Cajun accordion? No that's Harry Potter working his keyboard magic. We're back "Doon the Cellar" listening to a track we'll call "Sitting on My Front Porch" - it's the one we mentioned in our first report. There is a real cajun lilt to the music and the accordion is really Harry Potter's keyboard - we're busy hinting that our good mate Ginger may be the man for the job but it looks like they have some other bloke in mind - sorry Ginger but it's - well I can't say - I'd be for the high "Jump!"
This brings two points to mind - the first is the dedication of the SnugL to bring in real musicians to play real instruments, as here with the accordion, it costs too much according to Big Frank, but the better sonic is worth the cost and often this wins out. Elsewhere on this album, we may well be hearing steel drums - real ones of course - played by none other than - Harry Potter!
Which brings us nicely to the second - and that is the integral part that Harry Potter plays in the process of creating the band's sound. My notes are full of quotes about how he is a "genius" and every track we heard - bare bones even though they were - featured yet more of Harry's magic with the keyboards, managing to get a feel for the groove and provide instrument parts that other people will come in and play later, if they can manage that is..... I have - I think - a recall of SnugL saying sometime in the early hours that HP & Big Frank are a genius couple - but Frank is the master and HP will always be the apprentice. Big Frank will always be the master.
The third is the quality of the core band - "hand-reared" is a favourite phrase of SnugL's when discussing them - and they have something special - that mysterious musical intimacy that is only really found amongst players who have played together for years. Frank has had more than his share of managers fall out with him, but he has kept his band - the "girls" - for years, and like Neil Young with Crazy Horse, they add up to more than the sum of the parts.
So with cajun accordion and steel drums are we seeing a return to Big Frank's "One World" era? That may depend on who is willing - and able - to work.
FolkingAbout "Doon the Cellar" is a series of short articles resulting from a series of interviews with those concerned with the making of Big Frank's next CD, and maybe from the one before and a few before that, but mostly this one. Stay tuned for more...
Get well soon Big Frank - from all at Folking About
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
An Evening With David Sylvian - Manchester Bridgewater Hall - 14/9/2007
It was hard to believe, but it was finally happening. We walked into the foyer at the Bridgewater, tickets in hand, and yes, sure enough - it WAS happening. After 27 years, I was indeed going to witness David Sylvian live on stage. I know he's been around occasionally before, but this time I heard about it and got the tickets in time......
The Hall was just about full - there was an almost church like hush in the auditorium and music played very quietly over the p.a. - so quietly I couldn't really hear it. Add to that a predominance of black-clothed audience, the impressive array of organ pipes and the hard chairs, and it could have been a church. This impression was broken as soon as the 5 band members strolled out onto the stage in the dim light. The crowd applauded - and applauded more- in fact we applauded for some time while things got sorted out on stage.
Sylvian himself - quickly check with the binoculars - yes it IS him - sat on a tall chrome legged stool, centre stage, feet on the rails, perched, almost hunched, cradling an electric guitar, his effects and water bottle laid out before him on a scrunched up black sheet, like a rather well presented busker might appear in fact. The whole band were dressed in black, Sylvian seemed to have a jacket on and a pair of what he would never call "drainies", and a very swish pair of white shoes that later evoked a cry from the crowd: "Where'd you get yer shoes David?"
When they started playing you knew it was going to be just fine. A grand piano, the top strewn with electronics and a further keyboard, sheet music and a laptop nearby with it's own keyboard, an alto sax, bass and a rather sparse looking drum kit with yet more keyboards and a cymbal imbalance completed the line-up behind - no repeat of the "just 4 keyboard's" we, and others we heard, had worried about beforehand. First up was "Wonderful World" - the single from the debut release from Nine Horses - "Snow Borne Sorrow". This was going to be good - the arrangement of the song for these rather more acoustic instruments was sparse and yet the sound was rich and repaid listening. David Sylvian's guitar was gentle and the Takuma Watanabe's piano was just so - the bass and drums providing a good solid base and the lovely sax seemed to weave in and out of the texture laid down by the others.
Bassist Keith Lowe alternated between electric and one of these modern body-less upright jobs - resplendent in kilt and boots and for some reason stationed on his own little plinth, Lowe was seen at one point to duck and weave as if he was - dancing - we'll have none of that here! I have not yet been able to discover who was playing the flute and sax - he is not listed in the tour brochure - (and more on that later!) - but I think it was Theo Travis.
"World Citizen" demonstrated the careful inter-weaving of the band's electronic sound, with "live" percussion from Steve Jansen mixing it with the programmed sounds which I suspect Steve was in full control off from the look of his array of black boxes mixed in with the drums.
It is David Sylvian whose name appears on the tickets - and it is David Sylvian's voice that leaves the biggest impression on the listener - not in a harsh LISTEN-TO-ME-excited kind of way, but a sweet, deep, autumnal and melancholic sound that he produces with hardly any visible effort and reminds one rather of a really good chewy pint of dark bitter. In "Ride" - a song "from the eighties" - released on the 2000 compilation "Everything and Nothing", his vocals were backed by the flute, I just noted down a sigh. I know David has been a smoker in the past, and may still be, certainly his throat sometimes has a sound that may well be a smoke induced growl, yet later he sang - in fact "Atom and cell" ended on - such a low note that came over so smoothly.....
The range of material we heard was impressive too - I had expected to hear a lot of the new Nine Horses material, and there was plenty of that - yet Steve Jansen's latest "Playground Martyrs" was included (to great applause) and we had already had "Ride", so I was delighted - nay thrilled! - when a piece that I didn't know experienced a key change and suddenly there was "Ghosts", but not as I've ever heard it before, with piano and - well it was almost going to be "Nightporter" judging by the sound of it, but "Ghosts" came out and afterwards there was rapturous applause, even my neighbour, who up till then had just been rapt, suddenly burst into clapping mode and we exchanged approval! There was more "old stuff" to come - "Waterfront" and "Mother and Child".
A word for the lighting - or the backcloth projection which was a themed display of abstract images, sometimes still, sometimes moving or slowly changing - all executed in a suitably subdued palette and sometimes overlaid with spots of light, perhaps from a camera aimed at the lighting gantries, but I couldn't be certain. It certainly fitted in well with the atmosphere of the music.
The audience, by and large were enjoying the music and there was a real sense of respect for what was going down here, although a number choose to ignore the requests to stay seated except between songs and to disturb everybody while they edged along the rows to get out - then back in again. Gilly and I agreed later that at the very least we would have preferred a cozy sofa for this gig - even better if it had been in our front room - it was that kind of night - and then they stepped things up a bit in "History of Holes" which built up very nicely with Steve Jansen giving a very sharp beat indeed. Things calmed down again with a return to more historical material - the long flute notes that introduced "Before the Bullfight" producing welcoming applause, and there was "Nostalgia" in there too, both from "Gone to Earth" before the end came (so soon?) with the clock like lilt of "The Librarian" and finally David got down off that stool and gave a slight bow before waving and leaving the stage.
By now the brain was ticking and while we clapped and clapped for more, I wondered what the encore might bring - no need to guess for long as the distinctive opening notes of "Any Colour You Are" drifted up from the stage - it was a beautiful, haunting rendition of this dreadfully sad song, aided by the flute and then to heap sugar onto the pie, there was a verse or two of "Riverman". We demanded - and got - a second encore - after some considerable time and the band rounded the night off with the apt "Wanderlust" which contains the lyric:
And we’re out on the road again
It’s given us this wonderful wanderlust
It’s given us this wonderful wanderlust
It’s given us this wonderful wanderlust
I don’t doubt it, I feel it
I no longer doubted either - I had felt it, heard it, seen it and bought the tour brochure - at 20 quid maybe a bit steep - but with a hard cover and a CD with collectible cuts it seemed a fitting souvenir. Come back soon David.
The Hall was just about full - there was an almost church like hush in the auditorium and music played very quietly over the p.a. - so quietly I couldn't really hear it. Add to that a predominance of black-clothed audience, the impressive array of organ pipes and the hard chairs, and it could have been a church. This impression was broken as soon as the 5 band members strolled out onto the stage in the dim light. The crowd applauded - and applauded more- in fact we applauded for some time while things got sorted out on stage.
Sylvian himself - quickly check with the binoculars - yes it IS him - sat on a tall chrome legged stool, centre stage, feet on the rails, perched, almost hunched, cradling an electric guitar, his effects and water bottle laid out before him on a scrunched up black sheet, like a rather well presented busker might appear in fact. The whole band were dressed in black, Sylvian seemed to have a jacket on and a pair of what he would never call "drainies", and a very swish pair of white shoes that later evoked a cry from the crowd: "Where'd you get yer shoes David?"
When they started playing you knew it was going to be just fine. A grand piano, the top strewn with electronics and a further keyboard, sheet music and a laptop nearby with it's own keyboard, an alto sax, bass and a rather sparse looking drum kit with yet more keyboards and a cymbal imbalance completed the line-up behind - no repeat of the "just 4 keyboard's" we, and others we heard, had worried about beforehand. First up was "Wonderful World" - the single from the debut release from Nine Horses - "Snow Borne Sorrow". This was going to be good - the arrangement of the song for these rather more acoustic instruments was sparse and yet the sound was rich and repaid listening. David Sylvian's guitar was gentle and the Takuma Watanabe's piano was just so - the bass and drums providing a good solid base and the lovely sax seemed to weave in and out of the texture laid down by the others.
Bassist Keith Lowe alternated between electric and one of these modern body-less upright jobs - resplendent in kilt and boots and for some reason stationed on his own little plinth, Lowe was seen at one point to duck and weave as if he was - dancing - we'll have none of that here! I have not yet been able to discover who was playing the flute and sax - he is not listed in the tour brochure - (and more on that later!) - but I think it was Theo Travis.
