32 replies to this topic

[Dark Star]

ivan, on Dec 9 2009, 11:50 AM, said:

Not to brain - It said Martin Simpson not Martin Stephenson , so do not get excited and start singing Boat to Bolivia !

Martin Stephenson & The Daintees would be a great call for the Avalon stage.  I saw them 2-3 years ago as part of the Exeter festival (freebie tickets from work) and had an amazing night.  Was worth the hangover and feeling ill for half the next day while trying to work!

[fairies forchange]

Steve Knightly (Show of Hands) was my music teacher...

ummm... I'm sure someone will find that intersting... but then perhaps not  

[Langdale Wolf]

fairies forchange, on Dec 9 2009, 08:35 PM, said:

Steve Knightly (Show of Hands) was my music teacher...

ummm... I'm sure someone will find that intersting... but then perhaps not  

I find that VERY interesting.  Tell me more!

Having met him after some of his gigs, I find him a very pleasant, approachable guy.  Is that what he's always like?

[beodeejay]

Langdale Wolf, on Dec 9 2009, 10:03 AM, said:

Ah yes - I've seen Bellowhead.  Tremendous fun.

I'll keep a look out for Spiers and Boden.

If you like bellowhead, There is a BBC4 special all about them in a weeks time ( 18th I think )

Agree with other comments tho - Bellowhead would be fine - could do Jazz stage imo - or Acoustic.  Even the first on Sunday slot for the pyramid.  

A real show if you see them live... like SHow of Hands, one of the country best kept secrets - able to play the Albert Hall, sell out decent tours....yet no buggers evr heard of them !?!

For me (and I'm sure others here ) its a little bit soul destroying that artists like Bellowhead (and its many offshoots) & Martin Stephenson mentioned in this thread by others, as well as those I posted about originally, play in arts centres and pubs, yet bland, pap-by-numbers dullness fills the Arena's up and down the land....why is that ?

Bellowhead ripped the stage up at Cambridge this year, headlining Friday - the BBC had a crew there, and yet the cameras were off.  Up step the Zutons  (who I don't mind, but they really didn't need the PR the BBC4 footage offered) and its all zoom lenses on the sax player.

As a public service broadcast, this was piss poor - the bbc had all the gear set up, and one of the UK's roots scene's emerging/interesting/innovative AND traditionally British Live acts - and they didn't even take the lens caps off !!!  WHY ????????????

Same applies at Glasto.  

As a percentage of their glastospend, would it really cost much more to stick a few small OB camera's in Acoustic/Avalon/caberet - and show some of the less mainstream stuff & some comedy ......rather than rotating the same big stage sets four or five times and filming loads of "names" talking bollocks for hours in a silly mock campsite.

Edited by beodeejay, 09 December 2009 - 11:03 PM.

[timespeedsup]

beodeejay, on Dec 9 2009, 11:02 PM, said:

If you like bellowhead, There is a BBC4 special all about them in a weeks time ( 18th I think )

Thanks - Have just searched the BBC website and can't find it, but I'm sure it'll happen. Hopefully someone can update with more info in due course.

[beodeejay]

timespeedsup, on Dec 9 2009, 11:16 PM, said:

Thanks - Have just searched the BBC website and can't find it, but I'm sure it'll happen. Hopefully someone can update with more info in due course.

Its 9pm on the 17th.   Possible Unthanks and Waterson action too..... om the same day....

Edited by beodeejay, 09 December 2009 - 11:21 PM.

[timespeedsup]

beodeejay, on Dec 9 2009, 11:20 PM, said:

Its 9pm on the 17th.   Possible Unthanks and Waterson action too..... om the same day....

Hmmm, a Thursday. Hope I remember. Thanks though.  

