Robert was indeed, legendary

I’m a grumpy old cynic these days. It takes a lot to get me excited music wise. Put it down to listening to music submissions all day. But it has been a good week for excitement, both music and in a sporting context with three days at Lancashire watching my local club play my town  of birth club (county = Northamptonshire)  in fine sunshine, capped off by an evening of wonderful music from Robert Forster and band on Thursday May 16th. When Robert played Deaf Institute last time around I missed the gig through some sort of ailment, this time he is at the Band on the Wall, which feels like a more intimate and  appropriate venue for his timeless songs.

Bob Auster South is up from the aforementioned Northamptonshire for two days of the cricket and the gig. Thursday proves a slow but entertaining days play at Old Trafford with Lancs moving towards victory. Missing the last session of play we hop on the tram at 5pm to ensure some food can be consumed before the gig, and, after a quick pizza in Croma, we enjoy pre-gig libation at the Lower Turks Head and then the Smithfield (which is much improved and has an impressive array of beers on offer).

The Band on the Wall is filling up nicely by the time we get there and we park ourselves next to a suitable leaning spot in front of the stage. Robert is onstage at 8:05pm and a foot numbing 1 hour 45 minutes later he and his fine band have delivered 22 songs including two encores of three songs each. Bob had seen Robert and band at the Union Chapel in London on the Monday and advises this is the same set.

The material is split between Robert’s solo work, the bulk of which is from the new album Inferno, and a fantastic array of classic Go-Betweens tunes, all the way from “Don’t Let Him Come Back” to tracks from Oceans Apart. Liberty Belle is the most mined album with glorious versions of “Spring Rain”, “Twin Layers of Lightning”, and “In The Core of the Flame”. A highlight of the evening is a stunning version of “The Clarke Sisters” from Tallulah, with Karin Bäumler’s violin creating a wonderful atmosphere. Guitarist Scott Bromiley has amp and pedal issues at one point during the show but this does not detract from what is a remarkable performance from a well drilled band who clearly enjoy their craft. The material from the new album sounds excellent live and a great version of “Born To A Family” from Oceans Apart is dedicated to Robert’s brother who is in the audience.

The Go-Betweens have been a big part of my life for many years, unfortunately I never got to see them. Robert both reminds me of what I missed but reconfirms my belief than both that band and his solo work is some of the best music ever created.

“Surfin’ Magazines” closes the a fantastic set with a bit of a sing-along and we shuffle out into the night for a quick pint in The Castle before getting the tram home. After that I’m a lot less cynical and grumpy. I could with more days like this. Probably the best gig i’ve ever seen at the Band on the Wall (with the possible exception of May 3rd 1982).

(photo by Vicki Egan)

Full set list courtesy of Robert Stow

The Morning – Inferno
Crazy Jane And The Day of Judgement – Inferno
Born To A Family – Oceans Apart
I Love Myself (And I Always Have) – Songs To Play
In The Core of the Flame – Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express
A Poet Walks – Songs To Play
Dive For Your Memory – 16 Lovers Lane
Life Has Turned A Page – Inferno
Remain – Inferno
Inferno (Summer in Brisbane) – Inferno
Man O`Sand To Girl O`Sea – Spring Hill Fair
Demon Days – The Evangelist
One Bird In The Sky – Inferno
Twin Layers of Lightning – Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express
Spring Rain – Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express
Here Comes A City – Oceans Apart

ENCORE ONE
Love Is A Sign – 16 Lovers Lane
Finding You – Oceans Apart
Learn To Burn – Songs To Play

ENCORE TOW
The Clarke Sisters – Tallulah
Don`t Let Him Come Back – People Say B side
Surfing Magazines – The Friends of Rachel Worth

Melting Moments 2.1 and 2.2

The grass roots independent music event “Manchester Meltdown” has returned for it’s second year. Curated by German Shepherd Records co-owner Ian Moss and based at The Peer Hat the five week series gives punters the chance to sample music from bands and artists that hover below the attention span of the cognoscenti of the cities entertainment industry.

The first two weeks of the January 2019 event have delivered eight excellent performances, which have been captured on video by the ever reliable Paul Forshaw offering music lovers the opportunity to see what they have missed and perhaps tempting them to attend the remaining gigs.

All five events are opened by “house band” Four Candles, lead by event curator Ian Moss. Now in their third year of existence, and with a new album “Nettle Rash” due soon, the quartet has a full song book to pick from for their 30 minute slot but the opening set is packed with new tunes. Car troubles have the band running slightly late but they are soon up and running with “Chastity Belt” from the second album “Spiritual Rapture”. The band’s effusive brand of what can only be described as “21st century punk rock” is muscular and relentless and starts the series of gigs off with a bang.  Live debutante “Animals Attack” is a waltz with choppy ska chords, which demonstrates the variety in the bands repertoire. Another new track “Fly In My Soup” is dominated by a searing guitar line from Mark Taylor , this is followed by another new one “Vikings” which feels like the mutant offspring of Van Der Graaf Generator, Kyuss, and Einsturzende Neubaten. Moss let’s rip on the national broadcaster with the cantankerous “BBC”, a vituperative attack, before the band finish with another new track the glorious “Volcano Burning Blue”.

Peer Hat mainman Nick Alexander is up next with a new looper pedal that he wants to experiment with. He delivers a series of magical songs with his excellent voice, his self-effacing stage presence drawing the audience into his unique and compelling sound world. Nick will be back with his full band Saturn Mansions on the 16th January for the third in the series of gigs.

Next up is the debut gig for Transcendental Equations featuring Ill bass player Whitney Bluzma. Blending samples of spoken world, Dik-mik like synth noises, motorik funk rhythms, and shoegaze guitar sounds they power through a series of instrumentals which deliver a hypnotic groove which gets the audience moving.

