Podcast from bidolito. co.uk or iTunes NOW!!

Delta Maid
El Toro!
The Sixteen
Tonnes
International
Record Store Day
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
Delta Maid by Jennifer Pellegrini
Issue 10
April 2011
FREE
Bido Lito! April 2011
Editorial
Bido Lito!
Reflections from an Irish bar stool
I write this column perched at the end of the bar in the An Crubin in Cork, Ireland. I’m sipping a second pint
of particularly tasty Rebel Red - an Irish style red ale - and have just enjoyed a bloomin’ lovely mixed chorizo,
spanish omelette. Set alongside the imposing, neo-classical facade of the Cork Institute of Technology, and
facing out over the River Lee, this is the outward looking, modern face of Ireland. It’s the learned, sophisticated,
European persona; the Ireland that can throw its cultural weight around with the best of them, an ideal set
against the popular backlash and political upheaval of recent times. It’s a face I quite like.
Flicking through today’s edition of the Irish Independent it may be hard to realise, on initial glances, that I’m
away from home, never mind in a foreign country. In amongst the reporting of the Japanese natural disaster
and ongoing nuclear crisis, I find frustration at the progress of banking reform, evidence of the ongoing fall out
from a parliamentary expenses scandal, protest at the closure of essential public services, and the reporting on
the Libyan civilian massacre slipping further and further back down the news pages. There’s even the customary
report of a European far right leader making a bit of an idiot of herself, labelling
illegal immigration into Europe ‘a catastrophe’, only a few pages back from the
reporting of Japan’s potential nuclear armageddon - the Le Pens never fail to
amaze. And with the in depth reporting of the latest goings on at Melwood
leading the sports pages, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were flicking
through an edition of the Daily Post.
But, every now and again, you notice something that you wouldn’t find in
the pages of a Liverpool rag. Page four of today’s paper carries an article on
John Stokes, a Dublin based landlord who has unveiled a 40ft banner across
the front of his pub, declaring that Queen Elizabeth is banned from his premises. The banner resembles the
packaging of a pest control device, with a red slash across an image of old Liz. According to the paper, Mr Stokes
declares himself, ‘a lifelong republican,’ and was, ‘named after his uncle who was shot dead by the British Army
during the War of Independence.’ Mr Stokes adds that, “[my uncle] was sixteen and in a field picking potatoes.
Nobody ever apologised to his family.” It turns out that Mr Stokes’ son, Anthony Stokes, plays up front for Celtic.
I’m in Cork working on Terminal Convention, an art event organised by Liverpool’s Static Gallery, for which
I’ve helped curate a series of music events. I suppose the main idea I’m left with thus far, and which has been
demonstrated by the newspaper in front of me, is that it’s easy to assume, on face value, that I’m in a very similar
place to Liverpool. On initial impressions and with basic familiarising, there seems to be little overt difference
between flying 50 mins west to Cork, or travelling 50 mins east to Manchester on the train. Both places have their
nuances, but seem to be variations on a former industrial, economically fractured, art-invigorated theme.
But Ireland’s history is its own tale, a tale that underpins this fascinating place. It will be interesting to see
how the realities of the global economy, and in turn Ireland’s perilous domestic finances, political strife and
spiraling unemployment, sit with ideas of state nationalism. Luckily, in Britain the BNP’s rise seems to have been
less successful than predicted, in the context of rising unemployment and youth disillusionment. Hopefully the
aggressive and regressive extremities of Republicanism and Loyalism suffer the same fate.
bidolito.co.uk
Bido Lito
Static Gallery, 23 Roscoe Lane
Liverpool, L1 9JD
[email protected]
Craig G Pennington
Editor
3
Volume One – Issue Ten
Editor
Craig G Pennington - [email protected]
Assistant & Reviews Editor
Christopher Torpey - [email protected]
Photo Editor
Jennifer Pellegrini - [email protected]
Designer
Luke Avery - [email protected]
Words
Craig G Pennington, Christopher Torpey, John Still,
Bethany Garrett, Philip Gofton, David Lynch, Nik Glover,
The Glass Pasty, Helen Weatherhead, Pete Charles,
Samuel Garlick, Peter Devine, Pete Robinson.
Photographs
Jennifer Pellegrini, Keith Ainsworth, John Johnson, Dani Canto
Illustrations
Michael Cottage, James Clapham
Styling
Laina’s Beautique - [email protected]
Proofreading
Debra Williams - [email protected]
Adverts
To advertise in Bido Lito! please contact Another
Media: [email protected] 0151 708 2841
Download the latest Bido Lito! Podcast from bidolito.
co.uk or iTunes NOW!!
Features
8
A STRANGE AND TERRIBLE SAGA.
10
DELTA MAID.
Ghostly glacial licks intertwine around break-neck garage-punk stomps
Delta Maid’s musical style is like a finely embroidered patchwork quilt of influences
RHYTHM AND GOOD NEWS.
12
Rest safe in the knowledge that your loved ones will be raised on the Gospel of the truest rock n roll
13
THE SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE: INTERNATIONAL RECORD STORE DAY.
14
PURE MUSICAL SENSATIONS.
Encouraging people to head to their local independent record shop instead of chain behemoth
PMS has been such a long term success in forming the musical tastes of listeners all over Merseyside
Regulars
6 NEWS
18 RANTS/COMMENT
20 PREVIEWS/SHORTS
22 REVIEWS
THE BEES
STANLEY THEATRE, LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS
SAT 12 FEB £12.50 ADV
COLIN BLUNSTONE
STANLEY THEATRE, LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS
SUN 13 FEB £14.50 ADV
BRITISH SEA POWER
STANLEY THEATRE, LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS
SAT 19 FEB £13.50 ADV
DEATH VESSEL
STATIC GALLERY, 23 ROSCOE LANE
WED 9 MARCH £7 ADV
VINNY PECULIAR
STATIC GALLERY, 23 ROSCOE LANE
FRI 11 MARCH £7 ADV
WISHBONE ASH
STANLEY THEATRE, LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS
Martin
Turner’s
FRI 11 MARCH £12.50 ADV
THE UNTHANKS
STANLEY THEATRE, LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS
THURS 7 APRIL £17.50 ADV
LUNASA
STANLEY THEATRE, LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS
THURS 5 MAY £15.00 ADV
SPIN DOCTORS
O2 ACADEMY 2, LIVERPOOL
THURS 12 MAY £17.50 ADV
THE ZOMBIES
STANLEY THEATRE, LIVERPOOL GUILD OF STUDENTS
WED 18 MAY £17.50 ADV
Tickets from hmvtickets.com and ticketweb.com
Like us on Facebook to get the latest
news and photos from all our gigs.
www.themusicconsortium.com
News
Bido Lito! Dansette
Our pick of tracks for the month
Kendal Calling
The festival announcements keep on rolling in, and KENDAL CALLING in particular caught the
eye at Bido Towers, with possibly the most eclectic headliners of any summer festival in Chase
and Status, Blondie and The Cribs. Based in the picturesque Lake District, and crowned Best
Small Festival at the UK Festival Awards 2010, Kendal Calling looks to be celebrating its fifth
birthday with a bang. kendalcalling.co.uk
December Giant
We’re sure you’ve seen all the mysterious stickers and posters around Liverpool declaring 2011
to be The Year of the Giant? Well, Bido Lito! have been playing Poirot, exercising our little grey cells
and have deduced that the teasers in fact relate to DECEMBER GIANT. The big sounding indie quartet
release their debut EP on 1st April, recorded by Mercury Prize-nominated Andy Ross, following that
with a slew of dates around the UK. www.decembergiant.com
The Happening On Hope Street
Throughout 2011 Liverpool is celebrating its history of radicalism in politics, humanities and
the arts, with a showpiece event taking place on 23rd April. The Everyman Theatre plays host to
THE HAPPENING ON HOPE STREET, with poetry, music and literature performances from the city’s
luminaries, including Vidar Norheim of Wave Machines. The night takes place as part of the Working
Class Life and Music Festival, run by the Almanac Group almanac-live.co.uk.
Cymru Psychedelic Sunshine - Shipping Forecast, 21st April
Bido Lito! and Harvest Sun have teamed up with Cardiff independent label, See Monkey Do Monkey,
to bring you an evening of the finest new Welsh Psychedelia. The show will feature COLORAMA, whose
current LP was named by Edwyn Collins in The Independent as his record of the year, alongside label
mates THE KEYS, a group flying high on Lauren Laverne’s love for their latest single I Tried To Find It In
Books. Former Derrero man, PULCO, rounds off the bill. Mo at bod fethedig. seemonkeydomonkey.com
BBC Introducing @ Mojo
Good news for aspiring bands, BBC Introducing will be hosting a monthly show at Liverpool music
hotspot Mojo. The inaugural show on April 7th features THE SAND BAND, THE CITY WALLS and LUKE
FENLON, and will be hosted by Dave Monks of BBC Merseyside, who will also feature a live session by the
headline act on his show. BBC Introducing gives unsigned bands the chance to gain exposure, giving acts
such as Everything Everything and Jessie J a helping hand. Tickets are £4, available from seetickets.com
The Limiñanas
Down Underground
TROUBLE IN MIND
RECORDS
These Perpignan based, retroFrench-fuzz-fanatics,
follow
their
exceptionally cool Hozac Records 7”
with a scintillating LP on fellow Windy
City imprint, Trouble In Mind. Down
Underground is the standout from
the sexiest record in recent years. Your
humble editor’s favourite new band.
Yuck
Get Away
F POSSUM
FAT
RECORDS
Probably the only one of the theseare-gonna-be-massive-hit-list-crew
that we’re massively digging.