"World Citizen" demonstrated the careful inter-weaving of the band's electronic sound, with "live" percussion from Steve Jansen mixing it with the programmed sounds which I suspect Steve was in full control off from the look of his array of black boxes mixed in with the drums.
It is David Sylvian whose name appears on the tickets - and it is David Sylvian's voice that leaves the biggest impression on the listener - not in a harsh LISTEN-TO-ME-excited kind of way, but a sweet, deep, autumnal and melancholic sound that he produces with hardly any visible effort and reminds one rather of a really good chewy pint of dark bitter. In "Ride" - a song "from the eighties" - released on the 2000 compilation "Everything and Nothing", his vocals were backed by the flute, I just noted down a sigh. I know David has been a smoker in the past, and may still be, certainly his throat sometimes has a sound that may well be a smoke induced growl, yet later he sang - in fact "Atom and cell" ended on - such a low note that came over so smoothly.....
The range of material we heard was impressive too - I had expected to hear a lot of the new Nine Horses material, and there was plenty of that - yet Steve Jansen's latest "Playground Martyrs" was included (to great applause) and we had already had "Ride", so I was delighted - nay thrilled! - when a piece that I didn't know experienced a key change and suddenly there was "Ghosts", but not as I've ever heard it before, with piano and - well it was almost going to be "Nightporter" judging by the sound of it, but "Ghosts" came out and afterwards there was rapturous applause, even my neighbour, who up till then had just been rapt, suddenly burst into clapping mode and we exchanged approval! There was more "old stuff" to come - "Waterfront" and "Mother and Child".
A word for the lighting - or the backcloth projection which was a themed display of abstract images, sometimes still, sometimes moving or slowly changing - all executed in a suitably subdued palette and sometimes overlaid with spots of light, perhaps from a camera aimed at the lighting gantries, but I couldn't be certain. It certainly fitted in well with the atmosphere of the music.
The audience, by and large were enjoying the music and there was a real sense of respect for what was going down here, although a number choose to ignore the requests to stay seated except between songs and to disturb everybody while they edged along the rows to get out - then back in again. Gilly and I agreed later that at the very least we would have preferred a cozy sofa for this gig - even better if it had been in our front room - it was that kind of night - and then they stepped things up a bit in "History of Holes" which built up very nicely with Steve Jansen giving a very sharp beat indeed. Things calmed down again with a return to more historical material - the long flute notes that introduced "Before the Bullfight" producing welcoming applause, and there was "Nostalgia" in there too, both from "Gone to Earth" before the end came (so soon?) with the clock like lilt of "The Librarian" and finally David got down off that stool and gave a slight bow before waving and leaving the stage.
By now the brain was ticking and while we clapped and clapped for more, I wondered what the encore might bring - no need to guess for long as the distinctive opening notes of "Any Colour You Are" drifted up from the stage - it was a beautiful, haunting rendition of this dreadfully sad song, aided by the flute and then to heap sugar onto the pie, there was a verse or two of "Riverman". We demanded - and got - a second encore - after some considerable time and the band rounded the night off with the apt "Wanderlust" which contains the lyric:
And we’re out on the road again
It’s given us this wonderful wanderlust
It’s given us this wonderful wanderlust
It’s given us this wonderful wanderlust
I don’t doubt it, I feel it
I no longer doubted either - I had felt it, heard it, seen it and bought the tour brochure - at 20 quid maybe a bit steep - but with a hard cover and a CD with collectible cuts it seemed a fitting souvenir. Come back soon David.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Folking About "Doon The Cellar" - The Missing Earl?
There's at least one name missing from the credits listed on the album sleeve of "On the Cobbles". James Hooker no less, a keyboard player and singer who "has a very famous history in his own right" according to Nanci Griffith in Dirty Linen - and she should know! The story goes that Big Frank was at a party one night where he ran into Hooker and got reminiscing about their early days and before long had SnugL ordered out of the party (despite loud and persistent protests) and into the studio to record some keyboards. Some of them ended up on "Cobbles" - but - according to SnugL - Tools missed him off the credits.....
Hopefully though Hooker will get his just desserts for his contribution to "the new album". On "Sugar & Spice" he plays a deep, dark clavichord part under the vocals - and they are another story in themselves. Harry Potter recorded the clav on his trusty laptop.
James Hooker in Nanci Griffith's studio 2004
FolkingAbout "Doon the Cellar" is a series of short articles resulting from a series of interviews with those concerned with the making of Big Frank's next CD, and maybe from the one before and a few before that, but mostly this one. Stay tuned for more...
Hopefully though Hooker will get his just desserts for his contribution to "the new album". On "Sugar & Spice" he plays a deep, dark clavichord part under the vocals - and they are another story in themselves. Harry Potter recorded the clav on his trusty laptop.
James Hooker in Nanci Griffith's studio 2004
FolkingAbout "Doon the Cellar" is a series of short articles resulting from a series of interviews with those concerned with the making of Big Frank's next CD, and maybe from the one before and a few before that, but mostly this one. Stay tuned for more...
Monday, August 27, 2007
Folking About "Doon The Cellar" - Saved!
Ireland is the setting for the next tale from our visit to "Doon The Cellar" and illustrates the trials of recording and getting that all important track down:
SnugL had the studio set up in Theresa's sitting room and is getting the beats going, he and Big Frank had already started on the port, and when they found a bottle of potent Wray & Nephew White Rum, they did that too. There was much banging into things and falling about, but Frank started to sing somewhere along the way, the vocal was good and has to be recorded. More chaos ensued throughout the session and finally, after SnugL fell over and banged his head, sleep followed....
.... the next morning, checking the studio revealed the good news - the vocals were saved, despite everything!
"Stand by me" is one of Frank's pain songs - you can feel it in the music, the vocal, no doubt fuelled by the energetic consumption of port and rum, has a mournful edge to it, the lyrics speak of loss and grieving.
Later additions to the song, recorded at Liverpool's Parr Street Studio, include John Giblin on bowed double-bass giving further depth to the mourning, and a "genius" contribution from Harry Potter, who manages to play a soul-rendering sad electric guitar anguish-howl part over strings - ALL on keyboards.
"That," exclaims our host, "is pure SnugL!" he means the sound - it's all done on his terms, the sonic is as he wants it. The apparent comedic interlude with the falling down water masks a genuine commitment to getting it all down as it should be, and this is a good'un.
SnugL had the studio set up in Theresa's sitting room and is getting the beats going, he and Big Frank had already started on the port, and when they found a bottle of potent Wray & Nephew White Rum, they did that too. There was much banging into things and falling about, but Frank started to sing somewhere along the way, the vocal was good and has to be recorded. More chaos ensued throughout the session and finally, after SnugL fell over and banged his head, sleep followed....
.... the next morning, checking the studio revealed the good news - the vocals were saved, despite everything!
"Stand by me" is one of Frank's pain songs - you can feel it in the music, the vocal, no doubt fuelled by the energetic consumption of port and rum, has a mournful edge to it, the lyrics speak of loss and grieving.
Later additions to the song, recorded at Liverpool's Parr Street Studio, include John Giblin on bowed double-bass giving further depth to the mourning, and a "genius" contribution from Harry Potter, who manages to play a soul-rendering sad electric guitar anguish-howl part over strings - ALL on keyboards.
"That," exclaims our host, "is pure SnugL!" he means the sound - it's all done on his terms, the sonic is as he wants it. The apparent comedic interlude with the falling down water masks a genuine commitment to getting it all down as it should be, and this is a good'un.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Folking About "Doon The Cellar" - The Prophet in the Church With One Bell.
Not long into our visit to "Doon the Cellar" in Birkenhead, producer SnugL underlined his policy on sound recording - "I try to record what's there - I go for the purity" he said, and later we would get to hear some of the results.
What follows is the first of a number of reports stemming from this visit, and a number of interviews and other visits relating to the music of John Martyn today. John has very kindly allowed us a preview of many of the rough mixes from the new album, and we will be telling some of the stories behind the tracks, talking to the musicians, engineers and producers involved and telling their stories too. Some of the names used are the familiar names used by the protagonists.
"This is my gaff." said SnugL leading us into his studio - "more of a cutting suite really.", but this is where it happens. This is where many of John Martyn's songs are assembled; some of the tracks have even been recorded here.
We hope to be able to bring a complete technical description of the rig, and describe some of the processes involved in recording an album in the not too distant future, but for the time being lets just say that the editing is done on one of an ever growing collection of PC's - currently an AMD Dual Core with 8Gb RAM - a significant step up from what SnugL dismissively described as a Pentium II word processor that they used to use. Next in line may well be an anonymous laptop lurking near the desk - "I can do everything on that now - may as well flog this lot." In fact SnugL reports that John has been very keen on using the laptop himself and suggests that HE will produce the next CD, SnugL is fired and Tools can be the tea-boy if he is lucky.....!
We'll start our stories with a trip back in time, 5 years or so when John still had the "Church With One Bell" studio up in Scotland. Big Frank is sleeping up in the church gallery, but is awakened by SnugL and Harry Potter getting a new groove going down in the studio, the air is heady with incense from Scratch Perry's burner as Frank thunders downstairs to find out what all the row is about. Anger soon melts as the incense and the music combine to inspire Frank into a creative mood, and he is soon stood naked and fired up at the ever ready microphone, lyrics tumbling out, Spencer playing along. Some of the lyrics would prove to be prophetic - "How can you stand when you're sitting?" and "Sitting on the porch, me and my little dog."
Events would soon see these premonitions materialise, within months John had part of a leg amputated and now spends most of his time sat down, and he now has Gizmo - his own little dog.