The closing act of the night is the up and coming Manc supergroup Weimar. Weimar began as a collaborative project between Manchester musicians and songwriters Aidan Cross (The Bacillus, Black Light Mutants), Johann Kloos (The Sandells, Erick), John Armstrong (The Speed of Sound) and Anthony ‘Eddy’ Edwards (The Deceased). Combining a range of influences and naming themselves Weimar after the German Weimar Republic of the 1920s in which experimental art, music and cabaret saw a boom period. Weimar’s music covers an eclectic range of influences ranging from post-punk to cabaret, chanson, torch songs and experimental rock, with lyrics born of a fascination with the murkier and seamier sides of culture and history plus the still current need for retaliation and expression in the face of oppression. Their set captured all of this and featured their new single which will be launched at The Eagle in Salford on 1st February and will be co-released by their own Marlene’s Hat label and German Shepherd. Unfortunately as things were running late Paul only captured part of the set.

Word must have spread about the event as night 2 saw an increased crowd. Once again Four Candles opened, this time with a more recognisable set with tunes from the first two albums. The mojo meter appears to have been turned up tonight with the band certainly exceeding what they did on night one in terms of delivery and intent. Kicking off with the hypnotic and dangerous “Strange Things (Are Happening)”. The title track of the first album “Killing The Image” follows, as does “Monkey See Monkey Do” from the same release. The as yet unreleased “Sex Toy” is captivating and blends post-punk repetition with searing guitar and effortless funky bass from Jon Rowlinson. A remarkable version of “Lenny Bruce” follows which echoes The Fall at their most-unforgiving, stunning!  The set finishes with the always glorious “You Can’t Be What You Pretend”. One can only imagine what they will deliver next week.

As a complete contrast Emily Oldfield is up next. She delivers 30 minutes of thought provoking and sometimes harrowing spoken word which holds an attentive audience spell bound. Unlike a lot of performance poets Emily does not use the heightened delivery associated with the genre but instead delivers in her native Burnley-ese some remarkable and very personal pieces. I much prefer her style of delivery over some of the more recognised poets I have seen of late. She was, to put it, simply excellent.

The beauty of Manchester Meltdown is that is indeed a broad musical church and from Emily’s solo set we move to the manic uber-glam Industrial/Anti-Pop/Noise and electronica of St. Lucifer who drive up the wattage and blast the audience with memorable tunes including a Big Black cover. Equipment problems seek to divert the band from their endeavours but these are soon resolved and some excellent music is delivered including from their latest release “Music is Violence” on Analogue Trash Records. Their performance ethic is second to none bringing a sense of fun and style to the tired indie whitewash of the Manchester scene.

Closing night 2 is Bury’s finest band of the moment the exceptional “Adventures of Salvador”. Combining the swamp rock of The Cramps. post-punk repetition and a punk rock snarl with theremin and mellotrons, coupled with lyrics that reveal the dark underbelly of Pardonian society, they send us away into the cold night with a breathtaking performance. This must be the fifth or sixth time I have seen them live and they reached new heights. With the excellent new single “Retroman” and an uncompromising closer of the Royston Vaisey-esque “Welcome to My Village” they are in fine form. Nigel Becks bass growls like a dyspeptic bear, and Mark Berry’s monster Gretsch sound echoes Poison Ivy, Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Kid “Congo” Powers with a nod to towards Link Wray. Loop-aznavour is his usual cuddly self a snarling intense combination of Johnny Rotten, Richard O’Brien and Mark E. Smith his hand coaxing the theremin into life as the band power to a remarkable conclusion. You really need to see this band.

And that, of course, is not the end of things. There are three more nights to go, details below. You would be daft to miss the opportunity to see some of the best live music in the Manchester conurbation at the moment. Music untainted by the pre-conceptions of an industry mired in nostalgia and a predilection for safe music that people know. Challenge yourself and pop down to the Peer Hat for a listen.

Snakes with……

Tired.

Maybe getting too old for this.

It might be the Saltaire Blonde last night or the beers in the Port Street Beer House today. Or it may be the all-encompassing sun which is amplified in the pressure cooker of the tram to and from Manchester. Reading Alan Moore’s “Voice of the Fire” (a gift from t’other Bob)  on the way back I slip between waking dream states infected by the bard of Northampton’s potent imagery of various (historical) times and ponder on last nights events.

Anyway I need to write it down before I forget….

Ten slivers of a fractured culture…..The Peer Hat, Manchester – 23rd June 2018.

ONE: Monkeys In Love play their second gig this year, this time with new bass player Alex, the usual faves are there from the last album, which they haven’t got for sale, plus some new ones. They seem slightly “heavier” than previous, it may the sound in the Peer Hat, notwithstanding that observation, the dual vocal attack of Steve and Laura is in fine fettle. A new one about selfies sees Laura prowling the audience taking snaps with willing participants. The drum machine is playing up. They need to play more gigs, we need them, subject to child care permitting of course.

TWO : Flea are brutal, honest, and refreshing.   Primal rock music. Boz and Rat sound as good as they did when they were supporting The Cravats at the Star & Garter last year (if not better if I am truthful). The second band with a drum machine which malfunctions in the same way that the Monkeys one did. There must be something in the atmosphere. Looking forward to hearing the recordings.

THREE: Diagonal Science are missing a bass player but they remain inventive and intense, tambourine in full effect. The joy on their faces as they perform is infectious. People are piling into the venue so door duties distract from the music to some extent.

Time for a sandwich.

FOUR : O’Shea and Davies deliver 16 minutes of acid house with captured sounds about man-splaining and the stupidity of a male dominated profession from the female recipients perspective. Powerful and thought-provoking.  A premiere. Lots of dancing going on at the front. More of this type of thing is needed I think.

