Trad for it!

Here’s a question for you. Who was the first artist to have a Billboard number one single? A record that went on to sell more than one million copies? Okay, not much of a mystery given the fact that I’ve stuck the vid up here but still, who’d have thunk it eh? Yep, Trad Jazz legend AckerBilk was a huge star back in the day and, remarkably, at the tender young age of 83 he’s still going strong. He’s joined by another Trad Jazz godfather, Chris Barber (a mere 82), at a special one off concert in Moseley Park on June 27^th. 

More info here...one for the vintage fans out there. Speaking of which, how cool is this video by the way?

Oh for the days when people bothered dressing up and stopped trying to look like a kid all their lives...

  

The Lunar Festival...coming 'moon'...

As previously mentioned on the Aid a brand NEW festival promising four days of wonderful music, great food and drink and a magical location, is coming to the Midlands this year. The Lunar Festival is a camping event brought to you by the same people behind both Moseley Folk and the Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festivals. An intimate event (there are just 500 camping tickets in total...that’s less than the typical queue for the bogs at Glasto) it all takes place at the spiritual home of Nick Drake - the Umberslade Estate in Tanworth In Arden. On top of Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Fionn Regan and Scott Matthews there’s plenty of home grown talent on offer too including Boat To Row, The Old Dance School, Goodnight Lenin, Young Runaways, Friends Of The Stars and...as they say in all the best ads...many, many more. 

Speaking about the festival Mike King from Boat To Row said: “We are massively looking forward to this. The line-up offers a mixture of everything that's good about music, lots of new bands playing alongside established acts.” 

John Fell from Goodnight Lenin said: “The Lunar Festival is looking like a great event. We always prefer smaller shows so with a capacity of 500 I think it’s going to be very special.”

While Matt Pinfield, from YoungRunaways, added: “It's cool to be involved with a brand new event like this. “We've been a bit quieter than usual as far as gigs this year because we've been living in the studio so it’ll be good to get back on it.”

Mike: “You don't usually get the chance to see such acts on such an closely knitted event. I'm excited to see Fionn and Andy Oliveri (who Ben from the band and I play for).” 

John: “We all love Fionn Regan so that’s a definite highlight for us.” 

Matt: “Well we know a few bands on the bill so it'll be good to catch up with them, maybe drink a couple of beers and compare war stories, the usual stuff.” 

And, being the spiritual home of Nick Drake, there’s the added bonus that a number of acts might roll out some cover versions from the great man’s catalogue.

John: “We will certainly try. At the moment we're in the studio preparing our debut album but we will definitely try to get a Nick Drake cover in the bag. I think most bands will do something.” 

Matt: “I’m not sure about Nick Drake, we may do Beyonce though! We are doing mandatory fancy dress to mix it up though. We've decided on a theme but you'll have to wait and see what we’ve gone for - it's pretty serious.” 

Mike: “We are definitely doing one. A beautiful song called the Fly, one of my personal favourites.” 

John: “Would be a shame not to really.” 

So there we have it, Nick Drake (covers...they're not digging the poor bloke up), Beyonce (who knows, she might pop by), beers and fancy dress...and no Fearne Cotton...guaranteed (Dot Cotton might turn up...she’s a mentalist when she gets on the real ale). What’s not to love?

For tickets and more information on the festival, which runs from June 1 to 4, visit lunarfestival.co.uk

Sabbath bloggy Sabbath

What in the name of satan's horns is going on with the much anticipated Black Sabbath reunion eh? For reasons best known to the band's management their drummer, Bill Ward, seems to have been sidelined due to 'contractual disagreements' and now isn't playing ANY of the forthcoming shows. His blog post seems to lay the blame fair and square at the team behind the band and, given that they seemingly wanted him to play the homecoming Birmingham show for FREE...almost on a trial basis, he has a fair point. Happily Tony Iommi seems to be match fit, but surely a Sabbath gig without Bill Ward ain't really, truly a Sabbath gig? Sort it out chaps...ego, money, squabbles...it really don't matter a hoot in the grand scheme of things. To quote the band themselves in Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, it'll all be a bit too late when "The gates of life have closed on you and there's just no return". Wise words.

