Opening with the powerful punch of ‘Crushed by the Wheels of Industry’, Heaven 17 showed that their back catalogue of electropop still resonates lyrically and musically. The original trio is now down to keyboard player Martyn Ware and vocalist Glenn Gregory, performing with extra keyboards and two backing singers tonight.
The show motored along at frenetic pace; ‘(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang’ and ‘We Live So Fast’ countered by the slower ‘Come Live With Me’ and the majestic ‘Let Me Go’. With plenty of crowd connection and onstage banter it was a great concert atmosphere. The frequently played ‘Temptation’ was a grand finale to the densely packed main set, but to many the use of the original synthesiser that was featured in the recording of ‘Being Boiled’ was a special gem of the evening…
Andy Bell completed the initial UK leg of his solo tour with an electrifying set featuring material from his new solo album ‘Ten Crowns’ as well as many Erasure hits from their extensive back catalogue. First on stage was the golden voice of David McAlmont accompanied by collaborator Hifi Sean, with a good combination of electropop, atmospheric beats and emotive vocals.
Opening with ‘Breaking Thru the Interstellar’, Andy Bell immediately showed that he continues to strongly connect with his appreciative audience. The backing band with live drummer added extra heft to the Erasure songs, especially to a pulsing, strident version of ‘Drama!’, ‘Chains of Love’ and one of their best, ‘Love to Hate You’. They also contributed their own empathetic version of ‘Breathe’.
‘Always’ and ‘Dance for Mercy’ were more highlights as was new track ‘Heart’s a Liar’; the recorded version is performed with the legendary Debbie Harry and tonight backing singer Hailey Steele stylishly re-created the bittersweet exchanges of this fine song.
With the final encore of ‘A Little Respect’, this was a great show…
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…
Created from notable Cambridge bands (moonstrips, baby seals, model village, doyouthinkhesaurus – all reviewed elsewhere on this site…), Yoke release their debut EP. It is probably unique in that it is an unplayable disc with embedded seeds to be planted (‘..when you have grown tired looking at it…’)
Yeah. The title song rolls some keyboard idling around a tight two chord pulse while the drums make glorious noise throughout. Not sure what the verses are about but no mistaking the chorus,’...Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Yeah, Yeah..‘.
Game of Crows. This psychedelic onslaught is dark and deep with a killer descending line to the words ‘…. if we take our medicine…’ The spooky organ solo gives way to soaring guitar as this track shows off the band at full power.
Wayne Coyne. Starting off as a pastoral guitar and piano interlude, this enigmatic piece of baroque rock later unleashes waves of anthemic sounds.
Tortoise. This grand finale fuses together musical ideas from the rest of the EP, built around a pounding and ominous slow marching structure. The haunting vocal refrain stays in the mind, as do many moments from this choice collection of spiky art-rock.
Seasonal songs, greatest hits and new tracks from latest album ‘HANA’ laced with brio and style by national treasure Sophie Ellis-Bextor was a show not to be missed. Opening act Holiday Sidewinder performed a set of summery electro-pop and managed to quickly reduce the echoing confines of the Corn Exchange to an intimate space with her confiding lyrics on tracks like ‘Leo’ and ‘Casino’.
It was a bit early in the year but Sophie and her band brought the Christmas spirit to a cold evening; ‘Last Christmas’, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and ‘Christmas Wrapping’ all featured but it was the mighty ‘Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)’ and ‘Get Over You’ that showcased her pop delivery to the max. Covers of ‘Like a Prayer’ and ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie ignited the crowd and euro pop belter ‘Hypnotized’ was a real highlight for me.
‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ ended the main set but of course we wanted more – ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ was followed by an acoustic rendition of the pensive ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ sung from one of the theatre boxes, a thoughtful and emotional end to a show that was a celebratory delight.
A summation of her spellbinding single releases and with a temptation of new tracks, this long-player from singer/songwriter/musician emzae finally arrives.
Starting with the up-tempo ‘Overrated’ as a statement of intent then ‘As This Day Fades to Another’ is a punchy and sparse groove, while ‘Strip Lights’ is a mini-movie of alienation over a mellow flow of synthesiser and percussion. ‘Another Lesson Learnt’ shows how she can sustain and develop an idea over a longer time, with a lyric built around the central idea ‘…I want to belong… just like anyone….what do I have if i’m not rushing into the future?…’.
The lush and hypnotic atmosphere of ‘Lucid Dreaming’ takes the listener to another place, even if it is a bit unsettling ‘…going through the motions like I got this in control….balancing personas but I can’t restrict my soul…’ ‘I Guess, Anyway’ is the central track of the album; a rich six minutes of lyrical density and melodic elegance that fully immerses the listener in the swirling waltz, but the self narration of ‘Clairvoyant’ also cuts right to the core. ‘Extraordinary’ and ‘THRIVE’ increase the pace with sharp hook lines and concise pop sensibilities, as does the slinky beats and knowing words of ‘It’s All Cyclical’.