FIVE : Four Candles deliver their usual powerful manifesto with gusto and a healthy smattering of anglo-saxon language. David Wilkinson adds sonorous sax  Mr Moss pulls no punches attacking the establishment and former band members. The new album is launched. New song BBC is teetering close to Death Metal in places …. More gigs please.

SIX : Drink and Drive. Impressive as usual. Ben howls at the moon, the band power relentlessly through snippets from the album and EP and play a new one which sounds very promising. No Town Centre Drinker sadly but Itch-Scratch Cycle and Pale Brigade are faultless. It ends as it usually does with Greg’s Fault. Reptiles with mammalian protuberances……exit Toft stage front……

SEVEN: The Empty Page impact strongly on the senses. Off colour remarks about Salford are historically inaccurate, such is the folly of youth. The Teenage Propshaft makes an appearance. Mark is bending my ear about Download and  Kyuss so I miss bits of the set. Melania’s fashion choices are dissected. I need to go back to the album and listen again.

EIGHT: Bobbie Peru, New drummer. A blast from the past  “1971……today the earth stood still” glorious stuff… Ding is masterful on bass. Contagious remains one my favourites from the trio. Powerful music.

NINE: Sandells. A high point of the day for me. They are utterly unique  Singing along to Cowboys/Brollies. They play a tight set. Johann’s guitar playing is consistently excellent. A suitable end to a great day. A new album coming says Tim. Good.

TEN: In between DJ Doyle delivers a mixed bag sounds which vary between Tiny Tim and Miles Davis with a history of the best in music in between. Listen here and here. People dance to Althea and Donna. Eclectic but perfect.

All good but perhaps too much in one day. Maybe less bands next time and a later start.

“These are the times we dread and hunger for. The mutter of our furnace past grows louder at out backs, with cadence more distinct. Almost intelligible now, its syllables reveal themselves. Our world ignites. The song wells up, from a consuming light”. (Alan Moore)

 

Benign Astringency

The Junta is having technical problems. The truculent sound engineer can handle guitars, bass, drums etc but can’t seem to be able to cope with/entertain techno/electronica. Soundcards are not working and the AV laptop has developed deadly embrace. Notwithstanding that The Junta powers through 30+ minutes of old, new and cover material, the latter being a very interesting version of a Rammstein tune. Some of the crowd like it but this is perhaps this is not the ideal place for The Junta to ply his trade. The track “Ron Jeremy” stands out (obligatory Carry  On joke time), and gets a least one lady up off her seat to throw some shapes (she will reappear regularly throughout the evening). In addition, at least one new fan has been made as he comes up to congratulate Monty towards the end of the set. Some thoughts on current technical limitations of The Junta live setup are discussed in the car on the way home. Can’t help feeling he would better placed playing in a sweaty techno club in Manchester or Ibiza rather than in a pub in Oldham Town Centre?  Regardless of my musings, I admire his boundless enthusiasm in the face of uncooperative gremlins.

Stepping back slightly. I seem to have spent most of my day on the tram network. It’s given me chance to listen to the new Lancashire Hustlers album (which is excellent) and to chill to Enrico Pieranunzi playing Fellini film scores. Eccles to Oldham takes longer than I anticipated due to the long wait at Cornbrook for the Rochdale Connection. For an early Saturday evening, the carriages seem extremely full. Late shopping commuters perhaps. By the time I get to Oldham (….. she’ll be rising etc) it’s dark. Ominously a gaggle of police officers join the tram at Freehold and there are one or two worried glances around me. The much-troubled network has suffered from an “unprovoked attack” violent incident recently. There is a claustrophobic feel to the King Street tram stop. Fortunately, there is only a short walk from the tram stop to the Bank Top Tavern where The Junta. Four Candles and Drink and Drive are playing.

Four Candles have been somewhat busy recording the important second album, I’ve heard most of it. It will confound, impress and delight many. It’s certainly different from the first one. Tonight there is a subtle change from what was seen at The Peer Hat in January in that is delivered like a sledgehammer to the head. Phil has ditched his electric drum kit which seems to add a huge punch to the overall sound. Mr Moss appears intent on ridding himself of several demons this evening. His mojo has returned with vengeance. The crowd becomes enthralled, Mr Moss becomes more animated and manic. The reciprocal exchange of energy between band and audience builds to a huge climax. The impressive new tracks – Stranger Things,  You Can’t Be What You Pretend, Chastity Belt and a massive C33 dominate the old favourites. The hypnotic guitar figure of “You Can’t Be What….” is glorious, the impressive “Angels, Not Angels” will not be on the album but is a stand-out on the night. The crowd love it. People are dancing, Mr Moss becomes even more animated his shirt becoming soaked with sweat as he drives the band on. It feels like the edge of chaos, it is intriguing. These guys need to gig more and build the audience they deserve. “Stranger Things” with its consideration of dark political arts is a track which is both apposite and demands your attention.

What can I say about Drink and Drive? A Hometown gig will clearly bring their already large fan base out. The pub fills, people dance. Starting off with “Itch-Scratch Cycle” they demonstrate their intent. Powering through 15 tunes they cover most of the latest album, they try out a new one, and they dig up some much older material. The Adult Pig Suit makes its semi-regular appearance conjuring up memories of Peter Gabriel with a foxes head at the Oval in 1972. Both humorous but also oddly worrying. The band leap between the jaunty Country and Northern of “Dakota Hotel” to the full-on punk rancour of “Recession Man” with ease. “Spring Time For Drink and Drive” and “Greg’s Fault” are most impressive. If you want to fill that huge “Fall-Shaped” hole in your gigging life you should see this band. Whilst the manifestos and content are significantly different from “das gruppe” the underlying intent is the same. Repetition plays a huge part, and the juxtaposition of that with complex and far-reaching lyrical content, a benign astrigency of complex metaphors and rhythm, creates a dark matter heavy mass of emotive music which draws the listener toward it with an irrepressible gravitational force. They remain German Shepherd Records biggest success to date and they ought to be getting national recognition for what they do.

