The Hot Lights, The Corner House, Cambridge, 4 July 2014

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Billed as ‘Cambridge Indie Heroes’, anyone expecting an evening of relentless introspective shoegazing would have been surprised at the exuberance and variety on offer. First on were Riverane, two guitars, bass and drums line-up. Vocalist /guitarist Gabriel Coulter has raw edges to his voice, suiting the sound well. The songs vary in unexpected ways, different sections, changes and instrumental passages show a will to experiment and keep the listener interested beyond the standard ‘Indie’ template. They are a young band with potential, listen to their soundcloud tracks.

The next act was the solo guitar and voice of Dickon McCarthy, an unassuming and unpretentious performer. His gentle and mellifluous vocal style, smoothly drifting over busy guitar work is something a bit different from the current crop of solo singer/guitarists. Having seen so many loops/triggered sounds/backing tracks etc recently it was intriguing to see a performer going back to basics, creating the rhythm and effects interweaved with the conventional accompaniment on a standard acoustic guitar. Again, have a listen to soundcloud…

Venus Grove are a competent four piece, playing catchy tunes drawing on the power-pop and punk heritage of the late 70s and early 80s. The lead singer Bob Nicholas had a style and delivery similar to Elvis Costello (and the glasses as well..) and the drummer created a punchy pace to the songs. The set built up well, again there was variety and having read that their influences were XTC, Beatles, Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix and others I think most of those boxes were ticked with style.

Top of the bill were The Hot Lights, they had a shaky start with a guitar string repair needed during a suspended opening song, but the audience were patient and responded well to the comeback ‘Keeping on Track’. With a relaxed and very charismatic front man and many supporters in the audience the rocking set rolled along with energy, their own material was strong and there was an interesting choice of two covers, ‘Luka’ the Suzanne Vega song (she was playing in Cambridge earlier this week), later covered by The Lemonheads, and the Nelly Furtado song ‘Turn off The Light’. Second guitar was sometimes substituted by keyboards for a different version of their Indie sound. I particularly enjoyed the songs towards the end of the set, ‘You Should Be With Me’ was a highlight. It was an engaging and enjoyable performance..

As a prelude to the Cambridge leg of the ‘Tour de France’, there was a free concert on Parker’s Piece featuring Billy Ocean and The Bay City Rollers, I think I made the right decision to seek out the alternative free show in The Corner House…

https://www.facebook.com/TheHotLights
http://www.thehotlights.com/
https://www.facebook.com/VenusGroveBand
https://www.facebook.com/dickonmccarthymusic?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/riverane?fref=ts

Horse Party, The Corner House , Cambridge, 20 June 2014

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Horse Party are a 3-piece indie-blues band of drums and two guitars, playing a set of confident tunes, mostly taken from their recent album ‘Cover Your Eyes’. The pounding beat of ‘Back to Mono’ opens the set, the guitars overlap well and nobody missed the bass, it was certainly a full enough sound for the appreciative audience in the confines of the Corner House. There is a definite American influence, the guitar notes bend and linger and each song has plenty of time to establish the mood musically and lyrically. A highlight was when sparse arrangements in ‘Six’ gave way to guitar fireworks and inventive drum power, then back again.

Ellie Langley, Seymour Quigley and Shannon Hope are accomplished musicians, based in Bury St Edmunds (once described as ‘the new Seattle’ by John Peel during a previous musical flourishing..) and are important contributors to the resurgence of the local music scene, including their own fanzine and promoting regular music nights. An enjoyable set, I hope to see them again…

https://www.facebook.com/horsepartyparty

The Organ Grinder’s Monkey, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 18 June 2014

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An experimental night at The Portland, free entry and biscuits. Squadron Scramble are a duo, playing keyboard and guitar and totally lost in their music, anonymous to the point of standing in the shadows and not speaking with the crowd. But they didn’t need to, the sound was powerful, adventurous guitar underpinned by sympathetic keyboard, backing tapes and an animated back projection. The overall theme of the instrumental played was flying, from the Second World War to echoes of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. It was hypnotic, pulsing, sometimes challenging and discordant but always interesting and the visuals fitted well.

Pete Um has been on the Cambridge music scene for a while but this was the first time I had seen him. Seated at a table like a character in a Samuel Beckett play he speaks or sings over tapes of varying low-key musical styles , most tracks lasting less than a minute. Reflections on relationships, political ideas, war and peace, Cambridge, all a bit random but you keep listening to see where he goes next..

