M1 Music

Gig Tapers Of The World Unite!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:20:00 +0000

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9210000/9210121.stm

Dot-To-Dot Festival - Nottingham - 30th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:04:00 +0000

Here's a couple more bands I caught at the Dot-To-Dot Festival in Nottingham over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Lissie @ The Bodega Social Club Nottingham 30th May 2010

Setlist

01 Little Lovin'

02 Worried About

03 When I'm Alone

04 Bully

05 Oh Mississippi

06 In Sleep

Danny & The Champions Of The World @ The Bodega Social Club Nottingham 30th May 2010

Setlist

01 Henry The Van

02 Restless Feet

03 Lose These Rags

04 Instrumental Jam

05 Red Tree Song > My Girl

06 These Days > Dancing In The Dark

07 Follow The River

Lunar Youth @ The Bodega Social Club Nottingham 30th May 2010

Setlist

01 Venus In Blue Jeans

02 ??

03 ?Cars?

04 The Art Of Growing

05 ??

06 Lost Machine

07 Nighttime Diamond

Villagers - Dot-To-Dot Festival - The Bodega Social Club Nottingham - 30th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:08:00 +0000

Myspace

The Dot-To-Dot Festival takes place over three days across three cities; Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester. It aims to showcase new bands and as such sometimes it lucks out and finds that bands it has booked have broken through to the mainstream before the event. One such this year was Ellie Goulding. Thus while most festival goers were clogging the Rock City venue, I and about 150 likeminded individuals were enjoying some of the lesser known acts down the road at The Bodega Social Club in more comfortable, less crowded conditions.

Although bands continued to take the stage at The Bodega until 2am, Villagers were in effect the defacto headliners of the stage and attracted the biggest crowd of the evening. Villagers are the brand that songwriter Conor O'Brien trades under, and his debut album Becoming A Jackal released last month is one of the strongest debuts i've heard in many a month. Anyone who saw his performance on Later With Jools Holland might detect an earnest young man in the vein of Fionn Regan or Damien Rice, however amongst the wordplay there are moments of lightness of touch which would befit a more mature writer especially on The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever).

Conor has recruited a band to perform these songs live, and the performance is a revelation. This bands rocks The Bodega, driving the many album ballads to new uncharted territories. Conor comes across as confident and focused, none of the fake shyness that many singer songwriters use as a mask in their live performances. With only thirty minutes for the set, banter is kept to a minimum, while fans and newcomers digest material which cajoles you in, before taking you to heights especially in the coda to Pieces.

Setlist

01 The Meaning Of The Ritual

02 Home

03 Becoming A Jackal

04 Pieces

05 The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever)

06 Ship Of Promises

Update - Upcoming Shows Jun/Jul 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:16:00 +0000

I'll be posting a recording of a recent Dead Confederate show in the next couple of days. Following that there will be a short hiatus in full shows until near the end of June when i have a run of shows from bands who are o.k. with taping. If things go well expect to see recordings of the following artists in the next couple of months

The Hold Steady
Alejandro Escovedo
Jesse Malin
David Ford
Otis Gibbs

To fill the gap expect also to see another old recording posted on the site in the next fortnight

Neal Casal - The Maze Nottingham - 29th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:15:00 +0000

Website

This was my first time catching Neal Casal perform a solo headlining show in the UK. Previously I'd seen him perform with Ryan Adams in his band The Cardinals. Sometimes he took the opportunity to play a support slot, other times being limited to one or two songs in the main set. Looking at the decidedly younger mix of the audience on Saturday night compared to a usual Maze gig, it would appear that Neal certainly benefited from that liaison by exposing his music to a wider audience. Certainly I might never have been introduced to his music without it. While not having every album he's released in my collection, there is at least now a fair sprinkling, my favourite being No Wish To Reminisce which i remember being on heavy rotation on one particular road trip across the states.

Neal was accompanied on this tour by Jon Graboff who was mainly limited to a supporting role of acoustic guitar with the occasional backing vocal. As you will hear on the recording though Jon was certainly not without his fans on the night, and demonstrated his guitar skills on an impromptu refrain of Alice's Restaurant originally performed by Arlo Guthrie.

Neal mixed up the set including three new songs amongst better known material. The vibe was laid back with no real attempts at theatre, just letting the quality of the songs speak for themselves.

