Skaters / Dumb / George Barnett @ The Rainbow, Sunday 19th May 2013

It seems slightly perverse that George Barnett’s tonight’s opening act, especially given the fact that his cover of Daft Punk’s new single Get Lucky has (at the time of writing) racked up an incredible TWO AND A HALF MILLION hits on You Tube. Still, it doesn’t seem to trouble him and once again he delivers a set full of hits in waiting that blow most of the current chart guff off the face of the earth. From the cowbell extended clap along version of Lone Rose through to the light pop funk of Cassi and on to the Queen’s We Will Rock You meets hip hop of Light A Fire Barnett bounces around the stage in the same relentless (and seemingly effortless) way in which the music seems to pour out of him. 

Speaking of which he dropped a couple of new songs into the set this evening, Falling and Crowd, the latter you can easily see becoming an arena staple one day. All too soon it ended with the carpe diem anthem for teens everywhere, 17 Days, a song that becomes all the more poignant the older you get. Having seen George a few times now I can really see the buzz building. Before the gig a couple of young ladies were singing Lone Rose in the bar and after the show a healthy stream of fans were chatting, buying CDs and getting them signed (this is pretty unusual for a support band). Judging by the endless torrent of positive comments on You Tube (to his own stuff as well as that cover version) it’s frankly inconceivable that he won’t be snapped up by a major label any day now.  

Next up Dumb, another of B-Town’s bright young things (although I first saw them way back in 2009 trading as The Carpels). There’s a bit of an indie grunge edge to them, like The Smashing Pumpkins jamming with...well...Peace. Isn’t it freaking great that we can start referencing some Birmingham bands for a change eh? 

Their best track so far and recent single, Dive, marries angry guitars with the lead singer’s slightly pissed off nihilism and they’ve retained a little of The Carpels' math rock heritage for an added twist. Neat.  

Headliners Skaters (featuring ex Dirty Pretty Things/Paddingtons and Dead Trees members) have come a long way this evening. All the way from Noo Yawk in fact. Huddled slightly menacingly at the back of the stage before the set, wearing parkers crudely personalised with the band’s name and a selection of their song titles, they seem to be planning some sort of gangland attack. Happily they keep their assaults to the audio variety cranking out some decent garage / pop punk with tracks that really wouldn’t sound out of place on The Strokes’ first album. “Did you guys get your fucking roasted dinners?” drawled singer Michael Cummings, earning himself a bonus point for cultural awareness. Recent single I Wanna Dance (But I Don’t Know How) and last year’s Schemers both dripped with classic New York cool and attitude inspiring a trio of up for it dudes at the front to pogo enthusiastically...happily without showing the band’s singer just what a half digested “roasted dinner” actually looks like. It was all entertaining enough (and the band got better and better as the gig wore on) but, and maybe it’s just me, was the conviction really there? Hmmmm. Leaving the stage to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing might just be the ironic answer to that one.

Public Service Broadcasting / The Grafham Water Sailing Club @ The Institute, Saturday 18th May 2013

They might not be the first group to have ever used samples from vintage films (older readers may recall through an ecstasy addled haze that The Prodigy started off their career by sampling that old Government ad advising kids not to go off with strangers...possibly using ‘charly’ in an entirely different context altogether) and I’m pretty sure there may have been a few others (answers on a postcard please...). But whereas these bands have often just used the odd sample to flavour one of their tracks Public ServiceBroadcasting (the band) are building their entire career around them. It’s a neat twist, enhanced by the duo’s adoption of stiff upper lip monikers – J. Willgoose, Esq and Wrigglesworth – and their distinctly vintage live shows.

First up tonight though the rather more forward looking The Grafham Water Sailing Club, honorary members of the B-Town massive. I say more forward looking because, unlike PSB who often hark back to the 1940s and 50s, GWSC only delve back as far as the late 70s and early 80s for their more post punk / early synth inspiration (think Gang of Four and pre H17 split Human League jamming together after the phattest joint this side of Camberwell).

It’s a hypnotising mix as the band, once again clustered around their glowing ball of light on a table, provide the perfect soundtrack for a retro futuristic road movie that’s probably going on inside their heads. Another impressive showing for one of B-Town’s more original prospects.  

Time then for Mssrs Willgoose and Wrigglesworth. It was always going to be a challenge making such sample heavy stuff work well as a live event, after all most of the voices you’re listening to have been dead for the odd decade or three (I’m guessing that some of the music is pre-programmed too). PSB tackle this with an imaginative stage set featuring a hoard of old TV sets that show the videos for the tracks, in front of which the band adds live instrumentation (guitars, drums, keyboards, banjos...yes...banjos). It works surprisingly well, even if your eyes are frequently drawn more to the tellies than the living, breathing musicians in front of you. Who can compete with the strong jaw of Trevor Howard or the small but perfectly formed lip weasel of David Niven though?

