Chantel McGregor–Fibbers, 12/10/12

After commenting on a recent post that I always try to arrive on time to gigs, in order to support the support bands, I was a little disappointed that a combination of fixing an amplifier problem at home (the DVD that the rest of the family were watching had no sound) and an earlier than usual stage time meant that I missed the start of Barcode Zebra’s set.

I didn’t recognise front-woman (and Joan Armatrading look-a-like) Jess Gardham, who supported Chantel back in February 2010 and I’m not sure whether this is a new version of the Jess Gardham Band as the line-up is three quarters the same, with the energetic Ruth Wilde replacing Michaela Winship on bass. The line-up is completed with Charlie Daykin on keyboard (I eventually remembered that I had recently seen him playing with Plumhall) and Emma Whitehead effortlessly playing drums. As I arrived, the band were starting the title track from their new EP. Into The Night has a slightly reggae feel to it, with Jess eschewing her guitar and simply providing vocals over Charlie’s keys and the rhythm section. The next track song started with a drum intro which, surprisingly, reminded me of Iron Maiden’s Run To The Hills before changing into a very bass-heavy upbeat, but slightly funky number. Devil On The Shoulder continued the upbeat mood but there set contained a nicely mixed bag of sounds – one song had Charlie’s keyboards more in evidence while another allowed Jess’s guitar to come through more. It might have been “support band syndrome” but I thought the vocals were a little thing, until the last, slightly slower song, when a little echo gave them a fuller sound. Barcode Zebra’s brand of “soul-tinged pop funk” may not be my cup of tea, but the playing was tight and the performance good, with the band clearly enjoying themselves. Definitely worth a look if you like that sort of music.

Chantel McGregor, on the other hand, definitely plays music that is my cup of tea and it’s a shame that we don’t get the chance to see her as often as we used to do, even it that is because she is enjoying more and more success, recently scooping Female Vocalist of the Year at the British Blues awards. Thankfully, that success doesn’t seem to be going to her head – before tonight’s gig she could be found sitting at the merchandise table, chatting to fans (and, it seems, being showered with gifts) and she still maintains her slight “dizziness” on stage, beguiling us with random thoughts between songs and, every so often, throwing in one of her trademark Yorkshire “Ta”’s.

The set tonight was the now usual mix of covers and songs from debut album Like No Other. The likes of Voodoo Chile and Up In The Sky mixed well with the album’s title track and the more “pop” sounding Fabulous. Her rendition of Red House, after the story of how she had gone through “amp hell” this week meant that she was thinking of taking up the triangle (I wonder if the British Blues Awards would include a Best British triangle player next year…), brought forth a comment along the lines of, “She’s just showing off now” from somewhere to my left while fan favourite Daydream, which featured not just stunning guitar work but some astounding and varied drumming, held the audience spellbound for fifteen minutes. The now usual mid-set solo section featured Chantel’s own I’m No Good For You, with its dirty Blues guitar sound counterpointed by soft and sweet vocals, before she switched to an acoustic guitar for covers of Gold Dust Woman and Bonnie Raitt’s beautiful Can’t Make You Love Me and her own Not Here With Me – the latter two being delivered with heart-rending vocals. In fact, it seems that Chantel’s vocals are getting better and better. The louder, more rocky songs may have drowned out the vocals tonight, but the quieter ones showed just how good she has become.

There was, tonight, some insights into what had prompted some of her own songs – I’m No Good For You was inspired by the True Blood T.V. show while Caught Out was written in response to some nasty comments on a forum. (Checks back to make sure that I haven’t written anything nasty…)

Once again, another brilliant performance from a still-rising star. Nearly two hours of quality music which, even without any new material from the lady herself, managed to remain fresh by the inclusion of different covers that hadn’t been heard for a while, whilst still showcasing her own songs and retaining the fan favourites. I know that at least three people had come to see her for the first time tonight (one on my recommendation). I doubt they went away disappointed.