There's more to say here, we fast forward to 2007 and a day's recording in Parr Street, Liverpool. Arran Ahmun and Alan Thompson are laying down drum and bass tracks to this vocal - John is sat there, encouraging, conducting, "master of ceremonies" and "much more like his old self." This is the on day after the band's amazing performance at John's Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall appearance - click here for our review. The results are terrific, soulful vocals follow the groove, the bass impassioned. SnugL suddenly stops it, winds the track back a few bars and laughs - "Listen to that, that's Harry Potter taking the p*ss with his da da daaa, da da daaa... on the keyboard."
It's a small insight into the way a song is born - others follow - some can be told here - stay tuned for more tales from Folking About "Doon the Cellar"
What follows is the first of a number of reports stemming from this visit, and a number of interviews and other visits relating to the music of John Martyn today. John has very kindly allowed us a preview of many of the rough mixes from the new album, and we will be telling some of the stories behind the tracks, talking to the musicians, engineers and producers involved and telling their stories too. Some of the names used are the familiar names used by the protagonists.
"This is my gaff." said SnugL leading us into his studio - "more of a cutting suite really.", but this is where it happens. This is where many of John Martyn's songs are assembled; some of the tracks have even been recorded here.
We hope to be able to bring a complete technical description of the rig, and describe some of the processes involved in recording an album in the not too distant future, but for the time being lets just say that the editing is done on one of an ever growing collection of PC's - currently an AMD Dual Core with 8Gb RAM - a significant step up from what SnugL dismissively described as a Pentium II word processor that they used to use. Next in line may well be an anonymous laptop lurking near the desk - "I can do everything on that now - may as well flog this lot." In fact SnugL reports that John has been very keen on using the laptop himself and suggests that HE will produce the next CD, SnugL is fired and Tools can be the tea-boy if he is lucky.....!
We'll start our stories with a trip back in time, 5 years or so when John still had the "Church With One Bell" studio up in Scotland. Big Frank is sleeping up in the church gallery, but is awakened by SnugL and Harry Potter getting a new groove going down in the studio, the air is heady with incense from Scratch Perry's burner as Frank thunders downstairs to find out what all the row is about. Anger soon melts as the incense and the music combine to inspire Frank into a creative mood, and he is soon stood naked and fired up at the ever ready microphone, lyrics tumbling out, Spencer playing along. Some of the lyrics would prove to be prophetic - "How can you stand when you're sitting?" and "Sitting on the porch, me and my little dog."
Events would soon see these premonitions materialise, within months John had part of a leg amputated and now spends most of his time sat down, and he now has Gizmo - his own little dog.
There's more to say here, we fast forward to 2007 and a day's recording in Parr Street, Liverpool. Arran Ahmun and Alan Thompson are laying down drum and bass tracks to this vocal - John is sat there, encouraging, conducting, "master of ceremonies" and "much more like his old self." This is the on day after the band's amazing performance at John's Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall appearance - click here for our review. The results are terrific, soulful vocals follow the groove, the bass impassioned. SnugL suddenly stops it, winds the track back a few bars and laughs - "Listen to that, that's Harry Potter taking the p*ss with his da da daaa, da da daaa... on the keyboard."
It's a small insight into the way a song is born - others follow - some can be told here - stay tuned for more tales from Folking About "Doon the Cellar"
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Danny Thompson lights a fire at Cropredy?
A lovely, warm summer's day and the audience at Fairport Cropredy Convention are gathering for a third and final day of this 40th anniversary celebration. The sound crew have relented from playing their compilation CD over and over again and we are being treated to John Martyn's soulful "Rock salt and nails" over the PA. A inner feeling of warmth joins the outer sunshine as we recall that today it is 12 months since John's magnificent gig on this very stage.
"Big Muff" follows and today's compere, Danny Thompson strides out onto the stage to greet the crowd; "Wotcha Cropredy! - How good is it to hear the great John Martyn?" Danny, long time musical partner, drinking partner and frequent sparing partner with John Martyn delighted us with yet more: "I love that man. You know in these days of awards and knighthoods and all that, isn't it time that John Martyn was recognised for his remarkable musical contribution? How many people agree that John Martyn should be rewarded in some way?" A huge cheer rose up from the ever growing crowd - the campaign for Sir John Martyn has started!
"Big Muff" follows and today's compere, Danny Thompson strides out onto the stage to greet the crowd; "Wotcha Cropredy! - How good is it to hear the great John Martyn?" Danny, long time musical partner, drinking partner and frequent sparing partner with John Martyn delighted us with yet more: "I love that man. You know in these days of awards and knighthoods and all that, isn't it time that John Martyn was recognised for his remarkable musical contribution? How many people agree that John Martyn should be rewarded in some way?" A huge cheer rose up from the ever growing crowd - the campaign for Sir John Martyn has started!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
John Martyn & John Smith at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall - Liverpool - 1/6/2007
It was always going to be a good night - the last date of the tour, in Liverpool on the first day of flaming June. It proved to be a very good night - meeting a couple of very old friends, making new friends and some very good music.
John Smith sauntered onto the large Philharmonic stage, hands in his suit (!) pockets and harumphed into the mike - there was a pleasingly good sized crowd even at this stage and John got a rousing cheer just for coming on - not bad for a support act - but them he is on his adopted home turf and we have had the pleasure of his playing several times of late, so his following is growing fast. His opening song is the stunning ballad "Cut throat Mountain?". John rips this song out of himself with every performance - such is the venom, angst and regret contained therein, his voice not just raw but seriously grazed sounding, his guitar stroked, stummed, stressed and finally warped to get the sounds he needs. It is a tour de force and deserves to become a folk standard with it's high body count, extreme weaponary, serious love and absolute revenge. He continued with a good variety of songs interspersed with ever more confident banter with the crowd, he comes over quite natural and quietly comfortable on stage, his soft voice and hushed tones giving no hint of the storms in his songs.
The songs themselves are a varied lot, a notable cover in Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren" sung with gentle bottleneck guitar, Smith's own "The Green Man" with the bass string being constantly re-tuned to drag out some marvelous sonic effects and ending in a great slap happy descending twang. "Winter" completes many sets with the guitar becoming a percussion instrument and a hammered dulcimer as it is swung onto his lap. John's style is unique, his voice a powerhouse, yet he manages such delicate passages too, and often sighs to himself mid-song.
At the end, to a big cheer, he saunters back off the stage, job done.
A short interval and we are back in our seats, the hall is full, just about sold out I think - we are promised a good night and a few surprises by one who knows and here come the band, and John Martyn wheeled on as ever with his wing arms out, BUT he is clearly in a good mood, "It's a lovely day" he sings as things get plugged in around him, Fender on let's go. "Cooltide". It's the end of tour end of term feeling, things seem well and good, the crowd in good voice give John a good Liverpool welcome, lots of shouting, just like John Martyn crowds used to be, "Come on fatso!" being met with a smile and an admission - "That's more like it!" It's going well, Martin is blowing well on the Sax, Foss Patterson has his eyes closed and head back as "Lookin' On" progresses, Arran Ahmun keeping an almost continuous hi-hat beat with one stick throughout the song, and each of the band took a solo - all well received. The sound was pretty good too, the instruments well separated, although the bass was a bit boomy and the sax a bit quiet - it was good to be able to hear all the instruments even at full tilt.
John's speaking voice seemed clearer than usual too - he even joked about it himself, breaking into complete incomprehensible mumbling deliberately at one point. Introducing the Solid Air section John claimed never to have "stickled" and therefore the album would all be played, but not in the original order. And played it was, in fine style too, with some nice touches including "May you Never" which started out with just John singing with his acoustic guitar and ended up being almost anthemic with the full band joining in as it went along.
The highlights for me were probably "I' d rather be the Devil" which had the full echo effects on and it all sounded just spot on, and "Go down easy" which had a sublime bass part from Alan Thompson and was very gently handled with Martin Winnings playing his surprise "secret weapon" - the clarinet - very sympathetically.
After the title track "Solid Air" John stopped playing any guitars and just sat and sang his heart out on "Rock Salt and Nails" and then "Never Let Me Go" closed the night, John being wheeled off well before the band had finished playing - and with much of the audience on it's feet to bring the tour to an end properly. It was we agreed afterwards a very subtle, melancholic reading of the set tonight, and we were, as is always the case, feeling the loss as the crowd dispersed.
We learned later that the band had been playing under the shadow of tragedy and frankly it was a wonder they played at all, and a credit to them that they pulled off such a good gig in the circumstances.
And so endeth the Solid Air Tour 2007 - the original London gig being extended to an 11 date tour, and then a further 8 being added on as the powers that be came to realise how popular the Great Man still is. More tours are being mooted - lets hope so - John Martyn is a living legend and his music seems timelessly fresh - Solid Air was released in 1973 and can still fill concert halls today - long may he run.
John Smith sauntered onto the large Philharmonic stage, hands in his suit (!) pockets and harumphed into the mike - there was a pleasingly good sized crowd even at this stage and John got a rousing cheer just for coming on - not bad for a support act - but them he is on his adopted home turf and we have had the pleasure of his playing several times of late, so his following is growing fast. His opening song is the stunning ballad "Cut throat Mountain?". John rips this song out of himself with every performance - such is the venom, angst and regret contained therein, his voice not just raw but seriously grazed sounding, his guitar stroked, stummed, stressed and finally warped to get the sounds he needs. It is a tour de force and deserves to become a folk standard with it's high body count, extreme weaponary, serious love and absolute revenge. He continued with a good variety of songs interspersed with ever more confident banter with the crowd, he comes over quite natural and quietly comfortable on stage, his soft voice and hushed tones giving no hint of the storms in his songs.