The night has been great. At one point during the D and D set Ben makes a remark about a lack of places to see live music in the Town Centre. Free entry tonight and a reasonably good turnout. No tribute bands. Seems like a winning formula to me. Two good gig weekends in a row for me.  One wonders why impressive new live music is suffering when the quality was as good as it was tonight. Landlords should be happy to fill a pub and sell lots of ale etc. It’s a conundrum.  The journey home is long and convoluted as for some reason the M60 is closed between junctions 6 and 12, I get home at 2pm, tired but pleased. The psychedelic carpet in the Bank Top Tavern seems to be imprinted on my retina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Independents Day

When I find that the state of the music industry is causing me grief once again, I can look back to 8th April 2018 when my faith in grassroots music was yet again rekindled by John Donaldson and his band of travelling musicians.

A short tour involving the aforementioned John (as JD Meatyard), Tamsin A (of Mr Heart, Ill and Liines), Kin, Mankes and my co-conspirator in all matters German Shepherd, Ian “Moet” Moss had already touched Blackburn, Darwen and Sheffield before descending on Manchester. The city is still buzzing from the previous days’ derby match. The train from Eccles to Piccadilly takes me through the Ordsall Chord for the first time. The number of very high tower blocks along the route gives me the strong impression that Manchester aspires to be Manhattan. I do wonder whether sufficient planning has been developed to ensure that the infrastructure can cope with so much humanity in such a small area.

The walk from Piccadilly involves a complex dance around scurrying commuters, the number of people “living” on the street feels like it is inexorably growing, and they are all so much younger. The contradiction/disconnect between the expansive high-value housing market seen from the train and destitution on the city streets is chastening. It seems ridiculous that in a country with an economy as strong as ours that such things have occurred and are not being dealt with. I raise these somewhat political points to set a context for JD Meatyards’ set later in the day which covers them more effectively than I can.

Step back several years to the first Independents Tour at the now-defunct Crescent Pub (another victim of an uncontrolled housing/commercial market) where performances from Hamsters, Tamsin, Cannonball Statman, and JD Meatyard led to the release of three albums worth of excellent live music and set in course a series of artistically perfect relationships. A year later at the Salford Music Festival, JD Meatyard plays to a packed room at The Eagle Inn and wins over a boisterous crowd.  Up to date and this time around we are at The Peer Hat for a late afternoon/early evening of memorable music.

Huge thanks need to go to Paul Forshaw for diligently capturing this for posterity.

Tamsin begins proceedings following a short introduction from Mr Moss in his spoken word persona.  Her music has moved on leaps and bounds since I saw her last. It’s a trend for the afternoon that she and former bandmate in Mr Heart, Kin, use looping devices to a stunning effect. At times she can mirror the fractured fragility of Kristin Hersh at her best, and other moments there is a full-on wall of sound with layered guitars and vocals which can keep pace with any full-on punk band you would care to mention. The songs are stronger, the arrangements more complex, and the delivery the best I have seen from her. When she isn’t fulfilling her Ill or Liines duties she should find time to get this material recorded. Words are not enough to describe it so fortunately, we have this capture.

A short break for another glass of alcohol-free lager and then it’s time for Kin. It’s seven years since I last saw her do an album launch at the Castle before jetting off to Holland for another life, and another band, which has now dissolved. Time and distance have not diluted her amazing talent. She and  Moet kick things off with an improvisation around “The Wilsons”, a song that was supposed be done by Kill Pretty, was rescued by myself and Ian (in our IM-SM period), and also memorably was also given the Loop-Azanvour treatment at the aforementioned Castle last year. It’s one of Ian’s finest lyrics and this spontaneous version is remarkable. What follows is a triumph of technology, musicianship, and vocalese which sees Kin expanding beyond her influences into her own musical territory. Her voice is stronger than ever. Her command of a battery of pedals allows her to create percussion, orchestral guitar layers, and a truly dynamic performance. Again words do not do enough justice for a memorable set of cutting-edge music,  see for yourself.

Third on the bill are the remarkable Mankes. They are from Holland and comprise Selma Peelen, Johan Visschers and Peter Kahmann. For a three-piece, they make a huge noise. Acoustic and electric guitars and keyboards are combined to create huge cinematic statements. Selma’s voice soars incandescently over droning hypnotic rhythms, the tunes are great and memorable. Sometimes it is stripped back to just acoustic guitar and percussion to offer an impressive variety of impressive content. I buy the album from the merch table, and you will be hearing it on future editions of Aural Delights. Pending that bask in the sumptuous and organic sounds of a remarkable band.

And finally the remarkable JD Meatyard, Moet kicks things off with a great reading of “The Elephant’s Graveyard” (one of my favourite pieces that we have done together) and an acerbic “Freemasons” before a rambunctious set from the trio. Tamsin joins on guitar for an excellent collection of John’s best tunes including a breathless “Ubu@Erics”, an acerbic “St Peter at The Gates”,and the call to arms of the marvellous “Jesse James”. John has the ability to mix rich polemic rants, with beautiful heartfelt ballads, he can make you joyful, angry and tearful, he tugs at your heart with his words. He plays new songs from a forthcoming album which promised for later in the year. The Teenage Propshaft makes his inevitable and customary appearance. Matters conclude with a massive reading of “Palestine Song” which is clearly current. Members of Mankes join for a huge wall of sound conclusion. An encore of “Lies, Lies and Government” is unfortunately not captured visually, but an aural version remains for posterity.

Lets do it again some time.