She Really Is Like No Other

Friday 14th October: Tonight sees a welcome return to York for Chantel McGregor, fresh from not only releasing her debut album – Like No Other – earlier this year, but also being crowned Best Young Artist at the British Blues Awards.

Support came from Patrick McCallion, a very confident and talented A-Level student from Halifax who added a twist to the man and guitar format by adding a couple of harmonics (not both at the same time) and who, at various points in his set reminded me of James Blunt, Bob Dylan and a Yorkshire Billy Bragg. His set was a nice mix of songs, from the upbeat opener Stephanie to the slower and more melancholy Petals, which was inspired by the poetry of Wilfred Owen. He threw in a couple of covers – David Ford’s lovely ‘Til The Day and The Barenaked Ladies’ One Week, which he performed so fast that I nearly couldn’t pick out any lyrics to search for and work out why it sounded so familiar – as well as one song – Nice - which he normally plays with his band, Small Words. This latter song brought a wry smile as the chorus described relaxing in the sun with his Raybans on, just after Patrick had played one about giving up on living the American Dream and called I Don’t Suit Shades. One of the nice things about this set was that we did get a bit of background about most of the songs. Another was that, just after announcing that we was going to play his last song, Patrick got a message to say he had a bit more time and so decided to play another of his own which ended up being my favourite of the set. Unfortunately, he didn’t introduce this one but it might have been called New York Nights or, perhaps, Neon Lights (based on the lyrics). The very entertaining set ended with a medley that included snippets of Should I Stay Or Should I Go, Hey Jude and, I think, Elbow’s On A Day Like This.

Tonight is the first time I’ve seen Chantel McGregor in too many months. (The last time she played York was on my birthday last year and I couldn’t justify going that night.) I’m not sure whether I had simply mis-remembered who good she was or whether she has actually got better, but tonight’s performance was nothing short of brilliant. This was the first time I have managed to get close enough to the stage to closely watch the Guitar Goddess perform, seeing her fingers dance across the strings and fly up and down the frets and to truly appreciate how such wonderful sounding riffs such as those in her cover of Joe Satriani’s Up In The Sky are played. Being up close also let me see just how she treats the intricate guitar work of both the covers that she has laid as the foundations of her career and her own songs on which that career will rise with not just mind-blowing ease but verging almost on utter contempt, barely breaking into a frown of concentration let alone anything like a sweat. It also gives a better view of Martin Rushworth’s incredible drumming and newboy (to me, anyway) Richie’s bass-playing, allowing me to more easily pick out the bass-lines of some of the songs.

To a degree it appears that the set-list is fluid, Chantel often turning to Rushworth and Richie and saying, “Let’s do…” or asking the audience what they want to hear next and only turning down one request because that song was due to be the encore. Classic covers are still part of her set, which opened with Bridge To Better Days and A New Day Yesterday and included Sloe Gin and Red House (with the latter producing howls of appreciation from the crowd and chuckles of amusement from Rushworth) as well as crowd favourites including the brilliant interpretation of Daydream and Rhiannon, both of which feature on Like No Other. Her own compositions are now coming to the fore, though. The first we heard was album opener Fabulous which, with its killer riff and stripped of the production that made it more of a pop song on the album, is much heavier in sound. Not as heavy, mind, as Caught Out, which Chantel introduced as her “metal song”. The middle section of the set was given over to a solo acoustic performance and it was this section which showed that Chantel, despite having a more than adequate voice for the rockier songs is, perhaps, even more suited to the quieter ones. The riff from the title track of the album might not sound quite so dirty when played live, but if vocals from Screams Everlasting and the exquisite Rhiannon don’t tug at your soul, there’s a good chance that nothing will. The set ended with Had To Cry Today before Chantel, encouraging the crowd to shout for more, gave us the inevitable encore of Freefalling without leaving the stage.

