ME and Deboe Close 2014 Shop Sessions On a High

2014 has been a phenomenal start for the Shop Sessions, so how do you close out a brilliant year? Well we went for high energy acoustic artists but would it be the finish we were hoping for??

First up was Shop Session regulars KwalaParla. KwalaParla comes in a few different guises and generally involves me surrounding myself with much better musicians & tonight saw the return of Ryan Bacon on lead guitar. Young and gifted is a great description of Ryan while I can slip into the title of old and gravelly the combination seems to work well and the night was off to the start we had hoped for.

 

KwalaParla Princesses

http://youtu.be/OdezdOSenm0

Next up was Paul and Nikki Henshaw. It seems the fickle finger of fate had thrown Paul & the Shop Sessions together as Paul had just contacted us as an artist had dropped out of one of the guest slots and on checking out a vid we thought Paul & Nikki would be perfect for the night. Turns out we were right.. Paul got the audience on their side straight away with a bit of playful banter and then leading into 'Down by The Water'. I really enjoyed the vocal harmonies and rhythms that lifted the spirits on this night of celebration and looking around the room I could see everyone else was feeling the same. It's always brilliant to see a new (to us) live artist that you can connect to and we were totally won over by Paul and Nikki and can't wait to see them back at the Shop Sessions in 2015.

Paul & Nikki Henshaw 6.30am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuT7sPR9KkQ

Well we can't get enough of Baxter and just to prove it they were back for our end of year celebration and we knew it would be ace!! When apart Hayley Strangelove is a singer/songwriter and Paul Senior is lead singer in the Rock band Son Of Shinobi bring them together and they become Baxter an outfit that generally takes electrically induced songs that you think you know inside out and then pulls the plug on the electric and wows you with an acoustic version normally with a twist on the vocal making it feel like a Baxter song. Hayley and Paul just took the night by the scruff of the neck and made sure we knew we were gonna have a good time.... and we did, totally ace as ever!!
Molly's Chamber... Kazoo... Genius!!!

Baxter Molly's Chamber

http://youtu.be/6bokGpOQRN4

So after a fantastic year and a fantastic evening so far how do you launch the night into orbit?? With what we at the Shop Sessions think is one of the best live acoustic duos around at the moment ME and Deboe. Amongst the plethora of shoe gazing introspective singer/songwriters out there ME and Deboe stand out like an exploding firework against the night sky. The composite parts of ME and Deboe are Mercy Elise and Sarah Deboe who come together in perfect synchronisation to produce a sound, even in this unplugged venue that is acoustically striking.

Charlotte's Choice

 

Here They Come

http://youtu.be/ZEh4a3Tjz6s 



Although this would be something like the 5th time I'd seen ME and Deboe I'd always been so overwhelmed with the music I had never actually taken time to watch the delivery but as this was by far the longest set I'd seen them do I was able to take in Sarah Deboe effortlessly gliding over the fretboard making the visual playing look elegant while the sound emanating from the guitar was so aggressive. Mercy Elise rhythmically beats the guitar creating a wonderful percussive sound, her new guitar well and truly broken in by the end of the night. The layers of sound these two contrasting styles make coupled with the distinctly different but complementary voices is totally breath taking every song was acoustic gold. As well as their own songs there were a few covers the highlight of which for me was a song they had not done for an audience before 'Another Brick in The Wall'. For me this is the best version of this song I've heard superb!!. Tracks from the new EP 'Here They Come' also shone through to give us an idea of the direction Mercy Elise & Sarah are heading musically.

 

Forward Live & Unplugged

http://youtu.be/Wt-8F9alTfc

Just in case you are in any doubt after reading this we think ME and Deboe are AWESOME!! you need to head off right now find out where they are playing and go, cancel your Holiday, Wedding, Life saving operation (ok this one might be a step too far) you won't regret it.

 

This was an unexpected gem. Enjoy!!(Only for people who read the blog. Sssshhh!!)

http://youtu.be/8mKPcbt4Bqc



Well what a year and what a way to finish. a Big big thankyou to all the artists that have played this year, all the audience members that keep supporting live music and finally my wonderful family that really make it possible to keep holding these events. Have a great Christmas and we'll see you in 2015.....

For KwalaParla sounds checkout
https://soundcloud.com/kwalaparla

More wonderful music from Paul & Nikki Henshaw can be found here
http://www.paulhenshaw.com/

Keep your eyes open locally for Baxter and keep updated here..
https://www.facebook.com/baxterduo

Go and download everything ME and Deboe and checkout the live dates here
http://www.meanddeboe.com/

To find out what's going on at the Shop Sessions and who's coming up
https://www.facebook.com/TCJShopSessions
http://www.thecyclejunction.com/blog/?page_id=1447

Garron Frith Music That's Worth a Pretty Penny... Shop Sessions #8

Now you know I treat every Shop Session like it's my birthday each month but I think this Shop Session had me in excited anticipation the longest. Not only was I going to see the wonderful fingerpicking blues style of Chris Grimes up close and personal but Garron Frith was interrupting his tour with 10cc to come and play for us in this intimate unplugged setting.....

After the opening foray from KwalaParla it was time to introduce Chris Grimes..

Seeing Chris play up close in the shop was a real treat, his intricate fingerpicking blues always fills me with awe.. straight away my foot was tapping. You can feel the Rhythm's that would have had dance halls all over the US jumping in the 20s & 30s and still grips me today. The thumb keeping time with the alternating bass and the fingers creating the fine needle work of the songs it's mesmerizing especially to fellow guitar players. As much as I enjoy the finger picking blues on a normal 6 string I just melt when I listen to someone playing blues on a resonator and that's exactly what happened as Chris started playing Six White Horses. Chris started the evening off in style and treated the audience to a style of music which some had never seen performed live which created a real buzz..

 

 

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/MdREQyff3mg

 

 

So a quick refuelling stop then it was time to introduce the nights featured artist Garron Frith.. This would be the 4th time I'd seen Garron live this year  & every time so far he'd been totally ace so I knew we were on to a safe bet for a brilliant night of live music. As soon as Garron hit the first notes of 'Good Thing' I was grinning. Wonderful music really does move me whether it's the corners of my mouth, the tap of my foot or the full body sway and this did it all.. Garron created an amazing sound as his voice, guitar and harmonica filled his unusual surroundings. 

 

Charlotte's Choice

http://youtu.be/szp3k7uKAvk

 

Black Widow sounded sublime unplugged on Garron's classical guitar which he explained doesn't often get played at gigs but sounded like the perfect instrument for this unplugged setting. It's more than just the music with Garron though he links the songs with friendly tales that give you an insight into a music industry that's not always kind but his spin leaves you laughing and feeling a bit more connected to his music. So by this point I was already having one of my favourite evenings so far and then he broke out the slide for 'Rolling The Dice'. The song just oozes class as the slide floats up and down the fretboard with Garron easing his vocal over the top, these are the moments that let me know that the Shop Sessions are worth all the effort.. By far my favourite song Garron performs is Pretty Penny (That's 'Pretty Penny' just ignore this, just making sure I have this fully ingrained into my gold fish of a brain ;]) he encourages the audience to become his percussion and beat out a Rhythm while he plays harmonica then sings Acappela over the beat.. sublime.