The songs themselves are a varied lot, a notable cover in Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren" sung with gentle bottleneck guitar, Smith's own "The Green Man" with the bass string being constantly re-tuned to drag out some marvelous sonic effects and ending in a great slap happy descending twang. "Winter" completes many sets with the guitar becoming a percussion instrument and a hammered dulcimer as it is swung onto his lap. John's style is unique, his voice a powerhouse, yet he manages such delicate passages too, and often sighs to himself mid-song.
At the end, to a big cheer, he saunters back off the stage, job done.
A short interval and we are back in our seats, the hall is full, just about sold out I think - we are promised a good night and a few surprises by one who knows and here come the band, and John Martyn wheeled on as ever with his wing arms out, BUT he is clearly in a good mood, "It's a lovely day" he sings as things get plugged in around him, Fender on let's go. "Cooltide". It's the end of tour end of term feeling, things seem well and good, the crowd in good voice give John a good Liverpool welcome, lots of shouting, just like John Martyn crowds used to be, "Come on fatso!" being met with a smile and an admission - "That's more like it!" It's going well, Martin is blowing well on the Sax, Foss Patterson has his eyes closed and head back as "Lookin' On" progresses, Arran Ahmun keeping an almost continuous hi-hat beat with one stick throughout the song, and each of the band took a solo - all well received. The sound was pretty good too, the instruments well separated, although the bass was a bit boomy and the sax a bit quiet - it was good to be able to hear all the instruments even at full tilt.
John's speaking voice seemed clearer than usual too - he even joked about it himself, breaking into complete incomprehensible mumbling deliberately at one point. Introducing the Solid Air section John claimed never to have "stickled" and therefore the album would all be played, but not in the original order. And played it was, in fine style too, with some nice touches including "May you Never" which started out with just John singing with his acoustic guitar and ended up being almost anthemic with the full band joining in as it went along.
The highlights for me were probably "I' d rather be the Devil" which had the full echo effects on and it all sounded just spot on, and "Go down easy" which had a sublime bass part from Alan Thompson and was very gently handled with Martin Winnings playing his surprise "secret weapon" - the clarinet - very sympathetically.
After the title track "Solid Air" John stopped playing any guitars and just sat and sang his heart out on "Rock Salt and Nails" and then "Never Let Me Go" closed the night, John being wheeled off well before the band had finished playing - and with much of the audience on it's feet to bring the tour to an end properly. It was we agreed afterwards a very subtle, melancholic reading of the set tonight, and we were, as is always the case, feeling the loss as the crowd dispersed.
We learned later that the band had been playing under the shadow of tragedy and frankly it was a wonder they played at all, and a credit to them that they pulled off such a good gig in the circumstances.
And so endeth the Solid Air Tour 2007 - the original London gig being extended to an 11 date tour, and then a further 8 being added on as the powers that be came to realise how popular the Great Man still is. More tours are being mooted - lets hope so - John Martyn is a living legend and his music seems timelessly fresh - Solid Air was released in 1973 and can still fill concert halls today - long may he run.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Cafe with the best view in the country - The search is on!
For some years, it has been a strongly held view in my head at least, that the cafe at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall has the best view in the country - with a fantastic cove, blue or stormy sea, seals, dolphins, the theatre behind - you need to go some to beat it.
However, a late decision saw Gilly and I drive down the road from Broadford to Elgol on the Isle of Skye last week and as a result, the Minack has lost it's crown. The Cuillin View Gallery & Coffee Shop at Elgol has got all of those things, but it also has the magnificent Cuillin and that does it for me! Not only that but John and Gail serve good coffee, play fantastic music and have a warm welcome for their customers. I expect the cakes are good too, but my diet forbade me to try them that day!
Contenders to top all this are welcome to put in a bid, but I don't expect a flood.....
However, a late decision saw Gilly and I drive down the road from Broadford to Elgol on the Isle of Skye last week and as a result, the Minack has lost it's crown. The Cuillin View Gallery & Coffee Shop at Elgol has got all of those things, but it also has the magnificent Cuillin and that does it for me! Not only that but John and Gail serve good coffee, play fantastic music and have a warm welcome for their customers. I expect the cakes are good too, but my diet forbade me to try them that day!
Contenders to top all this are welcome to put in a bid, but I don't expect a flood.....
The Isle of Skye Music Festival 2007 - Day 3
The second day of the festival was brighter and less wet, and with a lunchtime start following a 4am-ish finish the night before, we arrived to find a fairly subdued crowd, many probably recovering from the night before. This sad state of affairs meant that lots of punters missed the great set that The Low Miffs put out on the Mainstage in the early afternoon. You have possibly guessed by now that I hadn't done much homework for this festival, in fact I can honestly say that with one or two exceptions I had no clue at all about who the acts were, so it was all a bit pot luck as to who we saw, but this lack of forethought provided a day full of surprises - and this was the first. The Low Miffs are 5 young men, fronted by the diminutive but marvelous Leo Condie from Glasgow, played song after song of energetic music, performed with passion and showmanship, Condie first sitting on the edge of the stage with his silver topped cane, then racing around the stage, next leaping the fence to sing his impassioned appeals to the audience before returning to have guitar duels with his sidesman. Special mention to Thomas Brogan whose saxophone adds major extra dimension to the guitar heavy sound. Besuited and rather like a mini Llewelyn-Bowen, Leo Condie is a star on the rise - his voice is unaccountably large for such a small frame, goodness knows where he gets his energy from, but I hope to see lots more of these Low Miffs and I hope nobody ever tells them to slow down!
From the sublime to the ridiculous - Barry Peters - DJ extraordinaire with his "son" Kevin and partner in dance Derek Japan were pulling in an excited crowd in the non-stop stage tent. Side-splitting humour from Barry ("I've never been on stage this f@@@g early in the afternoon before" ) - who knew everybody and had been everywhere, and amazing dance routines from "Double Penetration" to the very best in disco music kept us rooted as the act unfolded to include a roller skate dance routine, break dancing and finally Barry's return from retirement to dance again as a trio - off came the pants to reveal sparkly gold tights and away they went - you really had to be there, we were, enjoyed a real feast.
After a break to recover from all that excitement we took up position in the Non Stop Stage tent to see the main event. But first ther
e was Mark Olson, a man in an un-enviable position. Mark's music is mostly "acoustic" - guitar, fiddle and a little percussion or piano - and he was in a tent between Mungo's booming bass and the Union of Knives on the Mainstage, plus the crew was busy putting the gear together for the next act, so it was quite a triumph that we could hear and enjoy this lovely set from a man who sings American country style music with heart and soul, and to me he has more than a hint of favourite Dave Mallet in both music and lyric - check out his stuff on MySpace - it really hits a spot for me.
And so to the main event - at 5:45 pm in a side tent, the legend that is John Martyn was wheeled onto stage and set to for an hour - yes we had come some 400 odd miles and spent a small fortune on getting to this place for just this moment... John is nearing the end (Liverpool, Friday, we will be there!) of a hugely extended UK tour performing the album Solid Air in full, topped and tailed by other favourites, and having been to a few of the gigs, we thought we knew what might be coming. First change for this leg of the tour though was the inclusion of Foss Patterson in place of Spencer Cozens on keyboards, Spencer is currently on tour with Joan Armatrading. Foss is an old hand having played with John Martyn off and on for years,so it was good for us newcomers to see him live as well.
Martin Winnings is still doing sax duty, and while he has his detractors amongst some of the cognoscenti, but I like the way he watches John like a hawk and plays to his signals. Martin plays with a real passion too and has been a real asset to the lineup.
John was on great form and started out as expected, exhorting the band "Come on girls, hurry up!" before launching into "Cooltide" but was soon ripping up the running order, sending back his acoustic guitar so that he could hang onto the Fender to play "Lookin' On" and later "Big Muff". From our vantage point we could see everything going on between John and the band and see the joy and pain in his face, and I hope he saw the tears that he put in my eye's too - tears of joy and wonder - John's music always invokes something in me that is more powerful than the sum of the notes and words alone - and the distance, cost and time were well worth every last bit as far as I'm concerned.
AlanThompson's bass and Arran Ahmun's drumming where as impeccable as ever and after a delighted crowd sang along with "May You Never" it was the passionate, electric, growling "Rock Salt & Nails" that closed this all too short set and left us once again bereft of the great man - at least 'till Friday.
The small tent was packed and the crowd keen and vocal - the sound from where we were - right at the front under John's nose - was less than hifi but good enough considering how everything is put together in the wings and wheeled on without there being time for a real soundcheck, and the reception for John was as huge as ever, we cheered and hollered and we nearly got an encore, but it was just too late for the schedule to be held up.
After all that there was nothing for it but to recover, eat and head back to the Shipping Forecast for some dancing - oh and Seth Lakeman - Folk's new superstar who we have managed to miss up to now - not by design you understand, just never been in the right place. This year though he is following us around the festivals! There was one of those interminable delays while they got the kit sorted out, then suddenly out rushes Seth from behind the stage and they're off on a musical romp with violins guitars and mandolins everywhere, horse hair shredded from his bow, earnest, solid looking and ever so confident, Seth took the big crowd for a white knuckle ride and wore us all out jumping and dancing. I have to confess to being slightly pre-occupied with trying to get the perfect Seth Portrait having found a new setting on the camera (judge for yourselves.....) but Gilly loved it and I promise to pay more attention at the next gig honest.