But it’s not just the music. During the two-hour, fifteen song set, Chantel manages to both charm and amuse with her anecdotes and asides to the band. Despite the leaps her career seems to be taking, Chantel appears to remain grounded, picking out familiar faces in the audience and giggling at the number of people who indicate that they’ve bought the album. There’s little doubt that you are unlikely to see a better guitarist perform in York and that you would, in fact, have to travel quite some distance to see one.

CD Review: Chantel McGregor–Like No Other

Thursday 28th April: It sounds like the sort of 5-point plan that a lot of bands/artists will have:

1. Play gigs in pubs to get noticed by the public. Maybe try to get a few support slots.
2. Get on stage with one or two of my heroes, widen the fanbase.
3. Move on to headline slots at ticketed venues.
4. Break into mainland Europe and get some radio airplay.
5. Write and release a superb debut album that deserves the sort of wider recognition that more established bands get.

(I know, I’ve merged a couple of steps together to bring it down to five, but it’s my review…)

I doubt, however, that many have completed the plan in what seems as little time as Chantel McGregor, whose album Like No Other, was released just a couple of weeks ago. It’s actually three years since I first saw Chantel live (and was blown away by what turned out to be the soundcheck), but it seems a lot less and it I’ve been eagerly awaiting the album since it was first mentioned, with the feeling that it would have the potential to be my favourite album of whatever year it was actually released in. So, does it live up to my expectations?

Opening with a sort of heavy riff, Fabulous soon defies expectation by adding electronic effects and bursting into life as a Pop-rock song about living for the weekend that wouldn’t feel out of place on a release by the likes of Cheryl Cole. As somebody who has touted Chantel as a Blues/Rock artiste to people who are “serious” music fans, I can’t help but think it’s not the track to open the album with, if only because I don’t think some of those people would be put off by it. Personally, I’ve grown to like it more and more. It’s catchy, the electronics aren’t too intrusive and Chantel’s guitar work is always going to raise it above the level of any average pop song.

I’m No Good For You also opens with a riff, this time a Delta blues one that starts off sounding as though it’s been lifted directly from vinyl before emerging as a much cleaner sound. This is more like what I was expecting. Livingstone Brown’s bass is stunning, Chantel’s different guitar lines are brilliantly overlayed on top of each other and her voice is pure emotion.

Like No Other shows another of Chantel’s influences. After a slow, beautifully sung beginning, it blossoms into something very like Fleetwood Mac. You can almost hear Stevie Nicks singing the lyrics. It’s a very laid-back song with a brilliant instrumental middle-section.

Freefalling is one of only two of the original songs on the album that I had heard before. It has been tweaked a bit since the version I remember hearing live and takes the album back into slightly heavier, rockier territory. As far as I can tell, there’s no tweaking on the vocals, showing that Chantel can sing with power when required and it’s perhaps this track that shows Chris Taggart’s drums at their best. It’s a great song live, retains its power in the recorded version and, once again, has a superb instrumental section mixing screaming guitar with a very nice riff.

Rhiannon is the first of three covers on the album. It’s a dreamy, stripped-down version of the Fleetwood Mac original, using acoustic guitar and cello as a perfect backdrop to Chantel’s lovely vocals to produce a version which I’m beginning to think is better than the original. I really hope we get to hear this version live some day.

Chantel’s album blog mentioned sitars and it’s Caught Out that opens with their sound (albeit electronically reproduced, I think, as their is no credit for them on the album), giving the song a hint of Eastern mysticism, merged with traditional rock. Once again, the guitar work is superb, although that should go without saying, and there is a nice change of pace towards the end of the song.

Robin Trower’s Daydream is a favourite of mine from Chantel’s live set. I don’t know the original at all (and really must seek it out one day) but her version has captivated me from the first time I heard it, so it is a welcome addition to the album. Clocking in at over thirteen minutes, of which much more than half is instrumental, it showcases just how exceptional a guitar-player Chantel is. Listening to it, you can visualise her fingers flying along the frets as the playing flits between intricacy and simplicity, laid-back and full on. Parts of it could lull you to sleep while other parts practically vibrate the speakers out of their housings. A beautiful song, played and sung beautifully.