Its been a while since a melodic
shoegaze band of real worth have set
the world on fire. This cut channels
the mellifluous snarl of Pixies with
joyous ease. Yum, yum, yum.
Y Niwl
Tri
ADERYN PAPUR
If Frederick Lincoln Wray Jr. had been
born in Anglesey instead of Tennessee
then he’d have formed Y NIWL 40
years ago. He wasn’t, so it was left
to these chaps from Gwynedd to
shimmy up and down their fretboards
and create this marvellously warbling
instrumental rumbler. Surf’s up.
Danger Mouse &
Sparklehorse
Little Girl
EMI
Brian Burton and Mark Linkous weren’t
short of collaborators for their Dark
Night Of The Soul project, but this
Julian Casablancas-led thumper still
stands out from an illustrious bunch,
his languid vocals adding a shiny
lustre to proceedings here. Some
people are just sickeningly cool.
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
8
Bido Lito! April 2011
A Strange And Terrible Saga...
I’m hurtling towards Chameleon Bar for a rendezvous with Liverpool’s premier
grave-diggers, EL TORO! with the runaway-train surge of their eponymous debut
album coursing through my headphone-wires like electric blood. I concoct visions
of a band of droogs scurrying through skeletal ruins, their Wayfarers blottingout the last flicker of emotion;
emerging from black-holes these
figures arouse the dread of a
world on the brink. Fantasy is a
joyous realm, fabricated and free.
It splits from truth, fleeing its
constraints and takes flight in the
matrix of the mind.
So, in entering a band into a
debate to dissect the blueprint of
their art, it essentially becomes a
quest for the truth we have fled,
a comprehension of sorts, does
it not? It was deflating then that
nothing very enlightening was
exhumed from my initial interview
with El Toro! To be frank, I didn’t
think I would be able to shut them
up. Where was the cockinessfrozen-in-celluloid cool?
They
seemed unable, unwilling even,
to talk themselves up, appearing
dismissive of questions probing
their intent. Apart from the origin
of the name (from a Link Wray
song that also happened to be
the name of an abandoned San
Diego military base close to
guitarist Chris Luna’s hometown)
and the obligatory influences,
stating the garage/psyche/surf
of The Sonics, The Electric Prunes
and Dick Dale, there was not a lot
to whet the appetite of this here
writer, ravenous for knowledge.
Undeterred I trudged home,
vowing to attend tonight’s gig
at Mello Mello’s Free Rock & Roll
night in order to delve deeper ...
Words: Philip Gofton
Oiled on Jim Beam, I enter a
beautiful freak-circus, where femme-fatale-punkettes with legs of liquid PVC and
heads spiked with blue steel, roam aimlessly like psychotic peacocks. El Toro!
now lie in wait ... spindly webs of swamped reverb are spun from the speakers as
the tight snap of the snare ignites a fuse and builds the tension like a pressure
cooker, faster and faster ... molecules collide, heat stoked by the friction, ventricles
pumping like pistons, endorphins now flood the brain then BOOM! ... the cymbal
crashes and the band ride-out the three-chord romp of I Wanna Know, the crowd
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
whipped into a mass spasm of contorted limbs. That’s El Toro!’s blueprint right
there: ghostly glacial licks intertwine around break-neck garage-punk stomps,
and it’s relentless. It just doesn’t stop. If the album fizzes, the live set positively
boils over. Down To The River sounds like the bastard son of I Wanna Be Your Dog
and Chris Isaak’s Blue Hotel. You
can hear it blasting out of shit car
speakers, monochrome and tinny,
as a Cadillac thunders down Death
Valley towards the dusk skyline
which is torn between violet and
crimson. The stage seems to
morph them into unique oddities;
gone are the sober charms of the
interview. Jimmy O rasps and
growls, fingers accentuating
each lyric like a demented
ring-master. Chris Luna stands
statuesque, half-hidden behind
a speaker and a fringe cut from
black Perspex, fingers like frantic
spiders crawling all over the neck
of his Rickenbacker. The rhythm
section is the muscular pulse,
Doc’s bass serves up fat chugging
grooves while Ben’s granite torso
tenderises his drum-skins as if
they are slabs of meat. Talking
to Jimmy O after the gig he’s high
on adrenaline, engaging and
open to discuss their standpoint,
almost apologetic for the tone
of the earlier interview. “Well I
made this video of our song The
Note and it was a sort of homage
to David Lynch ... and he can never
explain his ideas”. Ah David
Lynch, the notoriously eccentric
filmmaker, didn’t he proclaim that
“sometimes when you say things
out loud, some of the power leaks
out of it?”; that images become
refracted by ‘truth’ and diluted
Photography: John Johnson
by debate. Rock n’ roll can’t be
bottled and labelled: it’s a feeling
and it’s abstract. It’s yours so it’s unique, distorted from one mind to the next. As
I trudge home once more, I realise that the image, the sound, the perception and
the fantasy are everything, they are the reality. There was never really anything
else to understand.
El Toro!’s self-titled, debut album is available now from Probe Records
myspace.com/eltoropileup
mme
ogra
r
P
g
n
i
Spr
ERLAND & THE
CARNIVAL
Tunnels 2011
Opening Party
HANNAH PEEL//
THE BIG HOUSE
8pm, Friday 1 April @
THE WILLIAMSON
TUNNELS - £8
JAMES
VINCENT
McMORROW
Support TBA
8pm, Sunday 8 May @
THE STATIC GALLERY
Tickets £9
ESBEN &
THE WITCH
TEETH OF THE
SEA // ANNA
LENA & THE
ORCHIDS
8pm, Sunday 3 April @
THE KAZIMIER - £8.50
THE TRIP
FESTIVAL
PSYCH-FOLK-FUNK-B
ALEARIC-DISCO-HOU
SE-ELECTRONIC
27-29 May @ THE
VAYNOL ESTATE, Bangor.
Weekend Camping
Tickets £70
DAVE JACKSON
(with John Head & Tim O'Shea)
& THE CATHEDRAL
MOUNTAIN CHOIR //
THE READYMADES //
PROFESSOR YAFFLE
8pm, Friday 15 April @ THE
SCANDINAVIAN SEAMAN'S
CHURCH - £7 (BYOB)
ORWELL
(France)
TERRY EMM
more TBA
8pm, Friday 10 June @
MELLO MELLO
Tickets £5
BIDO LITO! SOCIAL CLUB
'Cymru Psychedelic
Sunshine Folk'
COLORAMA //
THE KEYS //
PULCO
8pm, Thursday 21 April
@ THE SHIPPING
FORECAST - £4otd
THE
HIGH
LLAMAS
ANDY STEELE
8pm, Saturday 14 May @
THE WILLIAMSON
TUNNELS - £14.50
BIDO LITO! SOCIAL CLUB
BIDO LITO! SOCIAL CLUB
THE GRANDE
STATIC
CARAVAN
RECORDINGS
(Album Launch)
Support TBA
8pm, Thursday 16 June @
THE SHIPPING
FORECAST - £4otd
More details and line up
www.thetripfestival.co.uk
All tickets available from ticketline, seetickets, ticketweb & Probe Records
www.myspace.com/harvestsunpromotions
FB Group: Harvest Sun Promotions // Twitter: Harvest_Sun
Previous shows include: MIDLAKE - THE CLIENTELE - STEVE MASON - THE
SOUNDCARRIERS - THE SUPERIMPOSERS - JOHN GRANT - NEON INDIAN MICAH P. HINSON - EDWYN COLLINS - JIM NOIR - LONE WOLF
(Label Party)
Artists TBA
8pm, Thursday 21 July @
THE SHIPPING
FORECAST - £4otd
10
Bido Lito! April 2011
DELTA
MAID
Words: Christopher Torpey
Photography: Jennifer Pellegrini
Make-up/Styling: Laina Davidson-Hammond @ Laina’s Beautique
The flat, fertile plain of the Mississippi
Delta has given rise to some of the
most recognisable music to come out
of the American continent over the past
100 years. Hardship, poverty and toil
informed the Delta blues that flowed
from the guitars of Charley Patton
and Son House, bringing a release
from the years of enslavement and
oppression that America’s cottonbowl
had forced upon them. So, what is a
26-year-old Biology graduate from
Wavertree doing plundering these
memories? “Cos I’m fascinated by
it,” explains DELTA MAID, the singersongwriter whose channelling of a
variety of blues artists has taken her
on a whirlwind journey from hospital
trainee to major label starlet in the
space of three short years. “It’s crazy
isn’t it?” she chuckles, a warm smile
spreading across her face as she
ponders the imminent release of her
debut album Outside Looking In on
Geffen next month. “It’s a bit cheesy to
say but I never really thought that I’d
make it in music, I didn’t really actively
pursue it.” It’s a good job for us then
that someone did.
Poring over her parents’ record
collection and soaking up inspiration
like a sponge, Delta Maid’s musical
style is like a finely embroidered
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
patchwork quilt of influences, out of
which the distinctive style of Rory
Block comes through the strongest.
Far from being revisionist though,
Delta Maid has used these influences
to help her shape her own style of
vintage, countrified acoustic pop;
rootsy and bluesy yes, but based
on her own experiences too. “I’m
trying to write songs myself and
convey the influences in a different
sense, but I don’t really like being
classified as a country and blues
artist. I’m influenced by it but I just
wanna do what I’m trying to do.” Her
unusual, self-taught playing style, an
amalgamation of a pick and a strum,
was also born out of these hours sat
listening to her favourite songs and
trying to replicate the magical sounds
that engulfed her. Considering she
isn’t a six-string virtuoso, does that
still qualify Delta Maid as a bona-fide
blues artist? “The main thing that I’m
trying to get across at the minute
is that I don’t really see myself as a
purist in the true sense,” she explains.
