Tag Archives: live

The Lovely Eggs, Portland Arms , Cambridge, 26 April 2016

The meanderings and musings of Cambridge flâneur Pete Um opened the show, always a spontaneous and positive experience as he leafs through his repertoire for the next sparse percussive backing for his sharply honed words. I think several audience members (including The Lovely Eggs) were drawn in towards his world by the end of the set.

The Lovely Eggs are indeed lovely, they win the audience over in a few seconds, but I am sure that by the way the songs were recognised in the nearly full venue many were converts already. The duo of Holly Ross on distorted guitar and David Blackwell on drums make a sumptuous punk-rock noise, good in itself but add the lyrics and vocal delivery on top and you can see why they are playing to adoring audiences and still going strong after ten years.

Witty words and odd observations appear in short bursts of a few seconds such as ‘I’m A Journalist’ or the longer structured songs like ‘Magic Onion’ (“..he’s running rings around me..”). The affecting verses of ‘I Just Want Someone To Fall In Love With’ are punctuated with a show-stopping sing-along chorus and the noisiest guitar of the evening. Great stuff, as is the strange imagery of closing song ‘Don’t Look At Me (I Don’t Like It)’ (the video for this song features comedian and national treasure John Shuttleworth!!).

All together now…”I Like Birds (But I Like Other Animals Too)…”

http://www.thelovelyeggs.co.uk/

Teleman, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 9 April 2016

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Returning again to Cambridge, Teleman had a new second album to celebrate, already gaining airplay and critical acclaim. Supported on most of this tour by the 80s electronica of NZCA LINES, (who I would like to see at a future date) their more than worthy replacement was the casually likeable and charismatic Oscar, who was also their support last time at the Portland!

With his distinctive baritone voice backed by bass, drums and synths/guitar Oscar previewed the pop delights that would appear on his new highly anticipated album ‘Cut And Paste’ released this May. Extensive touring has artfully polished the catchy ‘Beautiful Words’, ‘Breaking My Phone’ and best of all the final song ‘Sometimes’. New single is the reggae-tinged ‘Good Things’, nicely laid-back and summer sounding.

Teleman too were on fine form, mixing the new songs from ‘Brilliant Sanity’ in with many of the highlights of their debut album. Opening with elusive non-album track ‘Strange Combinations’ and up-tempo ‘Skeleton Dance’ their sold-out show was fired-up from the start (they had earlier played a matinee show at The Portland to cope with ticket demand). The title track is cryptic and a bit disturbing (“…I lost everything I ever had, I lost everything in a housefire…”) and ‘English Architecture’ is a tale of quiet alienation.

I enjoyed the relentless groove of ‘Drop Out’ (featuring an incursion into the audience by guitar-wielding Thomas Sanders) and the strange yearnings of ‘Tangerine’. Tonight though the faster, louder songs steal the show with the excellent sound quality allowing that ice-cool but vulnerable voice to sail above razor-sharp backing, ‘Glory Hallelujah’ is as rousing as its title and the double encore of the formidable ‘Dusseldorf’ (one of my favourite tracks of 2016!) and the dark pulsing ‘Not In Control’ ended the set on a high.

http://www.telemanmusic.com/
http://www.oscaroscar.co.uk/

Gavin Chappell-Bates, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 8 April 2016

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A double R*E*P*E*A*T Records album launch; starting with ‘Horizons’ from Horse Party, mostly a collection of songs released as EPs, singles and downloads over the last year. They are a brilliant live band, tonight the original trio were augmented by a bass player on stage and that gives these new songs even more clout.
The stealthy, sparse vocals and guitar from Ellie Langley and Seymour Quigley set the mood of the song, then the hooks crash in; the opening song ‘Animal’ showcases this to great effect with an extra power bass line and of course the ace drumming by Shannon Hope, driving the sound to new heights every time.
Highlights were the slower bluesy groove of ‘Gratitude Falling’, the bittersweetness of ‘Out Of Sight’ and the energetic final song ‘Paydirt’, this was the best performance I had seen by this electrifying band.

