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…..

Belated Bellowhead Broadside Blog

First off, I just want to say that I am very, VERY proud of myself for the alliteration in the tittle of this…just a little bit of self-congratulation there. And also that I have been a bit quiet of late. Again. Must do better!

(if you’re reading this and you know me, you are hereby granted the right to nag. In fact… even if you don’t know me, nag away!)

So, back to it. i’m still (sort of) doing my ‘gig a week’ but haven’t quite kept up to date with it…I’ve seen The Robbie Boyd Band (#9) (link takes you to my review on Thank Folk For That) and popped up to Birmingham to see The Old Dance School’s triple bill with Lady Maisery and Gilmore & Roberts – a really fantastic gig, which was finished by an amazing one-off version of ODS’s track “John Ball” featuring all three acts. (There’s a video of it here for those who are interested…)

A couple of weeks ago I went along to see Bellowhead at Camden’s Roundhouse (#10) – I somehow managed to get to the front of the 2000 strong crowd & didn’t realise quite how many people were there until I saw a photo after the gig!

Bellowhead are always great fun to see live – and their current tour is a riotous rampage through their latest album, Broadside – which reached number 16 in the UK Official Album Charts (and number 1 in the independent album charts!). This gig was probably the best I’ve seen them, from opening song Black Beetle Pies to the inevitable encore of New York Girls – dedicated in this instance to Obama, who had just been re-elected as president of the USA. (Yep, I’m definitely a bit behind on this blog…)

I defy anyone to go to a Bellowhead gig and not dance. Even if it’s a seated one….

Charity, friends and a chimpanzee on a segue…

Right, I think I’m up to gig #7 now aren’t I!?  Very behind, once again, oh dear. Note to self: must blog more!

First off – I’m going to call last Friday & Saturday collectively gig #7.  Friday night was spent at a pub in Acton watching the fantastic Indigo Earth who I’m sure I’ve mentioned before & will no doubt mention again at some point in the near future….

Saturday was then spent working at Oxjam Clapham – an insanely long day, with some fantastic music running from midday until 5am! On the day we raised just over £4,500 which is incredible since it’s the first year the Clapham festival has been running.  I was working at Arch 635 – the rock & indie venue for the day and heard some really great bands. If you missed it…well, you definitely missed out – but keep an eye out and come along next year!

My top pick from Arch 635 was Battle of You – great catchy songs and a killer lead vocal. Can’t find a video of them on YouTube though…but here’s a snap I took on Saturday. If you didn’t make it down to Oxjam, please donate some money to help reach the £5000 target!

Zip forwards in time  to Wednesday of this week, and you’ll find me at The Forge Arts Centre in Camden watching more friends of mine – The Old Dance School.  I’ve known these guys from back in Birmingham & seen them go from strength to strength over the years. I rather annoyingly missed the very beginning of their set, but was very pleased to see the venue was nicely full when I got there!  Do try and catch them on one of their tour dates – I don’t think I’ve met anyone who hasn’t loved their live set…I might just have to go to their Birmingham date, especially since it’s a triple bill with the incredible Lady Maisery and Gilmore & Roberts!

And if great live music isn’t enough, there’s talk of chimpanzees on segues and some truly incredible joke-telling………….

 

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…

I’m off to Sidmouth!

Despite my promises in my previous post, I’ve neglected my blog. Again. However, good news! In an hour or so, I’ll be off to Sidmouth Folkweek for a week of ceilidhs, gigs, more ceilidhs and general merriment.  Since I’m currently mid-dissertation (and stay tuned for a mildly more serious post on that comment soon…) I will be ‘dissertation-ing’, so to speak, in the mornings…  Aaaand polka…

5 tracks you should hear. Right now.

Here’s a few lovely tracks for you to listen to. Treat it as the nicest homework you’ll ever get…

1. Jim Moray – The Golden Glove

2. The Old Dance School – The North Edge

3. Indigo Earth – Wise Man

4. Pilgrims’ Way – Dark Eyed Molly/Snowy Monday

5. Tyde – Shake Loose The Border

 

And enjoy! L xx 

The Stamp Collective

I spent the best part of this afternoon sitting in the basement of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with The Stamp Collective recording a couple of tracks for our forthcoming album.

I started playing with the band this September (having played with the equally fantastic Conservatoire Folk Ensemble in Birmingham for 4 years before!). Keep an eye out – there will hopefully be some dates in the diary soon!

Above: Stamp Collective.

Below: Conservatoire Folk Ensemble

Some new, some old…

I’m always looking for something new to listen to. I seem to go through phases of finding an album or artist and listening to it over and over and over again…then needing something new.  This time, I turned to my trusty twitter followers and facebook friends to see what new delights I could find. Usually I’d expect find one or two new bands to have a listen to, but this time I’ve had to scale things down somewhat…

So here’s my challenge: to listen to (and write a little bit about!)….

 

Spiro – Kaleidophonica
Pilgrims’ Way – Pilgrims’ Way
Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
Sam Carter – Keepsakes
El Guincho – Pop Negro
Robert Glasper – Black Radio

 

There’s a few more but I’m cheating a little bit…I have some more shiny new albums to talk about soon!

Hooray!  

L x 

You’re never too old for a children’s song!

I’ve spent quite a while trying to think how I should start this blog, how to really set the tone for things to come…and believe me, I had every intention of starting with a serious post about whichever album it is that I can’t stop listening to. 

 

That was until I went out for a walk and switched my iPod to shuffle. If you don’t know Kate Rowe, you should…definite proof that you’re never too old for a children’s song! 

 

 

I’ll be more serious next time. Promise!*

 

 

*Well, I’ll try…