The Organ Grinder’s Monkey is talented guitarist Ben Garnett, inextricably linked to his laptop (‘Bill’), together on a restless quest to alter the form and structure of song. Describing the sound as ‘lo-fi glitch-rock’, he plays guitar and sings, interacting with loops and effects, triggered by guitar, pedals and voice. Audience participation was taken to a new level when one of the crowd was given a controller for a personal real-time mix of one of the songs. In ‘See This Through’ at the end of the set, the staccato bursts of bass and percussion invaded the existing complex structure of melody and vocoder. The ideas are strong, as conventional songs they stand up anyway but the constant diversions and changes sustain the listeners’ interest. Have a listen on Soundcloud, including some intriguing remixes of other peoples songs…

http://www.togm.co.uk
http://peteum.bandcamp.com/
http://www.softbodiesrecords.co.uk/artists/squadron-scramble

The Pogues, Thetford Forest, 14 June 2014

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It has been said many times, but the setting of this venue is something else, a clearing deep in the forest (must not get too mystical, there is also a visitor centre, playground, bike hire etc next to it…), towering trees with the sun sinking below as the headliners arrive on stage….

Back to the music, the opening act was Billy Vincent from South London, named after the two singers, Billy Barratt and David Vincent. They have some good recordings already (see SoundCloud), but recent new songs formed the bulk of the set. The band line-up produces a full sound of electric and acoustic guitars, with some sparkling short lead lines too. There is great interplay and understanding between the two singers, taking turns to carry the song. Their contrasting voices, pleading on ‘Loveless Man’, heartfelt on ‘Dark Are My Days’, add to the variety. On ‘Learning to Drink’, the country sound and sentiment soon gets a more London grown flavour. It was their biggest gig to date, they were pleased to be there and that communicated well to the crowd, who were with them all the way.

I had listened to the Fat White Family album ‘Champagne Holocaust’ but hearing those tracks played on stage was a whole other level. The opener ‘Auto Neutron’ is an unusual slow building song but established the template of Hammond organ, spaced-out guitar (5 sided), bold drumming and the deranged vocal acrobatics of Lias Saoudi. There were reminders of The Fall, especially in ‘Wild American Prairie’, Velvet Underground on ‘Touch The Leather’, but they have an overall sound and presence all their own. And what a presence it is. It was music for a cramped, dark venue but they just went ahead anyway in the light and air, greatly appreciated by the mesmerised enthusiasts down the front who realised that this could be the start of something very big.

Finally the mighty Pogues arrived, they may be older and more static (although James Fearnley was jumping around with his accordion for most of the set!) than when I last saw them but they make up for it in musicianship(featuring an eccentric collection of unusual stringed instruments), strength of songs and of course the legend that is Shane MacGowan. It was a greatest hits set, ‘Streams of Whiskey’, ‘Dirty Old Town’, ‘A Pair of Brown Eyes’, ‘Sally MacLennane’ all good crowd pleasers. Shane left the stage a few times, but Spider Stacy and tin whistle filled in the front- man role perfectly, including a spirited ‘Jesse James’. Shane’s vocals seemed to improve as the show proceeded, by the time of ‘The Irish Rover’, he was on fine form. Shane said…’You’ve got a nice set-up here’, a bit of an understatement as they launched into ‘Fiesta’, an appropriate end to an amazing party..

http://www.pogues.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FatWhiteFamily
http://www.billyvincent.co.uk/

Boo Hewerdine, Junction, Cambridge, 31 May 2014

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Hafdis Huld is a singer-songwriter from Iceland, she charmed the Junction J2 audience with her pure, soothing voice and ukulele, backed by her multi layered acoustic guitar playing partner, in many songs laying down initial loops then playing over them with skill. Her universal tales of love and longing could be described as a bit playful and quirky, but there is a darker side, for example the sinister ‘Wolf’, co-written with Boo. She was popular with the audience and returned later to provide some brief backing vocals.

Returning to his home town Boo Hewerdine has been described as “one of Britain’s most consistently accomplished songwriters” and he is a highly regarded performer too, consistently writing and touring since the mid eighties. The set tonight was a chronological tour of his career, from the thoughtful pop singles of his band The Bible (‘Honey be Good’) through his many collaborations, productions and directions(too many to list here…). His sound is rooted in folk/pop balladeering, the songs wistful and lovelorn. Between each song his anecdotes, usually about his encounters with other musicians ( k.d. lang, Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson etc) are self-deprecating and actually very funny.