“I view the guitar as a means to
portray the songs. I’m influenced by
country blues but I don’t play it in
that pure sense.” In a similar vein,
her heartfelt croon has been lifted
pretty much from the same group of
influences, shot through as it is with
golden Patsy Cline-like highs, and
Rory Block-esque growls, showing
just how much the songs of her
heroes have seeped in to her mind.
“Sometimes it’s perceived as like an
impersonation. I don’t wanna make
up excuses for it anymore! I can’t help
it: that’s the way I sing.”
Blues music is all about a journey
and discovery, and what makes
Delta Maid’s journey all the more
remarkable is that she only played her
first live gig in 2008, just as her songwriting skills began to flourish. You’d
naturally assume then that some
Robert Johnson-style conversion
had taken place, but Delta Maid has
made no pact with the Devil: instead
her journey down to the crossroads
took her to one of Liverpool’s most
celebrated musical venues. “The
turning point for me was the charity
gig that my Mum put on at The Picket,”
explains Delta. “It was the first live
event she’d ever done and she asked
me to go on first to open up. I’d never
played live before but I’d always sung
at family parties and things, so I took
some persuading! But I went on with
my brother and played some blues
covers, and I couldn’t believe how
much I loved it.” After this baptism
of fire she was encouraged by friends
and family to record some songs
and put them on Myspace, which
she reluctantly agreed to. Within a
matter of months Delta had been
contacted by a publishing company
expressing an interest and wanting to
see her play live, and that’s when the
whirlwind really began. It must have
been quite exciting then that things
took off over such a short space of
Bido Lito! April 2011
time? “Yeah it was amazing,” she
enthuses. Pause. “I don’t really like to
say it ... but I never really had to make
much effort, which was brilliant. I
think I’m quite a pessimist as well: I
don’t think I would have really tried
to make it in music without that kind
of interest, because it was like a real
confidence booster that other people
liked the songs. I didn’t really gig so
I didn’t know if people did like what I
was doing.”
The roller coaster has barely
had time to stop since then, finally
checking in at Parr Street Studios for
work to begin on recording her first
LP. Full use has been made of the
facilities to flesh out some of the
tracks with accessible, poppy hooks,
notably on Spend A Little Time and
lead single Of My Own.
Own Delta has
retained co-production duties on
the album with Chris Taylor, making
sure that the songs don’t become
lost in over production. Importantly,
her naturally smooth vocals and
guitar plucking still drive the likes of
Running On Empty
Empty, and the plaintive
Outside Looking In,
In making the album
a stripped-back, warm testimony to
Delta Maid’s Merseyssippi blues.
Another smile begins to break
across her face as she weighs all this
11
up, and I am struck by her modesty
and how she is genuinely bowled
over by how people have taken to
her music. “I do feel very privileged
that it’s happened so quickly.” The
privilege, I believe, is all ours.
Delta Maid’s debut album, Outside
Looking In,
In, is released on Geffen
Records on 9th April.
myspace.com/deltamaid
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
Cough Candy and doo-Wop With thE SiXtEEn
SiXt
X EEn tonnES
Xt
Words: Bethany Garrett
Photography: Keith Ainsworth
Few bands will ask you to ‘owe your soul’ to the stateside-influenced,
whiskey swigging and gingham-adorned night they regularly host. Fewer
still will package their debut EP in a grass-green, striped paper bag, straight
from Pennywhistle’s Candy Shop, stamped with issue number and sealed with
handsome sticker. Even fewer will capture the Americana-drenched, sun-soaked
and sunburnt-then-left-out-in-the-rain-again-and-hung-up-to-dry roots sound
quite as admirably as local lads THE SIXTEEN TONNES.
Now with the nostalgic sweet wrappings and talk of religious dedication lurking
about, you may begin to worry for the safety of your children … fear not, for even if
this were some ungodly cult, you may rest safe in the knowledge that your loved
ones will be raised on the gospel of the truest rock n roll, surrounded by disciples
with divine tastes in soul, blues, country, southern rock and doo-wop.
Catching up with singer, guitarist, songwriter and occasional harmonica
player, Danny Roberts (formerly of The Hokum Clones fame) ahead of the launch
of their sonically sumptuous, long-awaited EP Keep You Satisfied Part One is
like descending into the musical depths of the River Jordan and emerging a
somewhat more knowledgeable individual - concerning all things roots - on the
opposite bank. Not only is the band named after the Merle Travis song Sixteen
Tons, but the night Roberts hosts with fellow Americana Enthusiast, John
Bayliss, takes its name – The Company Store - from the same song’s chorus.
The EP’s title has its ancestry submerged in a Muddy Waters song called I Can’t
Be Satisfied, of which Roberts muses, “I was listening to it and thought ‘I wanna
write a tune like that.’ The song’s nothing like it but I wanted to use that kinda
title and it morphed into Keep You Satisfied.
Satisfied I think it’s one of our best songs.”
Although it doesn’t feature on part one of the trilogy of EPs that the band have
tucked up their scruffily-cuffed sleeves, the name of the absent title track stands
firm in order to read ‘The Sixteen Tonnes Keep You Satisfied’. Nifty, eh?
Influences span “Hank Williams, Dylan, The Beatles, The Stones, Motown,
blues, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf,” which Roberts notes as “the obvious
ones,” to “an older, dirtier kinda blues, reggae, Jacques Brel and Nancy Sinatra,”
(the not-so-apparent); and this musical motley crew is amalgamated succinctly
in under fifteen minutes, into a cohesive whole of pure rock n roll bliss.
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
Lamenting opener, Early Morning Rain,
Rain commences with a waltz-y lilt, evolves
through an impulsive moment of pure distortion, and is then strummed out to
introduce second song Heartache, an “ode to young lovers”, documenting the
longing after a lady with an aptitude for breaking hearts.
Cryin’ Back To Me may well ignite a pang of recognition as the sole song on
the band’s Myspace, or alternatively because Roberts who likes to, “use obvious
references discreetly,” confesses that, “the bass is heavily influenced” by ol’ Blue
Eyes’ daughter’s delivery of the Lee Hazlewood-penned classic These Boots
Are Made For Walkin’. Either way, it’s a gratifying tune; drummer Danny Rogers
keeps time whilst the call and response in the chorus between Roberts, bassist
Adam Griffiths and occasional member and mandolin connoisseur John Daglish
perfectly showcases the strength of their vocals layered in palimpsestuous
harmony. Final track Pale Blue Eyes (not that one) sees young guitarist and coproducer (along with Roberts), Luke Mawdsley, display a dextrous ability beyond
his years, ending the EP with a raw instrumental bop that could tempt even the
most adamant of non-believers to loosen their limbs and do the devil’s dance.
Having supported Oasis for two nights at the Echo Arena back in 2008, ‘though
with a different line up, the then three, now four piece, saw expectations hit the
roof, although Roberts duly notes, “We weren’t ready for it but it’s inspiring
to know we’ve done something like that at such an early stage. We played to
20,000 people in two nights. We’re proud of it and it’s an achievement.”
Tours with The Zutons and Cast have added two more feathers to an already
reputable cap ‘though on hitting the road and being close friends with many a
Scouse musician, Roberts observes that, “People automatically put you in that
bag, you’re from Liverpool, you’ve got a certain sound. But it’s cos we listen to
similar stuff. Back when The Beatles were kickin’ around Liverpool, they were
listening to a lot of the stuff we listen to.” On walking in the shadow of the band
who declared themselves ‘bigger than Jesus’: “If you’re gonna be pressured cos
you’re from Liverpool, you should give up; you should use that history to your
advantage.” Amen to that.
sixteentonnes.com
14
Bido Lito! April 2011
The Spirit of Independence: International Record Store Day
Words: John Still
We live in an era of changes, a time in which the
status quo is given to altering in the blink of an eye.
The last decade has seen massive upheaval in the
music industry; the introduction of digital downloads
ushering in a new ‘pick and choose’ attitude to music;
an attitude which many fear may negate traditional
album structures altogether, and in turn then negate
the need for physical music sales.
Refreshing then, that April 16th 2011 has been
designated as International Record Store Day (IRSD).
Entering its fourth year, IRSD is aimed at bringing
independent music retailers to the forefront,
encouraging people to head to their local independent
record shop instead of a chain behemoth or online
superstore. After starting out in the USA in 2008, with
a performance by Metallica, IRSD has grown into an
internationally-recognised event, with a huge list of
artists contributing to the day. The 2011 list includes
exclusive vinyl pressings from Devo and Foo Fighters,
alongside exclusives from smaller bands such as
Deerhoof and former Bido Lito! cover stars, Clinic.
Given the nature of the day and the emphasis on
independence, it’s interesting that IRSD is backed by
all four major record labels: EMI, Warner, Universal
and SonyBMG. It’s fair to say that the labels are not
usually associated with altruism towards small
retailers, or, in fact, being concerned with quality over
profit. The partnership, however, would seem to be
mutually beneficial. Major labels can supply access to
their biggest artists who will draw more mainstream
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
Illustration: James Clapham
attention to the cause (R.E.M. and The Rolling Stones
have limited pressings featured this year).
Independent record shops are woven into the fabric
of society. Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity has provided
the blueprint for a lasting image of the highly-strung
enthusiast behind the counter, openly despairing of
customers’ perceived lack of taste. There’s also the
highly romanticised version, with a hyper-friendly
employee extolling the virtues of the latest releases,
more than happy to play you a sample, with no
obligation to buy. Extreme as these stereotypes may
be, the truth of many record shops lies in the middle.