Cat Song, on the other hand just doesn’t do it for me. Wholly instrumental (with added electronic effects), just over two minutes long and, I believe, inspired by Chantel’s own cat, it just feels out of place to me. It’s clever but, personally, I don’t think it’s right for the album.

It’s back to the acoustic guitar for Screams Everlasting, another lovely song which, for me, contains the best lyrics on the album. I don’t know whether to credit Chantel or co-writer Chris Bucknall with them but they are sung with so much feeling that it’s hard not to be moved by them. Switching to electric guitar for a powerful second half elevates the song beyond the traditional ballad.

Happy Song reminds me so much of something else, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. I love the vocals which, for the first time on the album, almost seem to overpower the music. There’s a folkiness to it which means that, again, it’s not what I expected from the album but I can’t help but like it. It’s difficult to describe but something about it says that if there’s ever a video made to accompany the song, it will include bits where the camera spirals around Chantel as she plays guitar in a meadow. That’s the sort of image it evokes for me.

Not Here With Me is the second original song that I have heard before. Again, it has been tweaked for the album, with some nice backing vocals and the reappearance of Jocasta Whippy’s cello. Beautiful in its simplicity, it’s more superb writing from the McGregor/Bucknall team.

The album ends with a third cover. This time it’s Sonny Boy Williamson II’s Help Me, another song I recognise from the live performances and a return to the blues that I was expecting more of. As well as more genuinely brilliant guitar playing, Chantel’s voice is at it’s very best here, effortlessly switching between oozing syrup and raw power.

If you haven’t already gathered, the album as a whole isn’t exactly what I was expecting. It’s more laid back, less heavy and less bluesy than suggested by the songs covered in the live performances. It’s still excellent, though. The whole thing has a very clean sound with Chantel’s vocals being particularly impressive all the way through. Even though a number of influences are present in the writing (and in the chosen covers) they all seem to work to complement each other. I love the way that the songs have been placed to come at you in waves, building in power before easing away again and, notwithstanding the placing of Fabulous at the beginning and the inclusion of Cat Song, it’s the first album I can remember listening to where the placing of the songs seems to matter. There’s a long way to go in 2011, but I can definitely see this being one of my favourites of the year, if not my overall favourite. Chantel can be justifiably proud of what is a stunning debut album

…and might I suggest that the above plan might just have two more steps. You never know, they might happen sooner than you think:

• Get picked up by a major label
• Headline stadium gigs.

2011 – A Personal Preview

Friday 25th February: With no plans to attend a gig this weekend (never fear, though, I have one planned for Monday…), I thought I would treat my faithful reader(s) to a preview of which albums I’m looking forward to so far this year, along with one or two that I hope will see the light of day sometime in 2011.

So, in no particular order, here are my “must buys” so far…

First up is Out Of An Ancient World, by Marc Atkinson’s Riversea. I’ve seen Marc play live a couple of times and have both his solo, acoustic albums, but this has all the hallmark’s of a big project. Ex-York resident (and biggest Dr Who fan… ever!) Marc will, once again, be playing acoustic guitar and has been joined by Brendan Eyre on keyboards, along with a whole host of guest’s (from the York area and further afield) to provide the rest of the music and backing vocals. I’ve heard just the one track, played live back in December and haven’t taken advantage of any of the preview clips available on MySpace or dotted around Facebook but, with the project billed as acoustic/progressive/rock, as well as with the amount of talent to be found in the project, there’s something about this album which is calling out to me, helped in no small part by the stunning cover by Ed Unitsky. Out Of An Ancient World was due to be released around Easter time, but I think that may have slipped slightly recently.

