206 replies to this topic

[RedRockRick]

Tom Russell @ Farncombe Music Club The master storyteller and raconteur at work over two nights in support of his latest album, Besami, very ably supported by Thad Beckman. Always a terrific performer, and as a bonus, no longer the surly bastard who used to come over and glare at us.
Madison Violet @ The Borderline Near perfect evening of vocal harmonies from these two, accompanying themselves on national steel guitar, fiddle and acoustic 4 and 6 string guitars, marred only when we, the audience, were encouraged to join in, this being particularly irksome during my personal fave, "Small Of My Heart" from 3rd album, No Fool for Trying; as Tom Russell would have said, "Bastards!" Useless footnote for Ron Sexsmith non-fans: same night as Ron, but no escape: "Fallen By The Wayside" from the new album is a co-write, and very good it is too.
Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers @ The Prince Albert, Brighton Much hyped as a country(ish) star on the rise with two well-praised albums under her belt, most shows sold out on this tour, backed by her excellent band (Ethan Lawton particularly fine on mandolin)  ZM played two sets with no support: she started very promisingly and remained generally perfectly fine though after a while she suffered, I thought, from being a little too one-paced. A strange evening for reasons not entirely connected with the music, and rather unnecessarily, it started snowing on the drive home.

[GTG]

The Floating Palace @ Sage, Gateshead

A most unlikely combination of musicians, all 'organised' by Robyn Hitchcock, produced a really enjoyable evening.  Nothing stunning or revolutionary, but lots of fun.  Robyn was joined by K T Tunstall, Martin & Eliza Carthy, Howe Gelb and the awesome Krystle Warren.  They sang and played in various combinations, from duets to full ensemble, on a diverse selection of material that ranged from 'Sir Patrick Spens' to 'Staying Alive' and 'I Want You Back'.  There was something quite lovely about watching Martin Carthy having a great time doing Bee Gees and Jackson 5 covers.  

They arrived at the Sage straight from 'Celtic Connections' in Glasgow but I think they are doing a short tour - Warwick, Brighton, London I'm pretty sure of.  Well worth a look if you fancy a couple of hours of top quality, if undemanding, entertainment.

My evening was made by having a nice chat with an old hero, Mike Heron, during the interval.

Edited by GTG, 07 February 2012 - 04:28 AM.

[GTG]

Anyone been to see Danny ATCOTW on their 'Pub Rock' tour?  Is it the full band or just the sort of acoustic trio I saw supporting Duke & The King? I've just seen an advert for them playing at my favourite pub Saturday after next!  The night after Leisure Society.  

Also sitting on tickets this month for Field Music, Randy Newman, Nick Lowe and what looks like an extraordinary Imogen Heap show.  Life is canny.

[Infinite Jest]

I'm thinking of seeing Danny and the Champs this weekend; will let you know if I do.

[perfectpassion]

GTG, on 07 February 2012 - 03:30 AM, said:

Anyone been to see Danny ATCOTW on their 'Pub Rock' tour?  Is it the full band or just the sort of acoustic trio I saw supporting Duke & The King? I've just seen an advert for them playing at my favourite pub Saturday after next!  The night after Leisure Society.  

Also sitting on tickets this month for Field Music, Randy Newman, Nick Lowe and what looks like an extraordinary Imogen Heap show.  Life is canny.

Saw them last year when the album was released. Love the album. It was a six piece band then. Only I was a bit disappointed that everything was played at the same tempo, as there are some beautiful tracks on the album which got lost. Some people expecting to see the old Danny ATCOTW were very confused. It has a pub rock vibe circa 1975 With lots of Nick Lowe/Brinsley Schwartz influences. Go GTG

[GTG]

I saw the big band last year at the Betsey Trotwood Winterlude thing, and really enjoyed them.  I would go more for a mid-70s E-Street Band feel rather than the Brinsleys, he clearly wants to be Broooce (I saw him solo a few weeks earlier and every song he did segued into a Springsteen song!).  I made the mistake of listening to Darkness On The Edge Of Town straight after Hearts & Arrows this morning and it put it firmly in its place but I'm not going to endure a stadium gig (even at the SOL) just to see Bruce so Danny at the Central it will have to be!