Unfortunately unlike the DADDY recording earlier in the week which apparently even the band liked, I set the levels on the recorder much too low. To boost volumes to a listenable level has meant there is background hiss on the recording. Its a bit like listening to an old C90 tape on a new stereo. As always support the artists and purchase the records, or go to gigs, or just spread the word. Neal continues is tour through Italy and Spain in the next couple of weeks. I know that there are some regular visitors to the site from those countries so check the website and if you can make the gig please do. Music is so much better live.

Setlist

01 Don't Mind The Black Clouds

02 Back To Haunt You

03 So Far Astray

04 Grand Island

05 Let It All Begin

06 The Cold & The Darkness

07 Need Shelter

08 Fell On Hard Times

09 Me & Queen Sylvia

10 Here By The Sea

11 The Losing End Again

12 Lost Satellite

13 Traveling After Dark

14 Chasing The Ghost

15 Bird In Hand - Attempt

16 Maybe California

17 On The Mend

18 Delaware Station

19 Sweeten' The Distance

Mark Wynn - The Maze Nottingham - 29th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:20:00 +0000

Myspace

Mark Wynn was the support act for the Neal Casal show on Saturday back at The Maze in Nottingham. As always at The Maze there was a generally respective crowd willing to give the support act a listen. Mark performed a short set made up of a few originals and covers of Townes Van Zandt and Justin Townes Earle songs. On display was some impressive fingerpicking guitar work mixed in with folk and blues stylings and the kind of old time voice ideal for this medium. While the Townes Van Zandt song was played almost in imitation it was nice to see that Mark could move beyond mere homage with a different rhythm and scan to his Justin Townes Earle rendition compared to the original. The only thing which needed some work on was the in between song banter (what is it with youngsters and mumbling!). Grumpy old man rant over, you can purchase Mark's songs over at itunes or if you still covert a physical medium purchase the CD here.

Setlist

01 ?Brand New Automobile?

02 Duffel Bag And A Dream

03 ?We All Get What We Deserve?

04 Broke Body (Mindless)

05 I Don't Care (Justin Townes Earle Cover)

06 3 Chords, A Rhyme & A Verse

07 Dollar Bill Blues (Townes Van Zandt Cover)

08 ?Deleted Scenes?

DADDY - The Maze Nottingham - 27th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 May 2010 10:05:00 +0000

Will Kimbrough Website

Tommy Womack Website

Until a few days ago when bluesmick posted a recording of their Prince Albert Brighton gig, i'd never come across DADDY or their members Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack. It's always great to be turned on to new music and musicians, and the regulars at the Cosmic American nights in Nottingham were able to fill me in on some of the background of the two performers.

The Cosmic American evenings seem to have a loyal following and there were 80-100 people present to watch the performance on Thursday night, compared to an estimate of 25 people at the Brighton show. With a support act of Dean Owens the format was amended also with rather than 2 sets, the performance following the more traditional headlining format, although we were not shortchanged with a show clocking in at 2 hours.

The two performers provide an interesting contrast as they traded songs from their careers. Will Kimbrough is the performer you immediately notice. As a previous winner of the Americana Instrumentalist of the Year award, his stunning guitar patterns raise eyebrows and garner appreciative applause during solos. His songs are of an high standard too, range from country ballads, to gospel, and pointing a route through the everyday mundane travails of love, work and washing.

At first Tommy Womack seems to take the backseat on this particular journey providing guitar and harmonica support. Once you start to get a feel for his songs however the talent rapidly emerges. Wry social commentary abounds in his writing, always emphasising the poignant and absurd, and always on the lookout for an amusing payoff line. This is one of the hardest tricks to pull off in the musical world and really until my discovery of Tommy this week , the only person who i'd say pulls this off as well is the great underated Dan Bern.

The total highlight of a great night though was my first hearing of Tommy's song The Replacements from his 2002 Circus Town album. After listening to music all my life sometimes it feels like i have a jaded palette, so when a song connects as much as this one its a great feeling of discovery. My later teenage years were spent almost obsessively listening to those twin pillars of the 80s american college music scene R.E.M. and The Replacements. As much as i listened though, almost as entertaining were the many stories that filtered across the atlantic in the music weeklies about The Replacements bizarre behaviour. The Replacements as a song is a tribute to all that was great about the band, while not shirking from hiding the bad, and the payoff line '...and when they were good, God got up to dance ', just makes me regret even more that I never caught this great band live.

