a solid back-line for the songs throughout the set. I have sometimes, in the past, struggled to pick Jonathan’s keyboards out but they seemed to be much more prominent in the mix tonight, giving the songs a lot more depth than I usually hear. Even the string arrangements, provided on the album by The Larkin Quartet, were used, albeit in the form of recorded backing tracks. This portion of the set ended with Hiding The World, with the band going out with a bang – much heavier sounding guitars and a more active light show.

The inevitable encore, which itself lasted another twenty minutes, consisted of two more new songs – Tightrope Walking, with Anne-Marie adding yet another instrument to her repertoire by playing some sort of hand-drum, and the brilliant album closer Nocturnal.

Thankfully, tonight’s audience was larger than last time (or it seemed to me to be, anyway) so perhaps my worries about not being able to see one of my favourite bands in York for much longer are unfounded. On the strength of tonight’s performance, and Skin itself, they are only getting better. Hopefully they will be back and, finger-crossed, without the gremlins.