What did grab me and hold my attention though was the stunning set played next by Session A9 - four fiddles, keyboard, guitar and new drum hero Iain Copeland on snare - Iain's playing was so laid back yet en pointe - I was captivated - the rest were pretty good too!! Dougie Maclean apparently said they are "the best band to come out of Scotland in a hundred years" - so there!And that was it - well there was more, but we had peaked and it was time to go wake the campers again back at base. A quick word about catering - there wasn't much, but there was a refreshing mix of decent fast food available, including fresh fruit smoothies, salads, chips, falafel, porridge and baked potatoes - a welcome change from burgers and more burgers! A good day indeed - special thanks to new friend John for the coffee and the special stageside access for Seth Lakeman. We'll be back to the paradise that is Skye for sure, the festival will have to try a little harder though.
The Isle of Skye Music Festival 2007 - Day 2- part 2
The first tent on the right - and certainly the one with most consistent full on bass beat was Mungo's Sound System - a ramshackle booth with genuine tidal debris and some very home made but effective bass bins provided reggae lovers with a permanent haven in which to groove and catch whatever Mungo was serving up at the time. I have to say that Mungo seemed to be a permanent fixture too - a marathon session of mixing that put the other DJs in the shade - those bass bins never stopped pounding, whether the tent was empty, or heaving, Mungo just played on.
As the day wore on, the programme changed tack with rock and pop giving way to big beats, trance, and all manner of DJ sessions.
We caught Pipeheid in the Non-stop tent - 3 screens giving a visual backdrop - often slow motion water drops into puddles - aptly reminiscent of the large puddle at the back of the dance area - whilst the 2 DJs provided a soundscape to dance to - which lots of people where doing and clearly enjoying the mix - it was interesting to see how the 2 guys performed together, a lot of sideways glancing went on to check settings and to syncronise beats. Later on at the Mainstage, Mylo was doing his bit with a cuddly toy collie dog on the desk and a bottle of water on the turntable - once again there were lots of happy dancers.
Happy dancing too back at the Shipping Forecast - all manner of traditional music being provided using pipes, fiddles, whistles, accordions, you name it. One notable instrument was a 21st century version of the pipes similar to Nick Scott's uileann pipes - which always look like the contents of a plumber's scrap bag, but these were all chrome and plastic, and very modern looking. The dancing by the way was frantic by turns, other times it was almost tea dance sedate, but it was always happening and it was very noticeable here that the majority of both players and dancers were very much the young generation. By the time we had finished we had had a turn at the Gay Gordons, witnessed a very eager young lady capably organise a set to Strip the Willow, only to collapse in a drunken heap at the first hint of a swing, and so on and so on.
It was raining quite heavy off and on, but the site was coping quite well when we called it a night, needing our cuppa and a sleep in readiness for THE BIG DAY. Sorry, did I not mention it? John Martyn - oh yes - due up on stage tomorrow evening.....
Pictures by Gilly
Monday, May 28, 2007
The Isle of Skye Music Festival 2007 - Day 2- part 1!
Let's get the moaning out of the way first! FolkingAbout gets about a bit and we are quite happy to rough it out in festival toilets and wade through mud and beer cans to get around, but the organisers of the The Isle of Skye Music Festival could do with a re-think when it comes to camping facilities. We arrived in our caravanette to use the advertised "dedicated site" - only to be guided
to the "quarry" - ie a hole in the ground, part filled with water, part with fly-tipping waste and with no water, no toilets and no security - no thanks! No sleeping in the car parks either - a health and safety edict apparently driven by the fear of our setting open fires and burning all the cars down. So we ended up forking out for a berth at a caravan site some 15 miles away, which meant no beer, more money - and our arrival back to the caravan site just before dawn - and even in stealth mode "Harry" is no ballet dancer! The good news is that we had toilets and hot running water - but really we would think more than twice before going back if nothing changes.The festival itself is run at the south end of runway 25 at Broadford airstrip, the main
stage being on the threshold and the remainder of the site stretching northward along the runway. So there was a goodly amount of solid tarmac under the feet, and where the runway ended, there was fairly well drained hardstanding which got wet and muddy, but not the deep swampy stuff you get in fields - thank goodness because it did rain a bit! The site is also compact with 4 stages and a sound-system tent all within yards of each other, all very handy, but it did lead to problems for musicians not playing with their amps on number10, especially in the traditional music tent "The Shipping Forecast".
All this messing about with campsites had sent us a bit sideways and we needed some music to get us straight again - Step forward Ash who - ok we admit it -we thought at first were Kasabian, 'til they played stuff we knew was by Ash, and who we then managed to miss due to a diary failure! Ash played what the NME rightly called a "rapturously-received set" featuring the hits - including "Girl from Mars" and "Angel Interceptor", and ending the show with "Twilight of the Innocents" - the title track of the next CD - a really exciting and almost prog departure for the trio whose repertoire is mostly guitar based pop songs, they had to resort to backing tracks for this, but we'll let them off because it sounded great and the large crowd really did enjoy it. The set was confident and triumphal, and the new single "Polaris" sounds to be a cracker.It was a short step from Ash to Fiona Mackenzie who appeared with a guitarist whose name I didn't get, and keyboard player Rick Taylor who was excellent. Fiona sings many of her own songs, often in Gaelic, and her final piece - a trilogy composed by herself with lyrics from her poetic sister was really fine. Fiona has her debut CD coming out "sometime this year".
Outside in the rain, something rather good was going on in an old caravan - the DUKesbox is a mobile folk group with their own stage, sound system and transport all rolled into one - 3 chaps in splendid suits play the audiences choice of cover versions, selected via an old typewriter device, and they played all day and all night in their very own style. Check out that website for more.Back with more from this day soon.....
All pics on this page - except for the green Ash one which I took - by Gilly.
The Isle of Skye Music Festival 2007 - Day 1
Gilly and I set out for the Isle of Skye Music Festival with plenty of time to spare, making allowance for delays and the ponderous pace of "Harry" the caravanette, so we were delighted when we found ourselves in good time to catch the regular Thursday evening session at the Plockton Inn.
Nine or ten musicians gathered in the corner by the bar and treated us to a range of good music, entirely unannounced, but well received. Highlights included John Prine's "Unwed Father's" and Linda & Richard Thompson's "I Want to see the Bright Lights Tonight." Plockton is a great place for music as it houses the The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at the High School. Shepherd Neame's Spitfire Ale is also well received at the Plockton Inn.
Nine or ten musicians gathered in the corner by the bar and treated us to a range of good music, entirely unannounced, but well received. Highlights included John Prine's "Unwed Father's" and Linda & Richard Thompson's "I Want to see the Bright Lights Tonight." Plockton is a great place for music as it houses the The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at the High School. Shepherd Neame's Spitfire Ale is also well received at the Plockton Inn.
Monday, January 15, 2007
CD REVIEW - Jon Redfern - May be some time
It took a little while for Jon Redfern to break into my psyche, but once he did, it was a first class seat that he claimed for himself, right there in front of the fire with his feet up and a glass of something very pleasant and no plans to leave! My first real contact was at the Reveal Records gig for Amnesty International at Derby at the tail end of last year where he and his band struggled against some strange sound system problems for a while, but were nevertheless impressive enough to make me fork out for this CD, complete with limited edition bonus tracks and a signature. (Behind as ever, me, Gilly was already a firm MySpace friend and earned a warm smile and handshake while I stood quietly behind....)
The CD is a proper package - The cover image is a striking photograph from Iceland and inside there is a booklet with lyrics and photographs - even time signatures - for the 12 tracks on the album. The additional information for the bonus tracks is cleverly included on the usually redundant back side of the rear cover. I mention all this because too many CDs just have a thin bit of paper with a track listing and nothing else - but not this one I'm glad to say. Rant mode off!
The music (at last!) is just a pleasure to listen to. If this CD had been released in the days when vinyl wasn't just the preserve of enthusiasts and dj mixers, then my copy would already be wearing out fast - few days have passed without at least one play, if not more. Jon is a good writer of both tunes and lyrics, and he takes all the credits for these on "May be some time", as well as joint honours for the string arrangements. The CD opens with "I'm still young" which features no less than ten instruments, including Jon's acoustic guitar. This is a big band and Jon has used it to tremendous effect. It's always tempting to review a CD and say this sounds like a mix of so-and-so and someone else, but in Jon Redfern's case it would be a long, long list, there are so many differing styles here, but let me throw in Nick Drake and John Martyn , laced with a smattering of jazz and a pinch of Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band in this colourful curry.
It's no hodge podge though, the CD flows beautifully, and sometimes even seamlessly, from track to track, the music is mature and very well crafted, with no sign of the current trend for using lots of instruments because we've got them, rather than because they fit in. Jon's lyrics too are memorable, intelligent, snappy, sometimes witty - "Couldn't get rich quick, if you paid me" for instance and "Have you ever been searching, all your life" appealed to me. Track 3 "lost", has a lot of percussion, a bass and two guitars played with both hands up on the neck - mildly distorted vocals which might have been too murky and damp sounding, but the whole thing is brought to life by Patrick Durkan's glockenspiel which sparkles over the top.
Those arranged strings open "All this time 1" on track four which also has the brass section in action again - this is a magnificent piece which builds gently but insistently with the 6/8 beat, a train like rhythm and a swirling guitar over the horns and strings before suddenly fading out like "the dream has gone forever". This is followed by a short but exciting instrumental "Demons I", just Jon's guitar, a snare drum and lots of "orchestral percussion" which has a real firework quality to it, and leads into "Demons II" which continues the musical theme, but also has a delicious sax solo which later turns all a bit Pink Floyd for a minute towards the end.