A Full Show MP3 Download Is Available HERE

Setlist

01 Intro (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

02 Nobody From Nowhere (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

03 Early To Bed, Early To Rise (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

04 Wash & Fold (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

05 Play That Cheap Trick, Cheap Trick Play (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

06 Three Angels (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

07 Nice Day (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

08 Wings (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

09 I Went To Heaven In A Dream Last Night (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

10 He Ain't Right (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

11 Cold Wind (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

12 Love To Spare (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

13 The Replacements (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

14 Glory Be (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

15 Vicki Smith (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

16 You Make Your Bed (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

17 Cockroach After The Bomb (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

18 A Couple Hundred Miracles (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

19 Alpha Male & The Canine Mystery Blood (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

20 Piece Of Work (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

21 'Reading From Cheese Chronicles' (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

22 Janie Jones (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

23 Good Night Moon (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

24 Yo-Yo Ma (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version Of The Show Is Available HERE

Richard Hawley - Academy 3 Manchester - 14th November 2005 (Past Shows No. 13)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:39:00 +0000

Website

On June 8th Richard Hawley releases a new EP False Lights from the Land. Featuring four tracks including a new composition There's A Storm A Comin' and two covers with backing vocals from The Smoke Fairies , and clocking in at over 20 minutes of music its another must have release. Its available on digital download or for vinyl junkies like me on 10" wax with a bonus CD version .

While we are waiting for the new songs I thought i'd put up my first recording of Richard Hawley from long ago in the year 2005 when Coles Corner was just released and Richard talked in the show about his new single The Ocean. I'd like to say i was one of those afficionados who new about Richard's music before Coles Corner, but i'd be lying. Five years later though i've got 97 songs of his in my Itunes folder, and each new release is a must buy.

This is number 30 in my live show recordings, and as with many of my early attempts there are problems. Notably 25 minutes of the show missing when batteries died in the recorder, and some overpowering of the microphone creating distortion especially noticeable on the vocals. This is one not to listen to with the speakers turned to max! Anyway if your a completist or just want to listen to some songs which Richard rarely plays live now feel free to download. Thanks as always to Richard for the music and for being cool with those of us who pursue this strange recording hobby. As always if this is your first experience of the artist, check out his website where you can stream some studio quality tracks, buy the records and merchandise, and go to the gigs.

MP3 Download Of All Tracks Available HERE

Setlist

01 The Nights Are Cold (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

02 Coles Corner (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

03 Something Is... (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

04 The Ocean (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

05 Hotel Room (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

06 Just Like The Rain (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 You Don't Miss Your Water (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

Approx 25 minutes lost including definitely played

The Motorcyle Song

Born Under A Bad Sign
Darlin' Wait For Me
(Wading Through) The Waters Of My Time
Oh My Love

08 The Only Road (Part) (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

09 Run For Me (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

10 That's Alright Mama (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

A Full Show Lossless FLAC Download Is Available HERE

Update - New Autumn Tours & Downloads

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:52:00 +0000

Having nearly missed out on The National tour tickets, i'll be poised by the laptop this Friday when tickets for three more of my favourite bands go on sale. Bands are starting to announce their autumn tours following on from the festival season.

Grinderman

I was lucky enough to catch Grinderman at a theatre in Sydney Australia a couple of years ago. The pared down ensemble provided support for their other band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds . Stood on the front row, occasionally ducking out of the fire of Warren Ellis' discarded percussion pieces this was a fierce demonstration of sleazy garage rock. Nick Cave rampaged across the stage with manic energy, a zealot preaching to the converted. I can't wait to catch them again. Shows go on sale 9am Friday, details below.

25/09/2010 Rock City Nottingham
27/09/2010 University Leeds
28/09/2010 Barrowlands Glasgow
29/09/2010 Academy Manchester
01/10/2010 HMV Apollo London

EELS

Mark Everett returns to the stage with rumours of yet another album ready for release following on from End Times which i'm sure I only picked up a copy of in January of this year. Expect tracks from the new album, End Times and Hombre Lobo as well as old favourites. I've seen Eels perform in a number of guises over the years, so what awaits us this time only time will tell. Same drill as Grinderman, tickets on sale this Friday

24/08/2010 Academy Glasgow
26/08/2010 Academy Birmingham
01/09/2010 Academy Brixton
04/09/2010 Academy Manchester

Drive-By Truckers

I'll finally be seeing the Drive-by Truckers live for the first time this summer at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. These tour dates will then allow the full concert experience. Smaller venues have been announced compared to Eels & Grinderman which should make the experience even more intense. Friday 9am is the sale time for these as well.