Marc is also involved in Sangreal, the second release from the new, third version of Mandalaband. This album sounds very much a concept piece, as were the first three, and tells the story of the Holy Grail as seen in the Romano-Spanish version – the history of the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper (as opposed to the King Arthur version). Marc seems to have upped his contribution from the last album, providing lead vocals for five or six of the fourteen tracks and backing vocals for others. The album also includes the last song Woolly Wolstenholme (Barclay James Harvest) recorded before his death last year. The previous album, BC – Ancestors, was one of my favourites of recent times and the newly re-mastered re-releases of the original 70s albums may sound a little dated now compared to the prog rock being released today but that doesn’t matter to me (after all, I’ve only just discovered Camel and Caravan…)

I like to think that I’ve been a fan of Chantel McGregor from the beginning of her career but I know that, although I first saw her live while she was still playing The Roman Bath, with no entry charge, she had been performing for quite some time. On a personal note, she was the first artist to put a link to this blog on her website, an act that I was honoured by. The pocket prodigy plays guitar like nobody else I have seen and now, after completing her degree, she has had the time to concentrate on writing her own music and has recently been recording her debut album which is due for release in April. Some of the new songs have already made it into her live set and sat comfortably with the Hendrix, Cream, Trower, Fleetwood Mac, Bonamassa, etc. covers that she was known for performing. With details of the recording being blogged on a daily basis, we are promised the likes of a “13 minute epic”, a “swampy, bluesy thang” and “progging it up a bit”. The only downside is that we won’t get Chantel’s rambling monologues, usually about dresses, take-away food or equipment malfunctions, between songs. (Unless she goes down the Seasick Steve route, of course…)  If you are a fan of the blues, this is one album you must look out for.

The first and, so far, only time I saw Haze play live was back in 2003, in the Bay Horse (now Stereo) in York and they were, therefore, my initiation into the world of live prog-rock. A magazine review of a more recent gig jogged my memory and alerted me to the fact that they were still around, if only sporadically. I had a brief email conversation/trip down memory lane with bass-player and vocalist Chris McMahon before buying a copy of a double live CD from their 30th anniversary tour, only to find that some of the songs had been lodged in the back of my brain for all those intervening years. Now performing more regularly  as Treebeard, a more folky, “heavy wood” ensemble, Chris recently decided to write a new Haze album, their first studio album since 1987’s Stoat And Bottle, although an album named Haze was released in 1994 by World Turtle (Chris and his brother Paul) and contained material that would have been on Haze’s third album. A new album so soon after I get in touch? Coincidence? Almost certainly, but I’m still looking forward to it.

As the year goes on, there are bound to be other releases that I look forward to as eagerly as the ones above, they are just the ones I know that are on the horizon. I also know that Hope & Social have started work on their third album, but that’s as much detail as I have at the moment.

If I could have a wish list, however, it would probably include the following (some of which may be in the pipeline already):

A second album from Boss Caine – it’s hard to imagine a better album than last year’s The Ship That Sailed but if main man GT Turbo can put together another mix of old and new and manage to include some of my favourites from his live sets, it might just be possible.

A debut from Stolen Earth – formed from the ashes of the recently disbanded Breathing Space and featuring the writers of the new songs we heard live during that band’s final gig back in December Stolen Earth are, arguably, the most exciting new band in York at the moment. I don’t know whether the band has enough output for an album yet, but they are trying to get on the bill for this Summer’s Cambridge Rock Festival and, I’m told, are aiming to put together some demo material to help promote the band.

A second album from Parade, or whatever they are going to call themselves to avoid confusion with the same-named pop band. New material is being written, but a release date (and new name) has yet to be announced.

A second release from blues-rockers 98Pages – they will almost certainly always be better to see live than listen to recorded but the new songs performed recently are part of a batch that have been written with an eye to either release a second album or a series of EPs. My vote goes to the album format.