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/rSHyri_zP5M

Garron will be recording his next album soon which means we will all be treated to more totally ace music in 2015 we can't wait....

You can find Chris Grimes on Facebook...
https://www.facebook.com/chris.grimes.581

For everything Garron Frith..
http://garronfrith.co.uk/

To find out what's going on at the Shop Sessions choose any of these links
http://www.thecyclejunction.com/blog/?page_id=1447
https://www.facebook.com/TCJShopSessions
https://www.youtube.com/user/shopsessions



The Burning Hell (Mathew Street) live at the Acoustic Dustbowl

So I have been promising myself that I would get to the Acoustic Dustbowl held in the lovely View Two Gallery Liverpool and finally this month everything fell into place.. the planets aligned... Share prices were right... the queen was in residence... the M6 was still crap but sometimes you just have to go for it...

It was funny seeing my 12yr old daughters reaction as we wandered down Mathew Street towards the secret oasis of The View Two Gallery. She just grabbed my arm and said 'It's not down here is it?'. Having to pass numerous bars called The Cavern pumping out white noise just gives the impact of walking into The View Two Gallery even more power, it's so worth it.

It wasn't long before Barry Jones introduced the evening & then took up position as one half of the Southbound Attic Band who set the mood perfectly. Songs with interesting & entertaining lyrics(pretty sure I've not heard a song with Bill Grundys in it before) and banter that helped you relax and feel welcome. A great way to open the evening..

Checkout this video for a taste of the Southbound Attic Band
http://youtu.be/a1Jfl4Gdm4U

Now I had heard great things about The Big I AM not least from the ever present Roger Tolley who can be seen regularly checking out music around the Liverpool area. I trust Roger's judgement on matters of music so I was really looking forward to this. Before the band even entered the performance area I was intrigued. It wasn't your usual array of instruments there was a Tenor Ukulele, a bass Uke, a Cuatro(which due to my ignorance I thought was a mandolin) & yes even a boring old guitar. Most of the set had Peter McPartland on the Tenor Uke & Colin Heaney on the Cuatro and what a beautiful sound they made.. It was a wonderful almost symphonic soundscape. It was a real pleasure to hear something that sounded genuinely different delivered by just two people acoustically. As I am currently listening to the CD while I write this the lines are getting blurred as to which songs I heard live & which have lodged in my brain listening to the CD but I have to say I am loving 'Opposite'. My suggestion is you go and like The Big I AM on Facebook and go watch them live yourself & buy the CD it's great.

Here's a vid to give you a glimpse of The Big I AM..
http://youtu.be/WD-9MCPmSV4

Well this was a last minute decision gig so I actually had no knowledge of The Burning Hell and what to expect. With a name like The Burning Hell it could have been a Metal Core band for all I knew(Obviously not though we were going to an event called 'Acoustic' Dustbowl). Going in blind is my favourite way to sample a band for the first time because if it hits the spot it's like digging up gold, real joy. It didn't take me long to fall in love with the music & personality of The Burning Hell the deep tones & guitar playing of Mathias Kom were offset wonderfully by the flowing clarinet & softer vocal of Ariel Sharratt. I am sure Mathias and Ariel have heard this a hundred times but I couldn't help but be reminded of They Might Be Giants a band that holds great affection in our house. I put the comparison down to the quirky & amusing lyrics which held my interest throughout the night. I'm listening to 'Amateur Rappers' right now & I can feel the muscle memory kicking in giving me the exact same grin that held on my face seeing this performed live. We found ourselves being transported into the world of Mathias Kom sometimes funny,sometimes scary & even informative.. now we know about bylaw B174 ;) I can't tell you how glad I am we made the trip over to Liverpool for this gig( What am I on about of course I can, I just did. Stupid phrase that is 'I can't tell you how glad I am') Anyway I suggest you go and find tickets to see The Burning Hell and enjoy finding this piece of musical gold...

Checkout the official video for Amateur Rappers it'll make you groove & smile
http://vimeo.com/64891997

Big thanks to Barry and the Acoustic Dustbowl team. It was a wonderful night in a beautiful venue.

Sorry for the lack of photos and vids but this was so last minute I didn't have time to get my stuff together & check permissions. Next time hopefully.

You can follow The Big I AM on facebook..
https://www.facebook.com/thebigiam

Make your way into The Burning Hell..
http://www.wearetheburninghell.com/index.htm

Finally to find out what is going on at the Acoustic Dustbowl
http://acousticdustbowl.americana-uk.com/

Till next time..

Little Rach live at The Shop Sessions #7

Well we're 2/3's of the way through this years Shop Sessions and what a journey it has been so far. We have had some truly amazing nights so could we keep the bar at the heady heights previously set?

Taking us on tonights musical adventure were three young ladies Charlotte Willacy, Rachel Lucy & Little Rach. This would be the second month in a row we have had an all female line up which was a nice way of continuing the Song Sisters message from last month.

Here at the Shop Sessions we are all for showcasing young new talent and I don't think we will get much younger than 12yr old Charlotte Willacy who was opening up the shop sessions with two instrumental pieces. The beautiful classical music was a lovely way to start the evening with a note perfect performance from Charlotte that had the audience whooping and clapping in appreciation. I have to admit at this point it was one of those proud dad moments for me as Charlotte is my daughter and I was only too happy to let her play when she asked if she could. The shop sessions are all about talent, not age & experience.

As soon as I could coax my face into not grinning so much it was time to introduce a relatively local artist.. Rachel Lucy. We had been in touch with Rachel after seeing her wonderful self produced video Kiss Me and we were really excited when she agreed to come and do tonights guest slot.
Rachel headed straight into her foot tappingly catchy style of acoustic pop. Straight away I was captured head bobbing, leg bouncing the bodies natural nod of agreement with music that moves you.
Nearly all the songs Rachel played were self penned tunes. There was a real nice blend of tones throughout the songs.. light & dark, soft & hard, slow & fast.. which really helps keep you focussed on the performance. I really hope we get to see more of Rachel Lucy in the future and can't wait to hear the recorded music she is currently in the middle of creating. We would totally recommend you go see Rachel... it's music that makes you smile :)

 

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/B1Gy2z2aja0

 

 

So Little Rach had made her job for the evening a tough one because last time she did a guest spot at the Shop Sessions she blew everyone away. I wasn't sure how she could possibly top that. One thing was certain though, the whole room was waiting with excited anticipation knowing already how ace Little Rach is. As Little Rach started 'Cold Coffee' from the album 'If You Go' it was clear this was going to be a special night. We were in the glass elevator and heading for the roof... the next song in the set is my favourite live song that Little Rach does. 'Stones Throw' whisks you away to the middle of your minds dance floor and makes you move, sway, dance, clap and just want to sing along.. by the end of the song everybody actually was clapping along.. simply superb. I was already enjoying the night but by this time I was in need of some serious muscle relaxant for my face just to stop the grin from sticking. The thing that always sticks with me watching Rach live is how easily she connects with the audience, the stories and links to each song just invite you to come into the world of Little Rach and sit down on the grass next to her smiling in the glow of Rach's sunny personality.