Record stores wouldn’t work if the owners had no
knowledge and no passion, and being surrounded by
music all day is a sure-fire way to hone one’s taste to
a fine point. But at the same time, it wouldn’t do their
business any good to be unapproachable.
Liverpool will be getting into the spirit of IRSD, with
Probe Records featured amongst the throng of British
shops stocking special releases. No doubt Clinic’s
limited edition release of Ladies Night - comprising
covers of songs by Cilla Black, Audrey Hepburn, Man
Parrish and The Seeds - will have huge esoteric appeal
in this city. Another of Liverpool’s most successful
independents will also be part of the festivities: 3Beat
Records began by providing dance music for Liverpool
and, nearly two decades later, the shop has gone from
strength to strength, providing vinyl for some of the
biggest names in the dance business including Paul
Oakenfold and Timo Maas. DJ Jemmy, who runs the shop
on Slater Street, is pleased to be involved in IRSD. “It’s
great that a day like this exists, everything’s gone so
digital these days it’s nice to still get acknowledged.”
In terms of the digital trends sweeping music, the
market place for physical music sales seems suddenly
crowded, with independents battling the major chains
for a slice of an ever-decreasing pie. Are independents
well-equipped to survive in the current climate? “I
think we’re better placed to survive due to the lower
risk and more specialist product and service available.
People still come here religiously; we still get music
you can’t download, and I think a lot of people still
enjoy buying and collecting music. I’m certainly one
of them.”
There’s certainly a tangible difference in purchasing
from an independent retailer: the knowledge that
such places run on the enthusiasm and passion of
the owners, many of whom you can meet and chat
to; accompanied by the feeling that you’ve bought
into an ethos. The IRSD events are a great way of
getting people back into the habit of visiting their
local independent, but the real test is to get people
hooked on the feeling and to provide an alternative
to the impersonal processes that blight the search for
music in the new media.
For a full list of limited edition records available on
International Record Store Day, visit recordstoreday.
com/uk
threebeatrecords.co.uk
ALSO COMING SOON:
HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR, WOLF GANG, BANJO OR FREAKOUT, MISTY’S BIG ADVENTURE
CLUB LAZY GENIUS – EVERY MONDAY NIGHT – FREE ENTRY
MOJO LOYALTY GROUP : ‘20%-OFF’ EARLYBIRD TICKETS FOR MOST SHOWS
Join the Facebook group facebook.com/mojolive twitter/mojolive
MOJO,
STREET,
WWW.SEETICKETS.COM
WWW.TICKETWEB.CO.UK
MOJO
M
OJO,, BACK
OJO
BACK B
BERRY
ERRY STREET
S
TREET,, LIVERPOOL,
TREET
LIVERPOOL
IVERPOOL,, L1 4BG / WWW
WWW.
SEETICKETS.COM
SEETICKETS
.COM / WWW.
.COM
WWW.TICKETWEB
WWW
WWWTICKETWEB
.TICKETWEB.CO
.CO.UK
.UK
16
Bido Lito! April 2011
Pure
Musical
Sensations
Words: David Lynch
Illustration: Michael Cottage
In amongst the crushing tedium of the indie
bands with long hair, it’s easy to forget that music is
supposed to be inspiring. As Simon Cowell, whose
nauseating juggernaut the X-Factor was at The Echo
Arena this week, tries to absorb each and every one
of us into the masses of musical zombies who will
buy what we’re told, ROGER HILL quietly goes about
his business of telling us what we may or may not
like. He is one of the musical eccentrics you don’t
see much anymore and he’s all the better for it.
After arriving in Liverpool (from Leicester, via
Newcastle) 25 years ago to take up a post with the
Everyman Theatre, Roger has had firm ties with our
music scene. He often frequented the famous postpunk venue Eric’s on Mathew Street and through
these links ended up as a regular contributor to
Merseysound Magazine (second only in greatness
of course to these pink pages). When a vacancy
arose on BBC Radio Merseyside’s weekly show
‘Rockaround’, Roger was asked to take the reins
and has been presenting the show in one form or
another for the past 28 years. Despite several name
changes including ‘Pure Musical Sensations,’ ‘Post
Millennial Sounds’ and ‘Popular Music Show’, the
content of PMS has remained consistent: obstinate
in its eclecticism and rooted firmly in the alternative.
Merseyside has Roger to thank for that.
When I arrive to begin my interview with Roger
I find him happily chatting away to Bido Lito’s
editor about the recently fitted musical lampposts
(the ‘Echoes and Whispers’ sound installation)
approaching the docks. It’s just an early indication
to me of the fact that Roger does and will always
have his ear to the ground (or lamppost) with all
matters concerning Liverpool music and that clearly
Leicester’s loss many years ago was our gain.
These assumptions are not dispelled as we begin
discussing the content of his show and he admits the
reason he tends to shun interviews in lieu of back to
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
back tracks
is because
he often finds
that, “musicians
are
boring.”
Funnily enough,
this
isn’t
something I’ve
heard before in
interviews for
this magazine.
Talk
turns
to the late John Peel, a ubiquitous presence for
any DJ plying his trade in Mr Peel’s home city.
Roger admits deference for Peel (well of course
he does, he’s human and he likes music) and also
expresses a jealousy of the Scouse accent for its
natural synergy with the medium of radio. He says
that his approach however, fits the “more learned
and educated” resonance of his accent. This isn’t
arrogance however; it’s a fair and considered
appreciation of his own style with which his regular
listeners will be familiar. Hill often interjects songs
with brief, measured sound bites, which add colour
to proceedings and explain the history and origin of
the music he plays with great erudition.
A large part of our conversation centres on the
issue of modern radio and the ever-growing list of
restrictions and red-tape which is slowly choking the
stream of creativity in broadcasting. He regales me
with an anecdote about a song he previously played
which garnered a complaint because it contained
a curse word spoken in a foreign language: “how
exactly do you check that up?!” he queries with
genuine despair. Issues such as this mean that the
creation of further shows such as PMS are under
huge threat as the pressures of advertising revenue
and, in the BBC’s case more than any, adhering to
strict guidelines increase. PMS has been such a
long term success in forming the musical tastes
of listeners all over Merseyside but the worry is
that, when Roger eventually leaves the show, it
might just succumb to the current assimilation
of everything you could categorise as inspired, to
become run-of-the-mill broadcasting.
Outside of his show Roger demonstrates his
deep knowledge of music by foregoing the short
and sweet statements he often employs so well
when linking songs. Our chat covered a wide range
of subject as he gave me wildly detailed opinion
on Liverpool, its musical heritage, and radio which
unfortunately are too great to do justice in such a
short article. Whilst I’ve tried my best to summarise
them in this piece you truly do need to listen to his
show to at least perhaps let the music illustrate the
man’s dedication and wide knowledge of music
either local or otherwise. Words cannot describe
the amount of work that Roger and his team (who
he ensures I thank in the piece) put in order to keep
PMS as diverse and current as it was twenty-odd
years ago. Don’t miss out and take the opportunity
to listen now because, when it comes to gems such
as this broadcast, like the great John Peel himself;
you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
pmsradio.co.uk
SJM Concerts by arrangement with ITB presents
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
EUROPE 2011
MONDAY 04 JULY
ECHO ARENA
LIVERPOOL
0844 8000 400
24 HOUR TICKET HOTLINE: 0844 811 0051
ONLINE: GIGSANDTOURS.COM
ECHOARENA.COM
www.blink182.com
www.thefastlife.com
www.modlife.com
www.himynameismark.com
18
Bido Lito! April 2011 Rants/Comment
The Glass Pasty
Post-it Notes From The Cultural Abyss
“And the winner is…”
Happy end of month readers. What
better way to celebrate than by wading
through the dirge of popular culture,
scribbling down each insect like
specimen and taking a retrospective
look at the bottom feeders at this
year’s Oscars. Let us count down
the hours to the royal wedding and
switch on the box for some comic
time travel.
Thoscars: It was Rule Britannia
at last month’s Academy awards, as
stammering monarch Colin Firth tread
the tedium bored and took the awards
for Best Fawning Performance. In the
best transatlantic acting exchange
since Hugh Grant flapped and faffed
his way beneath a fanny like fringe in
four weddings, Firth ticked the royal
box and kept up the dominant Richard
Curtis view of Britain that America
finds so… adorable. The King’s Speech
set during the dark impoverished days
of inter war Britain, a nation riddled
with class inequality and the horror
of Hitler looming, focused on the poor
monarch’s agonising and surprisingly
protracted struggle with a stutter, my
heart bled from start to finish. Such
depths of empathy. What next Tony
Blair’s battle with cramp? Thatcher’s
flaky scalp? Churchillian indigestion?
Get the popcorn ready....
The wedding looms shitkickers!
Former teenage heartthrob and now
balding equine Daddy’s Boy Wills
will marry the elegant and drop
dead gorgeous “my little pony” Kate
Middleton on St Crispins Eve, the
national day of pheasants, and all will
be well with the world again. Let the
Hosannas ring!
Nik Glover
The disappearance of an Austrian
banker in Tel Aviv in 1978, the Third
Crusade, Wham’s debut album: What
links these three disparate events?
The answer cuts deep to the
heart of society, and suggests the
skeletal outline of one of the most
shadowy organisations operating
in the world today. More than that:
operating freely, on all levels, and
with a unique stranglehold over the
lives of every musician, and countless
millions of carefree, gormless civilians
worldwide.
