Cornbury Festival, Charlbury, Oxfordshire Saturday July10th – Sunday July 12th 2009 (the non-music bit)

Way back in May (well it seems way back to me) we met up with Math (the drummer from Dodgy) at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton. As long time fans of the band (ahhhh who can forget The Hibernian in 1993?) we got chatting and – being officially the nicest bloke in music – he offered to put us on the guestlist for one of Dodgy’s festival dates this year. As good as his word we found ourselves in possession of a pair of weekend camping wristbands for Cornbury plus the Willy Wonka golden ticket of festivals – a backstage ‘Artists’ pass for the first day. I’ve never been backstage at a Festival before. The beauty of VIP tickets and backstage passes for fests is that you get a rare chance to sit down on something other than mud and cigarette butts, which, when you’re getting on a bit, is a hell of a bonus. You also get a chance to mix with the bands. I’m always a little wary of this one. I’m sure most artists don’t really want all kinds of random souls coming up to them when they’re trying to chillax with their crew or caning their rider. I generally limit myself to a ‘hi’, ‘nice to meet you’, ‘great gig’…that sort of thing…enough to show your appreciation without being a pain in the ass. Having an ‘Artists’ pass gives you an even rarer privilege though. You actually get to go on the stage whilst a band’s performing. Obviously you have to be sensible and stand in the wings out of sight but it does give you a pretty unique view on the whole thing. We only did it once (see below) but I can now report that, from an ‘enjoying the show perspective’ it’s actually better out front with the masses. For a start you’re not looking at the arses of the band, the sound’s being projected out to the audience too and there’s something a little bit Wizard of Oz about being backstage – some of the mystery goes when you can see how it’s all done. But, that being said, it was a real treat to experience it all and – on top of mingling with the ever lovely Dodgy we got to natter with punk legends The Damned after their set too.

Anyway, enough of my showbiz life, what was Cornbury actually like? Well it’s in a beautiful spot just outside a little village called Charlbury. Getting there – even by train – was a bit of a doddle and the facilities were head and shoulders above any other festival I’ve been to. The loos were clean, they had a fair supply of showers and plenty of food on offer (including an organic, locally sourced food market thingy). Nicknamed ‘Poshfest’ by some the crowd were a pretty well to do bunch. Some of their tents were bigger than our house and I’m sure I saw one or two butlers preparing tiffin but the friendly festival spirit remained firmly in place. My only gripe – and it’s a pretty major one – is to do with Magners. I’m not a fan of Magners. Ice? In cider? Are you nuts? A few years ago you’d be sectioned for lobbing a chunk of frozen water in your pint but now – no matter what brand of cider you ask for – the bar staff look at you like some kind of freak if you refuse their request to ram your glass with half an iceberg. The iceification of cider is not all I dislike about Magners though. It’s just a pretty sickly artificial imitation of cider sold at a huge premium to people who aren’t given much choice. This market intimidation reached a pretty vile conclusion this weekend. I’d noticed a small stand (Benson’s) selling local apple juice and ‘proper’ cider on the first day of the festival. Very nice it was too. £3.00 a pint and clearly made just from apples. Yum. I had a couple of pints during the Saturday then returned later in the day for another to be told that the Magners people had forced the festival organisers to shut them down. It appears that Magners had signed some kind of exclusivity deal on cider and saw a tiny fraction of their potential profit going to someone else. Now, I’m not a hippy. I (sadly) know all about the commercial realities of the world. But this was a real case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Whilst Bensons were selling cider to a few of us, many people preferred the alchopop taste of Magners. That’s their choice. Good luck to them. At £3.70 for a very small bottle (I’m guessing less than half a pint) they need all the luck in the world. I happen to prefer a more natural taste. Clearly the folk at Magners would like to eliminate personal choice and force their sugary muck down our throats, wiping out independent producers and putting local people out of work in the process. This stinks. I’m sure the festival organisers had their hands tied (I’m guessing the money from the exclusivity deal paid for some of those loos) but I’d rather put up with a bit of other people’s shit than a whole load of the corporate variety. I’m sure it won’t make a jot of difference but I've set up a blog to rid the world of this evil.

If you drink Magners I urge you to try something else…anything else…preferably proper cider from a local producer. On the more mass market front Westons do some really good stuff (Old Rosie is awesome), Scrumpy Jack ain’t bad, I’ll drink Strongbow and Blackthorn in an emergency too...

Missill-ing in Action

Cramming a frankly mind melting 40 tracks (mash ups, remixes and rarities from some of the cream of the dancefloor crop) into 50 minutes can’t be an easy trick. Stopping it all from sounding like a dog’s dinner must be even harder but Missill (from la belle Francais) has pulled it off with her latest release MixShake. As the title suggests it’s a booty shakin’ dancefloor filler featuring (amongst many others) the queen of dirty dancing herself, Kelis, Mr Oizo and Sinden and Count (the dudes behind the frankly classic 'Beeper'). Take a look at the track listing and she’s not the only one getting her freak on…'Android Porn’ and ‘Hardcore Girls’ anyone? Sounds like a perfect night in to me. In fact the whole album’s pure dancefloor filth, with as Old MacDonald might put it ‘a muthafucker here, a muthafucker there everywhere a muthafucker’. It’s mixed to perfection though. Like Jordon’s cleavage there’s not a millimetre of dead air between any of the tracks and, just like Jordon’s cleavage, it’s pretty much guaranteed to…ahem…get you up. Full marks for the Zombie Disco Squad track, ‘Eurovision’, featuring back to the old skool foghorns and DJ Funk’s insanely catchy ‘Bang Da Floor’. ‘Shake that ass round and round’ indeed...

Missill’s ‘Mix Shake’ is out on Discograph on 27^th July. Remember kids…always practice safe decks.

Coin operated girl...or how Amanda Palmer's reinventing the music biz and sticking it to ‘the man’.

I love Amanda Palmer. On top of writing some awesome tunes, beating seven flavours of holy crap out of her piano and getting naked on a fairly regular basis (see her recent ‘write your question to me on part of your body and I’ll write the reply on mine’ act), she’s busy reinventing the music business (or, to be more accurate, how you actually make a living out of it) on her own terms. Every so often I’ll drop into her lengthy, day enhancing blog and lately it seems that she’s been taking more of a homespun approach to the whole career thang, playing impromptu all ages gigs for people on beaches (the video above is from a recent beach gig) and in parks and collecting donations (totally at the discretion of the audience) in return. Of course busking’s nothing new but you don’t generally get well known artists doing it. A few weeks back she hit on another idea. Sitting at home on a Friday night she sent out a Twitter message to her 30,000 or so followers and started a virtual online party. This in turn generated a t-shirt featuring the legend ‘Don’t stand up for what’s right, stay in for what’s wrong’. A few hours and many orders for said shirt later she’d grossed $11,000. Then she held an online auction, selling all sorts of random shit that was just laying around her apartment. Raised another $6,000. A few days after that she held an online gig and asked for donations from her viewers…raising a neat $2,000 in the process. I’m no Carol Vorderman but I make that a rather tasty $19,000 in just a few nights. Amanda noted that the sales of her last album (currently standing at 30,000 copies), funded by a major label who need to shift a hell of a lot of units just to recoup their investment, had netted her exactly $0. Zip. Zero. Bugger all.