  

Charlottes Choice

When The Devil Knows

http://youtu.be/VdcckQEa5_s

 

 

Little Rach finished the set with When The Devil Knows and the audience responded with rapturous applause & shouts of more and never did it feel more sincere. The audience had fallen in love with the music & just as importantly the performance of Little Rach. There was no way there could be any option other than an encore. Having just played Folk In A Box recently Rach decided to perform the first encore song Hallelujah completely in the dark & it worked wonderfully the sense of sound heightened you could hear every breath and sigh of delight. The audience joined in with the chorus and you could just feel the musical bond of everyone in the darkness I'm getting goose bumps just thinking about it again. There were a couple of covers performed on the night the Thompson Twins being a very cool trip back to my youth (which was performed as a birthday song for someone in the audience, how cool is that). But my favourite cover that Little Rach does is her very quirky take on 'You're the one that I want' yep that song from Grease but you wouldn't recognise it and for all the right reasons.. beautiful. I told Little Rach this on the night & I say it to you now I have loved every minute of every Shop Session we have done but Little Rach quite literally 'Takes the biscuit' I was totally blown away as was every other person in the room.

 

Stones Throw

http://youtu.be/MTXGWY_XRTU

 

 

Little Rach is...  little ... likes biscuits.... quirky...... infectious...... wonderful...... bright....... a shining star.

 

I don't know why you're still here reading this you should be booking tickets to see Little Rach live on her website... Go! Go! Go!

 

You can follow Rachel Lucy on Facebook..

https://www.facebook.com/RachelLucyMusic

 

For everything in the wonderful world of Little Rach..

http://www.littlerachmusic.com/

 

To see who is coming up next at the Shop Sessions

http://www.thecyclejunction.com/blog/?page_id=1447





Song Sisters On Tour Fiona Bevan & Kal Lavelle Live at The Shop Sessions

Did you know only 13% of the PRS registered songwriters are female??.... No??... Neither did we & we thought it was an amazingly shocking statistic. So we were unbelievably excited when we were confirmed by Helen Meissner of the Folkstock Arts Foundation as the final venue on the Song Sisters tour. Fiona Bevan and Kal Lavelle would be touring the country raising awareness and igniting change with Songwriting Masterclasses for female songwriters followed by a concert. The concerts would be showcasing one or more female songwriters as well as a set from Fiona & then Kal or vice versa as they alternated who performed the final set throughout the tour.

It was easy for us to get excited about the message that was being conveyed by the Song Sisters tour as it aligns perfectly with our search for strong female role models to expose our daughter to as she starts her own journey of artistic discovery.

Now don't tell Fiona & Kal [looks over shoulder to make sure they can't hear me ;)] but I did observe the Songwriting workshop from the sidelines and it was brilliant to see all the ladies totally engaged and immersed in the valuable information that was being imparted. The subject matters covered included Publishing, Recording Contracts, Copyright, Promotion, Song Structures...
It was also really interesting to hear the backgrounds and journeys of Stephanie O'Brien (who was the guest artist for this particular Song Sisters event) Fiona Bevan and Kal Lavelle. So, an ace start to the day..

Charlotte's Thoughts

"I liked the fact that the workshop was so personal, they asked for our thoughts & our way of approaching different steps to writing songs & then helped us improve what we were doing. Also the artists [Fiona, Kal and Stephanie] all had different musical backgrounds, which was really interesting. I found the structure section the most helpful and I have already started looking at different parts of songs and different ways of approaching writing lyrics. It was AWESOME!!!!!! :-] "

 

 

So the theory had been presented what about putting it into practice... We would be able to experience the practical conclusion to the workshop seeing the ladies perform their songwriting gems for us totally unplugged later that evening.

 

 

The Shop Session was full (as has become the norm) of eager music loving ears ready to be teased and tantalised... Fiona and Kal started the evening by explaining the reasons behind the tour and delivered the message of encouraging more females into the songwriting side of the music industry before introducing their close friend Stephanie O'Brien who was starting the evenings live music.

 

 Always at the start of the evenings I am awash with nervous thoughts of how will the evening go, will the artists be great, have I set fire to anything ;)............ and right in the middle of one of these internal breakdowns I could hear a Muse calling, relaxing me moving my focus to the front of the room.. It was the beautiful tones of Stephanie O'Brien this was going to be a wonderful night of music, all the signs were there in the first minutes of Stephanie's set.

 

 

The first song of the night had enough power and subtlety to highlight the different shades of Stephanie's voice and was a great way to introduce us to this unplugged version of Stephanie O'Brien's music. Looking around the room it seemed everyone was as enchanted as I was with the wisps of sound blowing into our ears. My personal favourite from the night was Crying and Sleeping which you can enjoy by following the link below. This was a wonderful introduction to the sound of Stephanie O'Brien & just proved the confidence she has in her music as normally there would be looping, violins & makeshift megaphones incorporated which we are eager to go and see.

What a great start to the night.......

 

 Crying & Sleeping - Stephanie O'Brien

http://youtu.be/1dWiD1eEAxI

 

When we originally put our names forward as a quirky venue for 'an exciting music event' we didn't actually know which artists were involved, and on being sent the names Fiona Bevan & Kal Lavelle I went off to research the music. The first video I played was 'Rebel Without A Cause' by Fiona Bevan which I think had just been released and I have to say I was hooked straight away (if you've not heard it where the bloody hell have you been? go check it out...). So it was very fitting that Fiona opened with that very song burying the musical hook straight into our flesh. There was no escape from Fiona's unique captivating sounds, a smile appears and your bodies moving & before you realise it you're following the music wherever it leads.

 

Charlotte's Choice

Forwards - Fiona Bevan

 http://youtu.be/XYk9p0bO9eE

 

 

 

I think I said this on twitter a while ago after listening to Fiona's album 'Talk To Strangers' for a week solid.."It's like having happiness whispered into your ears" and it is. Fiona's vibe is infectious you just give in to feeling happy and it's a great place to be. I wish all the gigs I went to left me like that (and the night wasn't over yet...) The Pied Piper effect isn't filtered out by age either Fiona had 12yr olds to... well it would be rude to divulge, let's just say much older people ;) feeling the music. We will be eagerly awaiting the next time we can see Fiona Bevan live I suggest you don't miss it either..