Tax evasion. A phrase which should
strike fear into the heart of any
singer-songwriter currently doing the
rounds of their local venues, banging
out the odd half-hour set for £30 cash
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
and two drinks tokens. What the
government don’t know, so say the
jobbing musician, can’t hurt me. But
what happens when the time comes
to collect on that radio play? Or when
Hollyoaks want your track to illustrate
a mime-contest in the Dog?
Lothar dei Conti di Segni founded
PRS in 1199, just a year after taking the
name Innocent III. The organisation
was then known as The Order of the
Leonine Tongue, and quickly spread
it’s tendrils across Europe, seeping
through the walls of monasteries,
undermining kingdoms, and directly
leading to the Albigensian Crusade.
PRS was a virus, with agents more
devout than the Jesuits, more
fanatical than the Hashishiyun, and
TWAFALGAR
I for one will be having a street
party and will be rallying round the
drug dealers, abusive parents and
morbidly obese neighbours in the
block to make bunting, pims and
swan butties. Readers I suggest you
bring a little blighty in to your barren
cynical hearts too!
Brown’s Boy in the Ring
Great to see the beeb striking
comedy gold once again with Mrs
Brown’s Boys, a revisiting to 70s
style farce that sees a man in drag
gurn, spasm and “feck” his way
through some of the most remedial
set pieces since On the Buses. Dick
jokes, innuendos and the usual stereo
typical horseshit, once again beeb,
hats off for attempting to resuscitate
the maggot riddled corpse of british
comedy. No doubt master classes are
being held at Television Centre right
with less scruples than the average
disinterested
in-house
sound
engineer.
On a sunny afternoon in June
1978 Matthias Rosser was strolling
through the apple groves of Tel Aviv’s
business district, when a single bullet
from a high calibre hunting rifle hit
him in the left temple, killing him
instantly. Matthias had been working
on a corruption case, investigating
crooked arms deals going back to the
Franco-Prussian War. The same three
letters kept appearing, like early
evening glare from a sinking sunset.
England in the 1980s. Deprivation,
rioting, class warfare. A group of
musicians are preparing to release
their debut album to a public in
need of some vacuous, loud-shirted
buffoonery. Their lead singer, real
name Conrad Alexius St. Godfrey,
is ordered to report to the British
Shepherd-Father at Colchester, where
his future will be revealed to him,
now by earnest Oxbridge graduates
on Russ Abbott Timing Theory.
How do you sleep at night?
Finally, casual readers, we commend
that gentle geordie human labrador
for having the balls to ask hideous
lizard Dave Cam that question on
public policy magazine The One Show
last month. Good on you, your Bido
Lito! fleece is in the post.
The same question should be
extended to news bosses for their
exploitative
and
shamelessly
insensitive coverage of the tragic
scenes in Japan. Revelling in the
wreckage ITN reporters were going
through family possessions like pic n
mix. Disgusting.
Until next month readers and
remember
experimental
space
orbiting baby Moby was right... We are
all made of stars.
and where he will rub the powdered
bones of Bernard of Clairvaux into his
forearms, signifying his devotion to
the Order. Weeks later, Wham are the
biggest band in Europe.
Innocent III’s creation, which
has lasted through the ages, has
evolved. It is undoubtedly the case,
as suggested by Borges, that the third
crusade, and its disastrous failure,
was directly ordered by PRS masters
in revenge for Saladin’s crackdown
on clan activity throughout the
Palatinate.
They prey on the greed of artists
who wish to sell their music to the
establishment. They are the conduit
between what is real, and what is
ephemeral. Some say that if you write
their initials in rabbit’s blood on the
wall of a church, ravens will infest
its cloister. Their stickers are legion,
and they underpin the institutions of
every nation in the developed world.
PRS. PRS. PRS.
Guest Column
Harvest Sun Promotions
Erm, erm, erm...450 odd words or
so...hmmmm... we’ll throw in lots of
full stops and exclamation marks...
come on now let’s get serious (what’s
serious?).
We’re Harvest Sun Promotions, the
new kids on the block (or so we’ve
been told). We’re into our second year
of bringing quality bands to sunny
Merseyside and the ride along the way has been kind to us. If you’ve never
heard of Harvest Sun, it’s no big deal, we’re just promoters...and nobody
cares about promoters. Promoters are the middle men between bands and
their adoring fans... but where we’re concerned, we are the fans. We’ve
never been in this for the money, it’s strictly personal and it’s very selfish.
Way back in the summer of 2009, the sun was shining and the
conversation was music. We’d just travelled back from Manchester after
seeing Fleet Foxes. This was the fourth time we’d done the round trip from
L1 to M1 in recent weeks. Our favourite musicians had skipped Liverpool
once again and it was apparent that this wasn’t going to change (looking
at listings for venues around the city). Without going into the finer details
we started Harvest Sun in July 2009, with our first show being John Head
at the Bombed Out Church. The people came, they danced and they went
away happy. Harvest Sun was born. Skip 20 months and we’ve gone from
Sir John to sell out shows with Midlake, Steve Mason, John Grant, The
Soundcarriers, The Clientele, Edwyn Collins, Gruff Rhys and, most recently,
The Phantom Band.
As I’m typing this Hannah Peel has just sold out and the confirmations
are coming through for the festival we’re booking for in May. It’s called
The Trip and this year’s soirée will be held on the Y Vaynol estate in Bangor,
on the banks of the Menai Straits and in the shadow of Snowdon (what
a mouthful). It is easily the most beautiful festival site in Britain – check it
out at - thetripfestival.co.uk.
We’ll also be hosting a stage or two at this year’s Liverpool Sound City.
Check out Kurt Vile and The Phoenix Foundation, two great bands that
have been added to the line up in the first wave of announcements!
May is a busy month for us with Sound City, The Trip and two shows
with The High Llamas and James Vincent McMorrow. If you’ve never heard
of The High Llamas you must, a mixture of Brian Wilson infused summer
pop music with the orchestral balance of the great Ennio Morricone. A real
bands band.
And before we go, here are some Liverpool bands you should check out;
By The Sea, Bird, The Readymades, Owls*, The Springtime Anchorage, The
Rise of General Mezmar, The Wild Eyes, The Wicked Whispers, El Toro!... the
list literally goes on!
Take care
Harvest Sun
@Twitter – /Harvest_Sun
@Myspace - /harvestsunpromotions
@Facebook - /harvestsun
Cybaddiction RecordingaStudios.....
gic
the
k
c
a
b
g
n
bri
are you addicted yet?
m
Recording
Remixing
Spacious Live Room
Dedicated Mastering Suite
Large Format Analogue Mixing Console
Digital and Analogue Recording
Arrowe Brook Road Upton Wirral
www.cybaddiction.co.uk
Tel: 07906376701
20
Bido Lito! April 2011
Previews/Shorts
DOM NEWTON
Inspired by Son House and Robert Johnson, and a veteran of innumerable
gigs and blues festivals, DOM NEWTON brings his own brand of ‘hellhound on
your tail’ testifying to a night of psych/blues/garage at The Pilgrim. Mesmerizing
psych-rockers THE WILD EYES and ex-MAYBES man Nick Ellis are also on the bill.
The Pilgrim – 16th April – Tickets through The Pilgrim.com
LEON ROSSLESON
Best known for his compositions on ground breaking sixties satire That
Was the Week, That Was, LEON ROSSLESON appears as part of the city’s
prestigious Working Class Music Festival. The Coalition are likely to have
provided him with plenty of new material.
Sefton Park Palm House – 22nd April – Tickets through wegottickets.com
TURIN BRAKES
Two Sunsets
Let’s not beat about the bush: even though TWO SUNSETS only formed at the
back end of last year, they are pretty fucking ace. Somewhere amid the breathy
vocals and the waves of shimmery organs, Phil Bridges and Sean Butler have
hit upon a sonic goldmine, if blissful dream pop with a slightly sinister edge
happens to be your thing. Shoegazey, lo-fi and hidden behind veritable curtains
of reverb, Two Sunsets manage to toe that Guards-ian line between being
majestic and mysteriously dark, teetering on that chilling/joyous precipice,
that makes them compulsive listening. And the anachronisms don’t stop there.
Venetian Skies is fresh and spacey, like being bathed in the pink and orange
rays of a setting sun, while Moonshadows has that hazy, vintage feel of a
kaleidoscopic showreel. That these two opposing styles never clash, but in fact
mesh together neatly, is a sign that Messrs Bridges and Butler are on to a winner.
The two multi-instrumentalists claim to be fanatical music consumers, and
declare that they prefer to talk about their songs in terms of images they evoke.
It’s a good job that they have so far produced the kind of songs that stand up
to these noble intentions, and I for one will be keeping an eye on what other
nuggets of fuzzy psych they can rustle up in the near future. You have been warned.
twosunsets.bandcamp.com
Making a welcome to the city, modern folk duo TURIN BRAKES backed by a full
band play tracks from their critically acclaimed recent album Outbursts. Talking
of outbursts, Ceremony Concerts also present US comedian DOUG STANHOPE
who brings his vitriolic stand-up to St. George’s Hall. Not for the faint-hearted.
The Kazimier – 9th April – Tickets through ticketweb.co.uk
GZA
F. presents pull off a considerable coup in bringing WU-TANG CLAN legend
GZA, to The Kazimier, who will play his classic solo LP Liquid Swords in full
and Wu-Tang greats. Hosted by MC TL & DJ OLA BEAN, with support from
O’SHEA w/DICK LIMERICK ACADEMY, with NO FAKIN’ DJ’S manning the decks.