Lyrically, the whole album has a touch of Peter Gabriel's "Salisbury Hill" to it - "I want to live my life, I don't want to live no other" and also "Got to let go of this feeling" - Jon sounds like a man who has made up his mind where to go and he's on his way - and - well I've been putting off trying to describe Jon's voice because it's just his own really - unique, understated yet powerful, stuffed full of feeling - clear - yearning, certainly never dull - tugging at your emotions all the time, whether up or down.
"Can't take the heat" finds Jon in a Youngish mood with a simple, rhythmic piano part, sung over, beautiful Rockets like violins (Lou Peacock), but with the Redfern touch making it something else altogether - a harmonium unpinning the second half of the track giving it depth and warmth. The harmonium is played by Jon's musical partner - multi instrumentalist Patrick Durkan - and Patrick is also responsible for much of the album's distinctive percussion sound, as well as being the other half of the arrangements team. The band also includes a cellist (Sarah Gill) and assorted brass, bass, piano and a cittern. The single - "I love the sun" is a lovely slow 3/4 instrumental with a short vocal in the middle - a hymn for lost friends perhaps is an absolute delight. This almost merges into the concluding track "Somewhere" with another great beat, more long brass chords and a mournful vocal before the mood suddenly brightens, the pace quickens, the glockenspiel shines again, the tension between the pace of the beat and the long restrained brass holds out to the end when suddenly, as if the clockwork has run out, the brass stops and a slowing rhythm section clatters to a halt and thats it. If you are anything like me, you'll be winding it up and listening again, and again, and again.
Of course if you are lucky enough to have one of the 5000 limited edition copies, you still have 5 tracks to listen to which include a "band version" of "can't take the heat", a complete, and aptly named "Departure" and Jon's heart-wrenching version of "Spencer the Rover" which ranks up there with Beckie Unthank's "River man" for poignancy, backed by Jon's gentle guitar and Roger Illingworth's silken tenor sax. This alone makes it worth tracking down a copy of this edition.
Useful links
Amazon
will sell you one hereJon Redfern's MySpace
Saturday, January 06, 2007
STOP PRESS! UltanJohn to feature on BBC Radio2 Mark Radcliffe programme
Great news is that all being well, UltanJohn's much praised new single (see blatant plugs to the right of this article) is being scripted into Radio 2' s Mark Radcliffe show for this coming week - Monday to Thursday 10:30 pm to midnight.
This is all down to Gilly's unrelenting efforts to get the single publicised - so well done Gilly!
Any further information will be posted here.
May I take this chance to wish everbody who bothers to read this a very happy and prosperous new year for 2007 - I have a large backlog of updates in my notebook, and I am hoping to spend a fair chunk of next week catching up - not least because it's back to work, we're broke and we're worn out after a fab holiday period!
Stay tuned
John
This is all down to Gilly's unrelenting efforts to get the single publicised - so well done Gilly!
Any further information will be posted here.
May I take this chance to wish everbody who bothers to read this a very happy and prosperous new year for 2007 - I have a large backlog of updates in my notebook, and I am hoping to spend a fair chunk of next week catching up - not least because it's back to work, we're broke and we're worn out after a fab holiday period!
Stay tuned
John
Monday, December 04, 2006
LAU - Derby Assembly Rooms - 2/12/2006
Earning themselves a slot of their own and jumping the queue in the FolkingAbout backlog, it is an absolute delight to report that with Lau, there is something new under the sun, and it's er, .... Scottish traditional music. No, stop, sit back down and wait a minute, listen! Lau had the task of ending our long weekend of music that started back on Wednesday at Bromborough Folk Club, passed through Allan Taylor and John Wright at Parkgate, Last Night's Fun in Sheffield and had already involved Jon Redfern and Rachael Unthank and the Winterset - most of which will get separate reviews shortly - and being completely un-prepared for what followed, I was just about to relax into a pleasant session of acoustic music from this plain looking trio with guitar, fiddle and accordion when they started to play a jolly piece, rather like the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, lively and sparkling with intent. A brief pause to introduce the next piece, "The Stuart Thompsons of Fairisle" and WHAM! I'd pretty well given up writing any descriptions down after this - it started gently and lulled us into a nice cozy, peaceful mood and then became something else, something most unexpected. After about 5 pieces I had to jot something down and here it is:
"wild, controlled, sleek, dirty, fast, slow, calm, gentle and rip-roaring, breakneck white-knuckle jazz strewn folk."
Add to this the frenzied antics of Martin Green, whose head was banging in the Motorhead sense of the word, hair following half a second behind, legs kicking up and about, his accordion suffering abuse after abuse as the bellows are twisted and pulled and it's keyboard pummeled! You had to fear for his neck lasting the night, never mind his instrument.
The other two members are Kris Drever on guitar and vocals, and Aidan O'Rourke on fiddle, a player so good that he was awarded Scottish Trad Music Instrumentalist of the Year as he was entertaining us - a suitable bottle and a note being passed onto stage part way through the set - causing him much blushing and gaining a huge round of applause. The band have lots of roots, I won't go on here, you can look them up in the links.
It's not all frenzy either, there is some sublime stuff on offer here, the "Hill behind Cromarty" providing a gloriously evocative slice of Scottish countryside in aural form, Aidan's fiddle emulating the birds wheeling around your head as you walk up the hill. This was so heart-wrenchingly beautiful, precise and fragile, windswept and biting , and a perfect gentle phase before they demolished us with "Hinba", Martin moving on from fingering and resorting to running his palm up and down the keyboard! - Standing ovation, much cheering, exhausted.
Lau should carry a health warning - they are so good for you!
I'll leave the final words to Gilly, who took the FolkingAbout notebook during one frenzy stage and just wrote: "HOLY SHIT!!!!"
Impression of Martin Green - copyright Gilly Farrie 2006
"wild, controlled, sleek, dirty, fast, slow, calm, gentle and rip-roaring, breakneck white-knuckle jazz strewn folk."
Add to this the frenzied antics of Martin Green, whose head was banging in the Motorhead sense of the word, hair following half a second behind, legs kicking up and about, his accordion suffering abuse after abuse as the bellows are twisted and pulled and it's keyboard pummeled! You had to fear for his neck lasting the night, never mind his instrument.
The other two members are Kris Drever on guitar and vocals, and Aidan O'Rourke on fiddle, a player so good that he was awarded Scottish Trad Music Instrumentalist of the Year as he was entertaining us - a suitable bottle and a note being passed onto stage part way through the set - causing him much blushing and gaining a huge round of applause. The band have lots of roots, I won't go on here, you can look them up in the links.
It's not all frenzy either, there is some sublime stuff on offer here, the "Hill behind Cromarty" providing a gloriously evocative slice of Scottish countryside in aural form, Aidan's fiddle emulating the birds wheeling around your head as you walk up the hill. This was so heart-wrenchingly beautiful, precise and fragile, windswept and biting , and a perfect gentle phase before they demolished us with "Hinba", Martin moving on from fingering and resorting to running his palm up and down the keyboard! - Standing ovation, much cheering, exhausted.
Lau should carry a health warning - they are so good for you!
I'll leave the final words to Gilly, who took the FolkingAbout notebook during one frenzy stage and just wrote: "HOLY SHIT!!!!"
Impression of Martin Green - copyright Gilly Farrie 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Moondust - Book report
I just want to mention in passing that I am currently reading "In search of the men who fell to Earth - Moondust" by Andrew Smith. A simple concept - to interview the surviving astronauts that have walked on the moon, well executed. Smith is the same age as myself, and whilst his childhood interest in the space race was somewhat more limited than my frank obsession, he makes up for it in later life by seeking out those men that held us rapt in those heady days and looks into how the experience of walking on the moon, and the "afterlife" has affected their lives.
It has already been enlightening and inspiring - Amazon may well do well out of it as I come across other titles that sound interesting, it is well written, funny, moving and "a great read."
Rachael Wright - De Bees - Winsford - 11/10/2006
A trip out to Winsford to catch one of Gilly's MySpace friends - Rachael Wright fronts a trio consisting of herself on vocals and guitar, Tim Wright on guitar and Bob Burton on electric bass. The two acoustic guitars sound sweet together, with Burton's bass used sparsely - Rachael has a voice that seems somehow familiar, strong certainly. Opening with "Honey" and moving on to "Storm in my Heart" where we find Rachael's voice soaring and reminiscent of Mindy Smith, and Tim providing intimate guitar backing. The crowd was growing steadily now as the music gathered people away from the football on the many TV screens in the bar, and they were treated to some beautiful music, the twin guitars, both picked on "Tall Ships", Bob's surprise use of a tiny xylophone adding occasional sparkle behind.
A short but sweet set, we particularly enjoyed a new song: "Loosing Hand" which has definate potential, the trio are deservingly picking up lots of gigs, not just locally, but all across the country.
A short but sweet set, we particularly enjoyed a new song: "Loosing Hand" which has definate potential, the trio are deservingly picking up lots of gigs, not just locally, but all across the country.
Friday, November 17, 2006
CD REVIEW - Last Night's Fun - Live from the MAC - 2006
Last Night's Fun - Live from the MAC - LNF Records - LNFR006
I have often felt that live recordings are the best kind that artists can make, capturing the fire and the hunger that makes the music come to life, and recording the atmosphere - the crowds' applause and the performers' own reactions.
This is a second live CD from Sherburn, Bartley and Scott's Last Night's Fun, recorded earlier this year at Birmingham Arts Centre MAC and released to coincide with the current UK tour. The sparse sleeve notes point out that the album was recorded straight from the mixing desk and Chris Sherburn was keen that I let you know that apart from removing his introductions, this is a faithful reproduction of what went on that night - "and it hasn't been near a computer either!" This is unusual in this day and age, when you can take a track to bits on a computer and re-assemble it any number of permutations, no overdubs, no retakes, not even a collection of the best bits from a tour, just one gig and just one recording.