Individually none of her actions are revolutionary but Amanda’s seemingly putting this quirky approach to financing her lifestyle right at the heart of her career and having a hell of a lot of fun with it too. Along the way she’s directly (and that’s an important point – Amanda to fan without the middle man is a lot more powerful than being marketed to by a faceless corporation) building herself a loyal fanbase of folk who are happy to fork out whatever they can afford, whenever they can afford it, in order to spend some quality online time with their heroin(e). And she’s doing it all without...’the man’. Of course she is Amanda fucking Palmer. She already had a decent fanbase, developed through the more traditional music biz model…album…tour…album…repeat to fade. I accept that it’s not going to be as easy for new groups to suddenly start selling the contents of their knicker drawer for cash. But, if you’re in a band and you’re struggling to make a buck, maybe her ‘what the hell, let’s just try it’ (or, as the corporate clones would put it ‘hey, let’s think outside the box’) approach might help…

Elektralux - Missing Out

With a name that sounds like a brand of electrical goods it’s perhaps no surprise that this little ditty about finding someone to poke (I’m not normally this base…blame the sunshine) whilst being broke quickly plugs itself into yer lugholes. Our hero (vocalist Nik Walker…who sounds a little like Keith Flint’s younger bro) is trying to impress a lady who has loadsamoney, whilst he’s as broke as an MP with some serious moat cleaning to be done. It’s a kind of reverse Common People for the credit crunch…he’s trying to get her to see beyond his lack of Benjamins, she’s all about the bling. Backed by a certain MC Erl Grey (classy name there fella) it’s a timely reminder that whilst money can’t buy you love a lack of it ain’t much cop either, especially if you’re after a certain kind of lady. You’re better off without her Mr Walker. Get yourself down Wetherspoons and find yourself a real lady…someone’s who’s quite happy with a bag of chips and a pint of Old Rosie. Musically the band's debut single is an upbeat, light garagey kinda track that bounces along nicely whilst somehow managing to reference both Madonna and Dire Straits – now there’s a collaboration I wouldn’t mind seeing. No doubt Michael Eavis has ‘em both booked for Glasto 2010 already. As is the way with singles the lead track comes with a brace of remixes. Out of the two the broken beat version (remixed by Slugabed) works best, the stuttering bass reflecting the sheer hard slog of working for your money and your ‘lady’…probably...who says I overanalyse things eh?

Missing Out by Elektralux is out on August 3rd 2009 on Naim Edge. You can choose between 12inch vinyl (old skool stylee) or digital download (if you’re down with the yoot).

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Michael Jackson’s been on my musical radar for my whole life. First with the Jackson 5, then on through Off The Wall, Thriller and BAD (let’s gloss over Dangerous okay?). Whilst I’d never describe myself as massive fan, for my generation he really was ‘the king of pop’. At a time when record releases and video premiers were real events, millions of us around the world would turn on, tune in and attempt to moonwalk across the living room carpet (not the easiest thing to do). Of course the last decade or so has pretty much been a write off and I really couldn’t see that O2 comeback happening (surely it would have done more damage to his reputation than anything else that’s dogged his later years?), but strip that away and you’ve got an impressive body of work that stands up to anything in pop history. I’ve picked ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ as the best way to pay my respects - a video that looked like it cost $50 and Jacko looking like happier and more full of life than he ever had done…and, sadly, was ever likely to again. RIP.

Cllr Martin Mullaney...genius.

Nice to hear Martin Mullaney (who seems to be some sort of Councillor in Birmingham) on TV adding his invaluable contribution to The Rainbow debate. He witters on about The Rainbow playing loud music in the courtyard until '2 or 4am' and suggests that they just 'turn the volume down', clearly oblivious to the fact that this has already been done, or that the latest complaint was about music being played at 11pm or that the very cultural fabric of the entire City is in danger of being torn to pieces by just one individual...

Shouldn't our Councillors be trying to make our City a better, more vibrant and attractive place to live, work and visit? Shouldn't they be standing up for a local business that helps some of our best new bands, DJ's and promoters make a living? Shouldn't they make the effort to find out the facts before making a lame ass appearance on local TV? I forward a motion to abate Cllr Mullaney.

On a more positive note there's now an e-petition thingy that you can sign and send to the Council, although if our Martin has anything to do with it he'll probably just stick his fingers in his ears and start singing 'la la la I can't hear you' (either that or he'll be sat in his garden muttering about young folk and plotting ways to get us all in bed by 8.30 with a good book...nothing too stimulating mind you...and careful how loudly you turn the pages).

Rainbow warriors

I'm painfully aware that I've not been to The Rainbow for weeks now...after being a regular for years and just as the place faces the biggest challenge to its survival ever I've been AWOL. A combination of funerals, parties and holidays has kept me away and meant I missed last Friday's mass gathering. It was, by all accounts, stirring stuff and happily both Pete Ashton (of Pete Ashton fame) and Nicky Getgood (of Digbeth is Good fame) have captured the highlights on their respective sites. Here's the biggie though, Kent's (the Rainbow landlord) speech about the whole bloody mess and what he intends to do about it.

Rainbow Meeting - Kent Davis from Pete Ashton on Vimeo.

It strikes me that Birmingham City Council and the environmental health bods ain't exactly covering themselves in glory here. In fact, with 20,000 plus Save The Rainbow group members on Facebook and coverage in the local press, it's nothing short of a PR nightmare. Hopefully the powers that be will see sense and allow the Rainbow to continue doing its thang until they're able to fit a new roof that should...that's SHOULD...solve the problem. My big fear is that they go to the expense of fitting the new roof and then mystery protester makes yet another spurious complaint. What then? Wrap the whole bloody place in bubble wrap? Watching John Tighe's (the landlord of the already silenced Spotted Dog) piece it seems as if the Council's planning team has been, let's say, a little lax when it came to the Abacus development that's at the heart of all this. Some would call it downright sloppy. I think Mr T (I pity da fool who messes with him) could well press for some kind of enquiry into the whole debacle, especially as his request for document's under the Freedom of Info Act seems to have uncovered some dubious tactics. Suffice to say that, if I were in Planning for BCC - and had anything to do with this matter - I would start looking for another career if I were you.

Anyway, enough of dodgy dealings for now, The Rainbow is holding a ruddy great street festival thingy on August 1st to raise dosh for the new roof. Nicky G is also celebrating the 1st birthday of Digbeth is Good this Friday - muchos congratulations and a big thank you for all your hard work on this blog...it's ruddy good - at The Spotted Dog 7.30-ish where she'll be gathering donations too.

In the words of Karen and Richard Carpenter 'It's only just begun...'

The Flyover Show…under a flyover in Hockley, Saturday 13th June 2009

‘Where’s the BBC, ITV or MTV eh?’ asks Ty. It’s a good question. Where were they? Why wasn’t there more support for this event from the ‘mainstream’ media? Mind you I just can’t see Nick Owen in a baseball cap and pair of MC Hammer trousers bustin’ some moves with his homies can you? Throbbing with positivity this brainchild of jazz supremo and local boy Soweto Kinch saw an impressive line up of local and international talent play the distinctly unusual venue of a flyover in Hockley. Its aim is pretty simple. The area perhaps doesn’t have the best reputation and by putting on a show like this Soweto’s clearly hoping to change perceptions, with or without the more traditional media’s help. I have to admit that I rarely venture down the Hockley and Handsworth way myself. I think even the most positive resident of the area would have to agree that, to the outside world, the place seems a little ‘edgy’ but, having spent 6 or 7 happy hours chilling out with a good natured bunch of people from the ‘hood I’d happily go back there. So job done in my case Soweto.

The organisation was brilliant. Barely any gaps between sets, enough loos to go round (oh so important) and surprisingly good sound (even more remarkable considering we were standing underneath several tonnes of fast moving traffic). There was a decent enough crowd too, which grew steadily as headliner Bashy’s set drew closer, but I can’t help feeling that more people should’ve seen this. Still it’s only the second year and Hockley (and its reputation) wasn’t built in a day eh?

Plenty of highlights to report, from local rapper Tan to Jonzi D (an MC/poet and hip hop choreographer with a rich CV dating back to the 80’s - a true old skool original), Tumi (a darn fine rapper all the way from South Africa) to Spokinn Movement (Spearhead-ish rap rock from Noo Yawk) and Natty (ina reggae stylee) to grime MC Bashy, not forgetting Ty (who, together with Soweto, did an excellent job of hosting the event). I really enjoyed the poem written and recited by Gemma Weeks too. Can’t remember what it was called but I can remember thinking that it had some lines of pure genius. Oh the jazz duo of Robert Mitchell and Corey Mwamba were good as well…balls…everyone was good. The fact that (presumably…as this was a free show) they got paid little or nothing at all somehow made it all even more impressive.