‘We Are The Ones’ is the new CD from Gavin Chappell-Bates (reviewed on this site) and instead of his solo live-looping tonight he was backed by a full band, Cambridge rockers Bouquet Of Dead Crows. Gavin’s songs are from the head and heart; he started with ‘Refugee’ a gradual build-up to a huge Manic Street Preachers (his favourite band) style chorus. The band stepped up to the faster ‘Church Of Rock and Roll’ and the mighty bass line underpinning the disconcerting chord changes of ‘Black Holes’.

’95’ was an anthem to get the crowd singing along to the hookline and his very personal early song ‘Last Angel’ was a sensitively sung duet, then his bitter reflection on recent politics ‘The Finest Hour’ got a full workover from the band.
There was a surprise during the end of the ballad ‘Starlight’; suddenly there were 11 more singers on stage , a choir in black who had been part of the audience. This emotional lift carried into the title-track rouser ‘We Are The Ones’ (a worthy successor to the rallying cry of the late 80s, ’68 Guns’ by The Alarm?) and finally ‘Dead End Disco Streets’ closed the show and launched the album in style…

http://gavinchappellbates.com/
https://www.facebook.com/horsepartyparty

Gavin Chappell-Bates : We Are The Ones, LP released 8 April 2016

Kiran Leonard, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 6 April 2016

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An evening of musicians pushing the boundaries of expectations. Due to time constraints two of the supporting acts decided to share the stage. Local guitar maestro C Joynes interwoven with the dark spoken words of Pete Um was a one-off collaboration that fitted logically with the rest of the show.

Irma Vep attired in cape and shades made his presence felt as he fronted Kiran Leonard’s band (including the man himself on second guitar) and blended underground rock with cryptic words, mostly indecipherable through distortion effects. Violin added texture and by the end of the set it had all become a bit addictive.

When Kiran Leonard stepped up and opened with sixteen minutes of ‘Pink Fruit’, the pivotal track and single(!) from new album ‘Grapefruit’ the attentiveness of the audience went up to the level at a classical music concert. Standing sideways to the audience so as to interact to the maximum with his band Kiran Leonard played guitar and sung with melancholic light and shade through the huge disparity of musical genres, and that was just the first track. There is lyrical complexity and imagery that adds another layer too.

Much has been written about his prodigious talent and creativity, and on the evidence of this performance I would agree. The music splits into unpredictable sections, there is prog rock virtuosity, gentle folk, all-out rock and much in between. Some of the shorter songs such as ‘Secret Police’ follow conventional routes before breaking apart in desperation. They ended with a blistering ‘Geraldo’s Farm’, brilliantly complex and energetic drums from Andrew Cheetham propelling the song on seemingly for ever.

We left the Portland Arms quietly, feeling the world had shifted slightly on its musical axis, the performance was that good.

http://kiranleonard.bandcamp.com/

Tellison, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 28 March 2016

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Power punk trio The Muncie Girls (from Exeter) have a lot going for them musically; the distinctive voice and fluid bass playing of Lande Hekt, a complete range of guitar parts from Dean McMullen and the dynamic drumming of Luke Ellis – a treat to see a drummer smash the kit with so much energy and plenty of more subtle flourishes too.

Showcasing songs from their debut album ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ (a reference to Sylvia Plath’s ‘Bell Jar’); ‘Respect’, ‘Gone With The Wind’ and ‘Learn In School’ are examples of hard-hitting lyrics with some sharp hooks. The final song ‘Gas Mark 4’ is a sad tale of desperation and a memorable end to the set.

Tellison return to Cambridge with their blend of tight semi-anthemic rock and lyrical intrigue. In an extensive and energetic set drawing mainly from their last two albums they showed their musical might; the sound quality and mix was excellent and the two guitars, drums and bass combine to make a formidable wall of sound. Lead singer Stephen Davidson keeps it all moving with some self-deprecating audience interaction before launching into another heartfelt vocal, also not forgetting second guitarist Peter Philips, lead voicing on ‘Collarbone’ and the pop-perfect ‘Boy’.