That said, how does it stand up as a record of the gig? Well I wasn't there that night, but I have heard Last Night's Fun a few times this year and they are still using a similar set list for their live performances, and this is a fair representation of what an audience would expect to hear, although there are a number of favourites missing, but to include everything would probably require a double CD. Sound wise, this album is a joy - there are only three instruments and one voice when the band is in full flight, and the recording has captured each one of these well, Nick's pipes and Chris' concertina blending well but remaining separate, and Denny's voice strong and clear. If there is anything wrong with this recording, it's that Denny's guitar looses a little of it's lovely bass tones - and this is a mild criticism I would level at most of the Last Night's Fun albums - this is a shame because there is much to loose. The other voice on the CD is that of Chris Sherburn who "conducts" the band verbally, and this unique aspect is well captured, his acerbic introductions and merciless ribbing of Nick Scott are mostly cut, although the keen eared will be able to pick out and recognise a few tidbits that are captured behind the music at the start of some tracks, and there is one left in where all three of them get a turn.
Traditional and contemporary, instrumentals and songs, the mix is very representative of the current live sets, with haunting rendition of "Whiskey in the Jar" being one of my highlights. Mind you, it's hard to pick out highlights, this is a brilliant album, packed full of delights. Each of the players is a master of their instrument: Denny's guitar style is unlike anything else you will hear, his voice is, as I recently described after seeing them in Lymm , "when Denny opens his mouth it feels like a storm blowing in across the room, something else all together, it's a powerful force with a major emotional crack in it that is not at all sentimental, but sounds like its been hard won from a difficult seam." Nick's pipe playing is exemplary - his control over his complex and cantankerous instrument is masterful, and Chris's concertina playing can range from barely audible drone-like backing to breath-taking runs and all stations in between - and the result is, for me, one of the most enthralling live performances currently to be had.
Last Night's Fun make music like good coffee - strong, rich, smooth, soothing when you need it, with a nice bite to energise you, a long lasting flavour - and it addictive in a nice kind of way!
Van Eyken at Hendre Hall, Tal-y-bont, Bangor - 8/11/2006
A thin crowd were scattered around the edges of the impressive stone walled hall, a few warming themselves on at the large fireplace where a wood fire was crackling away nicely and one or two were buying drinks at the bar. The lights had been dimmed for some time, and then, without any introduction or pre-amble, a band appeared in the room and took to the large stage, already crammed with instruments tuned up, and began to play - actually there wasn't a clear boundary between the tuning up and playing because the first song Van Eyken played has an introduction of tortured electric guitar, clattering percussion and other eerie sounds with Tim Van Eyken picking out the tune on his acoustic guitar. Its not raucous, but it's not your standard folk intro! I can't verify this, but I suspect that the band might have had more instruments on the stage than there were people in the audience, such was the diversity of the "weaponry" available to them. The bass player alone had 3 different basses to play, and a euphonium.
The sound in Hendre Hall was great - clear and loud without being overburdening - it was a real shame that more people didn't make the effort to attend. The high roof and wooden gallery all add to the special atmosphere in the venue, which is staffed and run be friendly and helpful people who are obviously trying hard to make a real go of this venture. My only real criticism of the venue would be a lack of signage when you arrive - we ended up using the tradesmans' entrance - but this is a minor point really.
Van Eyken then brought the same 5 peice band that we saw earlier in the year at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, and they played a 2 part set consisting mostly of tracks from their current album: "Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves" It's a great line up too - Tim Van Eyken plays acoustic guitar and several concertinas as well as having a really strong a distinctive voice that is a pleasure to listen to. Tim shares the front of the stage with the near legendary Nancy Kerr, top viola player and vocalist in her own right (and probably the only member to stick to the one instrument too - which at least made it easier for her later when packing up!) Behind them, Colin Fletcher on upright, acoustic and electric basses and euphonium, Pete Flood on percussion - loads of it - and Oliver Knight on electric guitars.
The band have a very distinctive sound - or perhaps I should say a range of sounds, because it's a very flexible outfit. Whether Tim plays one of his various boxes or guitar, or just sings, or which bass is used, and whether the viola is used or not - there are many combinations available. One particularly marked aspect of their sound though is the use of the electric guitar, often enhanced by various effects, but virtually always used subtley rather than as a sledgehammer, and providing a layer of sound onto which the rest of the band can hang the tune. This is used to great effect in "Bold Fisherman" where an simple phrase played with an echo effect underpins the entire song.
In truth you could say that Van Eyken is very much a band of individuals, each of which could be singled out here, but it would be wrong not to mention the fantastic percussion that is used throughout the performance. Watching Flood play is a real treat - he has a small drum kit but it is surrounded by a vast array of instruments, toys and household items, all of which can be either banged, shaken, rubbed or, well just plain dropped - to give that precise sound that is required, and I'm sure I witnessed the cymbals being hit by pan lids at one stage. This is no playtime melange though, it's, well thought out and expertly performed, witness to the piercing and eerie use of bowed cymbals also used throughout "Bold Fisherman", along with the ultra subtle tapping of a bodrhan with just fingers in the same song. I could go on to mention Nancy Kerr holding the viola like a guitar and plucking the strings, the first use I have seen of a semi-acoustic bass on stage, the euphonium, the wind up toy, but I'm sure you're getting the drift by now!
By the time the band marched off the stage - still playing - leaving us banging away at the various bits of percussion that had been handed out, we were in little doubt that out conundrum over which of some half a dozen events we should attend on November 18th had been settles - Van Eyken at Whitchurch - we'll be there!
=Playlist=
Worcester City
William at Waterloo
The Pearl Wedding/Nancy Taylor's
Fisherman
Pretty Bessy Milkmaid
Gypsy Maid
Barleycorn
=Interval=
? Glory
Young Alvin
Australia
Pie (Fair Ellen of Ratcliffe)
The Taylor and the Flea
Bonny Breast Knot/Barseback Polka
Babes in the Wood
=Encore=
Twelve Joys of Mary
Monday, November 06, 2006
UltanJohn & Sabrina Dinan
That explains the keyboard then....
Just imagine for a moment if you will, FolkingAbout arrive eager and excited at Slattery's in Dublin, order up the Guinness, confirm that the gig upstairs will start at 9pm and settle down after a long day, early start, drive to Holyhead, ferry to Ireland, train to Dublin, trams and buses, check in at the hotel and all has gone so well. Only to be told at 9pm that we were in THE WRONG PUB! "UltanJohn? Not playing here mate!" Despondency sets in - it seems as though the FolkingAbout's first international gig may have gone horribly wrong at the last minute - fearful flashbacks of other recent debacles cross our minds as we troop back down the stairs - questions, questions "Why would anybody do this to us?" UltanJohn have been Gilly's MySpace friends for so long that we felt like we knew them already - so where are they? Or have we been set up for one massive practical joke? We regroup - sup some more Guinness, ask the barman - no, he's never heard of them either - but maybe they're playing at the OTHER SLATTERY'S? Other Slattery's? You mean there's two? One quick phone call later and the Guinness is downed in one, the barman profusely thanked and we're in a taxi hurtling across town to where, at last, we are enthusiastically greeted by Ultan, John and Bernie the band's publicist.
Upstairs at MB Slattery's in Rathmine Road is a lovely warm place, long and thin with open fires and warm people - the wallpaper is ancient, painted glossy dark red and with dark varnished wood everywhere - the decor is aided by two posters - one for Nick Cave's fantastic double album "Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus" and the other for Jeff Buckley of whom, more later. We were first in and soon being "made a fuss of" by Bernie and the band. More Guinness and soon it was time to settle down and do what we'd come for - listen! Bernie said that "before the boys play, there's somebody else going to do a spot who I think you'll enjoy." So listen we did, to Sabrina Dinan who wandered on and picked up Ultan's guitar, looked up at the crowd and breathed a few deep breaths before admitting to some serious nerves before playing anything. I had honestly assumed that she was "just a friend", or a relative even of somebody who was just setting out, so nervous and unassuming she seemed, but when she started to play and sing, all that changed in an instant. No starter this, Sabrina's songs are fine things, her guitar playing is positive and dexterous, her lyrics are marvelous. I was busy trying to write snippets down during her first two songs, but failed to do them justice, anyway we bought her CD later so I could hear them all again. Sabrina played 5 or 6 songs, three of them used the capo on the 6th fret which I suspect is unusual, but it provided a nice ringing sound from Ultan's Taylor guitar, her voice earning positive comparisons to Billie Holiday, although she looks for all the world like Janis Joplin. "Train Song" came mid-way and is powerful both lyrically and musically, but is also delicate and fragile at the same time.
The crowd were being quite noisy behind us, lots of loud chatter, and it was to their credit that both Ultan and John placed themselves in front of Sabrina and gave her plenty of visible support, even turning the PA up a couple of times to help with the background racket. It's a shame the chatterers weren't listening because they missed a real treat. The Billie Holiday influence shined through brighter as Sabrina sang her own bluesy "Captain's Little Mama" and finished her set with Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing", took the guitar off and almost ran off the stage! Lots of well deserved applause followed her back to her seat and we drew breath and agreed how good she was.
Later we learned that Sabrina is already well on her way, having toured with Luka Bloom in the USA, but not before we said goodbye as she rushed of into the Dublin night at some unearthly hour, apologising for having to rush as she was due in work at 7.30am later that morning. Rock and roll eh?