Standout song ‘Patience of Angels’, the subject of a half hour programme on BBC radio last year, featured early on in the set, showcasing his mellow voice and full acoustic guitar sound. There were also new songs, part of current collaborations and from an album due in the autumn. There was an encore of ‘I Started a Joke’, written by Robin Gibb in 1967 and fitting perfectly into the emotional range of the evening. I have seen him many times and will see him again…

http://www.boohewerdine.net/

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Tom Williams and the Boat, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 29 May 2014

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Joe Bell and The Broadway Danny Rose, named after the minor masterpiece Woody Allen film from 1984, took to the stage with gently plucked and strummed acoustic guitar. His warm and affecting performance connected with the small audience. The songs are brimming with creative ideas, from the titles (‘Hang my Gallows High’, ‘Beating Hearts of Birds’), to the ambiguous emotions of the lyrics (the poignant ‘I Can’t Belong to You’), to the wide vocal range and tones he uses. If you listen to his soundcloud page or sample CD the varied instrumentation used creates mini movie soundscapes, (a bit difficult to play solo on stage!) showing the potential directions in which his sound could be developed.

Tom Williams and the Boat have three albums of folk-driven indie rock to their names, many festival appearances and a devoted following. Opening song ‘Little Bit in Me’ showcased interesting dark lyrics, complemented by acoustic guitar and electric piano blending with fuzzy guitar lines. A strong bass and some fiery drums added to the light and shade through the set. There was even a (too brief) bit of harmonica later too..

Tom Williams is a relaxed and accomplished frontman, his easy exchanges with the audience worked well. They are justly proud of their new album ‘Easy Fantastic’ and its rockier sound featured on the later songs this evening, when Tom replaced his acoustic with electric. The sound was varied, the sprawling epic ’25’ begins with brooding guitar and voice, building up to guitar fireworks and feedback fade ending. This was a bit of a change, but the sound of the closing song ‘Get Older’ brought us back to the pounding folk rock where we started. It was a good show, the small but appreciative audience will be there next time too I think…

https://www.facebook.com/tomwilliamsandtheboat
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Bell-and-The-Broadway-Danny-Rose/147966985248037

The Pictish Trail, Junction, Cambridge, 19 May 2014

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The Pictish Trail is the performing name of Johnny Lynch, curator of the ‘Lost Map’ records label based in the Isle of Eigg. He tours with bands from his roster and anyone else who fits into the ethos. Tonight in a very empty J2 (about 20 people) it was difficult to generate energy and establish a rapport but he managed it, with his random ramblings and engrossing songs. Starting with a single line organ accompaniment his plaintive voices summoned up the sleepy shores of the Isle of Eigg (home to 87 people). He switched to gently plucked acoustic folk guitar for more low key songs, including one from his album of fifty songs all lasting 30 seconds and another one about a Lighthouse Keeper, who switched off the light…

He then introduced Tuff Love, a power indie trio, playing some noisy and short bursts of social comment and well-honed grunge. They would have been better off in a crowded pub room, but that could not be helped and it was a good performance.

Pictish returned after the interval, amplification problems treating us to a delicate unplugged song down in the audience while heavily booted technicians ran around trying to solve the problem. When volume was restored there were more interesting songs and ideas, I was beginning to think of similarities to the singer Babybird (remember ‘You’re Gorgeous’? Of course you do, it is a great song and the album ‘Ugly Beautiful’ is worth a listen too).

Finally he introduced Monoganon, a four piece band from Glasgow with some unusual sounds, using the properties of two guitars, some keyboard and the bass player from Tuff Love. The music ranged from folk, retro psychedelia, some good melody, all thrown in together but not quite gelling or connecting with the audience on this occasion. Listen to the album ‘Songs To Swim To’, a lo-fi alternative to the live show…

http://www.thepictishtrail.com/
http://www.facebook.com/ReallyTuffLove
http://lostmap.com/
http://lostmap.com/monoganon

Teleman, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 18 May 2014

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Teleman and Gentlemen at the Portland Arms, the perfect way to end the warmest day of the year so far?

Opening the show, Gentlemen had a full, engrossing, retro sound. The six members of the band clearly love their music, from the rocking openers to when they are immersed in the depths of psychedelia and the instrumental explorations of Pink Floyd’s early albums on ‘Late Nacht’ and ‘Gentle Duke’, the songs that ended their short set.

Teleman were formed from the ashes of Pete and the Pirates, a guitar based indie pop outfit. I saw them perform at the Leicester Summer Sundae Festival in 2011 (I do occasionally venture further than Cambridge…) and they played a great festival show to an appreciative audience.

I had realised Teleman were a change in direction, into more keyboard based songs. They did not disappoint, poignant lyrics were delivered clearly by singer and guitarist Thomas Sanders, his plaintive tones cutting through the interesting mix of varied keyboard sounds from Jonny Sanders along with a firm foundation of drums and bass. They played many tracks from the new album, being released at the start of June.

