Venue:

Barclaycard Arena (? hell, it’s the bloody N.I.A. to me), Birmingham

Date: 02/12/2015

Extraordinary, really, and not quite as expected. First time to the Indoor Arena without seats and it’s a corker, like a decent N.E.C., as droves of the Faithless faithful arrive, in all ages, sizes, shapes and forms, the atmosphere of a revivalist meeting. The arena so big and roof so high it feels like outside, with party coats laid out on the floor as support band ‘Until the Ribbon Breaks’, no me, neither, came on and did their stuff, a fascinating blend of electronica and beats fuelled folky-blues with occasional trumpet and lots of percussion, electronic and otherwise; largely well-received and one to hear their recorded stuff for clarity, I felt, the sound a bit muddy. Bang on 9 the lights go down, the floor fills and bank upon bank of lasers come up to, sorry, euphoria, the biggest cheers reserved for Maxi Jazz, diminutive and suited, a white T under the jacket. Bravely banging off with signature tune, ‘God is a DJ’, alternating between the quiet rappy bits as it builds inexorably to the chunky bits that sear the room with joy, this seemed » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Steve T’s house, somewhere in the west midlands

Date: 21/11/2015

Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish, aka My Darling Clementine, each with long track records of credible music, produce canny and aware modern country (and, hell yes, western) which deserves better than the radar they meet, but, it’s 2015, this is how it is. And house concerts, huge in the states, are perhaps the sway forward. So, perhaps 35 or 40 of us meet for a party, and the band play. No microphones, acoustic guitar and vox humana, with occasional low amped electric piano. Actually, man from boy stuff, as Mike and Lou blew off the roof, showing for real the skill and expertise built on the back of natural talent. 10,000 hours of experience, playing a mix of songs from their 2 LPs and the recent roadshow with crime-writer Mark Billingham. With never a song ever having a thing good to say about that crazy little thing called love, they bickered delightfully through songs of distress and dismay. Adding an occasional cover from Hank Williams, Jackie Leven and Costello, E, via George Jones, OK, ‘Good Year for the Roses’, written by neither, split into 2 sets, this » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Date: 20/11/2015

The squeeze is a big fan, so here we are, 3rd Steve Harley gig in 18/12, this time in the school assembly ambience of W.A.C.s Butterworth Hall. Following on from last years faithful run-through of the first 2 albums, with a symphony orchestra, this is the original line-up, bar the deceased George Ford, reformed to run through L.P. no. 3, ‘Best Years of Our Lives’, arguably when the band was at its peak. Getting lost in the single tracks around Kenilworth blunted our start, 3 songs in, missing ‘Her Comes the Sun’. Thankfully this was the first half, supposedly fan chosen songs, but, as Harley depracatedly pointed out, no-one bothered, and he was always going to play what he liked anyway. So, amongst a number of, to me, lesser known tracks, we had his new single, out for 6 weeks and known by no-one, as well as ‘A Friend for Life’, covered on Rod Stewarts latest (‘number 1’) album. (Or kerching, as Harley commented!) An elegiac, extended ‘Sebastian’was the highpoint and always is, building ever up into glissandos of ululation, tightly pegged in by Stuart Elliotts sturdy and precise drumming. Jim Cregan, » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Town Hall, Birmingham

Date: 28/10/2015

Rarely have I seen this venue as a -buzzing ahead of this gig, Marcus Miller, bassist extraordinaire showing off his new LP, Afrodeezia. Unfortunately we had first to sit thru’ 45 minutes of the worst sort of cruise ship cacophony that gives jazz a bad name, all scat and uncooked noodle, the sort of stuff people think you mean if you admit a like for the genre. However, any hearts dampened thereby were swiftly elevated to the roof as Miller and his band hit the ground running, playing the first 2 tracks from the new record, sharing the accolades between Millers astounding technique and sax, trumpet, keys, guitar drums and, a special mention, percussion, the astonishing Mino Cinelu, last associated with Miller on Miles Davis’ Tutu, in 1986. The songs portray the journey, spiritual and temporal, of the slave trade between subsaharan Africa and the U.S., by way of Brazil and the caribbean. So, as well as bass, we were treated to forays onto ngoni, and in a remarkable slow piece, bass clarinet. Despite almost exclusively instrumental music, mostly hard driven and rhythmic, the solos never descended into look at me, the melodies » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Kitchen Garden cafe, Kings Heath, Birmingham

Date: 01/07/2015

On 2/6/15 @dogfacedboy insisted we all buy the LP and see the show, so here I was, fulfilling the 2nd part of the instruction, delighted so to have done. After a ghastly indulgent support, think retired schoolteacher with a Kevin Ayers delusion, it was KW and band, double bass, keys, herself on guitars and vocals, featuring also Michelle Stodddart, ex-high Numbers, on electric guitar, backing vocals and gurning. Actually, both the girls were on gurning and giggling bigtime, their joy a counterpoint to the sometime sombreness of the material. 3 songs to open, including Underground, her tale of a panic attack on the Circle line, introduced with such jolly self-deprecation, and potty mouth, to endear herself effortlessly to the packed room. She then announced she would like to run through all 9 songs from Hypoxia, her barely released newie, a songcycle based upon Sylvia Plath’s Bell Jar. Which she did, again lifting tales of bleak and extraordinary madness by her beaming smile and pleasure to be performing. I had bought but not listened, but can report it a cracker, progressing her template beyond mere exquisitely sung arrangements, » Continue Reading.