Stamping on your own toe: not the greatest idea in the world.

I’ve been quite lax when it comes to updating this lately (and that’s putting it lightly…) which is silly, considering that over the past few weeks I’ve been to some of the best gigs I have ever been to. So here goes one big old massive post that’ll take you through the last few weeks….if I can remember what number I’m on!

A Gig A Week #11:  Caravan Palace & Electric Swing Circus   23/11/12, Bristol

I’ve been getting into electro-swing recently – as one of my friends on Twitter put it, “It’s the best blend of old and new!”.  I absolutely loved the energy of these two bands on stage – and the atmosphere in the venue was incredible.  Scat battles, multiple costume changes, jive dancing…yep, this was definitely money well spent! I’m definitely hoping to catch both bands again and need to get myself to some more electro-swing events in London.  If you have any recommendations of where I should go/what I should listen to, please please post them in the comments!

This first video is worth watching for the seamless dancing-microphone catch-singing transition alone (at about 3:28)

A Gig A Week #12: The Urban Folk Quartet  King’s Place, 30/11/12

Phenomenal.  With added triangle.  Don’t think there’s a lot more I can say to that…oh, apart from the fact I was dancing so enthusiastically that I stamped on my own toe.   It’s really hard to find a video that really captures the energy and atmosphere of their live performance…so watch this instead. And go and see them live!  NOW!! (Well, not now. But when they have a gig near you…)

A Gig A Week #13: Hannah James & Sam Sweeney   Walthamstow Folk Club, 2/12/12

There’s not a huge amount more I can say about this duo – I reviewed them a couple of months ago but just had to go and see them again (and take my mum with me this time! I did promise, after all…).  However, since the last time I saw them, Hannah & Sam have been nominated for Best Duo and Sam has been nominated for Musician of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 folk awards – so congratulations to them both & best of luck with the awards!

A Gig A Week #14:  Lucy Ward  (with support from David Gibb & Elly Lucas) Green Note Camden,  3/12/12

I’ve mentioned David Gibb & Elly Lucas before, having seen them a couple of times at Towersey this year – I won’t say too much more now, as I’m hoping to make their London gig in January but they were a fantastic opening act for Lucy.

I’ve been trying to see one of Lucy Ward’s gigs for over a year now, and it was well worth the wait. Lucy had the audience captivated from the very first note until the very last – and even managed to fit in a request of “Santa Baby for Folkies” and a couple of Britpop covers. Not your usual for a folk gig, but then neither’s blue hair….

On a more serious note, Lucy is honestly one of the best – if not the best solo performers I’ve seen.  Incredible voice, fantastic stage presence and a brilliant way of putting a song across you that you hang on every single word she sings.

Brilliant.

I think that’s me up to date now…..

What next..?

After a trip to Towersey Village Festival, I’ve been thinking what to do next with this blog. As is glaringly obvious, my updating has been sporadic to say the least and it’s often hard to find the right thing to blog about.

Therefore, to give myself some structure for this blog I will be attempting to attend at least one gig per week – something to talk/blog about. I already have a few gigs in the diary of bands I’ve seen over the festival season I want to keep up with, but hopefully the weeks in between will be new discoveries, recommendations and perhaps people I might not have heard of before.

Let’s see how it goes….

As for Towersey: my personal highlights* were Bellowhead, who included some new songs from their forthcoming album “Broadside” in their set; David Gibb & Elly Lucas, whose song “Old Chairs To Mend” I chose as my song for the week on This Is My Jam and Northern Irish winners of the 2012 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, Ioscaid. I’m still kicking myself for not buying their EP whilst I was there….

*Of course, there were many, many more fantastic acts…these were just the first three that sprung to mind…