Recent gigs

[Albie]

Sleaford Mods in Chester.  (Blisteringly) loud and sweary.  Powerful and mischievous and fun.  I've got ringing ears and a couple of mosh pit related bruises.  It's like being a bloody teenager again.

Will be seeing them at a couple of festivals later in the year,  Powerful, mischievous and fun is bang on.  I think they'd go down well at Cropredy.

Ha ha ha ha ha.  They can't cope with Merry Hell, and love Digance!  What could possibly go wrong?  Can you remember the complaints about a couple of "f*cks" from Buzzcocks (and others) a few years back?  This is one thing I really would pay to witness...

I'd love it because I'd like to know how loud 12,000 people can be when they all say "harrumph" at the same time.

[Tony Pim]

Sleaford Mods in Chester.  (Blisteringly) loud and sweary.  Powerful and mischievous and fun.  I've got ringing ears and a couple of mosh pit related bruises.  It's like being a bloody teenager again.

Will be seeing them at a couple of festivals later in the year,  Powerful, mischievous and fun is bang on.  I think they'd go down well at Cropredy.

Ha ha ha ha ha.  They can't cope with Merry Hell, and love Digance!  What could possibly go wrong?  Can you remember the complaints about a couple of "f*cks" from Buzzcocks (and others) a few years back?  This is one thing I really would pay to witness...

I'd love it because I'd like to know how loud 12,000 people can be when they all say "harrumph" at the same time.

Well.....unless they've changed since the last time I saw them you may well hear it when Gogol Bordello are on,  much more so than FT

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

Hamilton. It was amazing  

[Brendan]

What a positive thing Merry Hell are, brilliant live band with passion, energy and talent. With brilliant songs as good as they were when I last saw the 25 years ago as the tansads. They are certainly a temporary cure for me being such a cynical bastardi

[Alan2]

Steeleye Span. De Montfort Hall Leics, Wed.
The last time I saw Steeleye , about 4 years ago they had become comfortable and living on past glories.
The band I saw last night was reenergised, playing with the whole band on top of their game .Benji Kirkpatrick, has been a great addition. Folk rock with fabulous Fiddle, rock  guitar and stunning 6 part harmonies. Cracking night.

Yes, I saw Steeleye just last year I think it was, and thought it was a great lineup and performance.

[GubGub (Al)]

The Korgis at the Ropetackle last night. It was a joy and may well end up as one of my gigs of the year. After seeing one great bass player (Martin Turner) at the same venue a couple of weeks ago, it was a privilege to watch another as Warren plotted his way through some complex material in his effortless McCartneyesque manner.

Three Stackridge songs. Five if you include Boots & Shoes and Something About The Beatles which were both recorded by both bands. A handful from James's recent album. A spread of tracks from across the four Korgis albums and two covers, The Planets' Lines (which I have always loved) and A Day In The Life.

Consumate musicianship and of course pop songwriting of the highest calibre.

One slightly amusing aspect. Glenn Tommey was missing from this show for some reason and the replacement keyboard player who was obviously reading his parts from charts throughout, appeared to be in a pitched battle with his equipment (three keyboards) and seemed to be in a constant state of barely suppressed panic. But he got through it without any obvious howlers.

[davidmjs]

Nice.  What sort of crowd, Al?

[GubGub (Al)]

Nice.  What sort of crowd, Al?

Decent. Not a complete sell out I don't think but a good size and enthusiastic. Quite a few who were not particularly familiar with the music I think but seemed to enjoy it anyway

[bassline (Mike)]

Carys (Singer) and The Trials Of Cato at the Red Lion in Brum.

Carys did a fine job while fighting off a chest infection. Check her out on Field 8 on Thursday at Cropredy.

The Trials Of Cato - (a Yorkshireman and two Welshmen) from Wrexham via Beirut - are prone to a bit of jiggery pokery, and also sing in English and Welsh and they were fab.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAZBJsm_p54

[hendo (Dave)]

Carys (Singer) and The Trials Of Cato at the Red Lion in Brum.

Carys did a fine job while fighting off a chest infection. Check her out on Field 8 on Thursday at Cropredy.

The Trials Of Cato - (a Yorkshireman and two Welshmen) from Wrexham via Beirut - are prone to a bit of jiggery pokery, and also sing in English and Welsh and they were fab.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAZBJsm_p54

Seen Trials of Cato a couple of times now and will see them at a fest in the summer.....Stunning musicianship. Love it.

[bassline (Mike)]

Edwina Hayes at the Woodman Folk Club, Kingswinford.

Edwina rabbits away and every now and then sings a song in between. Lovely.

[Bingers (Chris)]

Edwina Hayes at the Woodman Folk Club, Kingswinford.

Edwina rabbits away and every now and then sings a song in between. Lovely.

Won’t be seeing her again until 30 September in Colchester but she’s always good

[bassline (Mike)]

Doris Brendel and That Joe Payne at the Robin.