 

Slo Mo Tiger Glo - Fiona Bevan

http://youtu.be/l6Pjfp7IAGk 



 

 

So you feel like you're Charlie in the glass elevator, you've already won all the Chocolate what more could there be...... Kal Lavelle comes in and says 'We're not done press the red button we're going through the roof' ( For those that were there I know Kal didn't actually say that and my names not Charlie but gimme a break I'm buzzing like a hamster on speed here and that sometimes leads down a strange verbose path ;]) Anyway where was I? oh yes.... Kal Lavelle

 

Charlotte's Choice (and mine but she invoked editorial control)

Gypsy Blood - Kal Lavelle

http://youtu.be/yKuOVu_bF_c

 







 

 

The first thing I noticed with Kal in this cosy setting was how quickly she connected with the audience. Before playing a note Kal's humour and banter had the room on her side. So by the time the first notes of Blue Lagoon were played we were already hanging on Kal's every sound. It was a beautiful way to audibly shake hands with the audience and warmly welcome us into the sound of Kal Lavelle. I was really blown away by the emotion of Kal's delivery, breathing life into the words and giving the songs a real lived in feel (not quite sure what that means reading it back I think what I'm trying to say is it felt real;]). The percussive playing had me transfixed as well, I love seeing somebody beat hell out of the guitar as they drive their emotions through it to make wonderful music and that guitar was going to tell us everything.

 

In both Fiona and Kal's set they helped each other out with backing vocals to great effect you'd almost think there could be a side project there if they fancied writing an album together the styles seeming the ideal counterpoint for each other. As Kal finished the set it was plain to see we would all be begging for more and what an encore leading the audience in a rendition of the very funky 'Sing' which I can tell you now I was still singing the day after (I even think Kal caught me humming it in the office after everyone had gone.. bit embarrassing). If you haven't seen the intensely amazing Kal Lavelle live then hurry up and do it...

 

Sing - Kal Lavelle

 http://youtu.be/opEQuZiz4M4

 

 

Should probably say a massive thankyou to Kal for including Gypsy Blood in the set as it has been one of my favourite tracks of the summer go listen it's superb :)

 

 

Well I'm not sure if you can tell but we had a fantastic time throughout the day and evening and we totally recommend you rush out (well probably not out just to your computer) and buy the current EP's and albums from Stephanie O'Brien, Fiona Bevan & Kal Lavelle and go see them live people...

 

For everything Stephanie O'Brien -

http://www.stephanieobrien.co.uk/

EP Leave Your Heart At The Door

 

For Fiona Bevan music head to -

http://fionabevan.co.uk/

Album Talk To Strangers

 

The wonderful world of Kal Lavelle -

http://www.kallavelle.com/

EP Shivers

 

For the next amazing Shop Session checkout..

http://www.thecyclejunction.com/blog/?page_id=1447





Double Trouble Baxter Rock Out at Shop Session #5

Well it only seems like yesterday we had the first Shop Session and here we are half way through this musical year. So to celebrate we had a night of high energy ahead of us with some familiar faces and we couldn't wait..

The evening started with KwalaParla the first of a night packed full of duo's. KwalaParla is basically the name under which any of my own music goes out. This can be solo or a collaboration. Tonights version saw me team up with my nephew Ryan Bacon to perform a few tracks from an EP that we recorded early last year plus a Staind cover. As usual Ryan was ace floating around the guitar like it was just an extension of his anatomy and skillfully covering any mistakes I made :) So we enjoyed the start of the evening..

 

Vid Link

 http://youtu.be/3McAA92quiY



Self indulgence over..

The guest spot saw the return of the Shop Session's first featured artist Jonathan Tarplee but this time Jonathan was not alone he had teamed up with the amazing Daniel J Logan to fill his sound with percussive wonderment. The cool thing about Jonathan is his relaxed vibe just gets you on his side straight away. It was great to see & hear songs transformed with Daniel's subtle and engrossing rhythms while Jonathan effortlessly teased tunes out of his guitar. As I am sitting typing this I am listening back to Big Low Copper Moon and it just encapsulates everything that is great about Jonathan's sound. People just want to sway, join in and most importantly smile.

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/vhtiLXRL0oc 

 

I will let you all into a secret although most of the music you read about here is acoustic singer/songwriter type stuff I actually grew up listening to full on plugged in rock & blues. So to say I was excited about seeing Baxter would be an understatement. Hayley Strangelove & Paul Senior are the composite members of Baxter and I had seen snippets of their Rock infused acoustic covers but not a full set. Right from the opening blast into The Black Keys 'Little Black Submarine' I knew this was going to be awesome..

 

Charlotte's Choice

 http://youtu.be/-ed6ZVr9p8g

 



Hayley & Paul individually are powerhouse vocalists and their voices complimented each other brilliantly as they passed through Rock to Grunge to Indie & Soul. Even though the music had been drawn by others the colours and the shades were definitely Baxter giving each familiar song a touch of something different to catch the eyes and the ears. I think the thing though that makes Baxter extra special is what's going on between the lines.. Maybe it was helped by the small intimate setting but you heard every quip and little interaction between Hayley and Paul which I can imagine might be missed in some of the noisier venues & this just connected the audience to the pair even more. I did at times find myself having to move away from the video camera so as not to be recorded laughing myself silly. My personal favourite from the evening was 'No One Knows' by Queens Of The Stoneage but it was a close run thing because I didn't stop smiling, singing and dancing behind the camera all night.

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/KlQRdSs30Qw



 

 

Now most people know I'm a bit sniffy about covers and this night has not helped because now if you don't do a cover as well as Baxter then you just shouldn't do it!!! My already high bar(as far as people doing covers goes) has been lifted by seeing versions of songs on this night that I preferred over the originals in a lot of cases so be warned if you are going to come and do a shop session and you're gonna do a cover just ask yourself 'Is it as good as Baxter?' not 'Is it as good as the original?'

You can find Baxter playing around Cheshire & Staffordshire at the moment & who knows maybe the world. Go and harass your local music venue to book them immediately your musical life will not be fulfilled until you have seen them.

For everything Baxter go to the facebook or twitter feeds
https://www.facebook.com/baxterduo?fref=ts
@baxterduo

Jonathan Tarplee can be found here..
http://www.blueyellows.co.uk/

And the equally amazing ;0) Dan Logan can be found via Orchard Studios as well
hosting a very cool open mic night at The Railway Inn Alsager Monday's at 8pm
http://www.orchardstudios.co.uk/news/?p=118
https://www.facebook.com/danieljloganmusician?fref=ts
http://www.thedanloganshow.co.uk/#home

You can keep an eye on Ryan Bacon drumming and guitar awesomeness on his youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/ryanjules1

And finally (Self Indulgent Plug again ;]) KwalaParla free EP can be downloaded from Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/kwalaparla/sets/our-own-world-ep-1

For a list of the upcoming Shop Sessions..
http://www.thecyclejunction.com/blog/?page_id=1447

Acorn to Oak Tree Luke Jackson Live

So why am I typing this blog after announcing I wouldn't be doing a music blog for a while as I've got quite a few cycling blogs to write?? Well I'll tell you why... I went to see another Roots & Fusion gig and the featured artist was Luke Jackson...