With her deeply personal lyrics and the subtle musical touches that infuse each song ‘All Those Things I Thought I Knew’ is an impressive collection from this electro-pop alchemist.
A much-anticipated show at this fine all-purpose venue, opening tonight with the passionate performance and emotionally powerful ballads of Dan Owen. First track ‘Icarus’ immediately pulled the audience in and with his warm anecdotes and a barnstorming blues rendition of ‘Little Red Rooster’ he set the positive tone for the evening.
After many years of performing and a long career break, County Affair are a four-piece having a second life promoting an Abbey Road recorded album of a new batch of Americana songs. The tracks deal with eternal country music themes, joined with a likeable background of accordion, keys, guitar and percussion.
Ward Thomas started with the low-key duet ‘Dear Me’ and as soon as they segued into the descending vocal harmonies in the chorus of ‘No Fooling Me’ and the bitter-sweetness of ‘Cartwheels’ we knew that the emotional and musical magic was all in place. With varying amounts of input from their empathetic band this was a fantastic set, balanced between the pop oriented songs of 2019’s ‘Restless Minds’ album and the big country ballads such as ‘Guilty Flowers’ and the stomping ‘I Believe In You’ as well as the heart-tearing ‘Someday’ and ‘One More Goodbye’. With final encore ‘Safe’ performed as just a duo the show had gone full circle as the harmonies gently floated in the air.
A new single from Cambridge ensemble Tape Runs Out is a dreamy tribute to the bearded dragon belonging to lead singer Liam.
Starting with a hypnotic figure generated by the haunting sonics of the hammered dulcimer the track adds layers of acoustic texture to produce a stately paean to the precious pet ‘….Barry you know we’re here for you….Barry won’t you stay with us…’.
The song gently eases along but continues to build the boldness of the sound with strings, a guitar solo and overall a feeling of melancholy and lost prog-folk drifting off into the ether. Watching the video it doesn’t seem like the languid lizard is going to wander too far away anyway, but this track acts as a splendid showcase for the instrumental possibilities and otherworldly viewpoint of future recordings from this unique group of musicians.
A new single from singer/songwriter Jen Dixon, following on from the evocative ‘Which Way Is Down?’ from earlier this year. That was a wistful ballad; full of restrained intensity in the vocal, complemented by the haunting echoes of the production. The catchy chorus and spoken word break all added to the winning effect.
Now ‘Save Me’ further explores some darker thoughts and stretches more emotional heartstrings, along with showing her gift for composing a strong melody line and delivering it with conviction. As the chords descend the bleak picture is painted, ‘…standing on a knife edge….waiting to fall….’, but there are also threads of optimism in the repeated lines ‘….I want to know will you catch me if I fall…I want to know will you notice if I’ve gone…will you save me?….’. Jen’s recordings are self-produced; here the subtly crafted musical arrangement gently frames this fine song.
A track by track review of the debut LP from singer/songwriter Chloe Foy….
1.Where Shall We Begin. Setting the tone for the collection, an acoustic dreampop delight where the guitar shadows the vocal line. Gorgeous.
2.Deserve. A slow and longer meditation, peppered with restrained electric guitar, layers of vocal lines and gradual build up of atmosphere.
3.Work of Art. More tightly structured than some of the tracks, this compact pop song is driven by the insistent melody line; grounded by the bass, drums and empathetic guitar.
4.Evangeline. A definite favourite of mine, the musical triplets are joined by an endless selection of musical combinations as the stately melody serenely soars above with the sensual lyrics ‘…Evangeline…you are my queen I promise that I’ll keep you warm…’
5.Asylum. A prime example of the haunting-folk genre that Chloe inhabits, where the sonic textures of strings and harp complement the vocals perfectly, carefully arranged and produced by album collaborator Harry Fausing Smith.
6.Bones. Adrift on a becalmed sea, the rich vocal from Chloe is adorned by a dark and moody instrumental mix.
7.Shining Star. Uptempo, hypnotic and mysterious ‘…fears untold and false absolve be true to who you are…faster now, you’re dancing now…you’ll be my shining star…’
8.Left-Centred Weight. Previously released as a single this is a showcase for the smooth and mellow tones of Chloe’s voice as the languid strings emerge over the horizon and create a semi-orchestral extravaganza.
9.And It Goes. The longest track on the album, a free form late night jazzy-folk reverie with contrasting sections, unpredictable diversions and finally drifting off into the cosmos.
10.Square Face. Possibly saving the best till last, this is a timeless and traditional sounding folk melody over a reassuring background of strings and a waltzing piano. The unaccompanied vocal towards the end lingers long in the memory as an emotional representation of this superb album.
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