Consequences of Travel

Big Satan, Hexagon Theatre, Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham – 8th February 2018

Tim Berne occupies a large section of my ever expanding collection of Compact Discs. He nestles comfortably behind The Fall, Miles Davis and Dave Douglas, just inching in front of Dave Graney in respect of shelf width. His music has been a main part of my listening since I first read of him in The Wire back when Richard Cook was the editor. Oddly though, through a combination of distance , broken ankles, kidney stones and work related distractions I had never seen him perform live until now.

His back catalogue is immense with probably the greatest variety of band names and combinations of musicians known to man. Whether it be Paraphrase, Hard Cell, Bloodcount, Buffalo Collision or the more recent Snakeoil, there has always been a mind tingling variety of music in his output. but all dominated by his unique approach to writing and playing.

This is not easy music. The “when does the tune start” mob should stop reading now as you will not be interested. The pieces are often lengthy, complex, tangential and challenging. But it is a aural journey you should take if you are interested in the capacity of music, especially jazz, to grow and influence all around it.

Tim only played two UK dates on this tour, and generally only plays London. Fortunate and pleasing therefore that his group with Marc Ducret and Tom Rainey , collectively known as Big Satan, are playing in Birmingham. Only 90 minutes on the train from Manchester Piccadilly to New Street and a short  bus ride to the Midlands Art Centre, and tickets a bargain at £10!

I meet the other Bob (travelling north from Northampton) on the main concourse at New Street and we decamp to a delightful pub called The Post Office Vaults for a couple of beers. Another pub and then a quick Italian (where the concept of El Dente was perhaps taken too far) precedes a bus journey to Edgbaston where nestles the sprawling Midlands Arts Centre, which appears to have been designed by someone on psychotropic drugs with a fondness for M.C.Escher, and where the majority of the toilets are out of commission. Another quick beer and then into the Hexagon Theatre.

A compact room in a semi-round formation the distance between the performers and the audience is small allowing for an intimate appreciation of the music.

Tim, Marc and Tom launch into a fascinating performance which contains the familiar elements of Big Satan music (from the three albums to date) but also new aspects. The three players have distinct personas within the collective sound, but the overall combination is seamless and there is a distinct lack of ego in the delivery.

Rainey is more than impressive, whether it is his effortless delivery, the use of hands, brushes, sticks, bags of sticks or even the music stand, to create a range of percussive treats, or indeed the poly-rhythmic interplay with the other two. There are few drummers I have had the pleasure of seeing who can use the kit as a genuine tonal instrument and Rainey is one of the best.

Ducret is similarly captivating, he has is back to us for most of the set due to the configuration of the room but he still manages to captivate. His body arches as he delivers either flurries of notes, impressive finger breaking chords, or slaps to the strings. I was fascinated with his continuous use of his volume knobs and pedals to create unique sounds. One of the most captivating guitarists in terms of “how the hell is he doing that?” is has been my pleasure to watch.

Berne is, of course, superb. His self-effacing air, his studied concentration, and his fluid delivery all added to the overall enjoyment of the music. There are so many notes it is no wonder that sheet music is needed to deliver this complex and impressive material. He moves between delightful melodic playing to reed bending sound creation with ease. The music is the jazz equivalent of say Trout Mask Replica or Lick My Decals Off, or Gentle Giant at their most inventive, if you want some sort of rock comparison. Not that you should need that sort of yardstick of course, this is music which stands very well on its own occupying a singular place in the world of jazz.

Much of the set is unfamiliar , but a Julius Hemphill tune, and one of Ducret’s I think I recognise from one of the earlier albums, are included.  It is mostly new material all of which is excellent and I hope gets recorded at some point. During the break Tim hawks the new 3CD set of Science Friction recordings (Big Satan + Craig Taborn = Science Friction) but I know have them all already so a purchase is not necessary.  The short interval however puts us up to the wire on getting back to New Street to catch the train back to Manchester and Northampton respectively so we have to leave half way through the final number of the second set much to my disappointment.

Fortunate that we left when we did though as the taxi driver struggles to find his way back to New Street due to road works and the monsoon like conditions do not help. However we make it in time to catch the penultimate train back to Manchester and Northampton respectively.

A long desired wish to see Tim Berne has been realised but as the train slowly makes it way back north I ponder on the need for me to make this journey and the paucity of free/avant garde jazz music in the Manchester conurbation, and, what steps need to be taken to get someone like Tim to play in the North West.  Surely there must be a big enough audience for this type of music in the so-called music capital of the North to make it all viable? With venues like The Peer Hat I suppose anything is possible but are there are enough like minded souls to venture out on a Thursday night to listen to music of this type? Can we have a Vortex or Cafe Oto in Manchester and make it work? It’s hard enough putting “rock” gigs on, times are hard and money is tight. I guess the consequence of this journey was that it has made me think about why excellent music of this nature isn’t afforded more access. Not to sound like a broken record but the domination of the majority of venues in Manchester (including sadly the Band on the Wall) by cloned tribute acts is a sad indictment of the way new music, whether it be jazz or rock, is treated these days.

Not from the gig I attended but from a few years back here is an example of what you missed

Robert Ford takes to the stage…….over and over again

The toilets smell of damp mops. The building is Tardis like. The beer is in plastic glasses……..

Sunday afternoon in Hull had proved entertaining, a psycho-geographical ramble around the old town with it’s beautiful pubs, and abandoned venues where Pink Floyd etc etc played. A maze of a journey takes us from one pub to another. The early days of October are blessed with no rain and warm sunlight, things feel good. But still there are reminders of the grim impact of Tory rule, even in the European city of culture there are rough sleepers. Not as many as Manchester but numbers aren’t the issue, the fact there are people on the streets damns, once again,  the current administration.