I'd heard Luke Jackson a few times on Rick Stuarts' Roots & Fusion radio show & had added him to my growing list of  'Artists to checkout'. So I went to this gig knowing Luke was young & talented but no amount of recorded music was going to prepare me for Luke Jackson live.

The Barista Café is a cosy & intimate venue which became even more evident in this heat as audience & artist alike were leaking all over the place. Seeing Luke this close it was easy to see his youthful features which created a mental paradox as he began to sing. Somewhere secretly voices are distilled and aged like a fine malt whisky and a select few are allowed to sip from the barrel giving them a beautiful singing voice that belies their youthful appearance. Maybe it's just that we're force fed a continual diet of boy bands that still sound like they are performing at the school review wrapped in corporate packaging but as soon as Luke started singing I felt this was special. There was an experience and feeling that came through Luke's delivery that I just wasn't ready for. All these thoughts and emotions were stirred up within the first few bars of the night. By the time Luke began to sing his 2nd song A Cappella I leant forward to Rick who was sat in front of me and said 'Just Wow!!'. It's easy to think from the previous words that Luke Jackson is all about the voice but just listening & watching him deliver 'Ghost at The Crossroads' I was loving his attack on the guitar and the Rhythmic use of his stomp box so a great musician as well...
From the first strum of his guitar to the final vocal fade three generations of our family sat there in awe happy that we had witnessed something special. You can always tell how good the evening was by the discussion in the car on the way home and we were all fighting to lay superlatives on the night.
And after all the joy of the bluesy thoughtful songs the thing that was most interesting and possibly the highest compliment was a conversation between myself and Lynn as we readied ourselves for slumber in which we both said 'That was the first time I'd really listened to the words of each song right through the night'.  We put it down to a combination of clarity of delivery and powerful songwriting which just connects and from such a young artist, truly wonderful.

At 19yrs old Luke Jackson is still only just starting his journey but the roots are firmly planted and it's easy to see as he continues to grow he has the potential to be magnificent (or continue to be magnificent if you believe like me that he's already as good as anyone out there at the moment).

A big thanks to Phil Smith of Sound Solutions who made sure the sound was spot on and as always Rick Stuart for again laying on an audible feast accompanied by ale quaffing :)

I can't shout this loud enough GO SEE LUKE JACKSON!!!

Find everything Luke Jackson here
http://lukepauljackson.com/

Roots and Fusion lives here it will enrich your life (Show goes out 9pm UK time Wednesday Pure 107.8FM Stockport)
https://www.facebook.com/rootsandfusion?fref=ts

Bye for now.....

Magical Musical Musings Darren Poyzer Live Shop Session #4

The shop was ready.... people were seated...... it was 7.45pm.......
I was getting a bit twitchy as neither artist had arrived yet. Only being 4 gigs old (1 gig is worth 1 human year & therefore that makes us 28 in dog years) this was the first time I had the feeling everything might not always go to plan.

I had visions of returning everyones money & forcing them to listen to me for an hour and a half. Thankfully as the haze cleared Darren & Little Rach appeared and all was right with the world. Little Rach had suffered the wrath of the M6 & Darren had been chasing The Hound of the Baskervilles, panic over, phew!!

After a small assault on peoples ears by moi it was time to introduce Little Rach.

We knew Little Rach was going to be ace because we were holding her biscuits hostage until the set was over...
As soon as the first strums floated from the front I was smiling. Little Rach had started playing a very original take on 'You're the one that I want' , yep the Grease tune but you've never heard it like this before. The beautifully simple sound was the perfect way to shake hands with the audience and meet on common ground. Once the pleasantries were over though it was time to follow Little Rach into her quirky, infectious, fun filled world. The percussive guitar style and soft but strong vocal is totally captivating and had me grinning from ear to ear again as I clapped, sang, stomped along to the songs and it seemed everyone else in the room felt exactly the same. All too soon the short guest set was over but Little Rach had definitely left everyone wanting more. Thankfully the little ball of light that is Little Rach is coming back to light up the Shop Sessions in September where she will be performing  the longer featured spot and we really really can't wait....

Biscuits earned and devoured & consequently the biscuit box became a percussion instrument :)

 

Video Link

http://youtu.be/QM67LXIxaEs

Refreshed and refuelled we were all ready for the return of the very superb Darren Poyzer.
Immediately you could feel him working his magic creating a connection with the audience getting everyone on his side before he'd played a single note. Having seen Darren play for a 2nd time I could really see that what goes on in between the songs is almost as important as the music itself. The back stories make great listening and the fact that the songs are great is like the icing on the cake. I found myself engrossed in the songs listening to every word as the story unfolds in front of me. I know I've said this before in this blog but again I just felt the physical response of a big smile as I stood happy and content and looking around I could see it was just a sea (well maybe a pond, it's a small gig) of smiles. 'The End Of The News Of The World' was a great satirical take on the REM tune 'It's The End Of The World' fully backed up by inhaler just in case as there was no time for breathing through the fast paced performance, just brilliant. Darren encouraged the audience to pick from two options for an encore and finished on one of my favourite songs Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol) with everyone joining in. A magical finish to a magical night.

 

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/2KywAcjqu2w

You know there are those moments you wish you could bottle and just keep with you so you can take another sip this was one of those moments.... I was left on a musical high from the very wonderful Little Rach & Darren Poyzer, I suggest you go find where they're playing quick and take a bottle so you can capture some of their magic :)

To get yourself a copy of the totally ace new album from little Rach or to find out where you can see her live go to...
http://www.littlerachmusic.com/home

To check out Darren's latest multi media project 'War to End all Wars' or to find out about gigs you can find all the info here...
http://www.poyzer.com/

To find out who is playing next and how you get tickets for our wonderful Shop Sessions..
http://www.thecyclejunction.com/blog/?page_id=1447

Rebecca Cullen live and unplugged - Shop Session #3

So another exciting Gigmas day was upon us. There was a little change to the normal start, this Shop Session would be opened by a young up and coming local artist. The artist in question was Conor Thackary and he hit the ground running with a cover of Creep (Radiohead) and followed this with one of his own songs which I have to say I really enjoyed but you know I am a sucker for original music. Judging by the feedback from the evening this will be something we would like to incorporate again and we will definitely be keeping an eye on Conor and hopefully we'll see him back at the Shop Sessions in the future.

Well the guest for this night was a real treat for finger picking guitar lovers. I'd been really looking forward to seeing Angus McTwangstick live as I'd heard so much about him including from my own wife and daughter who had already witnessed his ace guitar stylings. I was not disappointed, Angus went straight into the Match of The Day theme tune which was a short but very recognisable to get everyone on his side. As Angus continued with his set I was really enjoying watching him play and then recalling from the recesses of my memory where I knew the tune from. As I looked around the room I could see how engrossed people were in his guitar style and you could hear excited whispers go around as people recognised the tunes 'It's Star Wars, It's Star Wars' followed by a satisfied look on the persons face. Speaking to people during and after the gig everyone really loved this take on familiar tunes played solely on a guitar and I would definitely recommend you go check out Angus if you see him listed on a gig poster he is ace!!!.

