Thursday 6th November: A weekend of standby for me, together with location and general busy-ness for the others meant that it was going to be impossible for all of us to meet up this week. The others were going out on Friday night at least and you can see a review of their trip to the Duchess by clicking the link on my Blog roll. Not wanting to miss out on live music for another weekend I took a late decision to make my own way to the Duchess to see a couple of bands that I already knew I liked.
The evening didn't start well, however, when Dead Rebellion took to the stage. Rock-style drumming with some sort of small keyboard-type thingy and hip-hop lyrics - not my cup of tea at all, to be honest. I lost interest very early in the first song when I realised that the lyrics were shouted, repetitive and completely unintelligible. The latter may not have been the band's fault - the sound (especially the bass) was up so loud that not only were my clothes vibrating but, I suspect, so was my wardrobe back home. Frankly, the thirty minute set felt a lot longer but that was probably just my prejudice against this genre of music.
Second on stage were The Runaway Sons. This is the third time I've seen them and they seem to get better every time. This time they only had a thirty minute set and, unlike Dead Rebellion, that wasn't long enough. Most of the set was familiar songs although, towards the end, I thought they played one or two new ones (or, at least, new to me). As usual, the playing was excellent - these guys have a really good stage presence - and this time they seemed to be a bit more comfortable talking to the audience between songs. Most noticeable, however, was the fact that Jim Gipson has had his hair cut and is no longer a Suzi Quatro look-a-like.
Finally, tonight's "head"-line act - the appropriately named The Hair. Last time we saw these guys, they were supporting Hope&Social at Fibbers. Since, then, they have been propelled to the big time by supporting the Kaiser Chiefs on their recent tour. Again, a lot of their infectious pop/rock/alternative tunes were familiar from the last time but, being a longer set, they also played new ones and there wasn't a duff song amongst them. These guys seem to really enjoy performing and are definitely developing their own style. By this time I had met up with another colleague and he admitted that, while he didn't know what to expect from this band, he really enjoyed them. Unfortunately, their forty-five minute set (including two song encore) was over much too soon, ending with each member of the band (except the drummer) in turn eschewing his own instrument in favour of bashing a cymbal. A good end to a really good set. Hopefully they'll be back soon.
Showing posts with label The Runaway Sons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Runaway Sons. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Monday, 11 August 2008
Run Run Run Run Runaway
Friday 8th August: Well, wouldn't you know it? A big Hazzard County reunion and two thirds of the group aren't available. Instead, we have a rare appearance from Seldom-seen from Strensall and an even rarer appearance from my wife (with new camera), all on our first visit to the Duchess to see a band that we've seen and enjoyed before.
First up is Mike Newsham who we've also seen before, opening for the Yards at the Post Office Club. As last time, his vocals were a little indistinct (something I now put down to the microphone being too close to his mouth. No, seriously) but his guitar-playing was excellent. This performance was a little less energetic than last time, with less foot-stomping, and was a little short. Mike's a good opening act and his five or six songs were a good start to the evening.
Before I move on to the next act, a few words about the venue (if only because I haven't got to the bottom of the accompanying photo yet...) The Duchess is exactly what I was expecting and more. Spacious both in terms of the audience area and the stage, with an excellent sound system, it is exactly what York needs. With seating areas comprising of chill-out sofas and two bars, both selling hand-pulled beer (although still in plastic glasses), compared to Fibbers it's a palace amongst venues. We managed to catch a few words with joint owner Michelle, who explained that this is the tenth time she has been involved in opening a music venue and that, so far and despite its own special kind of problems, the Duchess is doing well.
Second on the bill was GT Turbo, another York-based solo guitarist but with a slightly different sound to Mr Newsham. This one is a more laid back Neil Young type sound, with much clearer lyrics than Newsham. For about half his act, GT was joined by a second guitarist (I missed his name) and, for one song, by Andy Gaines of the headline act and these guest artists produced a fuller, more rounded sound experience. Overall, however, GT didn't do a lot for me, which is a bit surprising as I generally don't have anything against this type of music. I put it down to just not being in the mood for more subtle music tonight.
In contrast the third act, The Federals, were loud and proud of it. Billed as "garage" they sounded more punk to me. All their songs were short, sharp and angry, like a punch to the stomach. The drums were played so loud it felt like CPR, the guitars so fast you could barely see their hands and the vocals so harsh that the lead-singer might as well have been screaming. I'm sure that, if you like that sort of music (and there were plenty there that did) that The Federals are good at what they do. It's not for me, however.