The rock and roll moment is when we leave the Travelodge and are making our way to Hull old town when we spot Clare and Georgio behind Debenhams taking in the afternoon air. A brief conversation and see you later…….

Roll back two days. Dave, Clare and Georgio have been in Europe, with Patrizia occasional playing bass. I wonder how Levenshulme will feel to them after Spain/France. My journey from Eccles is aided by the new Ron S. Peno album which Cam Butler had sent earlier in the week, it’s not Died Pretty, but it’s pretty damn good. Add to that the new one from Go Go Sapien which makes me happy and brings a broad grin to my face with its quirky pop moves.  Somehow Aussie music feels much more legitimate than what we get fed by the so-called mainstream in the old country.

Fred’s Ale House is an excellent venue for this type of thing. A few days earlier SD and I had seen three excellent sets from Vocal Harum, CP Lee, and Barry “The Fish” Melton”.   I arrive early and wait for the bands to a load-in.  SD is at a wedding in Stoke so Victoria is helping out on the door. Dave, Clare, Malcolm and Georgio arrive and we catch up with a chat about cricket, Aussie music, and the aforementioned Mr Melton.  As the drum kit is assembled Dave strums a few chords on his acoustic,  I guess it’s “Mind Full Of Leather” from “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye”, but it turns out it’s one of Malcolm’s songs. They have had two days rehearsals in Edinburgh and the soundcheck sounds tight. Time for a pizza before the proceedings commence.

An almost sold out crowd is treated to the raw enthusiasm of Uke Punk, the rebirth of Poppycock with a new line-up, and Graney & Moore’s pop-up band featuring Malcolm Ross on guitar and lap steel and Georgio Valentino on bass.  Bob is up from Northampton, Brad is down from the foothills of Ben Nevis, and for once I am running a gig which is nearly sold out. As it is with these things a combination of running the door and people wanting to “chat” to me means I don’t really get to see the bands properly but it sounds good to me when I do get a chance to listen.

Dave and Clare treat us to mixture of old and new with a good selection of songs from “Let’s Get Tight” and a respectable and well chosen series of classics from the back catalogue. Stand outs are a remarkable coupling of “Twilight of the Villain” and “Heroic Blues” which is Dave at his best, unwrapping his career before our eyes. The absolute highlight is a remarkable version of “Robert Ford” which is blessed by Clare’s sublime drumming and deft lap steel from Malcolm.  Even the usually hard to please Mr Moss is impressed.  An impromptu tongue in cheek couple of verses of “Show-business” is an added bonus in a busy set. We get another bonus of two of Malcolm’s songs – “Happy Boy” from the album of the same name, and “My Avenger” which I know from the “Wrong Place, Wrong Time” compilation. Both are excellent. Things conclude with a great version of  “Rock and Roll is where I hide” and punters amble out of the room with big smiles. The other Bob treats me to pint after the gig.

Saturday is mostly spent in the Marble Arch catching up with Bob and Sheila. Arrangements are made for the trip over to Hull and some fine ales are quaffed. Sunday sees a lunch time rendezvous in the Port Street Ale House which has some excellent beer on draft and is a loosener for the two hour journey. On a crowded train we decamp to first class and pay the extra as standing all the way to Hull is not recommended. A good bulk of the journey is taken up with a conversation about Alan Moore’s “Jerusalem” which Bob forensically dissects and of which I make a mental note to purchase once I return home.

The Travelodge on Pryme Street in Hull is modern and well appointed and excellent value for money. I contact Dave Hammond and we agree to meet in The George but as luck would have it we run into him and a couple of friends en route. The aforementioned tour of the city is both entertaining and informative.

Eventually we arrive at O’Rileys, the beer is basic so we opt for Guinness.  As mentioned at the start what appears to a detached house on the Beverley Road, from the outside, turns out to be much bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. The venue has a more “rock and roll” feel to it that Freds, not as big a crowd as Friday  but a very enthusiastic one. Great sound and impressive stage lighting is countered by a distressed floor and a peculiar odour in the toilets. The back of the venue is a gym with a boxing ring and a series of punch bags.

Loudhailer Electric Company kick off proceedings with their enthusiastic brand of rock into folk with Lou-Duffy Howard commanding the stage with her boundless energy and every-present smile.  They play some new songs and take an interesting sideways step into Talking Heads ’77 territory with a funky number. Stand-outs are a strident “Gypsey Race” and an epic closer with “Night Heron” with some excellent violin/guitar interplay.  Lou gives me a copy of the “Cursus” album.

 

I’m still getting to grips with the Canon Ixus I acquired for gigs like this but I manage to capture a few reasonable shots and a healthy handful of videos which I will eventually load up to You Tube. It’s no SLR but it’s better than lugging a bigger camera around when out and about.

I settle stage right, and aim to absorb uninterrupted what I missed on Friday. It’s exceptional.  The two Dr Alimantado references in the Graney/Moore canon make their way into the set. Twilight of a Villain and Heroic Blues are stunning, as they were on Friday.  Wolverine is a signature tune and I never tire of hearing it.  Malcolm plays “As Good As It Gets from the “Low Miffs” album which fits perfectly in with the Graney vibe and also has that unmistakable Edinburgh/Edwyn feel in its’ DNA.  The Godfrey Brothers are feted as Dave introduces a remarkable “A Boy Called Epic”. The set runs for nearly 90 minutes (Grateful Dead length Dave jokes at one point). The crowd loves it. Star Trek is mentioned by Lou in the LEC set (Voyager) and Dave in their set (TOS).  All of this is so effortless, so enjoyable, people in the crowd say “why haven’t we heard of this music before?”.