The Kazimier – 21st April – Tickets from Dr. Hermans and 3Beat Records
ERLAND AND THE CARNIVAL
Its warming up, so time for the Williamson Tunnels to open their caverns
for 2011, with ERLAND AND THE CARNIVAL. Considering recent Nightingale LP
was recorded on a war ship moored on the Thames, the band are well-used
to unusual venues. Analogue synth folk wonderment from the superb Static
Caravan label. Stellar support comes from THE BIG HOUSE.
Williamson Tunnels – 1st April - Tickets from ticketline.co.uk
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
The Crookes
Well-established on the festival circuit and counting Steve Lamacq and a certain
other Steven (who usually goes by the name of Morrissey) as fans, Sheffield based
quartet THE CROOKES and their winsome melodies evoke the sound of a hopeless
romantic with a penchant for post-punk transported back to rural wartime Britain.
The misspelt, pickpocketing name, lent from the Sheffield suburb where they
formed belies just how cultured these boys are. Citing D H Lawrence as a key
influence they are neither thieves nor outlaws in fact, they’re rather more
likely to run away with your heart and a major record deal than your wallet.
Dressed like extras from Goodnight Mister Tom, all quiffs, chambray and
button-down collars, the look may be hackneyed but the sentiment certainly
does not intrude on form. With sweeping guitars and lyrics that are sweet but
never saccharine, their debut album Chasing After Ghosts includes the auditory
gems Chorus Of Fools, Bloodshot Days and the intriguingly titled Godless Girl.
Live they’re an abundance of twitchy energy, moving swiftly around the stage echoing
the youthful demeanour in their songs. Catch them for yourself when they play The
Masque on April the 14th; with the album being released a mere two weeks prior
to the gig, you’ll have been granted enough rehearsal time to nail that two-step.
thecrookes.co.uk
������������������������
&��'���������
����������(��������
�������'�)��*���
$�%������
������������
�������������������� !!
����"�#�����
$�%������
����������������������������
22
Bido Lito! April 2011
Reviews
LES SAVY FAV
Young Legionnaires – Outfit
Wingwalker @ The Kazimier
As OUTFIT enter the fray, armed to
the teeth with their twee styling of
indie-math-rock, it’s only fitting to ask
if they will they carry the torch of the
departing Dire Wolfe, or simply get
burnt by it? Judging by the audience’s
state of trance, they’re going to need
some bandages. The crowd’s passive
demeanour is reflective of this act’s
lethargic performance, and although
their songs possess both musicianship
and promise, neither is enough to
rescue their lacklustre set.
Providing the perfect remedy to
the monotonous mood currently
plaguing the venue, singer Paul
Mullen introduces his band YOUNG
LEGIONNAIRES with a facetious quip.
His style of quirky humour runs parallel
to the timbre of this post-hardcore act;
adolescent, yet confident. Despite
the fact they’re only a three-piece,
their sound is resolute and sonorous,
like the bastard child of At The Drive
In; their music is punctuated with
schizophrenic rhythms and engaging
melodies. Even though this act is
comprised of members from Bloc
Party and The Automatic, the final
result outweighs that of its parts,
which is a testament; not only to how
much I love post-hardcore, but also to
how accomplished their music is.
As LES SAVY FAV enter the stage, the
sense of immediacy and participation
is tangible. Tim Harrington (Vocals)
is an instantly recognisable figure,
half naked and covered in face paint.
“These next songs are on a T-shirt,
you can also buy them on our shoes,”
he declares, this phrase alone giving
you the innermost workings of Mr
Harrington’s mind; demented and
immature, with his tongue planted
firmly in his cheek. As he clambers
round the venue while his fellow NYC
noise-rockers perform with nothing
less than 100%, his eyes are wide, as
he looks for props to play with, like a
child first discovering the world; The
Kazimier is his playpen, the audience
MEAN FIDDLER PRESENTS...
& tiger please
27.3.11 funeral for a friend w/ rise to...02remain
academy liverpool
& hyro da hero
30.3.11 the blackout *sold out* w/ the swellers
...02 academy liverpool
w/ sonic boom six & random hand
1.4.11
the king blues
wrexham central station
w/ dirty vagrants & stereo virgins
5.4.11
japanese voyeurs
...the shipping forecast
w/ fly with vampires, the rialto burns , battleships
16.4.11 introducing & the liberty vessels ...02 academy liverpool
w/ vasco da gama & the rnc
27.4.11 johnny foreigner
...the shipping forecast
w/ minion tv & Guests
9.5.11 maybeshewill
...the shipping forecast
tickets available from 24hr box office 0844 477 1000 / ticketweb
ME & HIM BRING YOU...
1.4.11
THE MONO LPS
w/ seville
THE SHIPPING FORECAST
7.4.11
THE MIDNIGHT RAMBLE
W/ THE GRANDE, NIGHT PARADE & THE RESTLESS
THE SHIPPING FORECAST
15.4.11 THE
FALLOWS EP LAUNCH
16.4.11 THE
TARGETS EP LAUNCH
w/ THE LAURELS
THE SHIPPING FORECAST
MORTIBOYZ & tHE 53S
www.bidolito.co.uk
THE MASQUE
Le Savy Fav (Jeniffer Pelegrinni)
his toys. Undeniably, the focus remains
on Tim throughout the set, but if a
twenty-something-stone gentleman
is trying to convince an audience
member to hang off a balcony while
doing it himself, I defy you to look
away. With their music coming under
recent scrutiny for becoming too ‘radio
friendly’, critics are undermining the
most intrinsic aspect of this band: their
astounding live performance abilities.
Sure, their music might have evolved
into an increasingly tableau form over
their cultured career, but despite their
age and experience, they still radiate a
youthful exuberance.
Samuel Garlick
CHILLY GONZALES
Evol @ The Capstone Theatre
As a first-time attendee to Liverpool’s
newest arts venue The Capstone
Theatre, and a first-time attendee to a
CHILLY GONZALES show, I didn’t really
know what to expect when I entered
the building that evening. Probably
not so many brogue-clad students
in bold shades of lipstick carrying
glasses of white wine, I think, but
I mark my arrival by sliding around
on the floor tiles before nabbing the
perfect seat in the theatre anyway.
This is the first time Chilly Gonzales
has played in Liverpool for years (I’m
told), and tonight we are treated to a
screening of Gonzales’ new film Ivory
Towers by means of a warm-up.
Now, my mind was pretty open to
this, but not even the most forwardthinking observer could have
predicted the ensuing 90 minutes
would be taken up with a comic
ramble, consisting of ‘Jazz Chess’,
duelling brothers, and electro-clash
artist Peaches as an unlikely love
interest. But then that is the nature
of Gonzales as an artist, always
challenging preconceptions. And he
does so lovingly, as he finally takes to
the stage in person to massive cheers,
clad in a dressing gown and slippers,
continuing to challenge everything
that you expect a piano virtuoso to
be (not only is he known for rapping
over the top of amazing piano pieces,
but he is now the star of a film where
he plays a broken hippy). “Rap is a
big part of today’s society,” he tells
us as he settles down to his piano. “If
you don’t like rap, then you don’t like
FRI 1st APRIL
CHRIS DIFFORD: IMAGINARY FRIENDS TOUR
ft BOO HEWERDINE & DORIE JACKSON
TICKETS £16 (£15) 8pm CABARET
FRI 8th APRIL
WISHBONE ASH
TICKETS £16 (£14) 8pm STANDING www.wishboneash.com
SAT 9th APRIL
CHRIS WHILE & JULIE MATTHEWS BAND
TICKETS £15 (£13) 8pm CABARET www.whileandmatthews.co.uk
WED 13th APRIL
HEIDI TALBOT WITH JOHN McCUSKER & IAN CARR
TICKETS £14 (£12), £15 DOOR 8pm CABARET www.heiditalbot.com
Mon 4th to Sat 9th April, 7:30pm. Wed & Sat Matinees, 2:30pm.
Buddy The Buddy Holly Story
Wed 13th to Sat 16th April.
The Birmingham Stage Company presents
George’s Marvellous Medicine
Wed 27th & Thu 28th April, 7:30pm.
SAT 23rd APRIL
Out The Bag Productions presents
Naughty Knicker Knight
ALL TICKETS £26.50 8pm RAKED
Fri 29th April, 7:30pm.
AN EVENING WITH RICK WAKEMAN
The Bon Jovi Experience
FRI 29th APRIL
LIMEHOUSE LIZZY
Sun 1st May, 7:30pm.
TICKETS £14 (£12) 8pm STANDING www.limehouselizzy.com
Essence of Ireland
SAT 30th April
Sun 8th May, 7:30pm.
AN EVENING WITH PICK WITHERS
Foster & Allen
TICKETS £14 (£12) 8pm CABARET
Tue 10th May, 8:00pm.
FRI 13th MAY
Tim Vine: The Joke-Amotive
CERYS MATTHEWS
ALL TICKETS £22.50 8pm RAKED www.cerysmatthews.co.uk
PLEASE NOTE, FOR PERSONAL CALLERS THE BOX OFFICE IS LOCATED AT:
FLORAL PAVILION THEATRE, MARINE PROMENADE, NEW BRIGHTON, WIRRAL, CH45 2JS.
WWW.PACIFICROAD.CO.UK
0151 666 0000
Fri 13th May, 7:30pm.
The SoundPower Orchestra presents
A Night At The Movies
0151 666 0000
www.floralpavilion.com
24
Bido Lito! April 2011
today”. And this is how the night goes
on: he begins with a lesson about
major and minor chords (he prefers
the latter); then he lectures us on the
“three note miracle” also known as the
beginning of Never Stop (see the iPad
advert). Following this we get a long
account of the week Drake “sampled”
one of his songs in its entirety, and
also of how Drake then got him to
play him the live version when he
stayed in his hotel. It’s all very funny
banter, and the anecdotes come thick
and fast. And it works because he’s a
funny bloke, and is the reason why the
talk show act works so well.