‘…Thanks for appreciating our quiet songs Cambridge…’. We did. And the rockier moments, and especially the haunting atmosphere of harmonium and voice on the first single ‘Christina’ and the catchy familiarity of later tracks ’23 Floors Up’ and ‘Steam Train Girl’. I like the way that the songs speak for themselves, no need to overdose the volume or artificially build up the track to a big finish. There was waltz time, a vocoder robot voice, a swirling fairground organ controlled but threatening to overwhelm the song, the twists and turns kept on coming.

It was an excellent performance, perhaps the release of the album will lead to a deserved bigger audience….

http://telemanmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gentlementheband

Wolf Alice, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 14 May 2014

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There was a strong sense of anticipation evident at a sold out Portland Arms, Wolf Alice were in town.

First on were Gengahr, a four piece band from London. The opening ‘Dizzy Ghosts’ set the tone for the short set, each song featuring the almost falsetto lead vocal twisting around the swooping guitar effects. There are comparisons with Wild Beasts but that is no bad thing. The strongest song was ‘Fill My Gums With Blood’ (great title!) and an appreciative audience listened intently to a confident performance.

On the way in I had been given a packet of popping candy, a promotion for the next act Superfood, another four piece but this time more of an energetic sound, with sharp guitar lines punctuating the unpredictable changes and developments in each song. Someone near me said ‘they sound like Blur’, which at first I could not get out of my head but I think they have an impressive sound of their own. The set really took off half way through with ‘Bubbles’ all the way to the final song ‘Superfood’. They were an ideal act to prepare us for the headliners..

Then finally they were on, described as ‘fuzzy indie rock’, Wolf Alice are impressive on recordings, but live they are something very special. Excellent sound quality, a subtle echo effect on the microphone for the stunning lead vocals from Ellie Rowsell, powerful guitars and drums, driving bass lines and a collection of strong songs. From the start the fans were singing along and any newcomers in the audience were soon won over. An outbreak of crowd surfing kept the security staff busy from ‘You’re a Germ’ onward, adding to the heady atmosphere. The set included a brilliant ‘Blush’ blending into ‘Wicked Game’, a cover of the Chris Isaak song from 1989. ‘Bros’ finished the show, then back on for an encore of ‘Fluffy’. A triumphant show, come back soon, probably to a bigger venue next time…

http://www.facebook.com/wolfalicemusic
http://www.superfoodjunk.com/
http://www.facebook.com/gengahrband

Martin Stephenson, Junction, Cambridge, 10 May 2014

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Laurie Levine opened the show and immediately her haunting tales of love lost and found hit the right mood. She is a singer and songwriter from South Africa, with strong but vulnerable, emotive vocals and her own effective acoustic guitar, backed up with subtle keyboards and on the up tempo ‘Not Gonna Cry’ accompanied by excellent harmonica from Jessica Lauren. The short set of five songs were varied country and folk blues, featuring an American traditional roots sound but with something extra special added. Many of her recorded songs feature a full band and that would be very good to see live, but for this show she made a big impact with just the sparse instrumentation, her warm personality and that great expressive voice.

The intimate and thoughtfully designed J2 venue was well suited to the evening, it is a good sized space, excellent acoustics and atmosphere. Next on was Helen McCookerybook, she first found fame in the early eighties as bass player and singer of The Chefs, a fun punk rock band from Brighton. Martin Stephenson and his band arrived on stage as her backing band and together they played an infectious blend of skiffle and indie pop, her pure and attractive voice blending well with the music. It was all a pleasure to listen to and the onstage enjoyment communicated well to the audience.

As is the current trend, the main part of the set for Martin Stephenson was the performance of a whole album, in this case ‘Gladsome, Humour and Blue’ from 1988, the excellent follow up to the highly acclaimed debut album ‘Boat to Bolivia’. Martin is a talented guitarist and singer and he and the band adapted to the wide range of folk, roots, blues and rock of the varied set of songs. He engages constantly with the audience, between and during songs, and also bringing himself and the band out amongst us, still playing.

I have been a fan for many years (the last time I saw MS I stood behind John Peel in the crowd, but didn’t talk to him unfortunately…) and I enjoy the live performances, although it is a different atmosphere from the albums, where some of the recorded versions of the quieter songs are immaculate examples of heartbreaking words and musical crafting. He is a likeable, friendly personality and I think that his deconstruction of some of the lyrics and eccentric random musings make an entertaining evening, but did not leave much time for much more than the album, so I missed hearing some of his other brilliant songs…

http://www.laurielevine.co.za/
http://www.mccookerybook.com/
https://www.facebook.com/martin.stephenson.984