Somewhat unusually the band maintains radio silence throughout the gig as well, preferring to rely on pre-recorded snippets to address the capacity crowd. “It’s great to be in...” pause whilst Mr Willgoose finds the button with the right sample “...Birmingham”...cue appreciative cheers from the audience. It’s a brave move...just imagine if he’d pressed the Manchester one by mistake eh? 

The band’s best tracks to date all get an airing tonight...or should that be air-raid-ing as both London Can Take It and Spitfire both hark back to World War II. It’s strangely moving watching the grainy black and white images on the screen featuring people who went through such unimaginable horror on our collective behalves and, whilst they obviously never imagined becoming unwitting stars of a 21^st century electronica duo’s act, I imagine they’d be pleased that they were still being remembered some 70 years on. 

It’s not all doodlebugs and chocks away though, Signal 30 melds American road safety clips to a, suitably enough, driving QOTSA soundtrack whilst Everest is a gentler beast, building to a sound of wonder as our hero, Sir Edmund Hilary, bravely scales its peak night after night, as frozen in time as the ice that surrounds him.

Part history lesson, part gig, part night at the flicks, an evening with Public Service Broadcasting all adds up to a pretty unique experience. With their self declared mission being to “teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future” I’d say tonight was a clear case of mission accomplished chaps. 

Funke and the Two Tone Baby / Sam Sallon at Ort Cafe, Thursday 16th 2013

It may have been open for a good year and a half now but this is the first time I’ve been to Ort Cafe. Yes I know, slack eh? It’s a pretty chilled out space too, just across the road from Moseley Baths and a mere 5 minute bus journey (on the number 50) from Birmingham City Centre. Part community centre, part cafe, part gig venue and part hangout for the various colourful characters that occupy Moseley’s hinterlands it’s the kind of place that makes you at least 23% cooler just by knowing about it. All of which makes it pretty much the perfect setting for tonight’s gig headlined by one man blues explosion, Funke and the Two Tone Baby.

First up though Sam Sallon, a singer songwriter with a distinctly late 60s early 70s vibe (both musically and appearance wise) together with a wonderfully clear vocal delivery and enunciation. You don’t often see the word enunciation in reviews do you eh? It’s worth mentioning in this case though as Mr Sallon’s an impressive lyricist too, arguably up there with Cat Stevens (surely an influence here?) and the late greats John Martyn and Nick Drake for writing deceptively simple but thought provoking songs, perhaps best demonstrated this evening in the enchantingly sublime You Are Home. 

Beautiful stuff. Even after 20 odd years of gig going I’m constantly amazed at the sheer volume of talent...and we’re talking real talent here...that far too few people ever get to see or hear. Stick these songs on vinyl, rough it up a bit, disguise it as a lost 70s classic and you’d have the musos working themselves into a frenzy over it.

Headliner Funke and the Two Tone Baby (all one man incredibly enough) is a nothing short of a beatboxing, folk, blues, rock whirlwind. I’m frankly still exhausted just thinking about the gig a good 12 hours or so later. Using two mics and a variety of FX pedals and gizmos he builds up tracks live, playing with himself (...steady now) in a gloriously organic freeform style. It’s like a modern version of those one man bands with the dudes who had a foot operated drum on their back, a harmonica round their neck and a guitar with a cymbal on it. It’s also outrageously good, the sort of thing that would give Jack White an instant...and possibly fatal...stiffie. Stomping the floor so hard it shook the bottles on our table he launched into some blazing harmonica powered blues in a set that rarely dipped below what could safely be described as full on. Demonstrating the kind of co-ordination and nifty footwork that most premier league footballers would happily sacrifice their diamond encrusted hot tub for he blended hints of Waits, Beefheart and Beck on one of the set’s standout tracks (and recent single) Cecile’s Song, a primal funk blues banger. Appropriately enough he covers a Waits track too, 2.19, wryly observing that audiences in some parts of the UK have absolutely no idea who the hell he is. I blame the parents. His masterpiece (to date) Battles is a brooding beatbox beast of a track and tonight he beats the hell out of it, working up a significant sweat in the process (no mean feat given the unseasonably nippy weather outside). Encore, a fabulous blast through Paint It Black, capped off a hugely enjoyable set and, with a gentlemanly doff of his hat Funke left us all to catch our breath. Trust me, no one will put this baby in a corner...  

Wooden Horse ride again...

Hearing Aid favourites and country blues behemoths (yes, behemoths) Wooden Horse play another intimate gig at the Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath. We went to the last one and had a mighty fine time (imagine the last bit in an American drawl...a mighhhhtyyyy fiiiine tiiiime...see, much better). Here’s the review! Anyway it all takes place on Sunday 26^th May, you can also catch the Horse at a special Folk For Free gig at the ICC on June 27^th (so much more civilised than Glastonbury). Highly recommended. 