But then he plays the serious
numbers, the ones that have you
sitting silently in your seat, in complete
awe, watching his hands hit the keys
like a crazed animal. And when you
see Gonzales performing like this,
it’s hard to imagine he was anything
less than a serious classical pianist
just moments before. He bridges the
gap between classical music and the
contemporary humour of acts like Art
Brut and Flight of the Conchords in his
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
Reviews
music. And with two standing ovations
at the end, both thoroughly merited,
you could say that it goes down as a
brilliant evening.
Helen Weatherhead
JAMIE WOON
The Shipping Forecast
“Wooney! Wooney! Wooney!” A
beer-sodden section of the crowd
in the Shipping Forecast’s Hold has
forgotten that the football is tomorrow
and that tonight is about appreciating
the slick bump ‘n’ grind that is the
music of JAMIE WOON. The intimate
surroundings make the distance
between half-drunk cans of Red Stripe
and Apple Macs a little closer than
Woon and his band might like.
Commentators have already cited an
allegiance of the Bristol-born singer/
songwriter to the dubstep community,
a largely insular and underground
genre, so we’re immediately perplexed
that a BRIT school whippersnapper
such as Woon, with his angelic voice
and boy band good looks could ever
lend weight to such a claim. Woon
clearly plays to his strengths; many
songs are heavy on vocals (instantly
rendering them completely anathema
to the dubstep modus operandi) and
it is possible to pick out a range of
subtle influences from his soulful
vocal style, from Justin Timberlake to
Stevie Wonder. The stuttering halfstep rhythms of dubstep are absent
(so we’re still grappling with the link);
for Woon, it’s more about creating
irresistible grooves using samples,
delay and live bass and drums,
whether it be the four-to-the-floor r
‘n’ b of Lady Luck or the convoluted
beatbox of Spirits.
Spirits
Even with so many sounds going on
in his music, Woon is economical with
his use of the hundreds of effects and
samples at his disposal, sidestepping
one of the caveats of electronic music:
overkill. Latest single Lady Luck is
a simple soul-pop gem, flawless in
arrangement and delivery, and looks
set to cement Woon as a master of
his craft.
One critic recently dubbed Jamie
Woon as ‘music to do yoga by’, and
in fairness, it does have a calming,
soporific quality at times, almost to
the point where the assembled are
chilled out to the point of hypnosis,
so there’s an audible gasp of delight
as the first strains of his first single
Night Air echo around the tightlypacked Hold. It’s a more pronounced
tilt towards his electro influence, with
a ghostly vocal effect and disco claps,
which, it has to be said, the fawning
beer boys in the audience make a
total hash of matching. The top-tenfondling tune, which is punctuated
by raucous cheers at every musical
juncture, breathes new life into his
set. There’s even a cat-call for a second
Air but Woon calls
rendition of Night Air,
time on proceedings, returning for a
final effort which he performs with
only the aid of a vocal delay pedal,
constantly overdubbing to produce a
six-track groove which finally ripples
gloriously through the air as he leaves
the stage to tumultuous applause.
Pete Charles
26
Bido Lito! April 2011
GRUFF RHYS
Y Niwl
Harvest Sun @ The Kazimier
One would imagine that an artist
who is in to his 41st year, and whose
not modest creative output has already
encompassed the alternative music
genre, might at last be struggling to
find inspiration and drive. Not so with
GRUFFYDD RHYS, who rolls in to town
tonight with his new album Hotel
Shampoo in tow, his third solo effort
and 17th in total. Being a Super Furry
Animal, half of Neon Neon, some of
Mogwai and lending bits to Gorillaz,
Rhys has often had to share acclaim
for his musical endeavours thus far,
but tonight the limelight is all his.
The success of a Mercury nominated
album and a record deal with Rough
Trade have certainly afforded him the
space to explore the mellower side of
Reviews
his musical sensibilities, and tonight
the Bard of Gwynedd does so with
tropical panache. He could easily be
forgiven for basking in this limelight,
packing in the crowds and lapping up
the praise, but overkill isn’t Rhys’ style.
Instead, the Hotel Shampoo tour has
opted for the cosy approach, and those
seated in the Kazimier are about to get
a masterclass in understatement from
a scruffy chap bedecked in a sensible
jumper and brown slacks.
While all this may seem rather
pedestrian, Rhys’ performance packs
quite some punch, and that comes
largely in the form of backing band
and support act Y NIWL. Channelling
the essence of The Tornados and The
Shadows, this collection of surf rockers
from North Wales are attempting
to breathe new life in to the form of
instrumental guitar music. Though
Link Wray is not here in body, he is
in spirit, as Y Niwl unravel galloping
Gruff Rhys (John Johnson)
beats, shimmering slide guitars and
warbling organ lines to stunning
effect. They also bring depth to Rhys’
songs, suffusing them with a vibrancy
that isn’t discernible on record. But
that is merely an added extra to the
main event of Gruff Rhys, whose
deadpan delivery and dulcet tones
are the perfect conduit for the deft
lyrical wordplay that lights up Hotel
Shampoo: most notably on Sophie
Shampoo
Softly and Conservation Conversation,
while the subversive Honey All Over is
the most sugar-coated break up song
ever, and If Were Words (We Would
Rhyme) is simply gorgeous.
One criticism of the new album
is that, aside from the rollicking
Sensations In The Dark, there is little to
lift the tempo, which is probably why
the set is peppered with nuggets from
Yr Atal Genhedlaeth and Candylion
Candylion.
By the time Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru,
Gyrru Cycle
Of Violence and Y Gwybodusion have
slinked their way through the room,
however, a party atmosphere has
descended, and those in the posh
seats are starting to cast envious
glances at the hip-shaking standees
around the edges. A Mexican wave,
a surfboard, handmade audience cue
cards, and two lifejackets also wind
their way in to the fabric of an evening
so utterly heart-warming that the
Skylon seems
ten minute amble of Skylon!
painfully short. Even more impressive
is the fact that Rhys hasn’t had to
plunder his SFA back catalogue to pad
out the evening, showing that even
though he may look like a bin man,
Gruff Rhys is an artist of some renown
and talent.
Christopher Torpey
BRITISH SEA POWER
Bo Ningen - David J Roch
The Music Consortium
@ Stanley Theatre
Entering to the mellow sounds of
DAVID J ROCH provided a downbeat
introduction not usually associated
with a visit from BRITISH SEA POWER.
Usually accompanied by his band,
Roch’s solo turn tonight invited us
to take an intimate look at his torn,
romantic offerings. Vocally, he has a
scope and ambition reminiscent of
Jeff Buckley: fragile yet strong and
with an impressive range. Showing
us glimpses of new album Skin And
Bones, Roch was also quick to engage
the audience with a self-deprecating
humour to contrast sharply with
heartwrenching lyrics. Performances
of Dew and the album’s title-track in
particular stood out; a guy definitely
worth keeping tabs on.
The second warm-up act were
though, quite frankly, a slap in the
face for those who had settled in
for a pleasant night in front of an
acoustic guitar. Strange, androgynous
and very loud, BO NINGEN’s posthardcore Fugazi/Faust Krautrock mash
up provides a real contrast, not only
to Roch, but to the vast majority of
support acts at an indie gig. Sporting
clothes which may have been found at
the bottom of Ziggy Stardust’s fancy
dress box, they fill the room with
frantic high-pitched vocals, boundless
energy and guitar riffs seemingly
placed randomly within songs.
Planned or not, choosing to come
on after Bo Ningen meant that British
LIVERPOOLʼS MUSIC AND MEDIA L AWYERS
DONʼT SIGN THAT CONTRACT!
AT LEAST, NOT UNTIL YOUʼVE HAD PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.
We can help you protect your career or your business with advice & support in all areas of music industry law including:
Recording & publishing contracts • Management agreements • Licensing, distribution & synchronisation
Call us to discuss your requirements in confidence & without obligation
www.mclegal.co.uk
16 COOK STREET L2 9RF T: 0151 255 0400
[email protected]
LIVERPOOL SCIENCE PARK L3 5TF T: 0151 705 3674
28
Bido Lito! April 2011
Sea Power arrived on stage to a crowd
warmed-up and ready for more. With
new album Valhalla Dancehall on
the shelves, they had a barrage of
new songs to show off and seemed
in good spirits as they entered the
stage. The recent addition of Abi Fry
on viola does bring about a notable
extra dimension to the new material
but also serves to add something to
the back catalogue as well. BSP are
known for their live performances, a
reputation earned by their onstage
use of air raid sirens and foliage, as
well as their use of unusual and often
inspiring venues. But their choice of
set list has always been refreshing too,
favouring an even mix of tracks from
each album. Kicking things off with
latest single Who’s In Control?, there is
no immediate departure here. Guitars
soar and chime before thoughtful
lyrics build to a rousing and warming
chorus, this is how BSP have always
plied their trade. Where their sound
has evolved though, is through the
Mongk a number introduced
likes of Mongk,
in last year’s EP Zeus and revamped
II Offfor Valhalla Dancehall as Mongk II.
kilter and brooding, it’s also inventive
and intelligent and has a catchiness
which grabs you, unsuspecting. For all
the majesty and beauty of their earlier
material, this is a song which shows
self-awareness and an ability to move
away from their songwriting comfort
zone. There are shortcomings within
the new stuff though: Living Is So
Easy is by no means a bad tune, and is
instantly hummable, while containing
some expertly tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
However, it also somehow soulless,
especially when compared to the likes
of set-closer Spirit Of St. Louis.