Soweto was all over the place (in a good way), guesting on loads of sets, meeting and greeting the crowd, sorting out the running order, co-hosting with Ty…I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d built the stage, wired up the PA and prepared the fried chicken too. It was one of those events that made you feel proud to come from Birmingham - hell, scratch that - the human race. And there aren’t enough times these days when I feel like saying that.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Supper(club) man…

…or DJ Marcello in this, the fifth in the Supperclub series (bugger…looks like I missed the first four…wonder what they had…I always like a nice bit of cheese on toast…either that or a chicken kebab). It seems that this double album is designed to act as something of a ‘post dinner, pre-dancing soundtrack’. Sounds very posh. It is too. In fact it’s the kind of music that you imagine being played in beach bars full of beautiful people with all over tans, bods to die for and a 60ft yacht anchored just outside Monte Carlo. For us lesser mortals (I’m not so much a yacht man…more of a rubber duck dude) it’s actually a pretty fine Sunday morning CD too - you know the deal, Sunday papers, cup of tea and hot buttered muffins in bed...nothing but a mild hangover on your mind.

Amongst the 30 tracks that make up the album you’ve got some big names, Bebel Gilberto, Ennio Morricone (both neatly remixed) and Trentemoller, but it’s some of the lesser known tunes that distracts me from my muffins (and it takes something pretty special to separate me from my muffins). ‘Magpie’ by Abraham lays some nifty 80’s sounds onto a bed of chilled out beats with some lush female vocals (like a happier Beth from Portishead). ‘Baaaby’ by Ta’raach samples some 70’s soul funk which is just right if you fancy getting a little jiggy, especially as it morphs into the breathy ‘Swim (With The Dolphins)’ featuring the soft as silk voice of a certain Victoria Wilson James. ‘First Transmission’ by Al-Pha- X is another highlight from Disc 1, a string soaked Arabian adventure, followed a few tracks later by Marzebian’s ‘Let It Ride’, 5 minutes and 45 seconds of chilled down salsa flavoured heaven. Why bother exploring the world when you can lie in bed and let it come to you eh?

Disc 2 can also be safely filed in the ‘Chilled Out Beats’ section of your music collection (actually my filing system just consists of piles and piles of CD’s on the floor…under the floor…in the bath…everywhere…it’s like a large branch of HMV has thrown up all over my house). In fact, if anything it’s even more chilled…perhaps a degree or two. I can personally vouch for the gypsy tinged Taxi To War by DJ Disse which gets the old head nodding and Je T’taime by Kerri Chandler, a tribute to the trials and tribulations of lurrrrve. If your man/woman done you wrong stick it on and dance around the garden in your pants. It might not help but it’ll give the neighbours yet another reason to blank you in Tesco Metro. Seriously though (shit, I have to be serious?) this album’s a pretty perfect soundtrack for just sitting back and letting the world wash over you, whether you’re in bed with the Sunday papers (and your muffins, don't forget the muffins) or fully i-podded up on the beach (muffins optional here I guess). Ciao.

Supperclub Naivety, mixed by DJ Marcello, is out on United Recordings on July 13^th 2009.

Some care over The Rainbow...

Okay. This is serious. It seems that the threat to shut down The Rainbow (one of the UK's best venues for new music) is now rather too close for comfort. ONE PERSON has complained about noise from the venue. ONE PERSON who, may I add, chose to live near the bloody place. In my book it's a case of 'first come, first preserved' and The Rainbow was there long before they were...we can all start by signing up to the Facebook group set up to keep The Rainbow open. They want to get 15,000 names ASAP. It's here. Click. Join. Simples. There are plans afoot to arrange a march of some sort and details should be posted there too. I was going to write a long rant about the whole situation but the words on the Facebook page do the job better than I could. No matter where you live if you love music just sign up.


Thank you so much for your support so far.

We are looking for 15'000 names. Please help make a difference.

Please invite all of your friends to join this group.

Thank you x
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Birmingham's Environmental Taliban Sit In Judgement On Rainbow.

Birmingham City Council EPU (Environmental Protection Unit), are today sat in session considering the serving of a noise abatement order against The Rainbow.

This is the latest move in their wish to see a once vibrant Digbeth transformed into a souless artistic wasteland populated by Stepford wives and cultural pygmies, and where the only entertainment is watching tumbleweeds race down deserted back streets.

This latest outrage is yet again the result of one - yes that is right ONE- resident of the Abacus flats complaining about a noise nuisance.

This resident since occupying the flats has seen off the Spotted Dog (its nearest and most immediate target), is now close to achieving the same with The Rainbow, and will no doubt soon be turning their sights on The Rainbow Warehosue and The Custard Factory.

Just how much devastation are they allowed to cause before someone has the wit to halt this senseless slaughter? Many of the council's own departments vaunt the vibrancy of Digbeth, and indeed the Planning office makes much reference to Digbeth's unique 'jewel in the crown' potential as part of its big city plan. Just how much vibrancy will soon be left - perhaps just the vibarting echo of a hollow vaccum? Anyone who has followed this issue online is aware of the strength of feeling it arouses, and the sheer frustration of how Birmingham seems determined to always be the ugly sister/poodle next to far more dynamic cities like Manchester, London and Liverpool who provide their cultural spaces with oxygen to breath and prosper as opposed to smothering them.

No-one can underestimate the significance of art and cultutre on the desirability of a city to live and work in - and it is generally a city's youth that are best placed to take a city's cultural pulse. Increasingly Birmingham's is flatlining. Just think how different it could be if institutions and organisations like The Rainbow were given support, and how much change they could effect in other people's perception of the City.


THE FACTS ARE THESE
Noise nuisnace is a totally subjective matter - it is not measured - it is all about a council officers 'trained human ear'. There have been instances where even the EPU's own officers have failed to detect a nuisance following a complaint against The Rainbow - but different day and different officer - different result..

There are residents on the same facade and elevation facing the Rainbow that maintain there is absolutely no nuisance at all and that far from having a problem with the Rainbow - the reason they moved in was to be close to such ammenities (this is similarly the overwhelming view of Digbeth's Residents Association).

The Rainbow's own research from the Abacus rooftops indicates that yes a bass beat can be heard when there is a lull in background traffic noise - but would struggle to see how this was a noise nuisnace behind closed windows and doors and should certainly cause no problem when trying to sleep within a bedroom.

Nevertheless accepting the views of the Council and having had a number of 'noise nuisances' subjectively witnessed againt them from one resident's flat, the Rainbow has agreed to erect a roof on it's courtyard area to prevent sound leakage.

This in itself is a highly sensitive subject as the Rainbow is being made to pay the price of the council's own negligence over the construction of the Abacus flats (which failed to comply with thier own rules on noise surveys). The Rainbow agreed to do this as soon as plans could be steered through the planning department - so completion would be around August.

Meantime The Rainbow has regularly asked to negotiate/discuss with EPU/complainant its events over the ensuing 3 months, to try and ensure that everyone keeps a cool head, as we cannot afford to close for the period, and any suggestion of us playing music at an ambient level is just naive. This has included giving them details of what times events will start and finish, planning noisier events around times when they may not be in reidence (on holiday), offering to put them up at our expense in a hotel for the night if needed - even very simply getting them to phone us if the levels creep too high. REMEMBER this is just over a 3 month period until a roof prevents any further issues.

Unfortunately EPU and the tenant refused to countenance such an initiative and have decided to simply stick to - 'if you make what we consider to be a nuisnace meantime, we will act' - this was even when informed we would need to hold some fundraising events meantime to ensure we could provide for the very solution to their problems.