Monday is a taken up with a tour of some of the tourist bits of Hull, a strange vegetarian breakfast in the station cafe (olives and cucumbers mixed with beans, hash browns and and mushrooms oddly) and then a more comfortable ride back to Manchester. Bob will see it all again in London on Wednesday and Thursday, I am too busy with record label business unfortunately.

Over the two days the music played

Clinging To The Coast
Everything Was Legendary With Robert
A Boy Named Epic
Twilight Of a Villain
Heroic Blues
Happy Boy (Malcolm Ross)
You Need A Kleek Klook
All Our Friends Were Stars
Robert Ford On The Stage
My Avenger (Malcolm Ross)
We Need A Champion
Night Of The Wolverine
How Long Does The Raunch?
I Been Trendy
How Do You Get Out Of London
As Good As It Gets (Malcolm Ross)
Rock `n` Roll Is Where I Hide

As with 2016 Dave and Clare have in all likely-hood nabbed gig of the year…… hopefully they will be back again.

Sic Transit Gloria Hamsters

Sunday

Not a day for normally venturing out into the world of rock and roll but it’s Ian Keith Moss’s 60th birthday party and he has put a musical spectacular on in Ashton under Lyne  by way of celebration so we can’t really miss this one can we?

I meet SD in the Eccles Cross for a “loosener” and then we hop on the tram. Fortunately the Metrolink system takes us more or less door to door. It’s a 55 minute journey so it gives me and Mr Doyle time to catch up on things and do some forward planning for future gigs.  There’s also a chance to look out at the surrounding areas. I recommend people take the Ashton line as it’s a good psycho- political-geographical journey which emphasises the embourgeiosement of  Manchester city centre and juxtaposes it with the clear lack of investment in the doughnut around the heart of the metropolis. Once you have sailed past the chrome and glass of the core and the  glittering spires of the “emptyhad” complex you begin to see the stark reality of life in the suburban towns. It’s like stepping back 40 years to boarded up shops, tired streets and grim vistas. The only glimpse that we are in 2017 is the shiny metrolink stops/transport interchanges and the occasional Aldi (substitute cheap supermarket chain of your choice).

The tram stop is about 10 minutes away from the venue and we scout out potential eating areas on the way. The venue is The Witchwood, a concert room next to a pub, that has seen many a band over the years but at the moment, looking at the posters inside, seems to cater for any number of tribute bands, a microcosm for the state of the music scene perhaps?

There is an air of mild panic in the air when we arrive. Bands have not turned up for soundchecks and it eventually turns out that tAngerine cAt have broken down in Wales so will not be able to make the gig. I settle on small bottles of Budweiser for the afternoon as it’s going to be a long gig with many bands.

Matters commence with a rare appearance of 50% of the Prick Jaggers with Patriq accompanied on this occasion by the birthday boy in an exemplary performance of the legendary “Lou Reeds Supper Club”.

The nearly Prick Jaggers -Picture by Victoria Egan

Quick phone calls have facilitated a substitute for the absent tAngerine cAt and Dylan Cosmic Blue arrives to provide a four song set of some covers and a couple of his own tunes. He gives an assured performance and warrants further investigation at some future point.

The end of the Hamsters as a live entity is built around four songs – the band is represented by Mr Moss, Mr Williams, and Mr Rowlinson with the redoutable Mr Peak filling in on drums.  They have had one rehearsal but they still manage to perform a brand new song (well a reworking of John Joanne) and conclude with the appropriate “Stupid Songs”. I feel a slight tinge of sadness that it is all over and head to the bar for some more Dr Budweisers patent laughing medicine. And so passes the glory that was the Hamsters! We will never see their like again.

Mr Doyle photobombs the Hamsters – Photo by Victoria Egan

The ex-Fall band members spotting game is commenced and we reach a reasonable score of three with Ms Baines, Ms Adamson and Mr Archer in the house. Perhaps more notable is that three of the four horsemen of the radio apocalypse are in the building with the fourth member due shortly.  Poppycock cannot play for reasons far to complicated to go into so their slot is taken by poetry readings from Una Baines and Louise Woodcont. Next up we have the rather marvellous Factory Acts who coincidentally played a similar gig at the Bank Top Tavern on Ian’s Birthday a few years back. They have come on in leaps and bounds since then of course. Of particular importance is Susan’s growing stage confidence with her hand gestures and delivery adding something new and exciting to the mix. The stunning “AWG” is delivered with some venom and the closing “Leave The World To Us” has chart hit written all over it, if only the music industry had any common sense. One of the best, if not the best, Salford based band at the moment.

Factory Acts – Photo by Victoria Egan

Back out to the beer garden for more “Bud” and a growing sense that I need to have something to eat before the blood alcohol levels get too excessive. So it’s an executive decision to miss part of the Four Candles set while I grab a rather delicious mushroom pizza from a local takeaway. I catch the opening “Horse”, I miss “Lenny Bruce”  and more, while I’m getting the pizza, but i’m back for the exceptional “I Hate Basket Weaving”.  I’ve seen them before, and I will definitely see them again, so it’s not a great wrench having missed a portion of the show. They are Ian’s best band to date and they get better and better. One punter opines “I don’t normally like prog rock but I like this….” which makes me chuckle , they certainly transcend genres and deliver something that the scene in Greater Mancunia needs which is something new and different.

Four Candles – Photo by Victoria Egan

More beer – fortunately now being absorbed by the pizza, and I settle myself at the back of the room near the sound desk as my tired old legs are feeling their age. I haven’t seen Ill for some time and certainly not since they have brought Tamsin Middleton into their ranks. The perfect band to end the day, a few keyboard problems slightly disturb the flow, but a stellar performance was delivered with stunning rhythms from Whitney and Fiona being the stand out part of the Ill experience. Tamsin’s guitar adds a new edge to the sound as the power through an excellent set with singles “Space Dick” and “Kremlin” whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Another band that delivers a unique sound, Manchester should be rightly proud of what it has to offer at the moment in terms of musical diversity.