Morten Harket / Songdog @ Birmingham Symphony Hall, Monday 14th May 2012

As dozens of grasping hands strain forward to claw at Morten Harket one or two manage to get a grip and from there on in it was all over. More hands join them and the former A-ha frontman is slowly, inexorably pulled off the stage and into a frenzied pit of hormones and fake nails. Within seconds he’s stripped naked and the ravishing begins...

Oh alright. That didn’t really happen. But the dude still has his fans and you get the impression that a good old ravishing is just a heartbeat (and a security guard) away. Happily opening act Songdog helped to calm down the atmosphere with their particular brand of, what the NME called ‘noir folk’. The NME are a bunch of arse so we’ll just ignore them though eh? Songdog seemed a surprising choice to open for a bone fide pop star but they’ve got their fair share of celeb fans from Robert Wyatt to The Boss, so perhaps Morten picked ‘em himself? Musically there’s a bit of Cohen, Waits and, to my ears at least, solo Bob Geldof (that’s a compliment by the way). Not the right platform for their talents but, thanks to lead Dog Lyndon’s way with words, worthy of investigation for fans of the more poetical lyricists out there.

After selling squillions of albums and singles over a 25 year career A-ha split in 2010 (barring a brief reformation to perform at a gig in tribute to the victims of 2011 Norway massacre). Now the band’s pin up lead singer and breaker of a million and one teenage hearts Morten Harket is back as a solo artist. He’s already got form here of course having released a handful of solo albums during A-ha’s frequent sojourns but, with the band no longer there to retreat to, there’s inevitably much more of a focus on this latest release, Out Of My Hands. Reviews have been mixed, with one critic (what do they know eh?) calling it “utterly without soul”. Ouch. Actually Harket’s new solo effort isn’t a million miles away from A-ha’s last, critically acclaimed release, Foot Of The Mountain. Perhaps it’s a bit poppier, a little less filmic and a touch more Europop in places, but certainly not worth some of the more withering reviews.

The lights dim, the screams rise and, when Harket enters stage right, so do the audience (this is a seated venue but clearly no one was in the mood for sitting). Sporting a pair of shades he bears more than a passing resemblance to the Hoff at first. Fortunately that’s as far as the similarities go, the dude can sing. It’s unusual for a vocalist who specialises in singing the kind of notes only heard by dogs to continue reaching those heights as the years pass but, if anything, the voice is stronger and clearer than ever...and maybe even an octave or two higher. Opening track Burn Money Burn seems to be one of the new album’s better tunes, thanks to its mix of Euro synths and chugging rock guitar together with a topical lyrical theme (by the time you read this who knows, maybe we’ll all actually be burning money just to keep warm). The fans love it, to be honest the fans would probably be happy if he just came on and read the latest IMF Fiscal Report, but it’s a decent blast of thinking person’s pop.

Dispensing with the shades he soon dons a pair of reading glasses, noting that he “should know the setlist by now”. Bless him. He keeps these on for most of the rest of the set in fact, one of the few signs of the passing years.  That voice, all sexy, smoldering choir boy, is still there well and truly intact though and at 52 he remains one hot dude, albeit a slightly more grizzled hot dude than back in the 80’s (hell, aren’t we all?). The Symphony Hall’s the perfect place for that voice to do the biz too and the sound throughout the gig was as clear as a Norwegian fjord.

With the show billed as Morten Harket – The Voice of A-ha it wasn’t long before revisiting past glories but there was a neat mix of hits, album cuts and unreleased numbers in the setlist, from the band’s cover of Greenfield and King’s Crying In The Rain (originally recorded by the Everly Brothers) through to Out Of The Blue Comes Green (voted for inclusion in the set by the fans) and the song that, Morten informed us, started the whole thing, We’re Looking For The Whales. Reinforcing the fact that the split was entirely amicable he dedicated this last number to Pål and Mags and, happily, seemed quite comfortable with the whole back catalogue deal (which ain’t always the case with artists who are flying solo after being in a band). Avid fans of both A-ha and A-Harket obviously knew all this stuff off by heart but for casual listeners (I’d fall into that camp) there were some real gems. Los Angeles (written – and played this evening – on a guitar given to him by The Everly brothers) came from his ’95 album Wild Seed and had a bit of a Mercury Rev vibe about it, whilst Keep The Sun Away (from the new album) had that same kind of big, bold pop that A-ha made in their prime. In contrast Lightning (recently released as a single) was far too Eurovision for its own good, sample lyric “You were lightning, time went by...it’s frightening”. We’ll gloss over that though.