10/11/2010 Oran Mor Glasgow
12/11/2010 Academy Manchester
13/11/2010 Academy Birmingham
14/11/2010 Shepherds Bush Empire London
15/11/2010 Concorde 2 Brighton

OTHER NEWS

I'll hopefully be catching another couple of opening taping bands over the next few days so all being well a couple of full show postings will follow shortly. I'll also try and post the only outstanding Richard Hawley show i haven't yet shared on this site to coincide with his new EP release False Lights From The Land.

Samuel Brookes - Royal Concert Hall Nottingham - 19th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 May 2010 07:02:00 +0000

Website

Despite not yet having an album released, Samuel Brookes was given the role of opening for Ray Davies during the first few dates of his UK Tour. This was to be the last opening slot, as Sam was off into the studio to cut that debut album following the performance. Playing such a large venue might be intimidating for many new acts, but this performance had a quietly confident aura.

The music is a typical singer songwriter mix of blues and folk, delivered with a calmness that enables the lyrics to soak into the night, and the fingerpicking guitar style to resonate. Only on the last track Breathe Me In is the delivery more urgent, the guitar is attacked and the vocal talent let loose.

Setlist

01 ?Doors Begin To Appear?

02 ?Traveling Man?

03 Like A Butterfly

04 Platform 16

05 In Weeks

06 Running Strong

07 Forever Absent

08 ?The Design?

09 Breathe Me In

Ray Davies - Royal Concert Hall Nottingham - 19th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:20:00 +0000

Website

Its something of a mystery that while his contempories such as Paul McCartney, The Who and Brian Wilson can sell out arenas, Ray Davies performed to a half full Royal Concert Hall on Wednesday night. The Kinks back catalogue in my view exceeds that of most of his generation but for some reason we seem to have taken it for granted. Such is the fickle taste of the general public and we can only hope that at some point the opinion turns round and recognise the value of Ray Davies as in recent years that recognition came to the likes of Johnny Cash & Neil Diamond. Perhaps Rick Rubin should get together with Ray because despite the setlist being dominated by Kinks songs, there was evidence in newer songs such as In A Moment that Ray still possesses a songwriting talent that most bands today would die for.

There is an interesting article in the most recent Word Magazine about live performances in the rock era. Of particular interest is how certain artists of the 50s and 60s now phone in minimal performances, taking the money and run. This was emphatically not the case last night. 25 songs in under two hours, divided into an acoustic half, followed by a full band session. At Rays' age the fact that the initial stage setup featured stools for the acoustic session suggested a laidback vibe, however once the band were in place Ray showed he could rock with the vigour of youth. As thin as a racing snake, Ray danced and jumped across the stage and looked in much better shape than some of his grizzled contemporaries. Mick Jagger would have been proud of him.

What was most impressive was the clear thought that had been put into the performance, offering more than just a straight resume of the hits. Whether reading an extract from his book X-Ray, to segues into old instrumentals such as Apache during Vietnam Cowboy, Ray clearly was looking to engage with the audience and make them feel part of the spectacle.

Of course the Kinks were famous for their internal fighting and despite the generally positive vibe there were still a couple of examples of that fractious nature, whether having a sly dig at other ex-Kinks trading on the band name, or telling his roadies that he'd setup the stage in future due to some layout issue which was certainly not noticeable from the audience. However, while Ray's fractious relationship with his brother Dave may be famous, the most touching point of the night was his brotherly outrage at Dave being excluded from the recent BBC show on greatest rock guitarists. Sometimes family comes first.

The show came to a notable climax with a run of six Kinks classics including a full rock workout on All Day and all of the Night, and a touching take on Days, opening with just Ray on acoustic guitar before building into a band crescendo. To hear this songs still sounds special and vital after all these years.

