Tag Archives: Cambridge

Indiepop All-Dayer, Blue Moon, Cambridge, 16 November 2024

Cambridge band Model Village opened the show, pulling in a decent crowd for the early afternoon start. The Village never disappoint; today their set was sharp and unpredictable with an emphasis on their uptempo songs. As well as manning the sound desk, Jethro Steel is a hyper-talented musician and performed a solo set under the name Deer/Dear, well received by the audience. One of the best surprises of the day for me; Trust Fund were a folk duo who created a gentle acoustic oasis in the afternoon, an ambience then picked up by the mellow pop of Beckon, featuring the fine voice and guitar of Faith Taylor. Indie supergroup Swansea Sound brought their wry comment and preoccupations to the stage accompanied by punchy instrumental backing.

After the break, Mumbles delivered a set of informal structures and haphazard brilliance; this Manchester based rocky trio were in a class of their own. Knitting Circle played sparse, spiky pop with plenty of social comment and protest including the timely ‘Dance for Peace’. Local legends Mammoth Penguins were augmented by a keyboard/percussionist and played some lesser known tracks from their substantial back catalogue, also featuring an unexpected cover of ‘River Deep-Mountain High’.

It has taken a while for headliners Fightmilk to appear in Cambridge, they are a powerhouse punk/rock quartet tempered by the vocal drive and indomitable personality of singer Lily. With new album ‘No Souvenirs’ released the previous day, they are a band that delivered a stunning finale to a brilliant day, featuring one of the strongest line-ups I have seen for a while.

https://www.facebook.com/modelvillagers

https://trustfund.bandcamp.com/

https://thebandbeckon.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/swanseasound/

https://mumblesmuzak.bandcamp.com/

https://knittingcircle.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MammothPenguins/

https://www.facebook.com/fightmilkisaband/

Altered Images, Junction J1, Cambridge, 28 October 2024

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Vanity Fairy warmed up the audience with a set of ballads and uptempo tracks, including her catchy new single ‘Top of the Pops’, all echoing the heyday of disco in the late 70s and after.

After two hit jangly indiepop albums in the 80s Altered Images developed their recorded sound into the glossy sheen and lusher instrumentation of long-player ‘Bite’, performed in its entirety as the first half of this set. Singer Clare Grogan was on fine form, with plenty of reminiscence and chat with the crowd as the performance showed the nuances and strong song writing of the collection, including the big hit ‘Don’t Talk to Me About Love’ and ending with the dreampop of ‘Thinking About You’

After a short break the band returned with a hits set featuring signature track ‘I Could Be Happy’, the more recent ‘Mascara Streakz’ and the towering edgy brilliance of ‘Dead Pop Stars’. The finale to this excellent show was of course the chartbusting ‘Happy Birthday’, a song destined to be played forever…

http://www.alteredimagesband.com/

https://vanityfairy.bandcamp.com/

Public Service Broadcasting, Corn Exchange, Cambridge, 25 October 2024

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Halo Maud opened the show, singing in English and French with a three piece instrumental line-up that rapidly changed from pulsing energy to dreamlike atmosphere. A fine, dynamic set featuring many tracks from 2024 album ‘Celebrate’.

Public Service Broadcasting returned to the Corn Exchange with a set drawing on what is now a substantial back catalogue, but of course with an emphasis on recently released ‘The Last Flight’; movingly describing and commemorating the achievements and disappearance of pioneer aviator Amelia Earhart. The stage was like a giant plane control panel, with screens to show the archive clips. The four regular members of the band were stunningly augmented by the vocals and keyboards of EERA and a sound quality and volume that balanced the voice samples and music perfectly.

There were tracks from all their full-length albums – ‘Sputnik’, ‘Spitfire’, ‘Go!’, ‘Progress’ all featured strongly with the rarer ‘Korolev’ as a bonus too. The encore of the glorious ‘Night Mail’, the electropop of ‘People, Let’s Dance’, the dancing astronauts of ‘Gagarin’ and the thought-provoking history lesson of ‘Everest’ were a great distillation of the band’s depth and endeavour at the end of this brilliant show.

https://www.publicservicebroadcasting.net/

https://halomaud.bandcamp.com/

Megan Moroney, Junction J1, Cambridge, 12 September 2024

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Weston Loney kicked off the show in a packed Cambridge Junction; he was full of zest and energy raised to the highest level, especially for ‘Cappuccino’ and the anthemic ‘Red Diesel’. Radiating warmth and confidence, he set up the audience nicely for what was to come.