[RedRockRick]

GTG, on 07 February 2012 - 03:30 AM, said:

Anyone been to see Danny ATCOTW on their 'Pub Rock' tour?  Is it the full band or just the sort of acoustic trio I saw supporting Duke & The King? I've just seen an advert for them playing at my favourite pub Saturday after next!  The night after Leisure Society.

It's the full band, and there are new songs to be debuted live.

[talulah]

GTG, on 07 February 2012 - 03:24 AM, said:

The Floating Palace @ Sage, Gateshead

A most unlikely combination of musicians, all 'organised' by Robyn Hitchcock, produced a really enjoyable evening.  Nothing stunning or revolutionary, but lots of fun.  Robyn was joined by K T Tunstall, Martin & Eliza Carthy, Howe Gelb and the awesome Krystle Warren.  They sang and played in various combinations, from duets to full ensemble, on a diverse selection of material that ranged from 'Sir Patrick Spens' to 'Staying Alive' and 'I Want You Back'.  There was something quite lovely about watching Martin Carthy having a great time doing Bee Gees and Jackson 5 covers.  

They arrived at the Sage straight from 'Celtic Connections' in Glasgow but I think they are doing a short tour - Warwick, Brighton, London I'm pretty sure of.  Well worth a look if you fancy a couple of hours of top quality, if undemanding, entertainment.

My evening was made by having a nice chat with an old hero, Mike Heron, during the interval.

Off to see this tonight at the Barbican .. sounds as if we're in for an interesting evening!

[GTG]

RedRockRick, on 08 February 2012 - 01:21 AM, said:

It's the full band, and there are new songs to be debuted live.

Should be an interesting evening.  The Central is a beautifully refurbished old boozer with an interesting wedge shape.  The gig room uses this very nicely with the performers at the pointy end and the room opening out from that, easy enough when it's Lucas Renney or Madison Violet but a 6 (?) piece band?!?

[RedRockRick]

Lucero @ The Slaughtered Lamb, The Windmill, Brixton
Hey, hey,  it's been Lucero week: two nights at the Lamb, two at the Windmill, and for good measure but a little reluctantly, they also did an unscheduled half an hour at the 12 Bar on Wednesday when The Arlenes played. They couldn't afford to bring the full band over so on this short tour of London's finest venues it was just Ben Nicholls and Rick Steff, both nevertheless legends, in my house at least.
As befits a room overburdened with comfy chairs, discarded sofas and chaises-longue, the Lamb dates seemed a little on the sedate side for even a stripped down Lucero. Good spread of songs, with Tuesday getting the edge.
From past experience of Lucero shows there, I should have known what to expect from the Windmill. It does seem to be an opportunity for all aspiring rednecks south of the river to take pause from applying bad tattoos to the backs of their heads and demonstrate how well they have memorised Lucero lyrics (surprisingly well, as it happens). On Thursday, things were fine for about twenty minutes but unfortunately my position at the front then became hard to hold: it wasn't the frequent douses of beer from  glasses being waved about overhead or the pogo-ing for Tears Don't Matter Much that did it, but the tap on the shoulder which proved to be someones foot. I am too old for this sort of thing. For Friday, I went for a sheltered spot behind a pillar on the left corner, which worked pretty well. Both nights were pretty damn good, with more slow stuff on Friday, which made the hardcore revellers a little less riotous. Rick Steff even sneaked in a Randy Newman cover. Here's a clip of the finish, as Ben pretty much grinds to a halt:
Damn, I do love these guys. New album out in March. With luck, full band planning to come back in November.

Edited by RedRockRick, 12 February 2012 - 09:25 PM.

[GTG]

Is that Windmill generally a decent venue, then?  I'm probably going to be in London for a few days at the beginning of next month and was thinking of going to see 'This Is The Kit' there.  Also Dan Raza at What's Cookin' at the Birkbeck Tavern.