Setlist

01 This Is Where I Belong

02 I Need You

03 Where Have All The Good Times Gone

04 Autumn Almanac

05 In A Moment

06 Dedicated Follower Of Fashion

07 See My Friends

08 I'm Not Like Everybody Else

09 Nothing In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' Bout That Girl

10 Too Much On My Mind

11 Well Respected Man

12 Sunny Afternoon

13 Victoria > X-Ray Reading > 20th Century Man

14 The Tourist

15 Come Dancing

16 Vietnam Cowboys

17 Celluloid Heroes

18 Workingmans' Cafe

19 After The Fall

20 So Tired

21 Set me Free

22 Waterloo Sunset

23 All Day And All Of The Night

24 Days

25 Lola

Update - New Micah P Hinson Album

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:12:00 +0000

Website

In this internet age, news of album releases seems to appear much closer to actual release date than what i remember from the bygone non-digital age. Whether this is related to digital piracy or just the fact that so many bands now work outside the record company framework, you've got to be on your toes to keep a look out for what artists you like are up to.

Every Micah P Hinson album sits in my record collection and no doubt the new one who's cover image is above (Micah P Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs) will shortly follow. If you want to get ahead of the game follow the website link above to pre-order including the option of getting some Pioneer Saboteur playing cards thrown in. This pre-order will supposedly ship a month before the general release date giving you some time to digest his new songs before catching one of his forthcoming UK shows

02/06/2010 Union Chapel London

03/06/2010 Ruby Lounge Manchester

04/06/2010 Stereo Glasgow

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves - Academy 3 Manchester - 12th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 May 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Website

I first came across Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and his band at a festival in the USA a couple of years ago. At the time they were promoting their album Roll With It, a combination of soul and blues which showcased Eli's powerful vocals. From a mid-afternoon slot on a small stage at that festival things have certainly come a long way in the last two years. This show was showcasing his first major label release Come And Get It , which at the same time was being played as album of the week on the UK's most listened to radio station BBC Radio 2.
It's not hard either to see why a major label would see possibilities in Eli 'Paperboy' Reed given the large sales that others have enjoyed mining the soul groove such as Amy Winehouse and Duffy. A cynic might also see that ambition married in the band themselves. Listen to their first release Walkin & Talkin, and blues songs dominate the recording. By Roll With It the transformation to Soul is well underway, Come And Get It completes the journey.
There's nothing wrong with ambition, and that major label push and airplay generated a packed crowd for the show at the Academy 3 last wednesday. The attendence was rewarded by a show that while featuring every cliche of a soul revue, still felt fresh and joyful. Despite Eli suffering with a cold which on occassions turned is vocals into a rasp, there was no attempt to alter the plan. All the members of the band were given the chance to shine, but the standout tracks were perhaps those where the band was stripped down for Am I Wasting My Time and Pick Your Battles.
Eli himself came across as an engaging character, willing to laugh at himself when his spin and grab the mike trick went pear-shaped on the opener Satisfier. There may be nothing knew in the musical style being followed by the band, but while both they and the audience are enjoying themselves so much does it really matter.
Setlist
01 Introduction
02 The Satisfier
03 Name Calling
04 Help Me
05 ?Get Even With Womankind?
06 It's Easier
07 I'm Tired Of Wandering
08 Tell Me What I Wanna Hear
09 Twisting The Night Away
10 Just Like Me
11 Instrumental Break (True Loves)
12 Am I Wasting My Time
13 Pick Your Battles
14 You Can Run On
15 Time Will Tell
16 Young Girl
17 Come And Get It
18 (Doin' The) Boom Boom > Band Introductions
19 (Am I Just) Fooling Myself
20 Explosion

Delta Maid - Academy 3 Manchester - 12th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 May 2010 08:05:00 +0000

Myspace

There's something inherently amusing about artists whose singing voices are totally at odds from their spoken voice. James Hunters' sweet Sam Cooke delivery transforms into his broad essex accent, while Delta Maids' voice reminds me of Shawn Colvin, before retreating into a scouse accent between songs. While the scouse accent is enough to win over the majority of the Manchester audience, Delta Maid demonstrates that there is substance with a series of vignettes about love and life.

There is a simplicity to her writing which is very much part of the Country and Blues history, from Hank Williams to Robert Johnson. Sometimes its not necessary to write reams of lyrics to get a message across and Delta seems to have taken this to heart. Seven songs are completed in a little over 23 minutes in a confident performance with just her acoustic guitar for accompanyment.