Anyhow following another subjectively witnessed noise nuisance committed before 11.30pm on Monday (hardly the middle of the night) we now are now awaiting a decision on an abatement order. Knowing what a ridiculous injustice this is and what the wider implications are for the area - we will fight it should we get it - to the bitter end if necessary - to the point we are physically ejected and the pub is boarded up. But we would like your help - sign up to the facebook group so we can present it to the council.

Thank you

Love
The Rainbow Team

Yo da Cologne…Ancient Astronauts touch bass.

If you like your hip hop tripped out then you’ll do your nut for Cologne’s Ancient Astronauts. The opening tracks in particular (‘From The Sky’ and ‘I Came Running’) are just designed for kicking back in the Summer sun and cracking open a bottle of Weston’s Organic or, as the Press Release has it here ‘…sinking into the sofa and blazing another fat one’. Oh what a wonderful world it would be if everyone did just that. Maybe our MP’s could claim for a bit of ‘erb…on second thoughts I wouldn’t be surprised if half of them already have…Duck Island! WTF. You gotta be whacked off your bonce to come up with that one. Anyway, back to the music. Things get a little livelier with the appearance of hip hop heroes The Pharcyde on the flutetastic ‘Classic’ then you’re straight into drum n’bass territory (albeit a squiffy version of d n’b) with ‘Dark Green Rod’. Fast forward a couple of tracks and the legendary Tippa Irie makes a guest appearance (presumably fresh from sitting on his sofa, blazing a fat one) with the Jah toasting ‘All of the Things You Do’. I defy you not to have a crafty skank to that one...

As a lover of the darker side of hip hop too (Dalek, MF Doom…that kind of snizzle) ‘Oblivion’ is probably the highlight for me though. Featuring DJ Zeph and Azeem it’s an ominous bass heavy cut with some particularly neat word play. The album ends where we came in, back with the trippy spaced out grooves of ‘Surfing The Silvatide’ and ‘Crescent Moon’. Astronautical…but nice.

‘We Are To Answer’ by Ancient Astronauts is out on ESL Music on 29^th June 2009…or, if you happen to be visiting Venus, I believe Bob’s Record Store has a really good hip hop section.

Dan Smith / LP45 / Get Frank @ The Rainbow, Friday 29th May 2009

The world just looks better in the summertime don’t it? Looking back at my calendar I was surprised to discover that I was made redundant 15 whole weeks ago. Tempus fugit. The first few weeks were a little odd, after that I picked up a nice freelance project that keeps me pretty busy and pays the bills. One of the great joys of working this way is that you can, within reason, just decide to pack it all in for an afternoon and sit in the garden…chillaxin as the young folk might put it. That’s just what I did before tonight’s gig. Me. A garden. A good book…and just the gentle parping of traffic horns as commuters make their sticky way home. Bliss.

Against this backdrop of inner city reverie up popped Get Frank. I’ve been wanting to see Frankie Ward (lead singer of Get Frank…seemingly more of a collective than a band…sometimes it’s just her, tonight it was half a dozen people) for a while now after dipping in and out of her blog (which features a shed load of musical works in progress). She’s a busy bee. On top of acting in zombie films, producing radio shows, reviewing bands, appearing onstage with the Mystery Jets and discovering a cure for the common cold Frankie also writes, sings and plays the Uke. When I was her age I could barely be arsed to breath…hmmm…I’ve not really progressed much…still, know thy place that’s what I say. Or, as Quentin Crisp once put it, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, failure may be your style’. Anyway, the music…there’s some of the wit and verve of Regina Spektor in there, perhaps even a touch of Sandy Denny (I’m going though another one of my folk phases) and shades of another local star, the lovely Gemma Quarterman’s lush tones. Lyrically she’s as raw and honest as they come, check out ‘It’s Not You’…where she rails against soppy men and yearns for a bit of rough (she should try Bearwood…the place is full of ‘em) or 'Cautionary Tale'…a world weary lament on failed relationships that, along with a rousing ‘Nature Boy’ was one of the standout numbers tonight. This was the first time that Get Frank had performed as a six piece and, naturally enough, it was a bit ramshackle in places but that was part of the charm of it all. Frankie’s got a cracking voice and a charming stage presence, there was a good blast of sax (I do love a good blast of sax) and, given a few more gigs under their belts, the new six piece Get Frank experience will iron out any little niggles. I get a strong feeling that our Frank has just the right mix of talent and chutzpah (yes, chutzpah…I’m going through a bit of a Yiddish phase too alright already) to really get somewhere…one to watch.

Next up…and another one to watch…in fact I’ve already watched them once before and loved ‘em…LP45. These boys are sharp. The ghost of St Jeff of Buckley may loom over many artists but LP45 breath new life into his, by now, iconic sound. Adding an upbeat jazzy feel to the music lifts it out of the bedsit and into the sunlight and it just sounds bloody great (I’m sorry…that’s as eloquent as I get sometimes…’bloody great’…is it any surprise Rolling Stone magazine hasn’t come calling?). Frontman Simon is as charming and loveable as a dozen puppy dogs and seems incredibly modest and self effacing. This is a great band. Just go and listen to them. I can personally recommend the instrumental mentalism of ‘Asian Persuasion’, the scat jazz-tastic ‘Next Door’ and their jewel in da crown ‘All We Know’…the first single off their debut album…just as soon as someone signs ‘em. Why the hell haven’t they been snapped up label? You’re all fools…fools I tells ya…

Finally, Dan Smith. His recorded output features lush orchestral arrangements but tonight was more of a sparse affair (just him, a drummer and a bass player). He’s got a neat line in clever lyrical twists and that thing that Regina Spektor does when she draaawaaawwwaaaaawwwwsss out words. There’s a bit of Queen pomp here and there and the sort of catchy piano bits that Dame Elton used to do so well. Highlight of the set, 'Alchemy', starts off as Dan’s Muse song before taking a detour into dubby territory. Hell, why not? I particularly liked the bit where he recorded all sorts of instruments live, then looped them back. It’s not a new trick but few artists have pulled it off so well. A fitting end to an evening of musical loveliness…

PS: Britain’s got talent (this is the topical bit…unless you’re reading this in 2026…in which case Britain will probably have been rebranded…maybe Avivaland or Santanderville or some such nonsense...sigh) but it ain’t on the telly. It’s in the backrooms of our pubs and clubs (oooh...this is getting a bit Churchillian), in those little venues where people perform for the love of it all. Birmingham’s got a pretty vibrant live music scene right now (despite the best efforts of Birmingham City ‘Council’ and those fools who move into city centre apartments then moan about a little noise)…get yourselves out there and let’s keep it that way.

Enjoy the sunshine y’all.

Like a Midi in a candy store...

The beauty of so many releases these days, particularly those from the dancey side of the tracks, is that artists aren’t afraid to mix it up a bit. General Midi’s (a close relative of Corporal Dolby and Lieutenant 5.1 Surround Sound…possibly) Operation Overdrive’s a classic example, coming off more like a compilation than the production of just one man (albeit with a little help from his friends). Take the first couple of tracks for example. Opener, 4 Million Ways could get Dizzee Rascal’s head spinning, then you’ve got the poppier Absinth featuring some naggingly catchy old skool synth pop keyboards in the chorus. ‘I’m like a fat kid in a candy store’ sings Sean Gill on the latter track. You get the impression that Midi feels much the same way when it comes to gathering together the ingredients for his tunes.

What runs throughout the whole album though is the joyful spirit of the dancefloor…these are tracks just made for working up a bit of a sweat (or a lot of a sweat in my case…I’m not as fit as I was back in the day). Of course whilst the strength of an album like this lies in the many influences it takes from all over the shop there’s a flipside too. To my (admittedly music drenched brain) it’s not easy to distinguish one dance orientated artist from another (Milton nods towards Justice territory for instance). It’s not really an issue, this album’s as good as any in the genre (the Whale-like Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe guitar driven ‘Back For More’ is a particular favourite), but there’s room out there for someone to do something truly groundbreaking too and, judging by this release, I reckon Midi’s got the tools to make it happen…

All in all though, a mightily successful Operation.