The Cambridge music scene does not feature many country-pop stars so we were fortunate to welcome a performer of the calibre of fast-rising phenomenon Megan Moroney to the friendly-sized J1 venue as part of her European tour. The opening salvo of ‘Lucky’ showed that the guitar driven four-piece band meant business, but it was second track ‘I’m Not Pretty’ and the melancholy beauty of ‘No Caller ID’ which really carry the lyrical elegance of Megan’s songwriting and vocal delivery.

‘Man on the Moon’ and ‘Miss Universe’ were good-time rockers, ‘Hope You’re Happy’ and ’28th of June’ are fine melodic ballads and ‘Indifferent’ is a glorious stealthy verse and power chorus. Throughout Megan involved the audience by putting the songs in context, particularly for the poignant ‘Girl in the Mirror’.

With Megan’s strong and fun stage presence, sparkly guitar playing and songs of the strength of her award-winning ‘Tennessee Orange’ and finale ‘Am I Okay?’ it was a fantastic show.

https://www.meganmoroney.com/

https://www.instagram.com/westonloney/

Hejira, Junction J2, Cambridge, 22 July 2024

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A full Junction J2 was treated to an evening of relaxed sound from the seven piece band Hejira, formed by guitarist Pete Oxley to play their own tunes but mainly as a showcase for the mid-career albums of Joni Mitchell. These collections were infused with jazz style and top-rate session players, especially on the live double LP ‘Shadows and Light’. At the time the compositions were given their emotional range and depth by Joni’s vocals and for the show tonight singer Hattie Whitehead delivered the empathetic and nuanced performances that did the songs full justice. The many highlights included ‘Coyote’, ‘Free Man in Paris’, ‘Woodstock’ and as an encore, the brilliant ‘A Case of You’.

https://www.facebook.com/hejiracelebratingjoni/

http://www.hattiewhitehead.com

Jo Ash : Nothing To Say, single released June 2024

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New single ‘Nothing To Say’ from keyboardist/singer Jo Ash may seem unseasonal with the opening lines ‘……cold wind bites, you’re outside with no sense of time…direction’s changed, but winter stays the same….’ but of course it is a metaphor for the emotional detachment and melancholy that is the core of the song.

The gentle piano theme of the introduction heralds a gorgeous waltz-time ballad, strong on melody and atmosphere. The instrumentation becomes denser for the musical uplift of the chorus ‘…wish for a storm when the skies are so clear…and there’s nothing to stand in your way….’. This new single is enhanced by a video with Jo walking through the signature surroundings (‘…sky so vast….’) around her East Anglian home.

It is a subtle yet potent track, in many ways the distilled musical essence of this talented performer.

https://www.joashmusic.com/

Dos Floris, Strawberry Fair, Cambridge, 1 June 2024

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The Strawberry Fair – Cambridge’s highly regarded free festival of music and culture is a platform for a huge range of talented acts and as the darkness fell across the site singer/songwriter/musician Dos Floris arrived on stage. Many of her earlier recordings and shows feature dense instrumentation and fabulous electronic soundscapes but tonight the songs were stripped back to an effects-free acoustic guitar. This emphasises the resonance, strength and sensitivity of her natural voice – a powerful instrument indeed.

She opened with the confiding, dreamlike ‘The Other Side’ (‘….in this fading light nobody feel the pain…’), which added a mellow warmth to the cold summer evening. New song ‘Fireflies’ continued to weave the magic along with the subtle melancholy of ‘Mexico’ (‘…..but if there’s a chance, we’ll go wipe our tears away go dance in Mexico….’). It was the gentle grandeur of ‘Mountains’ that stole the show; short lyrical phrases and effective melody building to a grand finish.