There’s bound to be more. I’ve concentrated on smaller and, for the most part, local bands, most of whom I have seen perform and some of whom I have become friends with (if only through social networking). Bigger, more “established” bands that I like are bound to be working on new albums and, when they arrive, there is a very good chance that they will be added to my collection, but the ones I have listed are, in my opinion, bands that deserve supporting. I realise I’ve leaned somewhat in the direction of progressive rock but, given my tastes, that’s to be expected. I doubt that any of the albums will be inaccessible to general music fans, though. So, if you like music why not keep an eye out for one (or more) of the albums and try something a bit different?

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.

I Want A Bike...

Friday 30th October: The Chantel McGregor Band is, as I have said before, an act that I would go out of my way to see. So, it's a surprise to find that tonight's gig at the Roman Bath is only the second time this year that I've managed to catch one of their gigs. (I know I missed their last visit to York as it clashed with my visit to the York Beer Festival and I think the previous one clashed with another gig.)

There's little I can add to what I have already posted about Chantel's prodigious talent with a guitar but I have to say that tonight's set was, in my opinion, the least impressive that I have seen by her. That's not to take anything away from Chantel - she played as brilliantly as ever - it's just that there was a lot of the set that I wasn't familiar with and some of my favourites were missing. Yes, we got songs from the likes of Hendrix (Red House and Voodoo Chile), Jethro Tull (Living In Past), Ten Years After, Joe Satriani (Up In The Sky) and Joe Bonamassa (Mountain Time), but where was Clapton/Cream, Steve Vai and Fleetwood Mac??

Hey ho, I guess if she played the same set every time, I'd be complaining of too little variation.

I'm beginning to get the impression that Chantel is getting a loyal following at the Bath (as she seems to have at other venues) as the applause tonight was mixed with cheers and howls of appreciation. But there are still people who, until tonight, were yet to experience one of her gigs. Members of York's own Morpheus Rising were in tonight's audience and I have it on good authority that the wife of one was "blown away". It was interesting (and slightly amusing) to see the looks on the faces of some of the casual punters who wandered in, heard the music and then noticed who was playing it.

After another excellent set, we headed outside for our usual round of banter and despite Andy telling us at least three times that he had to head off, he was just getting round to unlocking his Brompton as Chantel, her band and parents left the pub. For some reason, she thought it would be a good idea to have a go on the bike. So, much the our amusement (and that of band members Martin and Alex) and the apparent consternation of her parents, Andy dutifully lowered the seat (twice!) and off she wobbled around St Sampson's Square. "Can you play guitar while doing that?" shouted Martin from his car. We have a suspicion that she may well be able to, with just a little more practice.

A Long-Awaited Return

Saturday 14th March: It's my second gig of the weekend - a welcome and much anticipated return to the Roman Bath for my current favourite guitarist, Chantel McGregor and her band, Martin Rushworth on drums and Alex Jeffrey on bass (Lincoln J. Roth having moved on a few weeks ago).

Although recovering from illness Chantel managed to charm and enthrall us for another two-hour-plus set of classic rock and blues, consisting of old favourites and new tunes. (Well, new to me anyway.) OK, so there was no Clapton/Cream this time, which severely curtails my ability to put names to the songs, but Fleetwood Mac, Robin Trower, Steve Vai and the ubiquitous Jimi Hendrix were all featured, probably along with others that I didn't hear introduced.

It may have been because of the recent bout of tonsillitis, but there seemed to me to be more guitar solos and less vocals than usual. In fact, the set list (recovered afterwards by Roj) contained more songs than were actually played. However, while Chantel's vocals are a lot better than adequate, I would guess that most people watch her live to see and hear her stunning guitar work. Technically superb, she plays with an ease that seems to cry out, "why do others make this look so difficult??" Tonight's solos were nothing less than brilliant and surely prove that, while still a covers artist, Chantel has the ability to play (if not write) her own material. Unfortunately, the Bath having the layout it does (and me not being the tallest in the world) I barely got a view of the stage area. However, I did see the incredible fret-work during Hendrix's Red House - safe to say I've never seen anybody play the guitar in quite that way before and can only echo the comment of the old guy behind me when, at the end of that track, he said, "She's incredible. Why is she playing pubs?"