So we're well prepared now, and into the groove for the main feature. UltanJohn are John Conneely and Ultan Conlon, John is a refugee from Charis and Ultan is a singer/songwriter in his own right, the two joining forces recently when Charis split up. Both are singers and guitarists, and the two play mostly their own songs. Gilly and I have nearly worn out MySpace's copies of the 2 songs UltanJohn have put up there, so we knew the first song right away - "2019" features John's immediately recognisable distinctive voice and Ultan's flowing and delicious guitar playing. Next up, "The Will" reverses the vocals, with Ultan leading and John providing beautiful soft, high harmonies, a real feature of this duo is the way the 2 voices blend so well, whichever takes the lead, the other is weaving around the melody somewhere nearby, and in "Flying", next, we find them singing in the round!
Ultan seems more shy and quiet, dark and brooding, whereas John has the more striking look and hardly stopped talking all night, it's a good pairing. "All I need now" then "Dark Desert Sky" in which John's voice sounds like the winds blowing around those tall rocky spires out there in the desert, then, after "Without You", we get the new single "Really Gone". The single features vocals from none other than John Martyn, and whilst he wasn't at the gig, the 2 voices managed to provide something close to the gravelgrowl of the man himself. It's a fabulous song, and it's just out, available any time now from the band's website, and, apart from having John Martyn on vocals, it also features some achingly good trumpet playing from Stefano Muscovi. Back with the live version, Ultan was playing his heart out, his knees knocking together as his legs jumped around to the tune! "Old and Wise" is a slow burning song, and was followed by "I don't want to know about evil" a classic John Martyn song done well and then a lovely close vocal performance in "Niall T." The band were still struggling a bit with people chatting loudly at the back, who were asked several times to "shush!"
Suddenly though there is a change. John had told us earlier that they had been up late the night before, following the launch of the single, and that they were feeling a little jaded, but that sometimes he got the energy while performing that allowed him to go on longer and... well at this point the energy clearly arrived. A Tracy Chapman cover (sorry it has escaped my notebook which one - "Behind The Wall" - thanks Bernie!) was neatly dovetailed into "Minnie the Moocher" and suddenly there was a buzz in the room - the crowd finally shut up chatting for a bit and joined in and it was like somebody had lit a fire under their stools. "All that I believe" produced some Dylanesque phrases, then an energised version of "Isn't it Clear" - the other track from the CD/MySpace and "Something to Give" took us up to the band's closer - a cover of Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" which was sublime - John's vocals becoming Anthony (and the Johnsons) like, ripped apart by emotion and finally giving out on the last phrase - a very rare event apparently.
A long break for us all to recover before the band returned to finish us off with Tom Waits' "Heartattack and Vine" then "Whiskey Bar" to end the night. It's hard to describe the high that we all felt after that - it was a truly good night of music - and everybody milling around afterwards seemed to agree.
UltanJohn should be a big thing - if they can keep up the energy they will be - there is a unique quality in their music that deserves to be heard everywhere - and they are really nice people too. We'll keep you informed of any developments and especially if any of the plans for UK festival dates come off, as we'll be there for sure!
Keyboard? Well, UltanJohn don't use one and we wondered why one was taken upstairs at the first - wrong - Slattery's- that explains the keyboard then!
FolkingAbout with (l-r) Sabrina, Ultan, John and Bernie
Just imagine for a moment if you will, FolkingAbout arrive eager and excited at Slattery's in Dublin, order up the Guinness, confirm that the gig upstairs will start at 9pm and settle down after a long day, early start, drive to Holyhead, ferry to Ireland, train to Dublin, trams and buses, check in at the hotel and all has gone so well. Only to be told at 9pm that we were in THE WRONG PUB! "UltanJohn? Not playing here mate!" Despondency sets in - it seems as though the FolkingAbout's first international gig may have gone horribly wrong at the last minute - fearful flashbacks of other recent debacles cross our minds as we troop back down the stairs - questions, questions "Why would anybody do this to us?" UltanJohn have been Gilly's MySpace friends for so long that we felt like we knew them already - so where are they? Or have we been set up for one massive practical joke? We regroup - sup some more Guinness, ask the barman - no, he's never heard of them either - but maybe they're playing at the OTHER SLATTERY'S? Other Slattery's? You mean there's two? One quick phone call later and the Guinness is downed in one, the barman profusely thanked and we're in a taxi hurtling across town to where, at last, we are enthusiastically greeted by Ultan, John and Bernie the band's publicist.
Upstairs at MB Slattery's in Rathmine Road is a lovely warm place, long and thin with open fires and warm people - the wallpaper is ancient, painted glossy dark red and with dark varnished wood everywhere - the decor is aided by two posters - one for Nick Cave's fantastic double album "Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus" and the other for Jeff Buckley of whom, more later. We were first in and soon being "made a fuss of" by Bernie and the band. More Guinness and soon it was time to settle down and do what we'd come for - listen! Bernie said that "before the boys play, there's somebody else going to do a spot who I think you'll enjoy." So listen we did, to Sabrina Dinan who wandered on and picked up Ultan's guitar, looked up at the crowd and breathed a few deep breaths before admitting to some serious nerves before playing anything. I had honestly assumed that she was "just a friend", or a relative even of somebody who was just setting out, so nervous and unassuming she seemed, but when she started to play and sing, all that changed in an instant. No starter this, Sabrina's songs are fine things, her guitar playing is positive and dexterous, her lyrics are marvelous. I was busy trying to write snippets down during her first two songs, but failed to do them justice, anyway we bought her CD later so I could hear them all again. Sabrina played 5 or 6 songs, three of them used the capo on the 6th fret which I suspect is unusual, but it provided a nice ringing sound from Ultan's Taylor guitar, her voice earning positive comparisons to Billie Holiday, although she looks for all the world like Janis Joplin. "Train Song" came mid-way and is powerful both lyrically and musically, but is also delicate and fragile at the same time.
The crowd were being quite noisy behind us, lots of loud chatter, and it was to their credit that both Ultan and John placed themselves in front of Sabrina and gave her plenty of visible support, even turning the PA up a couple of times to help with the background racket. It's a shame the chatterers weren't listening because they missed a real treat. The Billie Holiday influence shined through brighter as Sabrina sang her own bluesy "Captain's Little Mama" and finished her set with Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing", took the guitar off and almost ran off the stage! Lots of well deserved applause followed her back to her seat and we drew breath and agreed how good she was.
Later we learned that Sabrina is already well on her way, having toured with Luka Bloom in the USA, but not before we said goodbye as she rushed of into the Dublin night at some unearthly hour, apologising for having to rush as she was due in work at 7.30am later that morning. Rock and roll eh?
So we're well prepared now, and into the groove for the main feature. UltanJohn are John Conneely and Ultan Conlon, John is a refugee from Charis and Ultan is a singer/songwriter in his own right, the two joining forces recently when Charis split up. Both are singers and guitarists, and the two play mostly their own songs. Gilly and I have nearly worn out MySpace's copies of the 2 songs UltanJohn have put up there, so we knew the first song right away - "2019" features John's immediately recognisable distinctive voice and Ultan's flowing and delicious guitar playing. Next up, "The Will" reverses the vocals, with Ultan leading and John providing beautiful soft, high harmonies, a real feature of this duo is the way the 2 voices blend so well, whichever takes the lead, the other is weaving around the melody somewhere nearby, and in "Flying", next, we find them singing in the round!
Ultan seems more shy and quiet, dark and brooding, whereas John has the more striking look and hardly stopped talking all night, it's a good pairing. "All I need now" then "Dark Desert Sky" in which John's voice sounds like the winds blowing around those tall rocky spires out there in the desert, then, after "Without You", we get the new single "Really Gone". The single features vocals from none other than John Martyn, and whilst he wasn't at the gig, the 2 voices managed to provide something close to the gravelgrowl of the man himself. It's a fabulous song, and it's just out, available any time now from the band's website, and, apart from having John Martyn on vocals, it also features some achingly good trumpet playing from Stefano Muscovi. Back with the live version, Ultan was playing his heart out, his knees knocking together as his legs jumped around to the tune! "Old and Wise" is a slow burning song, and was followed by "I don't want to know about evil" a classic John Martyn song done well and then a lovely close vocal performance in "Niall T." The band were still struggling a bit with people chatting loudly at the back, who were asked several times to "shush!"
Suddenly though there is a change. John had told us earlier that they had been up late the night before, following the launch of the single, and that they were feeling a little jaded, but that sometimes he got the energy while performing that allowed him to go on longer and... well at this point the energy clearly arrived. A Tracy Chapman cover (sorry it has escaped my notebook which one - "Behind The Wall" - thanks Bernie!) was neatly dovetailed into "Minnie the Moocher" and suddenly there was a buzz in the room - the crowd finally shut up chatting for a bit and joined in and it was like somebody had lit a fire under their stools. "All that I believe" produced some Dylanesque phrases, then an energised version of "Isn't it Clear" - the other track from the CD/MySpace and "Something to Give" took us up to the band's closer - a cover of Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" which was sublime - John's vocals becoming Anthony (and the Johnsons) like, ripped apart by emotion and finally giving out on the last phrase - a very rare event apparently.
A long break for us all to recover before the band returned to finish us off with Tom Waits' "Heartattack and Vine" then "Whiskey Bar" to end the night. It's hard to describe the high that we all felt after that - it was a truly good night of music - and everybody milling around afterwards seemed to agree.
UltanJohn should be a big thing - if they can keep up the energy they will be - there is a unique quality in their music that deserves to be heard everywhere - and they are really nice people too. We'll keep you informed of any developments and especially if any of the plans for UK festival dates come off, as we'll be there for sure!
Keyboard? Well, UltanJohn don't use one and we wondered why one was taken upstairs at the first - wrong - Slattery's- that explains the keyboard then!
FolkingAbout with (l-r) Sabrina, Ultan, John and Bernie
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