Doris was the backing vocalist for Fish (and support act, on the non festival dates) for Fish's Clutching At Straws tour. I liked her vocals and low whistles, so I bought one of her albums, liked it and bought three more. A heavy rock/prog/folk....whatever fits in here style, which was great with her Maggie Bell/Janis Joplinish voice over the top. Great stuff, Oh and let's not forget the laser gloves and the jellyfish.

Joe was completely unfamiliar. He looks like an X Factor contestant, but is ex Enid, so that's different to start with. Then his voice comes out like a female soprano opera singer so it gets odder by the minute. The song structures are seemingly random, so...unpredictable, so totally the opposite of X Factor, so I liked it a lot, although I don't remember a thing...no prog cliches here. He brought on Ms Amy Birks as a guest for a couple of songs, again, operatic in vocal style, but belted out in rock fashion.

The gig was sparsely attended, but it was Sunday I guess. A good evening anyway.

[Andy Tuck]

Doris Brendel and That Joe Payne at the Robin.

Doris was the backing vocalist for Fish (and support act, on the non festival dates) for Fish's Clutching At Straws tour. I liked her vocals and low whistles, so I bought one of her albums, liked it and bought three more. A heavy rock/prog/folk....whatever fits in here style, which was great with her Maggie Bell/Janis Joplinish voice over the top. Great stuff, Oh and let's not forget the laser gloves and the jellyfish.

Joe was completely unfamiliar. He looks like an X Factor contestant, but is ex Enid, so that's different to start with. Then his voice comes out like a female soprano opera singer so it gets odder by the minute. The song structures are seemingly random, so...unpredictable, so totally the opposite of X Factor, so I liked it a lot, although I don't remember a thing...no prog cliches here. He brought on Ms Amy Birks as a guest for a couple of songs, again, operatic in vocal style, but belted out in rock fashion.

The gig was sparsely attended, but it was Sunday I guess. A good evening anyway.

I was also there last night and have seen Joe several times before with the Enid. This was the first time I have seen him in his own right and I thought it was brilliant, Very impressed with Amy and had a nice chat with her after. The gig deserved a larger audience.

[bassline (Mike)]

Doris Brendel and That Joe Payne at the Robin.

Doris was the backing vocalist for Fish (and support act, on the non festival dates) for Fish's Clutching At Straws tour. I liked her vocals and low whistles, so I bought one of her albums, liked it and bought three more. A heavy rock/prog/folk....whatever fits in here style, which was great with her Maggie Bell/Janis Joplinish voice over the top. Great stuff, Oh and let's not forget the laser gloves and the jellyfish.

Joe was completely unfamiliar. He looks like an X Factor contestant, but is ex Enid, so that's different to start with. Then his voice comes out like a female soprano opera singer so it gets odder by the minute. The song structures are seemingly random, so...unpredictable, so totally the opposite of X Factor, so I liked it a lot, although I don't remember a thing...no prog cliches here. He brought on Ms Amy Birks as a guest for a couple of songs, again, operatic in vocal style, but belted out in rock fashion.

The gig was sparsely attended, but it was Sunday I guess. A good evening anyway.

I was also there last night and have seen Joe several times before with the Enid. This was the first time I have seen him in his own right and I thought it was brilliant, Very impressed with Amy and had a nice chat with her after. The gig deserved a larger audience.

Joe has posted his set on Facebook, so I will be re-watching that a couple of times, so that I can absorb it all a little more.

[David V B]

Fabulous exhibition at the Met in New York - Play It Loud, the best collection of instruments you could hope to see. From Jerry Lee’s piano, Buddy Holly and Elvis’ guitars to equipment owned by all the Beatles, the Who, the Stones and Springsteen. The guitar Hendrix played on Watchtower, Prince’s symbol guitar, most of Jimmy Page’s collection, Clapton’s Blackie, Keith Emerson’s Moog and Hammond, Garcia’s wolf and tiger guitars, and Clarence Clemons’ sax. Let alone guitars from Joni, NY, Paul Kossoff and the Everlys. The relevant music playing all the time and interviews with Keef, Page and Van Halen. Like seeing my record collection on display!

[jimc]

Steeleye last night in Epsom. Very tight, playing some intricate arrangements beautifully. Maddy in fine if slightly changed voice. Don't know if it was the venue, but PA seemed rather muddy, although it might just be I haven't got much HF left...

[davidmjs]

My TAW comrades seem to disagree (elsewhere) but I thought Saving Grace (not Robert Plant) were superb last night in Carmarthen.  I kind of knew what to expect, so certainly wasn't left disappointed by the tone or the 'feel' of the gig.  Percy's voice is as is...very different from the past, but he sang last night in the same register he's been singing the rest of the shows, and although there was the hint of the end of a cold with the odd clearing of the throat, no harm down for me.  Equally, I actually thought the clarity of the sound out front was great, although the singers obviously had problems with their monitors, the correction of which led to a tiny bit of feedback at times.  There were some very quiet bits, and then very noisy guitars on the edge of feedback bits.  The sound guy had my sympathy if not everybody else's.