Towards the end of the set three consecutive songs sum up the band very well; the plaintive sadness of ‘Orion’ with its gentle beginning hijacked by the biggest noise guitars can make (a song inspired by walking down Mill Road in Cambridge Stephen tells us, I was thinking it was some classical odyssey?); ‘Letter To The Team…’, the acoustic tale of resignation that opens the last album ‘Hope Fading Nightly’ and finally all out rocker ‘Tact Is Dead’. A compelling triumvirate showing the many facets of a band who should definitely be reaching a wider audience..

http://www.tellison.co.uk/
http://www.munciegirls.co.uk/

Tellison : Hope Fading Nightly, released September 2015

Tellison, Corner House, Cambridge, 4 June 2015

The Scissors, The Boathouse, Cambridge, 12 March 2016

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After ten years on the Cambridge music scene The Scissors release a new album, the grammatically challenging ‘The Scissors Is The Haunted Mirror’.

The four-piece promise ‘carnival freakshow organ, primitive synths, and rock’n’roll guitar powered psychpunkpop.’ and much of this manifesto is to be heard in show starter ‘Come With Me’, the opening track on the LP. In the week that Keith Emerson of ELP became the latest rocker to die in 2016, it was good to be reminded of the great Hammond organ sound as it pushed its way into the chorus of this punchy bass-driven song.

‘No Go The Lowdown’ is a rocker with a cryptic lyric and the clever effect of all instruments and voice sharing the hook line. We had a brief acoustic interlude featuring antique accordion and acoustic guitar for ‘Attack Of The Phantom Teardrops’ then ‘Phone Calls From The Dead’ and final track ‘Your House Has Ghosts’ are back to noisy pop-rock. Best of all is the slow-burner blues of ‘Why Don’t You Cry’, with theremin textures (always fascinating to watch), guitar fireworks and the vocals from Stewart Harris making the most of the straight to the heart melody.

It was a good advert for the album (although I would have liked to hear the keyboard rushes and emotional turmoil hidden behind the title of of ‘Don’t Hate Me Just Because I’m Yours’).
Their free lyric sheet proclaimed it was ‘a phantasmagorical entertainment to thrill and beguile the senses…’, they certainly proved again that they are one of the best live bands in Cambridge.

http://www.thescissors.co.uk/

Telegram, Portland Arms, Cambridge, 29 February 2016

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There was quite a good turn-out at the Portland on a chilly Monday night for the double bill of Warm Brains and Telegram. Warm Brains are a trio from London grinding out some dour pop noise, promoting their newish album ‘Big Wow’. There was some punchy drums and what seemed like chords being played on the bass, supporting Rory Attwell’s deadpan vocal delivery. It was a challenging listen (which I like) for most of the set and then the last two songs seemed to move onto a much more accessible plane.

Telegram have a lot going for them, they look extra retro-cool, but not aloof and they have a spirited palette of songs and musical styles. Matt Saunders is a charismatic frontman, with vocal tones combining a Welsh lilt with the stylings of early Bryan Ferry. They do have a glam-rock/Roxy Music vibe going on; (sometimes playing a live version of Eno’s ‘Needles In The Camel’s Eye’) but tonight the sole cover song was a thoughtful commemorative version of ‘Heroes’.
Their original material, mostly taken from recent album ‘Operator’ was tight and addictive, from the opening punch of ‘Telegramme’ to single release ‘Taffy Come Home’. The sound was spectacularly good with the bass-lines standing out and the show was well-paced, with a good building response from the audience. I was very impressed.

http://telegram-band.com/
http://www.warmbrains.com/

Flaming June, Corner House, Cambridge, 27 February 2016

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Flaming June is the performing name of singer and guitarist Louise Eatock, playing a solo set of her own compositions as a warm-up for her EP official launch show with violin and percussion on March 12. The first two songs were from the new EP ‘In Pursuit Of Happiness’ and both are precautionary tales of trust and wariness, with some traditional folk imagery.

Unrecorded new song ‘Firework Maker’s Daughter’ sounds promising followed by older song ‘Stop The Ride’, with a rhythmic onslaught from the acoustic guitar. Although the songs are rooted in folk her guitar playing has a frequent rockier side and in the next new track ‘You’ve Mended Well’ she also shows some Spanish guitar stylings of rhythm and chord progressions. This feeling continues into the assertive ‘Wednesdays and Weekends’ about an ambiguous part-time relationship, compellingly sung.