What is, perhaps, only slightly less incredible is the fact that today was Chantel's birthday. Still only twenty-two, she chooses to celebrate by entertaining us?? Somebody should point out that, on birthdays, the treats are supposed to flow in the direction of the celebrator...

It's difficult to review a gig like this without focusing on Chantel, to the detriment of the other two members of the band. Martin's drumming was, as ever, excellent but I find it hard to comment on the bass-player without actually seeing them play and thus being able to link finger movements with the actual bass-line. It may be damning with faint praise to simply say that Alex's bass-playing was good enough that I barely noticed it. If you see what I mean...

I have said before that one of the pleasures, for me, of attending local gigs is discovering new music that you rarely get to hear anywhere else. Conversely, one of the pleasures of seeing Chantel play is discovering older music (and musicians) that have bypassed me. Eventually, this could end up costing me fortune - I have already, after tonight's gig, ordered Steve Vai's first five albums and I haven't even started on Trower or Joe Bonamassa yet. I wonder if, one day, I will be playing a CD by Chantel herself. I have no idea whether her ultimate plan is to play and record her own material but I hope so. That way, when she becomes even more famous, I can say, "Chantel McGregor? Yeah, I was a fan of hers when she just played covers in pubs."

"Just...?" Hah!

Barefoot in the Bath, Revisited

Saturday 6th September: When you actually sit down and think about it, there are numerous venues in York where you can see live music for free . Although I speak from a position of limited experience (at last count I think I have only been to four such venues, although I have seen quite a few bands at one of them), I'm fairly certain that the majority of bands appearing at such places are covers bands. There are the odd exceptions, bands that perform their own material - the excellent Breathing Space spring to mind, although I have also paid to see them - but, for the most part, you can hear a lot of the same songs or, at least, the same style of song, weekend after weekend.

It's for that reason that I pick which covers bands I go out to see. The excellent, although now somewhat fractured, Hazzard County are always worth seeing, as were (are?) Freeway. There are probably others that I haven't had the good fortune to encounter yet. There are few, however, that I would go out of my way to see. In fact, so far, I have only come across one.

Tonight at the Roman Bath, it was the Chantel McGregor Band. I've seen (and mentioned) them before and there was little chance that I was going to miss tonight's gig.

The band has had a slight line-up change from the last time they were in York. Chantel and drummer Martin Rushworth have been joined by new bass-player Lincoln J. Roth (how much of a rock and roll name is that??!) who, incidentally, stands a good chance of pushing Brian May into second place if they ever both enter a Brian May look-alike contest... I can't find any mention of why the previous bass-player is no longer with the band, but tonight was only Roth's fifth gig. You couldn't tell - his lively playing, on stage exuberance, funky solo and familiarity with both the material and the other two members of the trio made it seem as though he had been part of the line-up forever.

Chantel herself (the small-statured strummer with a predilection for kebabs) looked more relaxed than the last time she played. I can't think of any obvious reason for this. If anything, the crowd was bigger than last time (one of the gang, turning up late, had to sneak in the back way after being refused entry at the front). Once again, she played brilliantly, with a seeming lack of any effort and managed to keep the audience entertained both with the music and with her stream of consciousness ramblings between songs. This time, there was no mid-set break and the band played for well over two hours, treating us to some of the best in rock and blues. Some of the songs were the same as last time, others were new. The set included, but was not limited to, covers of Jimi Hendrix (All Along t'Watchtower, Voodoo Chile, Purple Haze, Red House), Fleetwood Mac (Gold Dust Woman), Eric Clapton/Cream (Badge, Stormy Monday), Jethro Tull (Too Old to Rock and Roll) and Joe Bonamassa (Miss You, Hate You), as well as others that I can't find artists for - Up In t'Sky, One Of These Days, For The Love of God. I've left Chantel's broad Yorkshire versions of the titles in the list - those and her constant use of "Ta" brought even more smiles to the audience.