Suzy Dian is definitely one to watch for the future.  A lovely relaxed tone to her singing.  And, man, is she one worth watching...

Personally, I'd prefer these gigs in similar venues to those he played the Priory of Brion ones in...it needed a small club feel rather than a small theatre one.  But, hey, overall, Robert Plant singing Low and Moby Grape covers (both of which Percy bigged up to general indifference) along with some Appalachian gems?  More please....  I absolutely loved it.  The support were a bit unnecessary though.  Can't be doing with (even top quality) bar bands like that.  Sorry.

ps The only really depressing development was the man bun.  No excuses there, although I guess if you're 70 and you can, why not  

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

My TAW comrades seem to disagree (elsewhere) but I thought Saving Grace (not Robert Plant) were superb last night in Carmarthen.  I kind of knew what to expect, so certainly wasn't left disappointed by the tone or the 'feel' of the gig.  Percy's voice is as is...very different from the past, but he sang last night in the same register he's been singing the rest of the shows, and although there was the hint of the end of a cold with the odd clearing of the throat, no harm down for me.  Equally, I actually thought the clarity of the sound out front was great, although the singers obviously had problems with their monitors, the correction of which led to a tiny bit of feedback at times.  There were some very quiet bits, and then very noisy guitars on the edge of feedback bits.  The sound guy had my sympathy if not everybody else's.

Suzy Dian is definitely one to watch for the future.  A lovely relaxed tone to her singing.  And, man, is she one worth watching...

Personally, I'd prefer these gigs in similar venues to those he played the Priory of Brion ones in...it needed a small club feel rather than a small theatre one.  But, hey, overall, Robert Plant singing Low and Moby Grape covers (both of which Percy bigged up to general indifference) along with some Appalachian gems?  More please....  I absolutely loved it.  The support were a bit unnecessary though.  Can't be doing with (even top quality) bar bands like that.  Sorry.

ps The only really depressing development was the man bun.  No excuses there, although I guess if you're 70 and you can, why not  

Totally agree with you on the man bun David. His (2nd) best feature hidden away!

I enjoyed the support but I would have liked the keyboards a bit louder. Can't be easy to open for a rock God though...

Suzy Dian offers a total contrast to Percy - a definite Yin & Yan there! It works though, I thought the whole bands' voices blended beautifully and I loved the final number. I was hoping for a merch stall but I now understand there isn't a CD yet. I do hope there are plans for this - perfect laid-back music for warm summer evenings  

And on Mr Plant's recommendation I have checked out Moby Grape and find they are gloriously 60's and sound just like Marmalade. Which is a good thing

[davidmjs]

My TAW comrades seem to disagree (elsewhere) but I thought Saving Grace (not Robert Plant) were superb last night in Carmarthen.  I kind of knew what to expect, so certainly wasn't left disappointed by the tone or the 'feel' of the gig.  Percy's voice is as is...very different from the past, but he sang last night in the same register he's been singing the rest of the shows, and although there was the hint of the end of a cold with the odd clearing of the throat, no harm down for me.  Equally, I actually thought the clarity of the sound out front was great, although the singers obviously had problems with their monitors, the correction of which led to a tiny bit of feedback at times.  There were some very quiet bits, and then very noisy guitars on the edge of feedback bits.  The sound guy had my sympathy if not everybody else's.

Suzy Dian is definitely one to watch for the future.  A lovely relaxed tone to her singing.  And, man, is she one worth watching...

Personally, I'd prefer these gigs in similar venues to those he played the Priory of Brion ones in...it needed a small club feel rather than a small theatre one.  But, hey, overall, Robert Plant singing Low and Moby Grape covers (both of which Percy bigged up to general indifference) along with some Appalachian gems?  More please....  I absolutely loved it.  The support were a bit unnecessary though.  Can't be doing with (even top quality) bar bands like that.  Sorry.

ps The only really depressing development was the man bun.  No excuses there, although I guess if you're 70 and you can, why not  

Totally agree with you on the man bun David. His (2nd) best feature hidden away!

I enjoyed the support but I would have liked the keyboards a bit louder. Can't be easy to open for a rock God though...

Suzy Dian offers a total contrast to Percy - a definite Yin & Yan there! It works though, I thought the whole bands' voices blended beautifully and I loved the final number. I was hoping for a merch stall but I now understand there isn't a CD yet. I do hope there are plans for this - perfect laid-back music for warm summer evenings  

And on Mr Plant's recommendation I have checked out Moby Grape and find they are gloriously 60's and sound just like Marmalade. Which is a good thing

I literally spat out my tea at that one...