Tamsin and Whitney of Ill – Photo by Matt Davies

And so it’s all over by 8pm. A wonderful days music and a more than perfect way to celebrate the milestone birthday of one of the key, but unsung, figures in the musical firmament of this metropolis.

Thanks to the fourth horseman for the lift home.

These drums and these guitars…..

A warm Wednesday evening in Manchester.

The Wetherspoons at Piccadilly is full of interesting people. Standing at the bar with a pint of Abbot Ale, waiting for SD to arrive on the bus from Stockport, you can watch the hustle and bustle of the city commuters. We are off to see Oh Sees at Manchester Academy.

We had planned to go to Bundobast for one their excellent meals but there is a 35 minute waiting time so we hop a cab to Portland Street and indulge in some tasty Caribbean food instead, a bottle of Shiraz helps the mushroom and goats cheese burger go down. Another cab down to the Academy ,which is busy with gig goers, we score a couple of tickets from an affable tout who advises us it’s £4 cheaper than on the door. The band aren’t on until 9:30 and we don’t like the sound of the support so we wander over to a busy Kro-Bar for some Erdingers and chat about all things music as we sit on the stone wall outside. It’s years since i’ve been down to this end of town but it has not changed much, busy with students and somehow detached from the rest of the city, an academic bubble perhaps.

Start time approaches and we amble over to the Academy. Security searches are de rigeur these days, better to be safe than sorry. The place is packed and our timing is perfect as the band are just starting. We make our way to the bar as Dwyer and co launch into their trademark garage rock riffing. I am at stage right and the sound is weighted towards bass and the twin drums. Dwyers vocals and guitar are a little indistinct in the mix but it doesn’t matter that much in the overall scheme of things.

Photograph by Stephen Doyle

The latest line-up of (Thee) Oh Sees is probably their most potent to date. The two drum attack adds a massive boost to the bands sound, and with Tim Hellman’s sturdy bass playing Dwyer has the space to deliver a stellar performance. I’d familiarized myself with the bands sound that afternoon by listening to the recent  live album. From the first song onwards the band transform the music heard on that album into another place entirely.  What follows is close to an hour of dense riffage and percussive garage punk of the highest order.  Dwyer wears his guitar at chest level which looks odd in the context of the usual rock and roll tropes but which allows him to deliver some interesting moves and axe acrobatics. Towards the end of the gig the band are joined by a third drummer creating an immense wall of sound which has the crowd enthralled.

I’m not normally a fan of big room gigs, and the Academy is usually just that little too large for my tastes, however in this instance the band manage to deliver a club like atmosphere. A highly enjoyable evening and a very rewarding musical experience.

Photograph by Stephen Doyle

New York Stories

I’ve been reacquainting myself with the prose of Paul Auster recently.  Always an obsession, I even named one of my musical projects after him, he is one of a handful of authors I can definitively say has had a major influence on me. His initial work centered around New York City, and his rich and complex prose always conjured up detailed images of that metropolis in my head. I’ve still not managed to pluck up the courage to read his latest 700+ page opus “4321” mind you.

Coincidentally, other Brooklyn connections also emerged recently, firstly with Jesse “Cannonball” Statman.  When over here for a gig in Salford he revealed he had shared the same apartment complex as Auster. Jesse’s performance at the Eagle, Salford, on April 8th,  had broadly smiling  punters using the word genius as they left the gig room. He wasn’t to everyone’s taste but for the majority of the audience the admiration for his performance was huge, with some of the best praise I have heard for gigs we have promoted. I’m also pleased he is allowing us to release more of his material soon on German Shepherd records. His set was a whirling dervish of words and a completely unique guitar style,  unconventional and mesmerising. Some people have compared him Daniel Johnston, and I can see that, but Jesse works at a much faster pace and his use of language is more complex, and conjures up literary comparisons like Auster, Thomas Pynchon and Bill Burroughs.

Check out his sizeable catalogue of work at http://www.cannonballstatman.bandcamp.com/

Cannonball Statman (Photograph courtesy of John Montague)

The other Brookyln connection is a duo called Lusterlit. And they have literary association also. With their songs created for Bushwick Book Club,  whose founder, Susan Hwang and contributor and producer, Charlie Nieland, have joined forces to perform as a new, literature-inspired duo. Both vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, Charlie and Susan alternate lead vocals and harmonies while supporting each other on guitar, bass, synth, traditional Korean drum and accordion.  Charlie sent me their most recent release “List of Equipment” a couple of days back and I was  utterly blown away by the quality and richness of their songs. Inspired by authors  Cormac McCarthy, Julia Child, John Wyndham, and Johnathon Lethem, the five songs on the EP are mature musical explorations which immediately stand out as superior quality material in the context of the other music that gets sent my way on daily basis. Both artists are clearly hugely talented  and their song-craft and production is exceptional, offering atmospheric, cinematic, aural journeys. Both soulful and sexy, this is an EP you can listen to on repeat and uncover multiple levels of delight from. The duo says there is a hint of Polly Jean and Melbourne Nick in what they do, I’d venture that this music is as exciting to me as the first time I heard “Countdown To Ecstasy” – it’s that damn good. I commend it to you without reservation.

 

Charlie and Susan – Photo by Lisa Barnstone

 

The duo also released two previous albums last year as “solo” offerings but Charlie advises that material is also part of the current  Lusterlit live experience. Both are also excellent song collections and, as a whole, the three releases combined are a fantastic introduction to some great music.

LINKS

https://www.facebook.com/lusterlit/
https://twitter.com/lusterlitnyc
https://www.instagram.com/lusterlit/
https://lusterlit.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/lusterlit