And so to the band we came to see, The Runaway Sons, featuring Jim Gipson. I've written about their history and mentioned how good they are in a previous post and it's good to see them now headlining a gig. Tonight's set was, as far as I could remember, very similar to the previous one but was a lot more polished. Gipson's voice was still brilliant with clear vocals and songs that I am beginning to recognise. Overall, the performance was, like Newsham's a little less energetic than the last time we saw them but that probably left more scope for intricate playing, rather than on-stage antics.
Since we last saw them, the Sons have recorded a six-track EP, which I picked up on the night, along with Gipson's solo EP (at the bargain price of £1). I've since listened to both and, I'm happy to say, they continue the high quality music. Both contain excellent sing-along rock songs, instantly recognisable from the live set.
To round off the night, we wandered down to the White Swan to catch the end of a gig by Dave and Simon of Hazzard County. Or maybe that should be ex of Hazzard County. After last weekend's posting, Chris Johnson contacted me to say that he hadn't left the Hazzards and that a more full version of them would be playing the Cock and Bottle tonight. Unfortunately, it was just too long a walk by the time we left the Duchess. Simon and Dave, with just acoustic guitars, played the sort of songs we associate with the Hazzards, with the competency that we associate with... Well, you get the idea.
So, my first visit to the Duchess, five bands for a fiver (three of which I definitely liked and one I would probably enjoy under different circumstances) and twelve recorded tracks purchased for just another fiver. Top night!
First up is Mike Newsham who we've also seen before, opening for the Yards at the Post Office Club. As last time, his vocals were a little indistinct (something I now put down to the microphone being too close to his mouth. No, seriously) but his guitar-playing was excellent. This performance was a little less energetic than last time, with less foot-stomping, and was a little short. Mike's a good opening act and his five or six songs were a good start to the evening.Before I move on to the next act, a few words about the venue (if only because I haven't got to the bottom of the accompanying photo yet...) The Duchess is exactly what I was expecting and more. Spacious both in terms of the audience area and the stage, with an excellent sound system, it is exactly what York needs. With seating areas comprising of chill-out sofas and two bars, both selling hand-pulled beer (although still in plastic glasses), compared to Fibbers it's a palace amongst venues. We managed to catch a few words with joint owner Michelle, who explained that this is the tenth time she has been involved in opening a music venue and that, so far and despite its own special kind of problems, the Duchess is doing well.
Second on the bill was GT Turbo, another York-based solo guitarist but with a slightly different sound to Mr Newsham. This one is a more laid back Neil Young type sound, with much clearer lyrics than Newsham. For about half his act, GT was joined by a second guitarist (I missed his name) and, for one song, by Andy Gaines of the headline act and these guest artists produced a fuller, more rounded sound experience. Overall, however, GT didn't do a lot for me, which is a bit surprising as I generally don't have anything against this type of music. I put it down to just not being in the mood for more subtle music tonight.In contrast the third act, The Federals, were loud and proud of it. Billed as "garage" they sounded more punk to me. All their songs were short, sharp and angry, like a punch to the stomach. The drums were played so loud it felt like CPR, the guitars so fast you could barely see their hands and the vocals so harsh that the lead-singer might as well have been screaming. I'm sure that, if you like that sort of music (and there were plenty there that did) that The Federals are good at what they do. It's not for me, however.
And so to the band we came to see, The Runaway Sons, featuring Jim Gipson. I've written about their history and mentioned how good they are in a previous post and it's good to see them now headlining a gig. Tonight's set was, as far as I could remember, very similar to the previous one but was a lot more polished. Gipson's voice was still brilliant with clear vocals and songs that I am beginning to recognise. Overall, the performance was, like Newsham's a little less energetic than the last time we saw them but that probably left more scope for intricate playing, rather than on-stage antics.
Since we last saw them, the Sons have recorded a six-track EP, which I picked up on the night, along with Gipson's solo EP (at the bargain price of £1). I've since listened to both and, I'm happy to say, they continue the high quality music. Both contain excellent sing-along rock songs, instantly recognisable from the live set.
To round off the night, we wandered down to the White Swan to catch the end of a gig by Dave and Simon of Hazzard County. Or maybe that should be ex of Hazzard County. After last weekend's posting, Chris Johnson contacted me to say that he hadn't left the Hazzards and that a more full version of them would be playing the Cock and Bottle tonight. Unfortunately, it was just too long a walk by the time we left the Duchess. Simon and Dave, with just acoustic guitars, played the sort of songs we associate with the Hazzards, with the competency that we associate with... Well, you get the idea.
So, my first visit to the Duchess, five bands for a fiver (three of which I definitely liked and one I would probably enjoy under different circumstances) and twelve recorded tracks purchased for just another fiver. Top night!
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