Setlist

01 ?When It Comes To Loving Me?

02 Anyway I Want To

03 All I Dreamed

04 Don't You Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down

05 ?Dance With My Broken Heart?

06 ?Stop Worrying Baby?

07 Spend A Little Time

Update - The National UK Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:28:00 +0000

Website

If you want to catch The National on their UK tour this autumn you better hurry. Tickets went on sale today and already a number of venues are sold out. Tickets will no doubt be up in force on ebay shortly. I received my vinyl copy of their new album High Violet yesterday and already it feels a step on from Boxer and Alligator. The National are heading for number 1 in the US album charts this week so this may be your last chance to see them in medium sized venues before they make the crossover to arenas. Listed below are the tour dates so far. If like me you're thinking of going to the Warwick Arts Centre show i highly recommend going to the venue website to purchase tickets. Unlike the usual distributors (seetickets/ticketmaster etc.) the booking fee charges are always much lower via their own website. A fact in itself which makes it worthwhile to support this excellent Midlands venue

24/11/2010 Academy Bristol

25/11/2010 Arts Centre Warwick Tickets

26/11/2010 Academy Glasgow

27/11/2010 Academy Manchester

30/11/2010 Brixton Academy London

01/12/2010 Brixton Academy London

Update - Jerzey Street Band

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:34:00 +0000

Myspace

If you recall, a set from Jerzey Street Band was the first show shared on this website last June. Subsequent to that the band have released their self-titled debut album which if you haven't purchased yet you need to rectify urgently. Its available on itunes or any of the usual CD online shops. If you still need convincing however the band have given you an opportunity which will cost you nothing to preview many of the songs from the first album and some from the next album by making available to download for free 9 tracks from various recent radio sessions. Head over to the bands' page on reverbnation and click on the download music button to access the free tracks. Mersey Angel and Holly Grove are particular faves. If you like what you hear do the right thing and pony up for the album.

Jerzey Street Band play the Bearded Theory Festival in Derbyshire this sunday 16th May

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express - Brudenell Social Club Leeds - 10th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:59:00 +0000

Website

So to my third Chuck Prophet gig in the last six months. Following his solo appearance in Nottingham last month, Chuck was back with his band The Mission Express in Leeds, and in rampant form as you come to expect with this performer. An healthy crowd turned out in the inner suburbs of Leeds on a monday night and they were served up a treat. Even an unruly member of the audience who had to be escorted out failed to put much of a dampner on proceedings although the incident can be heard refered to during You've Been Gone.

Chuck was as funny as ever, referencing not only the Sex Pistols, but his previous support act Otis Gibbs who perhaps would be best not to listen to Chuck's critique of his blues credentials.

Highlights included an acoustic interlude featuring Summertime Thing and Let Freedom Ring, while the guitar interplay between Chuck and James Deprato is truly mesmerising.

There are a number of shows from the current tour circulating details below

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express @ Chelsea Bar, Vienna 29th Apr 2010 LINK

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express @ Q-Bus Leiden 4th May 2010 LINK

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express @ Durbacher Offenburg 1st May 2010 LINK

A Full Show MP3 Dowbload can be found HERE

Setlist

01 Doubter Out Of Jesus (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

02 Just To See You Smile (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

03 Balinese Dancer (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

04 Always A Friend (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

05 Hot Talk (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

06 Lucky (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

07 You've Been Gone (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

08 Dying All Young (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

09 Good Time Crowd (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

10 Sonny Liston's Blues (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

11 You And Me Baby (Holding On) (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

12 Summertime Thing (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

13 Let Freedom Ring (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

14 Queen Bee (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

15 Storm Across The Sea (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

16 You Did (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

17 Bangkok (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Christopher Rees - Brudenell Social Club Leeds - 10th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:42:00 +0000

Myspace

If ever i needed proof that in this internet age there is simply too much great music around to be aware of everything, it was demonstrated superbly by Christopher Rees last night in Leeds. A quick wikipedia search shows that Christopher Rees has been treading the stages of this country and the world since the 1990s, but had never once crossed my radar in all that time. Last night i discovered a talented singer-songwriter hailing from South Wales who genre hopped from 50s style rockabilly in his opener What Walks Outside My Window, through murder ballads on songs such as Mary Lee, and hints of soul and gospel on Heart On Fire and Take My Hand respectively.