As expected, the playing was brilliant, with all three members of the band giving superb performances. As I have said before, it is too easy to run out of superlatives when talking about this band and, in particular, Chantel herself. She really does have to be seen for her playing to be believed. Unfortunately, according to her website, there are no more gigs planned for York for the rest of the year.

Barefoot in the Bath

Friday 20th June: I'm going to start this entry with a bit of a disclaimer. The old adage about art applies to me when describing my relationship with music. That is, I know nothing about music, but I know what I like. To be clear, I know nothing about making music (except what the instruments are called). My only brushes with any chance to play an instrument came at school where I ended up being able to play Frere Jacques on the recorder and spent one music lesson strumming one chord on a guitar whenever the teacher pointed to me. I can't read music and, under normal circumstances, I couldn't tell you whether somebody was playing or singing in the right key or not. To me, musicians are akin to magicians - they pick up items that I could probably make squeal or howl, fiddle about with them and produce, at very, least interesting sounds or, at best, something beautiful.

The preceding paragraph is a way of setting my stall out to explain that, when I write about music, I am writing about what I feel and think. The technical aspects are beyond me.

Which, finally, brings me to tonight's gig - The Chantel McGregor Band at the Roman Bath.

Chantel is a rock/blues guitarist who, according to her website, has owned a guitar since the age of three and started lessons when she was seven. Now, barely into her twenties, she has been described as a prodigy but has also been told that girls shouldn't play guitar the way she does - it scares the boys. Thankfully, she ignored this "wonderful" piece of advice. She now plays with Martin Rushworth on drums and Jonathan Clapham on (five string - apparently that's impressive) bass.

My first impression on arriving was that Chantel herself was tiny and seemed a little nervous as she stood in the middle of the performance area while the sound check was completed. Then the nervousness seemed to fall away as she started playing what I thought was the first track of the gig - five minutes of delightful, multi-faceted guitar with a vocal section in the middle. The music was brilliant and I was a little surprised when, at the end, Chantel announced that that was the sound check complete and that they would be back in a few minutes. Definitely the best sound check I have ever heard.

Shortly after that my fellow music-lovers (both more knowledgeable in the technical aspects than me) arrived into a Roman Bath that was rapidly filling up. Although some people had walked out during the sound check, the pub was probably the fullest I had seen it since the last time Breathing Space played there. Judging by the various conversations going on, quite a few of the audience had seen the band play before.

The gig itself was another selection of covers but, unlike the cover bands that I expressed a bit of boredom with a few entries back, not only were the songs not the usual fare but were also added to and extended by Chantel's superb guitar solos. The various tracks came from the likes of Led Zeppelin (Tea for One), Jimi Hendrix (All Along the Watchtower, Purple Haze), Fleetwood Mac (a wonderfully heavy version of Gold Dust Woman), Jethro Tull, Cream (The White Room) and many more that I didn't recognise. Chantel's apparent nervousness had, by now, completely disappeared and she showed a good rapport with the audience who were, in turn, appreciative of the wonderful music. (As usual, apart from the shouters in the back - why stay in a music pub if all you want to do is chat??) Certainly the guys I were with had a good time. At least one of them was seen frequently shaking his head in wonder at the exceptional level of guitar-playing, made all the more incredible by the fact that, for most of the time, there appeared to be little effort of concentration involved. Vocally, I thought Chantel was more than adequate, especially given that the majority of the songs she was performing were originally sung by males. She performed with a certain doe-eyed innocence, which belied the formidable sounds coming from her guitar.

Now, out of the so-called "top" guitarists I have, arguably, seen three of them live - Eric Clapton, Brian May and Chris Rea. In my opinion, Chantel is up there with them. It's beyond belief, to me, that somebody with this much talent is playing in pubs. You could run out of superlatives to describe her. She really does have to be seen to be believed and I hope that I get the chance to see her again soon.