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/