General Midi’s Operation Overdrive is out on Distinctive on June 29^th

Mr Hudson / MPHO / Alan Pownall @ The Rainbow, Digbeth, Saturday 23rd May 2009

Yet another Rainbow gig to sell out and proof that this humble little Digbeth boozer continues to go from strength to strength. Tonight it revealed another of its nifty little tricks and took its top off (it has a ‘roll back’ roof…making it possibly the UK’s only convertible gig venue).

First up…and basking in the lovely late evening sunshine…Alan Pownall who’s got a nice laid back vocal delivery and a picnic basket full of perfect Summery ditties – kind of like Jack Johnson, but with a bit more oomph and a lot less surf.

Next up the electro-ragga-sampledelic MPHO (pronounced ‘Empo’…she was very keen to point that out, even getting us to repeat it back to her until we all got it right). As I’ve said many times before I’m loving these sassy 80’s tinged popsters…step forward GaGa, La Roux, Ladyhawke, Little Boots, Florance and the Machine, Bat For Lashes et al. I particularly enjoyed MPHO’s Martha and the Muffins (hmmm muffins) ‘Echo Beach’ inspired Box N Locks. In the days when such things mattered it would’ve been a ‘smash hit’...

Finally the man himself, local boy made good (oh so good), Mr Hudson…now without his library…but with the full backing of a certain Mr Kanye West. Not the most obvious of partnerships perhaps (although he has been remixed by Bizzle before now) but I’m all for mixing shit up a bit. Judging by his current MySpace tracks Mr H might be going a little bit more electro than in his previous incarnations (perhaps inspired by his new buddy’s last offering, 808 Heartbreak) but tonight’s gig was pretty much classic Hudson (it might even have been the same band that made up his ‘Library’). Watching him it’s not hard to see his appeal which (thanks partly to the Kanye endorsement) could see him go global. I was reminded in places of The Police (bear with me here), he’s got that kind of reggae lite feel that Sting made so much of…subtle, but there nonetheless. His songs have that same kind of instant appeal too. Cop a listen to ‘Too Late, Too Late’ or ‘One Specific Thing’ for instance. But (just like Sting) there’s something very English about him too…extending to calling one of his new songs ‘Stiff Upper Lip’. If none of this works out you can almost see him ending his days playing piano in up market hotel bars. Not much chance of that happening though, especially if the ecstatic sing along atmosphere of tonight’s jolly enjoyable gig (yes readers, I am Enid Blyton) was anything to go by – ‘Ask The DJ’ in particular was rapturously greeted by the crowd. I’m intrigued to see how the new album turns out. It’s been a while since Birmingham gave birth to a really big musical name and it would be nice to add a star to the Broad Street Walk of Fame for someone wasn’t in Sabbath…

PS: One thing that keeps bugging me every time I see Mr Hudson is whether he’s the same Hudson who had a band called The Hudson Sound. I can remember seeing them (and being impressed) at Ronnie Scott’s and The Flapper way back but I’m useless with faces. Is it the same guy?

Antony & The Johnsons @ The Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Friday 22nd May 2009

I’ve been in awe of Antony and his music pretty much from the moment I first became aware of him when he made the Mercury short list a few years back. ‘Hope There’s Someone’ is a simply stunning song delivered in that tremulous and unique voice of his – part Bessie Smith, part Yma Sumac. Musically, as in the rest of life I guess, I’m drawn to the outsider. They’re the people that make the world bearable…and they’re a dying breed. I blame the internets intermess. It’s turning us into a vacuous bunch of self obsessed morons who’ll end up posting images of our own faeces before too much longer and gibbering like gibbons on AudioBoo or whatever else some spotty 18 year old dreams up in Ohio. Still I suppose it keeps everyone occupied while the real world goes down the tubes. Truly the internet is the opium of the people (and yes, I’m aware of the ‘pot calling the kettle black-ness’ of putting all this down on a blog but, hell, I’m as vacuous as the next man).

By a strange quirk of fate the intermess prevented me from getting tickets for this show when they came on sale, then enabled me to get a pair just a day before the gig. I’m not a fan of buying stuff online, not too keen on my credit card being used by a bunch of crims in some far off land. So I did it the old skool way originally and went in to the Symph Hall box office on the day the tickets came on sale. There were tickets left…the seats were around 14,000ft from the stage, just outside Acocks Green I think. Naturally they were the same price as all the other seats. Bargain. So I left it…cursing the evil scum who had no doubt bought hundreds just to flog on ebay. Sure enough, when I checked, there they were. Dozens of ‘em. They ranged from the cheeky £40 per ticket (based on a face value of £25) to the downright sick £100 a ticket…EVIL SCUM. I had kind of resigned myself to missing the gig but thought I’d check back on ebay the day beforehand to see if any genuine sales had come up (people who really couldn’t go). Lo…a miracle! A pair of tickets…ROW C…for £40 quid…the pair. Met the seller in a pub car park the same afternoon (dodgy? moi?), paid in cash. Deal done.

Anyway, enough with the techno-ranting, we still have the music and, if it’s real emotion you’re after (not the e-variety) Antony is in a world of his own. Like Baby Dee he’s one of those artists that you either do or don’t ‘get’. For the believers he turned the Symph Hall into an alternative universe for the night…a place to just float in…enveloped by that voice, those twisted fairy tale style lyrics yearning for transformation, freedom, someone to love and be loved by. It’s strong stuff and, in the hands (and voice) of a lesser man, it could prove too cheesy, too weird or just too darn depressing. For me it’s the physicality of the man, balanced with his voice that makes it all work though. Like that episode of the Simpsons (when Michael Jackson is a big white guy) the two component parts don’t seem to go together - all too aware of this, much of Antony’s lyrics hint at wanting to be someone or something else. Just listen to ‘For Today I Am A Boy’ for example. Someone put that voice in that body for a reason and I’m damn glad they did. But, and this was kind of the big surprise of the evening, he’s a jolly funny chap too, a sort of cross between a dotty maiden aunt and Julian Clary. I got the sense he’d be quite happy just sitting there chatting with the audience, which is just what he did on more than one occasion prompting a couple of heckles to ‘just sing another song’. ‘Oh right’ he replied ‘yes some people do get a bit nervous during these bits’ hinting at the fact that people might like the voice but perhaps don’t want to be confronted by the man behind it? Could be. We got treated to a story of his dreams too, in which Jesus returns to the earth as an Afghan girl who lives in a cave (cos the rest of the earth is underwater)...then she walks on water to prove she's Jesus. At this stage in the development of the human race I wouldn't rule anything out. He's quite keen on the idea of a matriachal society too and reckons we'll all be better off if the world was ruled by women. It's an interesting idea but I get the feeling that ladies are just as capable of fucking up the planet as men are...in other words it's the individual not the gender that makes all the difference. But that's a whole new can of worms. Song wise we were treated to all the hits together with a healthy dose of tracks from the new album. No Beyonce 'Crazy In Love' cover though (he was asked to do it but gently refused...although he was impressed when the audience told him Beyonce was in Brum on Saturday night...don't be surprised if you see him there on the front row). Anyway, he was charming, even if he did hold his nose to simulate diving into despair during the intro of ‘Hope There’s Someone’ and moan about how depressing it was (sacrilege!). Fast forward a few years and I half expect to see Antony fronting Scissor Sisters…it could just be me but I think she’s ready to party - maybe that’s the real transformation that Antony’s been seeking all these years.

NB: Photo's were banned during the performance (but I snuck a cheeky one in right at the end...flashless) and the stage was a dark as a very dark place...hence the poorer than normal image. That's my excuse anyway.