 

Vid Link

 http://youtu.be/Sp3sELa67ZY

Our whole house was very excited about our featured artist for this Shop Session as we have been playing the 'Digging Up Worms' EP by Rebecca Cullen for over 12 months and absolutely loving Rebecca's wonderful vocals. It was going to be interesting to see if those soulful tones would transfer to a totally unplugged environment. As Rebecca eased into the first tune I totally relaxed as she effortlessly produced those wonderful soulful sounds which fitted perfectly with the acoustic guitar playing that coloured in the edges of the sound beautifully. We had some encouraging backing vocals from the next generation of the Cullen family which made for another unique evening that just made me smile, we really do have special family friendly evenings. It was easy to see the entire room was gripped by the emotion and feeling coming through with each song & I know I was totally in awe of the music.

 

Charlotte's Choice

http://youtu.be/bCAcn69Iw0M 

 



After the break we were treated to accordion accompaniment from Adam Rodgers who really added a subtle extra dimension to the sound. It was amazing to find out Adam had only been playing for 12 months because he seemed to know just how to enhance the sound without overpowering it. One of the things I was really enjoying was the amount of original material Rebecca and Adam have outside of the EP we already new about & I can't wait to be able purchase/download anything that Rebecca & Adam release in the future. There was a real feeling from everyone I have spoken to from the evening that Rebecca Cullen has a very special sound and really should be a name that people search out and listen to, we were so chuffed to have Rebecca & Adam come and play for us & would gladly welcome them back to fill our lives with music filled smiles.

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/c-g6LB3-O3w

A big thanks goes out to all the wonderful artists Conor, Angus, Rebecca & Adam as well as the lovely people of Sandbach for supporting live music, it's just practicing if there's no audience ;]

 

 

For everything  Rebecca Cullen you can go to....

 

www.rebeccacullen.co.uk

or go and download the Digging Up Worms EP (It's ace) from

https://soundcloud.com/rebeccacullenmusic

 

Angus McTwangstick can be found on facebook..

https://www.facebook.com/angus.mctwangstick?fref=ts

 

 

And finally to find out who is playing next head to

http://www.thecyclejunction.com/blog/?page_id=1447

 

 



 



Garron Frith & Adrian Nation playing live for Roots & Fusion Stockport

Well now it seems gigs & blogs are coming thick and fast at the moment.... The latest entry is from what is fast becoming one of my favourite live nights. It's really cool if you listen to Rick Stuarts Roots & Fusion show on Pure 107.8 FM to know that it is quite likely you will get to see the people you're hearing up close & personal in a cosy setting courtesy of Rick and Pure 107.8 FM.

We  got to the chilled out Café Bar nice and early which meant I could get the obligatory cappuccino and position myself & camera right up close to the stage so I can do those right up your nose counting the nasal hairs shots(only kidding I try to be reasonably subtle about pics).

'So stop rambling you git' I hear you say...... alright.. alright I've had one too many coffees tonight...

First up for the evening was Garron Frith.. now this would be the third time I'd seen Garron this year & I was just as stoked(I'm far to old to be using that word) to be watching Garron on this night as I had been the first time I caught him in Sandbach back in January. As soon as he starts playing you can feel the room relax just knowing this is going to be a great evening of music. Garron's sound just eases it's way into your subconscious overriding all programing to just put you in chill mode. It's interesting that people try and pigeon hole his sound as blues, I'm not so sure, I think the lovely tones & lyrics are much more accessible than out and out blues(which I love by the way). The bluesy slidey elements to his songs definitely make it more interesting than just listening to your everyday acoustic songwriter material found in a million other bars that night... no this was definitely something special. I think my personal favourite song is 'Not the Man' from the album 'Away from The Bright Lights' it just gets better and better everytime I hear it live. I will definitely be looking out to see where I can enjoy those soulful/bluesy tones again and put the pressure on Garron to find new jokes in between the songs ;] What a top start to the night.

Vid link

http://youtu.be/TbkI0rozvgU

 

When Adrian Nation took to the stage I knew being this close to the front would create some camera angle issues...man the dude is tall. So I snuck to the back to film the vid without permanently damaging my neck. I have heard Adrian Nation played on Roots & Fusion a few times & was looking forward to some wonderful guitar work. I was not disappointed. Adrian has a real deft touch with the guitar and I was simply mesmerized by his hands. I'm pretty sure I had only ever heard instrumentals before so was pleasantly surprised to hear Adrian singing. As the set eased forward I found myself enjoying just being immersed in the sound. It felt like a real escape, a release from the hum drum of everyday life, following the stories being told and letting each pick of a note dance it's merry way into your ears. I have to say I totally loved the cover of the Richard Thompson tune 'Sid James' ;] oh no sorry I mean't 'Vincent Black Lightning' just amazing. This wonderful musical night was over to quick for me but Adrian definitely saved the best until last 'Set Fire to The Sky' is a beautiful painting of a song I just wanted to close my eyes and let the sound wash over me like the tide.

 

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/rQrk9VrZYJo

 

 

 

It just remains to say go forth and search out places you can see these wonderful artists, your time is precious so make sure you're using it to make your life richer by listening to lovely live music.

 

For all sorts of wall building tips and musical goings on check out Garron Frith here...

http://garronfrith.co.uk/

 

To find out about different Carry On Actors and how you can fit them into songs as well as great music you will find everything Adrian A Nation here...

http://www.adriannation.co.uk/

 

The wonderful show that is Roots & Fusion can be found on Pure 107.8 FM Stockport on Wednesday  Evening from 9pm UK.

http://pureradio.org.uk/

Roots & Fusion info

https://www.facebook.com/rootsandfusion?fref=ts

 



 

A Love Letter To Southport - Polly & The Billets Doux live at Grateful Fred's

Well this Wednesday night was going to start as a battle of wills between me and the M6. The M6 was determined I wasn't going to get to Southport & I was of a mind that I was going to bloody well get there if I had to go via Leeds. The lure of great music dragged me through the mire of detour after detour and finally with a little time to spare I reached Mecca(No I wasn't going to the Bingo smart arse) It certainly felt like an arduous pilgrimage to a special place anyway.

As you know I am full on Rock 'n' Roll with my Queens of The Stoneage beanie so proceeded to order the only drink that fits...... A cappuccino.... What??

So, caffeine induced I was as ready as a crazed squirrel for the magical music ahead.

As is only right at a Grateful Fred night the evening is started with the gracious hosts The Grateful Fred band. The Freds set the tone beautifully easing us in massaging our ears & putting everyone in a good mood with their antics on and off stage. Colin, Karine & Les were creating lovely harmonies which considering Karine & Colin were recovering from the type of tropical diseases often found in Formby(I might have made that bit up it was probably a chest thing??) was pretty impressive. As usual Fretful Ged (Gerard) was on fire floating up and down the fretboard continually wandering over and joking with heartbeat of the band Frank. So as usual a top start...