‘Little Love In A Cruel World’ (“bored with life’s drudgery…”) lifts into a rousing hook-line then the intriguingly named ‘Dopamine Oxytocin’ reminds us that all these feelings are just chemicals anyway(?!) with another catchy chorus.

Louise has an enviable back-catalogue of fine songs to draw on and this was an excellent selection on show this evening.

http://loui552.wix.com/flamingjuneuk

Flaming June : In Pursuit Of Happiness EP, released December 2015

Wave Pictures, Portland Arms, Cambridge,17 February 2016

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Singer/guitarist B-Sydes (the performing name of Ben Sydes) opened the show playing tracks from his debut long-player ‘Constant Fictions’. On the album (check out the cover artwork?) a full band give more of a variety of aural textures, but with his solo guitar and intense vocals he convincingly expresses some heartfelt emotional lyrics. He has folk influences but the rockier rhythms come through strongly and there was a positive audience reaction.

The Wave Pictures are one of my favourite bands, so I was very pleased to see them here playing again to a sold-out Portland Arms. The core of Dave Tattersall on guitar and vocals, Franic Rozycki on bass and Jonny Helm on drums were augmented with well-judged percussion from guest Dave Beauchamp and they were promoting their newly released vinyl only (no download/CD!) ‘A Season In Hull’, recorded in one day around one microphone…

There were a few of these new songs featured, sounding promising on first hearing but we also had a selection across nearly all of their extensive back catalogue. Their sound is uncluttered, no effects pedals for guitar and bass and Dave Tattersall’s lyrics draw you into a personal world of memories, wry observations, wistful longings and regrets.

All three members have their turn in the spotlight, sliding bass breaks, pounding drum solos and the dynamic yet relaxed guitar lines which anchors it all. They can rock out; ‘Pea Green Coat’ is polite-ish punk, ‘Give Me A Second Chance’ is pleading desperation over rock-solid drums and bass. ‘Cassius Clay’ and ‘Now You Are Pregnant’ are quieter tracks with an extra emotional punch to the lyrics.

And who can resist the tempting delights of ‘Friday Night In Loughborough’??

The band can easily move into cross-cultural rhythmic and dance styles, such as ‘Blink Back A Tear’ and the tour-de-force nostalgia rush of ‘Before This Day’. And much much more.

It was a stunning show, go and see them…

http://thewavepictures.com/
ttp://www.b-sydes.co.uk/

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 16 February 2016

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Yak are a three-piece onslaught of drums, bass and guitar, with little of the quiet peaceful nature of their bovine namesakes. The guitar and vocals are twisted and distorted adding extra punch to ‘Hungry Heart’ and ‘No’. Singer Ollie Burslem plays occasional and strangely vertical keyboard sounding like he is opening some hellish vault to release more thunderous sounds. New single ‘Victorious(National Anthem)’ would have my vote if entered as a contender. Great show openers, a blistering performance.

With their recent project ‘Paper Mâché Dream Balloon’, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard branched out into acoustic, pastoral grooves to make a summer concoction well worth a listen.
Only the up-tempo ‘Trapdoor’ from that album had an airing tonight; the seven-piece band filling the stage were tight, electric and more into some of the extended workouts featured on previous long-player ‘I’m In Your Mind Fuzz’ as well as a few new songs. ‘Hot Wax’ was an addictive groove as was the jazz-tinged ‘The River’.
Although mainly electric, singer/guitarist Stu Mackenzie added some flute and there was plenty of harmonica to hear too. The band’s energetic live performance is driven from the back by twin drummers, mostly in complete synchronisation, a hypnotic effect to watch.

The Rescue Rooms is a near-perfect compact venue with very good sound, you can stand around the balcony or get down the front. Bars in the music room and bars to retreat to, but you wouldn’t have wanted to miss a moment when the music was of this high calibre…

https://www.facebook.com/yakyakyak
http://kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard : Paper Mâché Dream Balloon, released November 2015