Vivian Girls / Male Bonding / The Deadlights @ The Rainbow, Digbeth, Tuesday 19th May 2009

In the last six days I’ve seen 36 different bands. 36. I’m aware that’s this is probably nowhere near the world record (I wonder what is?), but it’s still an awful lot. The trouble with going to see so many bands (oh so many bands) is the same as if you do anything an awful lot (steady there…perverts). You get a little jaded. Great bands suddenly become good bands, good bands become average bands and average bands…well, let’s not go there. I only mention this because I’ve been thinking (oh dear…here he goes again) recently about just how many bands I’ve seen over the last (mumbles slightly) 20+ years or so. Surprisingly I had a few lean gig years at Uni, mainly because I was as poor as a church mouse who’d fallen on particularly hard times, but since graduating it’s been an non-stop orgy of bands, cider, sweat, the odd bruise or two and a growing ringing in my ears. The answer to my current gig overload is, of course, quite simple. Go on a diet. Cut it out pork boy. But then I just sit at home moping about and thinking that I’m missing some great gig…like THAT pistols show in Manchester when everyone who was there formed a band…or the time Jimi Hendrix first decided to set his geetar on fire or the Misty’s show when Erotic Volvo unveiled his new look (sighs wistfully). Ho hum. This isn’t going anywhere by the way (no change there then)…just thinking, that’s all. If only the human brain could be deleted and you could start all over again…as fresh as a daisy. Obviously you’d keep the boring files that enabled you to read, write and walk in a straight line. But you’d delete pretty much everything else, just for the pleasure of discovering stuff again for the very first time. Like a virgin, touched for the very first time. Eurgh. Write that line down and it looks really sick.

First up The Deadlights. Post punksters with a slight Fall edge in places and a nice line in dual male vocals which worked really well (creating a Spector-esque wall of sound…oh yes). They had a few slower numbers but it’s the faster, heavier stuff that did it for me ‘The Fire Burns For Blood’ and ‘In Your Room’ in particular – Orange Juice meets Eagles of Death Metal.

Next up Male Bonding, who did seem particularly close now I come to think of it...facing each other as they sang (awww how sweet), a fast, grungey bucketful of noise. Some of the guitar parts were more intricate, contrasting with the generally ramshackle performance, but that’s obviously the point of it all. I guess what it needed for me was members of the audience slamming into each other to bring the whole atmosphere alive, but as there didn’t seem to be much of that going on so I made do with banging my head against the speakers. It’s never done me any harm before. Probably.

Finally the main event - Vivian Girls - a band that seem to have the scenesters creaming their… whatever they’re wearing these days. Beats me. I lost track of it all when ‘baggy’ finished. Once again I’ve invented a new genre for this band (oh goody I hear you cry). Punkgaze. See what I did there? Yes, they blend some punk attitude with a movement that seems to be making a bit of a comeback – shoegaze (so named ‘cos bands just stared at their shoes whilst playing noisy guitar dominated soundscapes and singing in a slightly distant way, as though they were thinking of something better to do. But there’s more to them. At times, when the three female voices came together, you get echoes of those great 60’s girl bands like the Shangri-Las (one of their admitted influences) or early Go-Go’s, then there’s some twangy surf guitar in the mix too...it’s like a bunch of outsider schoolgirls nicked their cool Uncle Tommy’s record collection and mashed it all up. At times it all gets a bit messy (must be all those scenesters creaming themselves) but they’re as sweet as apple pie…albeit an apple pie with razor blades in. Grrrr.

The Great Escape 2009

(Turbowolf in full flow)

My third TGE in a row and as ever, it threw up (oooh don’t say throw up…I’m still feeling a little delicate) a fair few treats. In no particular order here are my top 5 bands…cue that music from Top Of The Pops that they used in the 80’s with that spinning yellow 7inch single):

(1) The Miserable Rich

Baroque and roll. I’d never heard of them before but they gave me that rare Devotchka type moment when mood, music and atmosphere all gel into one glorious whole. Listen to Pisshead and Boat Song. If you don’t feel tears welling up in your eyes then you have no soul. My new favourite band? Oh yes. Enjoy.

(2) Duchess Says

Mad as a banker’s bonus, the lead Duchess out CSS’s Lovefoxx. Synthpunktastic performance featuring mucho rolling around on the floor. She manages to be sexy and terrifying at the same time. A female fronted French Canadian Gallows for the new rave generation (check out CHoB).

(3) Apples

Vampire Weekend meets Haircut 100. 80’s pop heaven…oh how happy am I that the 80’s are so so trendy amongst up and coming bands like Apples. Just listen to Reason 45, slip on your Deely Boppers and dust off those leggings...tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1982.

(4) White Denim

Let’s rock! Live, these guys reminded me of those clips you see of Led Zep back in the day with John Bonham beating the shit out his drum kit. Classic rock that somehow feels fresh as a daisy. How they do dat? By fusing that funky Foals-ish feel to heads down 70’s rock…that’s how. I’m going to try to get them to come to Brum before they go all stadium (Austin’s not that far away is it?)…which they will. You mark my words.

(5) Panama Kings

Straightoutta Belfast, Panama Kings come off like a young, punky Thin Lizzy…which is a very, very good thing indeed. We got to see them twice in the same day, by which time a number of their tracks had lodged themselves firmly into what’s left of my brain…cop a listen to ‘Children’ at full blast.

Those were the highlights. For those who really want to be bored by my full itinerary here is a potted history of what went down:

The Great Escape Day One

Kicked the whole shebang off with Panama Kings on the seafront who delivered a blistering (and blustery) set that fizzed with punky rocky loveliness. As an added bonus we got to meet their manager, Matt Priest the drummer from Dodgy, who is the nicest man in music. Fact. Then we whizzed off to see Apples at Revenge. They were another festival highlight, Vampire Weekend-y with a bit more synth. Hjaltalin and The Invisible passed by a pleasant hour or two at Komedia, then it was off to Ocean Rooms for Panama Kings (second time in one day and even stronger than the earlier set) and Cocknbullkid before sloping off to Coalition for Killa Kella and finally Fandeath who Lady B thinks includes the girl who is/was Dandi Wind.

Bands seen…8.

The Great Escape Day Two

Day two and in a haze of red wine I stumbled off to see the glorious rock beast that is Turbowolf (on the seafront…bracing at 11.30am), then crawled to The Prince Albert pub for Tom Allalone & The 78’s and The Alexandria Quartet before hobbling along to Horatio’s on the pier for Advaita and Medusa. Still with me? Good. Then off to The Arc for Rainbow Arabia and all the way to over to Ocean Rooms for Duchess Says, before heading back to The Prince Albert for The John Steel Singers and Bang Bang Eche (who had a nightmare set…everything broke and the soundman couldn’t get any vocals…) and Miserable Rich (awesome…highlight of the festival). Finally we toddled off to Coalition for 80Kidz and Ou Est Le Swimming Pool.

Bands seen…god help me… 12.

The Great Escape Day Three

Things went a bit wrong here. The New Zealand showcase gig scheduled for 12.15pm actually started at 1.30pm, throwing our foolproof schedule into complete chaos. Cue much stomping around by me ranting at the world. Hey, it helps. Anyway, bandwise we saw Bang Bang Eche (who were bang bang on today…oh what a difference a decent soundman makes) and Conan Mockasin at Horatios’s, a bit of Babyshambles (playing an impromptu outdoor gig at Above Audio, a snatch of Ben Kweller in a tent, then Banjo or Freakout, Three Trapped Tigers, School of 7 Bells and…oh lord my aching bones…White Denim at the Pavilion Theatre. We then attempted a late night sesh at Komedia but it seemed to have been cancelled or some such nonsense. Probably for the best really…

Bands seen…8…sort of.

Making a grand total of 30 bands in three days. RIP The Baron.

