2014 has crept up on me, so many things going on at the moment with music and bikes and well... life. The year seems to have crept in the front door and made itself comfortable without me noticing just waiting for the right moment to announce it's arrival. 'Ahem you know there's a gig tonight, your first gig of 2014' the year has announced it's intentions....
Well, now you've read that load of self indulgent bollocks lets get on with the years first musical outing. I had heard on the grapevine you know the modern digital one that doesn't involve grapes or vines that the Grateful Fred nights were pretty amazing affairs and that I should go see for myself and so having seen that Jo Bywater was playing the first Grateful Fred event of the year it was a no brainer, we were going.
After a few trips around Southport center (probably looking like we were curb crawling) trying to find parking near the venue we finally halted the merry-go-round and got ourselves into The Atkinson. It was a really pleasant surprise. I needed to check the price on the ticket again we couldn't have paid just 8 quid to come to a gig here? It looked like a smaller cousin of venues like The Lowry or The Birmingham Symphony Hall. Once inside The Studio we accosted Jo Bywater and Colin (Our gracious host for the evening) to say hello and then positioned ourselves in the mosh pit of what was a very cool two tiered theatre.
Right, so cool venue, beer all we needed now were some top tunes..
Grateful Fred took up their positions on stage and immediately I was drawn to the Cigar Box guitar that Colin was holding (that is not a euphemism by the way it is a guitar made from a cigar box). I love the sound these little bundles of joy make. The Fred's kicked off their set and I was immediately put at ease we were in for a good night. The songs performed were covers and it's always nice to be welcomed in by a familiar face (or in this case sound). Everyone on stage was at ease with each other and there was plenty of playful banter and fun. So a great start to the night...
A quick change around and we were musically on familiar ground, this would be the third time we'd seen Jo Bywater play in 5 or 6 months. Now I could just say go read my other blogs where I am enthusing over Jo's music but I won't because Jo's music moves me to words (not tears thankfully). Watching Jo play you almost forget how intricate her songs are because she makes it look so effortless. Songs like 'Wave' off the album 'Cycle Grace Pulse Break' ebb and flow taking you with them. There's no straight forward Oasis like strumming going on here, Jo's hands obviously have a brain of there own negotiating the fretboard without needing direction while the head delivers lyrics that encourage you to listen intently to the story being told. Now, I thought Jo Bywater was doing a solo set but ingeniously she had positioned a percussionist in the audience who was primed to open a can of beer just at the perfect moment. Now that's the work of genius. I'll post a link to the vid at the bottom of this blog so you can hear the offending can. As you can tell I really love listening to this music and I was really chuffed to find out Jo had won Best EP at the FATEA awards while doing this gig. So you must have got the message by now go find out where Jo Bywater is playing and enjoy and once you've enjoyed buy the CD's so you have a musical memoire of a cool gig.
So I had been transfixed on the Grateful Fred lead guitar player who just floated up and down the fretboard and then was wowed by Jo Bywater playing slide how do you add to that.....
Bring on The Toy Hearts and a Steel Guitar, get in !!! (Oh no it's late I've started regressing into football yob mode. Did I really just type get in!!!) Now I had not heard The Toy Hearts before this night so didn't know anything about their music and honestly if someone would have said to me do you want to go see some Bluegrass and Swing I would have probably politely declined and I would have been a fool. Right from the off you could feel the chemistry between this family unit they seemed to have almost telepathic communication. I absolutely loved watching and hearing 'Daddy Cool' or Stewart Johnson as he is known to none family members on the Steel Guitar & for the third time on the evening I was mesmerised by the guitar playing as Sophia Johnson effortlessly created Jazz licks. The whole thing was kept solid by Simon on the double bass but apparently double bass players are like Doctor Who for the band and have to be reincarnated as someone else after a predetermined number of gigs (sorry too much coffee and fatigue have me digressing into ridiculousness again). And the glue that brings this musical masterclass together is Hannah Johnson this lady can really sing with smooth tones spilling over to just the right amount of grit when required. I am so pleased I came into this gig not knowing about The Toy Hearts because my own stupid musical prejudices could have robbed me of a magical evening. I would definitely recommend people go see The Toy Hearts live so Germany you're in for a treat they are heading your way next.
Well what a way to start the year an amazing gig and I think my musical palette has been expanded as well thanks to The Toy Hearts. It's always a good indication of a great concert when you have plenty to say about it on the way home and we were still gabbing on as we reached home an hour later.
Massive thanks to Colin and Grateful Fred as well as Jo Bywater and The Toy Hearts for starting our musical year off in style..
To become a Fredhead you need to go here....
http://gratefulfred.co.uk/
To catch up with the amazing Jo Bywater here is where it is at..
http://www.jobywater.com/
Woollen Hearts Vid with surround sound percussion
http://youtu.be/aP9nVbKltBs
Open your musical minds to The Toy Hearts..
http://www.thetoyhearts.com/
And finally if you want to read the inner thoughts of a madman just check my next blog.......
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