Next up after a short break was the 'Southbound Attic Band'....I know top name isn't it. The 'Southbound Attic Band' is comprised of Barry Jones Vocals/Guitar/Harmonica and Ronnie Clark Bass/Vocals. There seemed to be some in the audience that were there to enjoy this duo & I soon found out why. Within seconds I was tapping my foot along enjoying their infectious sound. Throughout the set they had the audience bouncing, howling &  tooting along & I particularly enjoyed the stories behind the songs linking everything together. I was totally engrossed in the songs and my personal favourite from their set was The Lone Crow. The Southbound Attic Band are regularly found at View Two Gallery which is a wonderful venue in Liverpool as well as festivals up and down the country and after seeing them live myself I would definitely recommend you go check them out, you will have a great night(practice howling & tooting you don't want to sound like a strangled chicken when you join in ;]).

 

Vid Link

 

http://youtu.be/U66W6puLIYg

So onto the nights headline artists Polly & The Billets Doux. If you have read any of these blogs before you will know I'm all feeling and no facts( I don't take notes on setlists or research backgrounds or other 'journo' type stuff. It's just what I feel or remember from the night) but I was intrigued by the name 'Polly & The Billets Doux' so I googled 'Billets Doux' apparently it means love letter in French... Well there you go another first something almost educational in one of these blogs..
After imparting some real information about the name of the band I should probably balance things up by pretending I didn't check the names of the band members Polly(Vocals), Dan(Bass), Steeny(Guitar) & Ben(Drums) by telling you there was Polly on vocals, The Billet twins on Bass and  Guitar & Doux on drums(I feel better now I've made something up, thanks for indulging me).
I didn't know what to expect at all from the band as I love listening to a band live before checking the recorded catalogue but I thought it would probably be an acoustic Americana kind of evening......
and as the set started I thought I had presumed right.  Straight away the silky smooth vocal of Polly reminded me of Morcheeba  the tones melting into your ears and putting you at ease with the world. Don't be fooled though Polly is a wolf in sheeps clothing because when it comes to driving the songs up a notch she bares her teeth and delivers all the bite required to keep you in the grip of the song. It was a totally brilliant contrast and quite a shock when it first happens. The band delivered beautiful harmonies with a great subtle drum & double bass undertone while the soundscape was finished off with some tantalising guitar work. As the set progressed we were treated to some flamingo style guitar... I know ... you think I mean Flamenco when actually what I mean is Polly standing on one leg while playing the guitar like a Flamingo, a touch of slidey blues and then gradually we moved into rock style 5 minute guitar soloing. It was brilliant I could actually feel my grin getting bigger and bigger as the night edged forward. It was as if they were musically charming the edge of my mouth upwards. By the time they were into a very different take of 'House of The Rising Sun' I was totally with them immersed in wonderful guitar work from Steeny(I know it makes me sound like I know him but I lifted his nickname straight off Facebook ;]) Polly managing to do the most graceful looking tambourine playing I've seen and the rythym of the drums and bass just driving the song like an engine. Not sure if you can tell but I loved it as soon as I could I was over buying the latest CD.
So why are you still reading this you should be on some ticket website by now booking your own tickets to go see the awesome Polly & The Billets Doux.... Go... Go...

Vid Link

http://youtu.be/_wIRdc6Njzk

 



Well wasn't that a great night.. If you haven't seen Grateful Fred at The Atkinson, Southbound Attic Band or Polly & The Billets Doux go find them people & if you have seen them you'll know you need to go see them again.

For amazing nights at The Atkinson with Grateful Fred
http://gratefulfred.co.uk/

The Southbound Attic Band can be found here on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/thesouthboundatticband

And to enjoy Polly & The Billets Doux this is the place to check out
http://pollyandthebilletsdoux.co.uk/

Jo Bywater Unplugged - Shop Session #2

If you have read any of the blogs previous to our own Shop Session gigs you will already know I am a massive fan of Jo Bywater (If you haven't, shame on you and by the way I'm a massive fan of Jo Bywater). So now everyone is up to speed as you can imagine I was pretty stoked Jo was going to be the featured artist for our April Shop Session all I had to do was make sure the place was packed & we were gonna be in for a top night......

The Shop Session gigs are basically a totally unplugged gig in a Bicycle Shop with a featured artist & a guest artist. In the main the guest artist is someone who will be playing a featured spot later on in the year. This serves two purposes firstly it makes sure the quality of the music stays high as well as giving people a taster of what a great night they are in for when the guest comes back.

This months guest artist was the superb Darren Poyzer which meant we were going to get a glimpse of his lovely heartfelt storytelling style of songwriting.

To kick proceedings off there was a little bit of noise from moi basically to get peoples hands fully warmed up for clapping in appreciation of Darren & Jo and root out the rhythmically challenged amongst us. Then it was time to introduce Darren.
Immediately you could tell Darren's connection with the audience was going to work well in this cosy venue as he encouraged a bit of playful banter before introducing his first song of the night 'Rewarded for violence'. Darren has a lovely style which draws you into his story with some deft touches on the guitar and a voice that conveys his message perfectly. I personally really enjoyed Darren's song 'Sunday Morning Footballer' which was the first of two songs he played in the second half of the evening, it's such a lovely and interesting story you just want to soak it in. So as you can tell we're definitely looking forward to seeing Darren back here in June to do a full featured set. It will be ace, you would be mad to miss it!!

Vid Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_OkhGPtpjU&list=UU-d7vgJ8dv0ZvcROoEPm8iA&feature=share&index=2

Hold on....

I won't be a minute....

Ah right here it is...my dictionary. I need to start searching out some more superlatives before I write about Jo Bywater's music again ;]

Actually I've just found a list online & I'm loving 'most immense' but I might have to tag the word 'dude' onto it. Anyway on with the show(or blog).

Well I have lost count how many times I have seen Jo Bywater play but this was going to be a bit different because this time it was totally unplugged so we would hear the raw sound untouched by electronic wizardry & dark doings. Jo kicked off her first half set with 'Disclaimer' which is the first song from her 2010 album 'Cycle Grace Pulse Break' (I still have to check the album title everytime I mention it. Gonna ask if I can have a one word 'Title for dummies' with Jo's next album ;] maybe just in the small print to stop me mixing up or totally missing some of the words). Even though I've seen this performed quite a few times I'm still mesmerized watching Jo playing the guitar & the thing that really struck home was that the vocal didn't lose any potency without the Jiggery Pokery of a soundman adding reverb or any other dark magic. The guitar playing in this environment really worked well as Jo has a pretty aggressive attacking style for someone who plays the acoustic guitar and the sounds crafted from the lovely Taylor really filled the room.