Seth Lakeman / Megson / Nancy Elizabeth @ The Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sunday 17th May 2009

After hotfooting it all the way from Brighton’s Great Escape Festival (three days of relentless gigs in sweaty dives…just the way I like it) it was nice to sit down in the sumptuous surroundings of The Symph Hall for part of the second annual English Originals season. Managed to catch the awesome voice of Vijay Kishore in the foyer beforehand but the gig proper kicked off with Nancy Elizabeth. The word ‘ethereal’ springs to mind here, gentle vocals washed over my fevered brow and she delivered a nicely chilled set that would probably have been better suited to a much smaller venue. She was a real charmer though and chatted between songs revealing that she hadn’t bothered with a set list because she wanted to see how things would go. That’s a brave move, but refreshing too. The traditional folk song that she sang (acapella) and seemingly just on a whim proved a particular highlight. Keep your eyes open for her debut album coming out in the summer.

Next up rising folk duo, Megson, who pretty much hit the perfect balance in terms of their set (some cracking upbeat jiggy numbers and a few more melancholy tracks – the ying and yang of folk) and their vocal interplay. Both Debbie and Stu have strong, clear voices, Debbie’s revealing more of her natural Teeside accent…what a lovely thing to hear…someone singing in their ‘real’ voice. One or two tracks had a touch of Deacon Blue about them (no bad thing), but there was also a distinct Seth tinge there too, setting us up nicely for the man himself. Highlights included a song called ‘4d a day’ all about the life of working youngsters back in ye olde days of pits and stuff. In this world of MP’s claiming for their moats and the old dodgy banker pocketing £20million for being completely and utterly inept it was all the more poignant. Megson seem to be playing almost everywhere over the next few months (although not at the Moseley Folk Festival which is a bit of a shame) so you’ve got plenty of chance to see ‘em (and I heartily recommend that you do).

On to the man widely credited with making folk appeal to a much wider audience…Seth (or Sexy Seth as my other half insists on calling him). As I’ve come to expect he gave 100% from start to finish (playing for a good 90 minutes) and delivered all of the biggies including Poor Man’s Heaven, The Lady Of The Sea and that Mercury nominated title track Kitty Jay, which pretty much kicked off the whole Seth-mania thing. He also unveiled a couple of new tracks, ‘The Circle Grows’ and ‘Hearts and Minds’, the latter being the stronger of the two and seeming (at first listen) to be something of a protest song against corruption, the financial system and the general sorry state of the world today. If it is then Seth’s putting folk right back where it belongs, after all wasn’t it the original protest music? There’s plenty to protest about these days too and who better than Seth’s to deliver an album that does just that? Whether he’ll want to get all political is another debate altogether, I’m not sure all of the audience at tonight’s gig would approve but since when has great music been about pleasing a demographic eh? It was a good gig all round but, being constructive, I would’ve liked a bit more of the originality hinted at in the name of the season. Seth for example did a wonderful collaboration with local hip hop group Moorish Delta 7 a few months ago which would have added a really fresh twist to the evening if he'd recreated it. Again I’m not sure all of the audience would approve but folk needs to stay fresh if it’s going to continue winning over new converts and a few surprising collaborations during evenings like this would make all the difference. If you want to know what I mean check out the whole Imagined Village project…

Voodoo we have here...

Come again? The Voodoo Trombone Quartet? Righty ho. I’m not averse to a bit of voodoo…let’s stick their new album (the winningly titled ‘The Voodoo Trombone Quartet…again’ into the old CD player, jab a few pins in my arm and see what the spirits say…whoooo…spooky. I have to say it’s a curious mix, like putting the head of a chicken on the body of a goat. On the one hand you’ve got parping ska driven horns, on the other there’s a distinctly dancey vibe, kind of DJ Shadow meets Reel Big Fish. There are Asian influences (witness the sitar on Double Bluff), early hippity hop (exhibit A…a cover of (Hey You) The Rocksteady Crew…I’m not making this up) and some cool salsa-tastic Latin Americana too (on My Name In Food). In fact it’s a right old gumbo, but, like a right old gumbo, put it all together and it’s a pretty tasty dish. They’re a band that just scream to be heard live and I’m guessing that the album will really gel in my head when (and if) I get the chance to see them in the flesh as it were (hopefully the flesh will still be in good nick, not falling off their bones in a voodoo undead stylee). ‘Voodoo’ give it a listen, ho ho ho…(oh dear…sometimes I surprise even myself).

‘The Voodoo Trombone Quartet…Again’ is out on Freshley Squeezed Music on the 8th June 2009

The Heathers / Hitchcock / 10 Guitars @ The Rainbow, Friday 8th May 2009

Imagine, if you will, what would have happened if diminutive pervy purple pop legend Prince hadn’t been born in the good old US of A, but instead right here in Brum…in the 80’s. Happily you don’t have to because we have 10 Guitars right here in our midst. Pretty fly for a white guy, Mr 10 Guitars delivers a unique blend of the funk with a hardcore rave heart (now that’s a movie I’d love to see Mel Gibson make…Raveheart…the story of a Glaswegian raver in the 1980’s…). As bouncy as Tigger on E he was backed by the lovely Carlo on skins, adding an extra layer of sound to the live performance that was missing last time I saw him. I loved it so much I bought the CD for a whole 2 quid – credit crunch? What credit crunch? 11 out of 10 (guitars)…the bonus point is for that 1999 cover version (which you can check out on the 10 Guitars MySpace thingy).

Next up the quite frankly terrifying but really rather excellent Hitchcock. Continuing the rave flava, the lead Hitch is an Iggy Pop-esque figure for the Prodigy generation. You know how much I like inventing genres so I'll settle for Goth Disco here. Wearing a mac, white shoes, white gloves and eyes blackened into his skull he’s one of the most engaging performers you’re ever likely to see, with a stage show that screams to be seen in a massive venue. Actually you can see him opening for the Prodigy in one of their stadium tours and going down a storm…how about it chaps? Isn’t that how the music biz works nowadays? I write something in a blog and it all just happens? What’s that? Oh? It’s all still controlled by a couple of blokes in tight trousers with a nasty coke habit? Oh pooh. Anyway, Hitchcock are murderously good and I half expected their namesake (young Alfred) to wander on to the stage mid set and do a spot of break dancing. Yes, I truly believe that Hitchcock have the power to raise the dead. Amen.

Finally, casting aside all talk of dead film directors, it’s The Heathers. Another endearing performance from Rachel and the boys replete with all the best tracks – Copper Bottomed Heart, The Other Women’s Club and a newish one that might be called Hold On. Listening last night I came to the conclusion that Rachel’s got a kind of country twinge to her vocal (as in country and western…she doesn’t sound like Belgium or anything) and I’d like to see her do an acoustic number with the band one day – a slower track maybe about how her man done her wrong, or the death of a puppy…that sort of thing (that’s pretty much what all country and western songs are about isn’t it?). Plenty of classic Rachel moments again tonight…I do hope the sticky stuff that she trod in (barefoot I hasten to add) wasn’t that half eaten remains of some poor unfortunate consumed by the lead singer of Hitchcock, although that might explain why he kept eyeing me up. Actually I think I’d make a rather tasty midnight snack, there’s certainly enough of me to go round…you could have me cold the next day on a sandwich…am I actually still writing this…?