Performing alone on electric and acoustic guitar and banjo, the years of performance showed a command of his environment, the right balance of chat and songs, and the ability to hold the attention of the crowd. If you see Christopher Rees listed on your local gig listings i'd recommend wholeheartedly checking him out.

Setlist

01 What Walks Outside My Window (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

02 Heart On Fire

03 Mary Lee

04 Bottom Dollar

05 Prescott's Confession

06 Take My Hand

07 All Our Beds Are Made

08 Karma Found

09 How Did You Sleep Last Night

Deathretro - Academy Leeds - 7th May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 May 2010 08:12:00 +0000

Update: Thanks to Ben from the band for the pictures and the o.k. to post the rest of the show

Website

The night before the big match and i'm in the Academy Leeds (or Town & Country Club to us old timers). I'm struggling to get over the fact that Deathretro are not a metal band. Surely there is an unwritten rule that any band that has 'Death' in their name should be disciples of the Kerrang sound. It turns out though that Deathretro are more NME than Kerrang. A combination of guitar riffs, and pulsing keyboards, has the desired effect of your head nodding and foot tapping at the same time. For some reason i am reminded of Joy Division, not least because the guitarist from my distant vantage point looks the spitting image of a young Bernard Sumner. The lead singer also seems to combine the manic energy of Ian Curtis with the occasional stadium moves of Chris Martin, or perhaps its just his keyboard playing front and centre that reminds me of Mr Coldplay. Hailing from Cumbria the band race through a seven song set which makes a solid impression. I may spend most of my time now listening to Americana but sometimes they're is a certain simple joy in revisiting the Indie scene which made up the majority of my gig going time in my youth. If you like 80s and early 90s Indie / Grunge you could do worse than check this band out. It ain't britpop though!

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 Seven Stitches (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

02 Edge Of Nothing (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

03 Waveshifter (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

04 Sound Of Sirens (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

05 Satellites (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

06 Black Lights (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

07 Pistols (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

Leeds are going up! - About Time Too!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 May 2010 21:56:00 +0000

Normal service will be resumed shortly, once i sober up!

Jesse Malin - UK Tour Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:18:00 +0000

Website

Another M1Music favourite Jesse Malin returns to the UK in June on tour. Expect to hear songs from his new album Love It To Life as well as 'hopefully' new funny stories from his days in New York. Obviously if you've never seen him live before which stories he tells won't really matter, so you'll laugh either way. Not sure yet whether these will be solo shows or full band, either way Jesse knows how to engage with his audience, including sometimes literally joining them in the crowd. Dates are listed below, hopefully a recording will be posted from one of the gigs.

23/06/2010 Thekla Bristol

25/06/2010 Academy Birmingham

28/06/2010 Rescue Rooms Nottingham

29/06/2010 Academy Newcastle

30/06/2010 Cabaret Voltaire Edinburgh

01/07/2010 King Tuts Glasgow

05/07/2010 Academy Liverpool

06/07/2010 Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff

07/07/2010 Ruby Lounge Manchester

08/07/2010 Academy Islington

Jens Lekman - New UK Tour Date

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:34:00 +0000

Website

If I was to list my favourite songwriters, up near the top of that list would be Jens Lekman. The swedish songwriter, currently residing in Australia is an infrequent visitor to our shores, and i've only caught his wonderfully entertaining live shows a couple of times over the years. Following his last headline tour of the UK a couple of years ago he was disparaging in his criticism of how UK promoters treat bands, and i was half expecting him not to return. Finally though we have a new date, which typically coincides with a summer holiday I booked a week ago. Perhaps Jens was just waiting to make sure i wouldn't be in the country before annoucing the date.

As its only a single show it will no doubt sell out very quickly. Tickets go on sale from your usual online rip-off merchants (Ticketmaster/Seetickets/Ticketweb etc) this Friday at 9am. I won't be there, but if you can get to London you'd be a fool to miss this.

Jens Lekman Union Chapel London Tuesday 3rd August 2010

Laura Gibson - The Deaf Institute Manchester - 3rd May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:52:00 +0000

Myspace

Providing support on monday night was Laura Gibson from Portland, Oregon. She was given a solid 45 minutes to impress and made the most of it. First impressions of a simple acoustic guitar and vocals slot were quickly put to one side as she was joined on subsequent songs by a duo of backing musicians playing all kinds of percussion to great effect, giving a depth to the songs they surrounded.

