Venue:

Calstock Arts, Calstock, Cornwall

Date: 20/09/2025

Last Saturday my brother and I drove down narrow lanes embellished by thick mohican strips of vegetation into the depths of darkest Cornwall. Not deep into the west, just across the river from Devon, but beyond the easy reach of many an aging sat-nav. In the background of my photograph of the venue’s stage, that land you can see is in Devon. The venue itself is in Cornwall, a lovely re-purposed chapel, steeply perched on a riverside hill. Only the 50 yard width of the Tamar – the middle of which delineates the border at this point – separates the venue from the hills behind.

I suppose I could have taken the photo half an hour later, while the gig was in progress, but as we sat less than 5 yards from the stage I couldn’t bring myself to raise my phone up to grab a shot almost face-to-face in such an intimate setting.

The reason for our pilgrimage was the second gig in Katie Spencer’s latest UK tour – details of which can be found at the link I have included in this post. Katie has a new album to promote, » Continue Reading.

Venue:

St Georges, Bristol

Date: 26/06/2025

The band Lady Maisery in cahoots with the duo of Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith have worked together for some time now – their Winter show, called ‘Awake! Arise! has charmed and warmed us twice now over the last two years.

Happily they have now been inspired to put together a sibling show for the summer; it’s called ‘Wakefire’ – and last night we went to see them perform it at the wonderful St. Georges venue in Bristol.

What we witnessed was stunningly original, beautifully delivered and expertly played by musicians who have both mastered their instruments and have fabulous voices.

Five part harmony singing. Electric and acoustic guitars, an Mbira, a harmonium, a piano accordion, a drum, an amazing bouzouki, a banjo, some clogs, a violin, an old valve radio and a couple of shaker sticks. Old songs and new songs, songs from Latvia and Sweden, chord sequences and phrases stolen from mash-ups, even cocktails, it’s all there. All in an evening’s entertainment that left a packed, sold-out hall on its feet applauding enthusiastically for the final numbers.

Outstanding and exuberant, original and exploratory and innovative, this was » Continue Reading.

Venue:

St Georges, Bristol

Date: 15/05/2025

Yesterday evening, somewhat bruised and cowed by a punishing week of 21st century nonsense, we made the pilgrimage to St. Georges once again, anticipating a special evening of music from the Rheingans Sisters.

We were not disappointed. The bruising was healed. The 21st century fell away and a timeless place of intensely involving wonder filled its empty absence.

What an extraordinary treat last night at St. Georges was!

The sisters played us their newest album from start to finish, delivering a tour-de-force that surpassed even the contents of its little silver disc that’s been in constant play at home for weeks now.

The entire gig lasted around 4 minutes, as far as I can recall. I was lost in the music, and time stood still.

With great delight I started to hear faint echoes of everything that I imagined they’d taken and poured into this album, all the possible references my ears seemed to find, all the musical influences I thought we must surely share, and then I heard the truth that really mattered at the heart of this piece; the sister’s own fantastic musicality and their voices shining » Continue Reading.

Venue:

Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford Upon Avon

Date: 22/02/2025

The weather Gods have blessed us in this last week with a temperature rise from brass monkey zeros to a balmy – for Feb – 13 or 14 degrees. Any kind of physical exercise has gone from being a chilly thing to a sweaty thing.

So when venturing out for a Saturday night gig yesterday, the first of this year for us, it was nice not to have to wrap up in multiple winter layers. And, as I’d expected from a Kanda Bongo Man gig, not having an armful of heavy clothing to worry about was a very good thing indeed.

With an eight-strong band on stage, the evening kicked off with a short vocal performance from Kanda’s young female dancer and singer, decked out in vibrant African fashion and dancing on dangerously lethal looking stilettos. She was briefly introduced – I didn’t catch her name – and it would have helped those of us in the audience who have a less than fluent familiarity with any African languages to have been given some sort of clue about the gist of the song. I’d guess that she was, like » Continue Reading.