Charlotte's Choice

http://youtu.be/MtWtAK2IyYU
 

By the time 'Smokescreen' came to an end I was in a musical world of my own, the spell only being briefly broken as Jo told the audience that although the song she was now singing was called 'Fast Ant' the pace of the song made it sound like a meandering ant. Little breakouts to interact with the audience like this are making these shop sessions a really special and personable place to watch these fantastic artists :) Even now I am noticing new things everytime I listen to Jo Bywater play and during this performance I found myself enjoying the percussive side of the performance you could hear the prominence of the strikes and the foot taps to add a much deeper sound to the whole thing. 'Ropeladder' was a great example of the percussive sounds that were being produced. I think the highlights of the two sets that Jo did were the new songs (to me anyway as 'One small step' is an old song I'd not heard before) One small step & Silence Changed. I love hearing new songs and it was great to hear a song that had only been performed half a dozen times or less. During the 2nd set Jo swapped to a Gretsch resonator playing slide and what a sound. I've been really enjoying the direction of music on the latest EP from Jo 'Chasing Tales' (Didn't need to check the title of this one ;]) it's full of bluesy slidey goodness and it was wonderful to see it performed a few feet away in all it's glory. The night finished on a high with a 'most immense' tune (see what I did there dude ;]) Wave which is the last song on the album 'Cycle Grace Pulse Break' (If I keep typing it I'm bound to remember at some point).

 

Vid link (With Jo kicking our pet tambourine. It's like a lemming with bells on)

http://youtu.be/j4rh_tKKybw

 

A very big thankyou to Jo Bywater & Darren Poyzer for making it another memorable & wonderful night of acoustic music & also the people in the audience who always add to an interesting and magical evening.

 

A list of the upcoming Shop Sessions can be found here..

http://www.thecyclejunction.com/blog/?page_id=1447

 

For the story telling magic of Darren Poyzer head to.

http://www.poyzer.com/

 

And finally for Acoustic slidey bluesy wonderment & probably one of the coolest people you could learn guitar from go to..

http://www.jobywater.com/





Electrifying Marc O'Reilly at The Bury Met

Well now this was a night I had been eagerly anticipating ever since I first saw Marc O'Reilly play 'Get Back' for St Pauls Lifestyle youtube channel. I was blown away with his down and dirty riffin on an acoustic guitar(Yep down & dirty riffin on an acoustic..very cool). Basically I went straight to iTunes and downloaded the album 'My Friend Marx' which has consequently been one of my most played albums of the last 12 months.  Circumstances conspired against me last year as I missed Marc play Manchester & Birmingham which seemed the most accessible gigs to me. So Marc became top of my must see list for 2014( Closely followed by Ben Harper who I'm going to see again in a couple of weeks :]). Not sure if you can tell but I was really looking forward to this so no pressure then Marc.

The Bury Met reminds me a bit of a school drama studio with the blacked out walls and mini stage. The night was going to feel intimate and judging by the temperature in the venue Subtropical(Shorts & a Magarita wouldn't have looked out of place in this heat). Thankfully I had a lovely pint of real ale to cool me down.

First up and supporting Marc on this tour was Albert Jones. If you've ever read one of my blogs before you'll already know I love seeing people I know nothing about for the first time it's the best way to discover a new gem. From the first pick of the guitar I knew I'd struck gold. It was easy to see Albert was at home with guitar in hand as wonderful rhythmic sounds emanated from the stage but what I was really chuffed to hear was that his voice was great too just enough grit to make you sit up and pay attention. Voice and guitar fitted perfectly together and definitely proved to be an amazing start to the night. Safe to say we headed over and took advantage of the two for £10 offer ;] and bought both Albert Jones CD's at the end of the night. I suggest if you see Albert Jones name on a poster or gig advert you need to go see him, you won't regret it. If you've never been before go check him out at the Audlem Music Festival it's a great event.

So it was a thoroughly superb start to the night & something that struck me early on was the room sounded great as well. Venue & sound engineer were doing a fine job of making it easy to enjoy the music, The Bury Met is well worth a visit people.

After a short break Marc O'Reilly rolled out on to the stage... this was what I'd been waiting for.
To kick off Marc stood alone centre stage and headed straight into familiar territory for fans with 3 tracks off 'My Friend Marx' played acoustically. There it was right in front of me the driving rhythms of 'Lord of War' my leg was bouncing and head swaying I imagine everyone in the room was fighting the urge to just get up and move. A real world Pied Piper effect. Now some artists are audibly engaging but the really special ones are visually compelling as well & I just couldn't take my eyes off what Marc was doing. You could see the music seep into his very bones and infect him with the very same need to move that was affecting the audience. It was just beautiful to see 'An African Day' played up close. This tour was a little different I believe from Marc's last journey around the UK, this time he had a band with him and they were duly introduced after the solo tracks. It was really cool to see & hear an acoustic guitar used as the lead on one of my personal favourites 'Tell Old Joe' another of the older tracks that blew me away was 'La Question' which started as the wonderful light & fresh sounding tune with just the acoustic but then kicked into a full on in your face electric sound a truly brilliant contrast. As the music made the transition into the newer tracks from the album 'Human Herdings' Marc tentatively brought out his pluggy inny (that is the very widely used technical term for an electric guitar [I can't back that up obviously it's bollocks] ;-) ) There was a bit of a tongue in cheek apology as if expecting a Dylanesque type backlash as he revealed the new 6 string partner but I'm sure he already knew everyone would have been on his side if he'd have brought out bagpipes(ok maybe not bagpipes but you know what I mean). As the set moved on the aforementioned Albert Jones who was playing guitar for the band setup took a more lead guitar style in the band & wove some wonderful sounds into the mix. It was great seeing how much the whole band seemed to be enjoying themselves. I can genuinely say I was loving everything but a couple of the new tracks that really grabbed you by the short & curlies(All right show off I'm speaking for myself when I say short ;]) were 'Reach Out' and the longer 'The Wayward Shepherd' which was a track you could really lose yourself in & showcased the band in full flight. Marc was back in solo mode for the encore which had a kind of nice full circle effect and ended a wonderful night of music.

So was it everything I had hoped for???? Damn right and then some. Marc O'Reilly is someone you should put right to the top of your must see list. He'll riff your face off with an acoustic and then melt into your ears when he slows it down. He's bluesy, soulful, intense & mesmerizing to watch but don't take my word for it go watch him you won't regret it. While you're waiting to get to a show keep your musical senses tingling with his albums.. 'My Friend Marx' & the latest greatest addition 'Human Herdings'



I know I have said I'm going to stop saying 'My favourite gig' as it has become meaningless as the latest show always seems to leave me grinning from ear to ear & a little bit more in love with music but this is up there with any other I have said that about which obviously means I thought it was fantastic.

Big thanks to Marc O'Reilly & The Band(Including extra band member the sound engineer), Albert Jones & The Bury Met.

For everything Albert Jones
http://www.albertjones.co.uk/

To find out how you can be infused with Marc O'Reilly sounds
http://www.marcoreillymusic.com/

To Enjoy Music at The Bury Met
http://themet.biz/