Florence Donovan aka Dos Floris splits her time between Italy and UK so it was a rare treat to see her perform In Cambridge (also as part of a bill with Tape Runs Out and Scatterchild at the Blue Moon the previous evening!).

https://dosfloris.com/home

Two Ways Home, Tall Trees, Cambridge, 7 May 2024

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Tall Trees is a welcoming former pub and now a plant-decorated music and food venue on the edge of Cambridge city centre. Opening performer Georgia Nevada played a short set of her own heartfelt compositions and a cover of ‘Small Town Hypocrite’, with her strong voice accompanied by acoustic guitar.

Two Ways Home is duo Isabella and Lewis Folkner, tonight augmented by drums and versatile second guitar to add extra depth to their country-based sound. Like Georgia, they have a warm and engaging stage presence. A real strength of the band is their song variety; from the wide open spaces of single ‘Medicine Man’ and ‘Waiting on Luck’ to the country-rock of ‘Feet on the Asphalt’ (…watch the fun sock video too…). Then the quieter songs have a real emotional heft, using three-part harmonies to great effect on the folky ‘Push and Pull’ and especially the gorgeous ‘Don’t Give Up On Me Tonight’, performed to rapt attention from the audience.

‘Tattoo’ has neat lyrical ideas then the up-tempo pop of ‘Broken Hearts Club’ ends this excellent show, leaving behind many very impressed listeners.

https://www.twowayshome.com/

https://www.georgianevada.com/

Mammoth Penguins : Here, LP released May 2024

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The long-awaited new album from Mammoth Penguins arrives, opening with the powerhouse blast of ‘Species’, previously released as a single and superbly showcasing their musical clout and lyrical acuity. Following next is the light touch of ‘I Know The Signs’ where the simplicity of the words ‘…It’s all in the way you smile…I had my guard down…I wasn’t trying to impress anyone…’ belie the deeper feelings.

The attractive dissonance of ‘Flyers’ fires another neat anthem; a mini-history of many a struggling band. ‘Everything I Write’ is a pure but dark pop gem ‘…you don’t listen to what I say….I have to tell you the same thing two to three times a day…’. The title track ‘Here’ departs into a lusher sound featuring strings and builds a rich atmosphere over five and a half minutes.

The staccato guitar of ‘Old Friends’ underpins a realistic sentiment delivered wistfully by band composer Emma Kupa ‘….I can’t believe we made two lemonades last all night….why did we wait twenty years to laugh like old times?….’ while ‘Lost Friends’ acoustically echoes some of the same regrets.

And there are more tracks to savour on this excellent collection; the sleeve artwork may be monochrome but the songwriting, performance and production is full of depth and colour.

(Catch Mammoth Penguins Live!, at The Blue Moon in Cambridge 23/05/2024 with support from Huia Fun Club and Broken Chanter)

https://www.facebook.com/MammothPenguins

Psychic Lemon : The Unheimlich Kingdom, LP released 29 February 2024

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The much anticipated new long player from Cambridge-based psychedelic stalwarts, Psychic Lemon…

Trepanning For Gold The band drill into your head with this brash opener; a repeating three chord hyper-distorted guitar riff and a hypnotic drum pattern enhanced by cymbal clashes. Halfway through the guitar solo ascends into space and drifts off into the ether.
Cognitive Dissidents This sparse intro could be the start of an edgy sixties pop song, but don’t be fooled; the guitar smashes in and the track becomes an inverted twist on Pink Floyd’s Interstellar Overdrive.
National Psycho Geographic Frenetic drumming and doom-laden bass with a siren call from a guitar duelling with itself and eventually unleashing the dark hordes of Mordor.
The Unheimlich Kingdom The band have now reduced to two members but there is no decrease in their creativity as this 21-minute title track clearly shows. Underpinned by a rich and unchanging bass pedal root, the instrumentation subtly evolves at the speed of tectonic plates, pulling in the listener to a weird world of metronomic percussion and guitar strings being tortured and deformed. It is a triumphant achievement; bleak, despairing…..but totally addictive.

http://www.psychiclemon.co.uk