Before this evening i had no idea who Laura Gibson was. In fact the Deaf Institute website listed her as 'Laura Gisbon' making all pre-gig searches for background such as spotify unsuccesful. Once i finished the 'she sound like' game (vocally like Zooey Deschanel of She & Him), the focus moved to the performance which despite the small crowd was an inspiring example of how to make something out of what was probably not a very motivating scenario for the performer. I've often seen support acts try to garner some audience participation, often unsuccesfully, but to pull the trick off three times in a 10 song set was very impressive.

The music itself seemed almost of another era, hard to categorise but it seemed totally in the right place resonating through the old hall of the institute. It felt traditional and timeless, reminiscent in some ways of the direction that Gillian Welch has mined for many years. Yet at the same time the band were happy to push this music out beyond its folk origins to wherever it may lead.

In some respects this audience was probably ideal for a Laura Gibson support slot. I'm not sure the music would translate to a bigger audience waiting for the main act. In those scenarios i've seen support slots drowned out by an ocean of chatter. Last night anyone talking would have stood out and attentiveness was almost a prerequisite of the situation. Perhaps Laura should wait until she's the headliner to venture out into the larger venues and the challenges that produces.

Setlist

01 All The Pretty Horses

02 Come By Storm

03 Hands In Pockets

04 Shadows On Parade

05 Funeral Song (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

06 Nightwatch

07 Where Have All Your Good Words Gone?

08 Sweet Deception

09 Spirited

10 ?? Trembling ??

Woodpigeon - The Deaf Institute Manchester - 3rd May 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:13:00 +0000

Myspace

Woodpigeon are a band based in Calgary, Canada. In their present touring form they consist of a five piece featuring Mark Hamilton on vocals and lead guitar, who is also the lead songwriter. Obvious comparisons are with the sound of Sufjan Stevens, including the focus on convuluted song titles. Live however Woodpigeon are certainly more robust than their recorded self, with drums, bass and guitar driving the music to crescendos more typical of the likes of Band Of Horses or The National. Flute, violin and keyboards add nuances to the soundscape which on a couple of tracks edged towards a dance undertow, which was reinforced with a stripped down version of an ABBA classic.

This trip to the Deaf Institute was part of a promotional tour for their new album Die Stadt Muzikanten. Unfortunately on an English Bank Holiday only about 60 people chose to spend the evening with Woodpigeon. A real shame as their sixty minute set demonstrated that they deserve to be up their with the 'name' bands which regularly receive favourable press in the likes of Word and Uncut. If you like anything in the choral folk americana vein you should definitely check this band out.

Setlist

01 Songbook / The Sound Of Us Playing Together

02 Woodpigeon vs Eagleowl (Strength In Numbers)

03 Knock Knock

04 My Denial In Argyle

05 ??

06 Home As A Romanticized Concept Where Everyone Loves You Always And Forever

07 Morningside

08 I Live A Lot Of Places

09 Lay All Your Love On Me (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

10 ??

11 The Saddest Music In The World

12 And As The Ship Went Down, You'd Never Looked Finer

Jaymay - Academy 3 Manchester - 19th May 2008 (Past Shows No. 12)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:42:00 +0000

Website

I was looking through the Live Music Archive and was surprised to discover that Jaymay's shows were posted there. I guess I associate the LMA more with Jambands than female singer songwriters. When I saw the name i remembered i'd taped Jaymay supporting Jens Lekman in Manchester a couple of years ago. At the time I posted the show on Dimeadozen with the following comments.

" American Singer Songwriter. Like a lot of female singer songwriters this performance swept over me at the time. On second listening however there are some quite interesting songs lurking. I may investigate further. As with any support slot the crowd can be quite chatty at times but still listenable quality. Interesting that only two of the songs are from her first album released late last year(2007) "

That first album now sits on my ipod courtesy of a CD purchase shortly after this was written.

Full show mp3 download available HERE

Setlist

01 Song For Paul (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

02 Sea Green, Sea Blue (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

03 40 Hours Ago (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

04 One May Die So Lonely (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

05 Lonely Men Built Lonely Cities (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

06 Corduroy (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 Marigolds (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

08 Gray Or Blue (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

A FULL LOSSLESS FLAC version of the show can be found HERE