Coming soon...Lenin Rock The Rep

It’s nearly time for Goodnight Lenin’s first headline show for 6 months and they’re recently been hinting at a slightly rockier feel. They’ve always been at their best when...hell I can’t think of a better expression here...rock out a little, so this is a frankly mouth watering prospect. Check out this bad boy filmed at 2012's Moseley Folk Festival...

This is a warm up show for their appearance at Glastonbury and, as with that lovely Mr Eavis' shindig, their gigs routinely sell out now so I’m not sure if you can still get a ticket but it’s well worth a shot. Unlike Glastonbury you're unlikely to end up rolling around in the mud after smoking a funny fag from that Scouser you met outside the Hare Krisna tent...who knows though, let's see what happens eh?   

Get Lucky this Sunday...

Calm down, I'm not promising you a quickie up the back alley...although let's see how things go eh? I'm anyone's after a pint or two of Old Rosie (seriously...anyone's). Nope, I'm talking about the chance to see the You Tube conquering George Barnett together with hotly tipped B-Town band Dumb and lo-fi garage poppers Skaters  (see below for a flavour of each) in the mighty Rainbow (well it's mightier than it was...check out the free retro arcade games) this Sunday, May 19th.





In case you've been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks Mr Barnett popped up a cover of Daft Punk's new single, Get Lucky, on You Tube a couple of weeks back which has, to date, received nearly 2million hits. It's also (whisper it) better than the original. The even better news is that George has oodles of wonderful self penned stuff too. Oodles. Try these for size...







Tickets for the whole shebang just £6.50 in advance from our chums at Birmingham Promoters!

Tom Copson / Patrick Duff @ The Flapper, Sunday 12th May 2012

It might have been distinctly uninspiring outside The Flapper tonight (unseasonably nippy and just a trifle moist) but deep in the bowels of this legendary Birmingham boozer and gig venue Patrick Duff (for newcomers yes, he was the lead singer of critically acclaimed late 90s alt rock band Strangelove) is once again delivering the sort of set that makes you glad you’ve got ears. If that sounds a little over dramatic just go and see him first (by the way he's supporting The Blue Aeroplanes on their June tour).

On the surface he’s simply a gifted singer songwriter with a guitar but he sprinkles each and every song with something truly special, from the primal howl at the climax of opening number No Man’s Land right through to the improv mouth trumpet solo during set closer Three Little Monkeys. Plucking songs from his solo albums (the third’s recorded and funding is currently being raised via PledgeMusic for a very special vinyl pressing) this evening, like all of Patrick’s sets, took you through pretty much the full range of human emotions from the resigned collective despair of Fucked and on to the resurrection shuffle of Dead Man Singing. It’s pure, raw, powerful stuff sung by man who knows the highs and lows of modern life better than most, an artist whose rich history (both person and ancestral) echoes throughout each and every note and it is...in my humble opinion...simply magical. 

After a number of years in the wilderness (literally – he lived in some woods for a while – and metaphorically) now really seems like something of a rebirth for him with a new manager, Nick, clearly as passionate about Patrick's talent as...well...I am.

From a familiar name to a new one, although 28 year old Tom Copson has clearly been winning over some impressive fans with none other than Seasick Steve stopping by one of his busking gigs and hanging around for 20 minutes or so before inviting him to his own gig later that day. If it’s good enough for Seasick...

Opening with an inventive folked up version of Cameo’s classic Word Up was a great way to start the gig and, whilst the venue may have been less than packed out (oh the perils of a self promoted Sunday night gig on a wet and windy May evening in Brum), it was enthusiastically received. It was on the self penned tracks that Tom’s forte really becomes clear with an impressive vocal range and power that’s clearly benefited hugely from his busking days. 

Pick of the set included Treehouse, a dreamy vision of a future lived with the girl of his dreams, a VW campervan and a treehouse. I can relate to that (not sure that my swimming pool sized enamel bath would fit in there though) and Prayers For Benjamin. It’s on this latter track that Tom digs out the omnichord, an obscure instrument from the 80s favoured by, amongst others Brian Eno and Nick Rhodes (now there’s a pairing I’d like to see). It’s a really great song (even without the omnichord), written I believe for a friend in the grip of the debilitating illness of ME and sung tonight with the sort of passion that, would such miracles resist, might just result in a cure. 

The homage to...and warning against...the joys and pains of the demon drink in Uncluttered Spaces gave Tom another chance to showcase that impressive 4 octave vocal range of his whilst giving all of us who like a pint or three a moment of reflection. With some strong songs and a voice to match it was a really enjoyable set, capping off an intimate evening that really deserved more of an audience.

PS: Tom’s new single, Moments, is out today on iTunes.