Louis The
latter has heart, zeal and a modestly
brilliant guitar solo, whereas the
former seems a little lightweight
and flimsy in comparison. Overall,
Valhalla Dancehall probably isn’t as
complete as previous efforts and
may provoke the very occasional
use of the skip button. However, it is
innovative and accessible enough to
be recommended as a starting point
for the newly initiated.
Pete Robinson
www.bidolito.co.uk
bidolito
bidolito.co.uk
Reviews
performance, it also transcended the
majestic to heights of even grander
celestial beauty. Not many venues
share The Scandinavian Church’s
ability to influence gigs in this way.
Philip Gofton
DAN CROLL
Jonas Alaska
Samizdat @ The Bluecoat
British Sea Power (Jennifer Pellegrini)
DEAD CITIES
Neville Skelly – The Random
Family – Serious Sam Barrett
Family Folk Up @ The
Scandinavian Church
The sublime opulence of a venue
such as the Scandinavian Church can
so often serve to eclipse the artists
themselves given its architectural
grandeur. Absorbing the stage’s
backdrop from a pew, the spectator
may marvel at the huge embossed
columns that climb the alabaster
face towards the domed roof. It takes
the crystal-droplet streams that pour
from the speakers to jolt me from
this hypnotic stupor as SERIOUS SAM
BARRETT commences proceedings,
serenading the nave with astonishing
flurries of 12-string picking. Earnestly
rendering tales of toil and passion
with true Northern grit, Barrett dips
from a pool of personal experience to
base his narratives, though at times
a lack of lyrical sophistication results
in couplets so devastatingly glaring,
one wonders why he doesn’t just
make shit up. With the congregation
swelling, THE RANDOM FAMILY tune-up
donning the usual folkie summer-fête/
barnyard garb that looks like some
sort of historical re-enactment, though
it all gets rather interesting when they
sing. Where other bands harmonise,
forming one indistinguishable unit,
The Random Family share individual
and varying degrees of vocal nuance
to create an extraordinarily rich
spectral tapestry.
There’s been a smouldering hum
over NEVILLE SKELLY for some time
now. If it fails to ignite it shall remain
one of life’s unfathomable riddles as
tonight, Skelly is truly mesmerising.
The rendition of He Looks A Lot Like
Me is as stark and poignant as a dying
father’s final words. With his eyelids
clamped shut Skelly retreats inward
grasping the microphone, every
intricate baritone phrase is charged
and deployed with a tragic yearning
and as one slowly scans the scene
sound-tracked by this melancholic
lament, the episode feels almost
cinematic.
Plenty has been said of DEAD
CITIES’ ability to trade instruments,
this freedom exceeding the restraints
of an orthodox three-piece. However,
conversing prior to the gig they hinted
that a spontaneous, fresh writing
direction had been dominating
rehearsals and tonight one feels that
they have one eye on the future. Old
Man and When Your Heart Gets Sick
are effortless, auto-piloted even. With
a band as dextrous as Dead Cities,
maybe it was always a matter of time
before they would seek to emancipate
themselves from mere formulaic pop
structures. This potential sea-change
could morph them from well-craftedpopsters to thrilling experimentalrevolutionaries. While this hallowed
hall mercilessly snuffed-out and
exposed any hint of vapidity within a
Walking down Church Street on any
given Saturday night is never a pleasant
experience: the hen parties where the
women are ever so slightly too old or
fat for whatever piece of plastic bag
they’re calling a costume; the North Face
scally army outside McD’s; the busker
murdering Yesterday for the umpteenth
time. But this given Saturday was
World Book Night and I found myself
strolling down Church Street en route
to the Bluecoat, hangover in tow, for
a dose of something altogether more
stimulating.
Walking in I am met by the sounds of
JONAS ALASKA: fully suited and booted
in threads that wouldn’t look out of
place on an Amish preacher, Alaska
holds court over the audience with an
impressive stage presence and delicate,
yet never fragile voice. The first song I
catch is the wonderful Swine Flu Blues,
a comical look at all that’s right and
wrong in the world from Alaska’s view.
Much in the same vein as Dylan’s 115th
Dream, each couplet provides a punchline that humours all present while a
strong melody and chord progression
prevail throughout. One massive plus
in this venue is how, in being seated,
the audience become highly respectful
of the performer to the point where
you can hear a pin drop. This worked
tremendously in Alaska’s favour as he
finished with the brilliant I Need One
Know, a sentimental acoustic piece
that yet again shows Alaska’s delicate
demeanour and strong songwriting
capabilities.
While many will still be grieving from
Dire Wolfe’s last gig only the previous
week, their frontman DAN CROLL is
back with a 6-piece band to promote
30
Bido Lito! April 2011
his new solo effort, and what an effort
it is. Beginning the set by apologising
to those expecting to see Diana Krall,
Dan opens with the softly sung Closer.
Being quite familiar with this track, it
is literally spell-binding to see how the
whole band bring it to life, the use of
an extra-percussionist and double-bass
adding heaps of texture to the ever
mounting crescendo. Neighbourhood
is instantly loveable, one of those
tunes you think you’ve known for
years upon first listen. The rolling
drums, jangly guitars, catchy melody,
and that ever so vital pause before the
second chorus all mesh into a song
that could indeed soundtrack summer
2011. Marion sounds as beautiful as
ever with the chorus sounding twice as
huge live. Surprisingly Croll chooses to
finish on a new song called Home, so
new in fact there is no second verse.
Beginning quietly as an ode to the
small things we all take for granted in
our homes it suddenly launches into
a full-scale, all-guns-blazing assault,
reminiscent of the heavier side of
Arcade Fire. The audience laps it up and
I could see on many faces the urge to
get up and boogie down. All the more
reason to lobby for that second verse
to be written then, as that brings an
untimely end to a great set. As I was
rushing out and applause was ringing
around the Bluecoat, I had a feeling
that tonight I heard songs that I’ll be
listening to for months to come. RIP
Dire Wolfe; Godspeed Dan Croll.
Pete Devine
SEA OF BEES
Trevor Moss & HannahLou - James Walbourne
Evol @ The Shipping Forecast
On Thursday 7th May 1964, The
American Folk Blues and Gospel
Caravan rolled into a disused suburban
Manchester railway station at Mauldeth
Reviews
Road. Guided by Nick-Drake-discoveryto-be, Joe Boyd, the caravan featured
Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe
and Otis Spann; the now wrinkling
pioneers of the 1930s and 1940s
American Blues scene, which was
enjoying a burgeoning renaissance in
Stones-obsessed Britain.
SEA OF BEES, TREVOR MOSS &
HANNAH-LOU and JAMES WALBOURNE
are neither wrinkling nor pioneers,
they are not this evening at a disused
railway station and (with the exception
of Sea Of Bees) they are not American.
Tenuous you may think yet stick with
me, for this evening sees the Heavenly
Records Folk Blues and Gospel Caravan
come shuffling into town.
James
Walbourne’s
Poguescontributed trad. quickly becomes a
master class in roots work. With songs
layered in a fairly regimented blues
structure, the north London native
- and his two able accomplices - use
ukulele, washboard, double bass and
harmonica to decorate Walbourne’s
virtuoso guitar-led arrangements.
Waiting Room Blues provides a funfilled, tongue-in-cheek, Waits-ian bar
room lament. When the trio move into
a double bass-tapped, reverb heavy
rhythm over a washboard swoon,
topped with a snapping acoustic
guitar solo, I’m reminded further of
Waits - at his sleazy, energetic, Big In
Japan-best.
What is most striking about
Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou is their
intense intimacy. Performing on one
microphone throughout, they seem to
entwine the microphone stand, Trevor
singing over Hannah-Lou’s shoulder
with his guitar behind her neck,
Hannah-Lou’s across Trevor’s chest.
There’s something very ‘Bob and Joan’
about it all, especially as HannahLou gazes lost into Trevor’s eyes
throughout. The duo craft their gospel
folk-inspired standards with beautiful
affection, Passing Of Time providing
Sea of Bees (Dani Canto)
a particular high point and Trevor’s
nasally croon is cradled lovingly by
Hannah-Lou’s sugary harmonies
throughout. I’m filling up...
Sea Of Bees’ Julie Anne Bee is
tapped, a complete nutcase. She is on
some kind of E number-induced buzz
throughout her performance tonight;
bouncing around like a freshly opened
can of Vimto that’s been rattling
around the bottom of a guitar case
for weeks. Her Sacramento drawl
decorates proceedings throughout,
as between songs (taken from her
warmly received debut, Songs For The
Ravens) she regales us with stories of
lost love and following your dreams.
But this is no bed-wetter folk, as
Julie Anne channels the energy and
necessity of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, via
the body and mind of Björk. It is in the
live arena that you realise just how
good Songs For The Ravens is; Wizbot
is imbued with such longing that it
hurts and Gnomes utterly floors. With
just minor accompaniment, Julie Anne
brings the room to a pin drop silence,
a room that’s unfortunately been a
little quick with its tongue during the
earlier performances. Songs For The
Ravens loses an element of intimacy
on record, I’d suggest that on tonight’s
evidence it may be over arranged
and that Julie Anne’s vocal delivery
seems restrained in comparison to
her live performance. Maybe not an
LP of the year then....but this show
will take something very special to be
bettered.
And with that, the Heavenly
Records Folk Blues and Gospel
Caravan rumbles on out of town.
Like the pioneers of Mauldeth Road,
this collection of artists brought a
selection of perspectives on ageold formulas steeped in history and
experience. Heavenly indeed.
Craig G Pennington