[roytheboy]

Just wanted to say thanks for bringing Martin Simpson and Show of Hands to my attention.  I've read all the posts and now watched them on youtube and think they're both great acts - and I'd never heard of them till now.  Maybe because I'm at the more mature (ok, old) end of the age spectrum, but if they're on at Glasto I'll be right there at the front.  I seem to spend most of my time around Acoustic and Avalon and I reckon either act, either stage, would be great.  Roll on June

[Langdale Wolf]

roytheboy, on Dec 10 2009, 01:35 PM, said:

Just wanted to say thanks for bringing Martin Simpson and Show of Hands to my attention.  I've read all the posts and now watched them on youtube and think they're both great acts - and I'd never heard of them till now.  Maybe because I'm at the more mature (ok, old) end of the age spectrum, but if they're on at Glasto I'll be right there at the front.  I seem to spend most of my time around Acoustic and Avalon and I reckon either act, either stage, would be great.  Roll on June

What a nice post.

I love those stages myself - and have done since I first discovered there was more to Glastonbury than the main stages!

I'll be at the front too for Show of Hands (barring an unforseen hideous clash) so I'll see you there!

[beodeejay]

roytheboy, on Dec 10 2009, 01:35 PM, said:

Just wanted to say thanks for bringing Martin Simpson and Show of Hands to my attention.  I've read all the posts and now watched them on youtube and think they're both great acts - and I'd never heard of them till now.  Maybe because I'm at the more mature (ok, old) end of the age spectrum, but if they're on at Glasto I'll be right there at the front.  I seem to spend most of my time around Acoustic and Avalon and I reckon either act, either stage, would be great.  Roll on June

Pleasure sir.     

Dig a bit as Phil Beer and Steve Knightley both have sterling solo work out there too.

Whilst your about it, check out Jackie Leven - surely Britain's least famous "famous" person and no stranger to the fields of Avalon over the years..... and also Martin Stephenson, Micheal Weston King and the mighty Bellowhead.  

Bellowhead are a great example of how hearing one new band can "seed" a whole new route through music.  The entire group ( 11 or 12 ) all have solo carreers - and work with each other/other artists  as producers/players or on solo projects.  

Jon Bodens recent solo album is superb, and well worth listening to.

Edited by beodeejay, 10 December 2009 - 08:32 PM.

[timespeedsup]

Some gumpf from the Perperganda website, to add to the Bellowhead info above:

Hot on the heels of their Radcliffe & Maconie Radio 2 session last week, big band Bellowhead are now confirmed to appear, in condensed form, on BBC Breakfast TV (between 8-9am) on Thursday 17th December. 5 members of the band will perform brief, seasonal snippets of Whisky is the Life of Man and Jingle Bells, in between 'chat on the sofa' with programme presenters.

Meanwhile, Bellowhead's full compliment of 11 band members feature on BBC Four's Christmas Session on Thursday 17th December at 9pm (due for repeat on 24th Dec too). The Christmas Session was recorded in Shoreditch Town Hall at the end of November and also includes appearances by The Unthanks, Lisa Knapp and Thea Gilmore.

As if this wasn't enough, Bellowhead recently received a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nomination for Best Live Band for a record-breaking 6th consecutive year.

[toffeeal68]

Best headliner of the Avalon in recent years Cat Empire in 2007 Friday night was incredible!!

[grumpyhack]

roytheboy, on Dec 10 2009, 01:35 PM, said:

Just wanted to say thanks for bringing Martin Simpson and Show of Hands to my attention. I've read all the posts and now watched them on youtube and think they're both great acts - and I'd never heard of them till now. Maybe because I'm at the more mature (ok, old) end of the age spectrum, but if they're on at Glasto I'll be right there at the front. I seem to spend most of my time around Acoustic and Avalon and I reckon either act, either stage, would be great. Roll on June

If you're getting into that kind of music maybe you should also consider another festival (as well as - not instead of - Glastonbury).  The Trowbridge Pump just outside Bath has Show of Hands as patrons and they play every year.  Also had most of the Acoustic and Avalon acts over the years including Bellowhead, Jackie Leven, Richard Thompson and fun bands like Hayseed Dixie.