Navvy / Poppy and the Jezebels / Tempting Rosie / Panda Pop Culture @ The Rainbow, Monday 4th May 2009

I’ve been thinking recently. Dangerous, I know, but it happens. I’ve been thinking about music, specifically the fetishisation (if there is such a word) of, for want of a better term, ‘old’ music by ‘old’ people (yes, I suppose I fall into that category). I read Mojo magazine for example, mainly because it’s pretty well written and covers a fairly wide range of stuff (plus you get a free CD – remember them – stuck onto the front cover with jizz). Reading most of the articles however you get the distinct sense that most writers cling to the belief that music was somehow better in the ‘good’ old days. There’s a sniffiness there that, coupled with the alarmingly rapid churn of bands nowadays (accelerated by the elimination of the need for physical product and the existence of…er…blogs…like this…) makes me fear for the future of music as a culturally powerful force. Maybe someone will be writing about the wonders of some of tonight’s bands in 20 years time, reminding folk of how great music was back in 2009. However, I fear that in 2029 we’ll still be churning out books about Bob bloody Dylan and the Beatles (neither of whom I’ve got anything against by the way). I guess what I’m saying is that it would be a shame if today’s music became as disposable as everything else in society (carrier bags, jobs, people, sane news coverage…). Each generation deserves to leave it’s mark on our collective culture and, one of the many joys of music for me, is delving back into the dim and distant past to discover the good stuff that’s already been done. If people don’t have any faith in the stuff that’s coming out now how will future generations? Here endeth the lesson, on with the review.

First up, Panda Pop Culture. Panda Pop (the drink that is) is brightly coloured, fizzy and rather sweet, so it’s an apt name for a band that combines the bouncy Afro tinged beats of Vampire Weekend with the pop punk of Buzzcocks. I particularly liked Peter Pan, a track about growing old (or not wanting to grow old in this case). There was something strangely moving about watching teenagers fretting about not wanting their ‘skin to fold’ and how people look ‘so lonely when they’re old’. Last night I felt a little like one of those old people, being a good 600 years or so older than most of the bands or audience members. It’s not something that bothers me one jot though. There’s an energy you get from new bands like Panda Pop Culture that you just can’t beat, a kind of musical botox…

Next up Tempting Rosie…a 7 piece ska band that almost literally blew the place apart. With the revival of The Specials, ska’s enjoying a bit of a second (oh alright then third or forth) coming. Thank the Lord for that. It’s pure party music and, played well, like it was tonight, it’s pretty hard to resist. The three piece brass section would give Dexy’s a run for their money (at midnight or any other time), the lead guitarist had some particularly nifty musical moves, vocals were delivered with plenty of oomph (I do like some oomph) and I found myself involuntarily skanking away (not a pretty sight). If anything the appearance of rapper/MC Tijhs took things up a notch higher, adding a fresh twist to the band’s sound. Discovering that this was the first time Tijhs had ever performed live (not only with the band…but ever) was simply astonishing. The guy has a real talent. All in all if they keep this up the future of the band looks very rosie indeed…

Pausing for a glug or two of vin rouge (hangover…what hangover…oh that hangover…ouch) next up were the cooler than cool Poppy and the Jezebels. I’ve seen P and the J’s several times before and I’m glad to report that they look like they’re enjoying the performance side of things a lot more now (before they always looked a little nervous and / or disinterested at times…but maybe that’s just a teenage thing…it was a hell of a long time ago for me). Richly deserving the press attention that they’ve received they’re steadily developing a clutch bag (60’s naturally) full of catchy pop songs that Phil Spector would kill for…that is if he hadn’t already blown the head off some poor unfortunate. The X-ray Spex meets Stereolab of ‘UFO’ and the bouncy sugar sweet catchiness of ‘Rhubarb and Custard’ made this the best set I’ve seen them play. The latter track’s just been released on trendy label Mute Irregulars, securing The Guardian’s Pick Of The Week slot and the band’s playing the Isle of Wight festival in June. If only we still had a Top of the Pops…they’re made for it.

Finally, NME tipped (don’t worry, I’m not buying it, merely reading it in WH Smiths…helping to bring about the downfall of yet another business…god help us all) post punk popsters Navvy. Imagine The Fall doing a duet with the late, great Bis and you’ve got a fair idea of the sound, jerky angular tunes (and words) punctuated with screamy, shouty bits. What’s not to like? Yet another great ‘artrock’ band to tickle your earlobes and proof that there’s a whole bunch of fab stuff being made out there (often under the radar). Returning to the theme of my opening address (must we I hear a nation cry), music today’s as rich, vibrant and creative as it’s always been. It wasn’t any better or worse in 59, 69, 79, 89 or 99. Granted it’s a hell of a lot harder to stand out these days given the incredible number of bands and channels out there but if only 10% of the 30 or 40-somethings who happily paid £30 to see The Specials got off their arses to see what today’s teenagers were up to I’ve got a feeling that they’d be pleasantly surprised…

Die!Die!Die! / Sabotage Left / Vinny and the Curse / Black Heart Generator @ The Rainbow, Friday 1st May

It’s an historic moment. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the 300th Hearing Aid posting. Whoohoo! Cue the party poppers, dancing girls (and boys…but boys aren’t very good at that sort of thing…unless you count Har Mar Superstar…and John Sargent) and telegramme from the Queen (gawd bless you m’am). Bring on the 4 page feature in NME and an interview with that really annoying woman from The One Show. How about an OBE for services to the music industry too? What’s that? You want me to shut the fuck up and get on with it ‘cos you’ve got better things to do? Oh. Okay.

First up Black Heart Generator. I missed the opening part of their set because the dog ate my homework. Actually I don’t have a dog and I haven’t done homework for a good twenty years or so (oh alright then...ever), but what the hell. On closer inspection I recognised the lead singer of BHG…it’s none other than that Greg chappie out of She’s a Kamikaze Machine…and Theatre of The Absurd (and Die. Die. Die by the end of the night...). I’m half expecting him to join Poppy and the Jezebels any day now. Whilst you can’t guarantee that, you can be sure that (whatever his current nom de plume…yes I’m quite aware that this isn’t the right context for this phrase) he’ll deliver an impassioned, vitriolic and rather pissed off performance that warms the cockles of my very own bitter, blackened heart. Musically it’s loud and punky…like a loud punk who's had too much to drink (can you ever have too much to drink?). I’m so good at this n’est ce pas?

Next up, Vinny and the Curse. I’m not sure what kind of curse. Only time will tell. Maybe I’ll grow giant man boobs and start speaking in tongues…whoops too late, nature's already got there Vinny (actually I have a chest of steel, this is all for comedic purposes). I rather liked their take on 60's garage with a shaving of rockabilly. One guy on geetar and a microphone made from an old telephone, another on a bloody big drum and cymbal type set up, they played a Coldrice-tastic show (Frankenstein in particular hit the spot) that set what’s left of my loins on fire. I’ve not been to a Coldrice do for ages, but was a sort of regular at their legendary Bar Academy nights back in the day. Lady B informed me that one of the blokes from V and the C was / is in one of the Coldrice house bands The Big Bang. That’s a Coldrice fact. Tell your friends and they’ll think you’re dead cool. Full marks to the band for playing one of the most obscure cover versions ever (by a band who ‘only ever released one single in 1968’)…it might not be the kind of crowd pleaser that you’d get if you played Robbie’s Angels, but that’s probably a very, very good thing.
Third on the bill, Sabotage Left. Another polished performance from the Sabs, who used tonight’s gig to unveil a clutch of new songs. Rocky but with winningly catchy tunes, they've got a touch of At The Drive-in (RIP) and would slay a crowd at a big arena show. They certainly slayed my ears, but that's what you get for standing right next to the speakers. Foolish Baron. Sleeping Nicotene was the pick of their tracks tonight...cop a listen to it on their MySpace pagey.

Finally, Die. Die. Die. Not as loud and thrashy as some of their gigs (the last time I saw them the lead singer hit me in the face…accidentally I hasten to add…at least I think so….), but still a powerful whirlwind of anger, pain and SCREAMING! Agggggghhhhh!!! The Die’s have been putting on shows like this for a fair few years…I saw them at The Great Escape in a pub in 2007…and here they are in a pub in 2009. Like many bands they deserve better but you’re never going to convince the masses to subject themselves to their particular brand of melodic quiet loud...bloody loud...quiet...agggggh shouty drummy punk. I kind of get the feeling that the band don’t really care. ‘Are we boring the fuck out of you yet?’ enquired the lead Die during the gig. Nope. Not me.