Any comments on either the artists or the venues gratefully received.

[RedRockRick]

It's a scruffy place, but Ben and I like it. I'll probably do TITK there, too.

[Infinite Jest]

The Windmill is class. Good bar staff, a sound man who really cares about getting it right, they book good bands, and they've got a large dog who stands on the roof, staring at passers-by. The dog is called Roof Dog. He has his own fan page on Facebook, and you can buy t-shirts.

Also, I went there recently for a "secret" gig and the band cancelled at the last minute, and the owner was buying people drinks to make up for it.

[shoebox]

I quite like the Windmill. It was a shabby comfort to it. Last time I was there though, the beer was utterly terrible. Everything tasted soapy. Didn't stop me from getting trollied, but it wasn't an enjoyable experience.

[MattL80]

shoebox, on 14 February 2012 - 10:18 AM, said:

I quite like the Windmill. It was a shabby comfort to it. Last time I was there though, the beer was utterly terrible. Everything tasted soapy. Didn't stop me from getting trollied, but it wasn't an enjoyable experience.

That's commitment.

[Fareham Grecian]

Going to see Danny at the Railway in Winchester tonight, expecting full on rock'n'roll! He tore the place up last time I saw him there in September.

The Railway has a regular promoter called sxsc (www.sxsc.org) who puts on loads of EotR type stuff/Americana  Richmond Fontaine and Simone Felice coming up. Great venue for anyone able to get down this way...

[RedRockRick]

Danny & The Champs @ The Railway, Winchester
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Exactly what it said on the tin. Nice and loud, the guitar interplays are getting longer, you can hear the sax (most of the time), feet-tapping non-stop, and even Henry The Van came out for a spin. Big thumbs up.

[Fareham Grecian]

RedRockRick, on 15 February 2012 - 12:48 AM, said:

Danny & The Champs @ The Railway, Winchester
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Exactly what it said on the tin. Nice and loud, the guitar interplays are getting longer, you can hear the sax (most of the time), feet-tapping non-stop, and even Henry The Van came out for a spin. Big thumbs up.

^^^^ this. Fantastic fun band.

[RedRockRick]

tUnEyArDs @ Shepherds Bush Empire
A long, long time ago in a field far, far away, I went to see tUnEyArDs play. The sky was blue, my pint was zingingly fresh, all was well with the world but halfway through their set, I began to feel incredibly nauseous. Was it the long haul along the road of hell? Was it too much sun and no hat whilst assembling my tent? Was it too many helpings of chicken bourak? Was it a cell of scientologists, known to be operating in the area, testing a death ray? Yes. Tests have proved it was all of these. Since toppling over and taking out a good third of the audience was something I didn't really feel was appropriate or dignified, there seemed no alternative but to leave and lie down with some restorative sheeps milk ice cream (strawberry). So. Unfinished bizness. Well, tonight, as before, it was perfectly OK, but I couldn't help but think with tUnEyArDs the oomph factor lies in the first twenty minutes, after that the law of diminishing returns set in. Loops, reloops and a pair of punchy saxes will get you a fair way but maybe, and it could just be me, just a little more of a tUnE would help.
Usefull footnote: the Trailer Trash Tracys, who have had some good press recently, opened, got no help with the sound (how strange at the SBE) and were, I felt, rather dreadful.

Edited by RedRockRick, 16 February 2012 - 02:03 AM.

[Yokel Again]

Fareham Grecian, on 14 February 2012 - 03:04 PM, said:

Going to see Danny at the Railway in Winchester tonight, expecting full on rock'n'roll! He tore the place up last time I saw him there in September.

The Railway has a regular promoter called sxsc (www.sxsc.org) who puts on loads of EotR type stuff/Americana  Richmond Fontaine and Simone Felice coming up. Great venue for anyone able to get down this way...

I did a couple of gigs at the Railway about 10 years ago. Love that place. Good times!