Predictably the final number of the second encore was THAT song. Young and...slightly less young...ladies rushed to the front of the stage to press the flesh and you could almost smell the oestrogen in the air as several hundred middle aged teens relived their first crush. Oh how many Smash Hits posters were snogged to soggy oblivion as Gary Davies played that tune on “wonnerful one FM” eh? Take On Me is such an iconic single that you’d need to be clinically dead to avoid having a little jig to it though and, remarkably, Morten hit those high notes time and time again (although it looked like he felt the effort a little more...). The odd bland track aside it was a great show and a revealing glimpse into a back catalogue (both A-ha’s and Harket’s) that deserves to be...wait for it...hunted high and low through. Oh dear, there wasn’t any need for that was there?

Friends / AlunaGeorge @ O2 Academy 2, Saturday 13th May 2012

Next door (in the big room) the newly reformed Happy Mondays are twisting the melons of hundreds of mums and dads on the old ‘topping up the pension’ circuit. Meanwhile, here in the Academy 2, the night gets off to an equally twisty (but infinitely cooler) start thanks to the sinuous ass shaking of Aluna Francis, one half of new London R&B electronic duo AlunaGeorge. It’s always nice to see an artist enjoying themselves up there and Ms Francis seemed quite happy bopping away to the glitchtronic soundtrack, sprinkling sweet as candy vocals over the top like hundreds and thousands. One for fans of late 90’s garage 2-steppers Shanks & Bigfoot...their classic Sweet Like Chocolate must surely be an inspiration on some of this stuff?

Look up cool in the dictionary and there’s a fair chance you’ll find a reference to Brooklyn’s latest musical offering, Friends. Despite sharing a name with a ‘90’s sitcom (seriously...let’s have a little more imagination people) they’re so cool right now people were chipping bits off ‘em and popping them in their drinks tonight. Fact. Happily the hipness doesn’t get in the way of a good time though and lead Friend, Samantha Urbani (resplendent in green fluoro lipstick) quickly connected with the audience by leading us in some kind of primal scream therapy, “Go on...scream!!!” “Let out your demons” drawled keyboardist Nikki Shapiro...bearing three week stubble and black eyeliner...now that’s a brave look. And scream we did. Inhibitions suitably lifted and connections made Samantha abandoned the stage altogether by the third song, Friend Crush, and literally leapt into the arms of one lucky dude at the front of the crowd. After bouncing her around in a mildly provocative manner (lucky, lucky dude) she played out the rest of the song getting up close and personal with the rest of us.“Iiiiiiiiiii wanna be your friennnnnd” she sang breathily. The feeling was already mutual. She went on to win even more hearts though by bravely attempting to pronounce our city’s name correctly...always a challenge for our American cousins more familiar with the Alabama version. “Is that right?” she asked after getting it spot on. The crowd enthusiastically cheered. “Oh you’re just...taking the piss”. That’s just an English phrase right? Full marks for learning to speak the lingo.

Musically the band’s heavily influenced by late 70’s, early 80’s New York post disco scene, perhaps most notably the criminally underrated ESG (that might explain the mix of older punters amongst the hip young thangs). There’s funky bass in yo face, cowbells, synths and lashings of street sass...what’s not to love? Pick of the set was...oh hell... the whole darn thing. Mind Control was awesome, like Lene Lovich getting it on with Rick James and Tom Tom Club at Studio 54, and the languidly dreamy anthem to post modern relationships I’m His Girl firmly cemented itself as one of the tracks of the decade. This and any other. After the Bonde De Role-tastic Van Fan Gor Du the band left us wanting more, dispensing with the tired old cliché of the planned encore. I’d expect nothing less of a band this ice cool. Now that’s how you win, Friends. 

PS: Wot, no merch stand? Shame!

Alabama Shakes / Childhood @ HMV Institute, Friday 12th May 2012

There’s an all too rare moment this evening when the whole audience falls silent. No chatter, no tweeting, no click of camera phones...just silence...broken only by a howl of pure pain from the band’s vocalist. Hell, even our goosebumps got goosebumps. Yep, Alabama Shakes are in town.

First up though new London four piece Childhood chilled out the capacity crowd with their woozily jangleriffic blend of 4AD records finest mixed with Floydian style rock outs. The generously afroed lead singer and his three spaced out friends (seriously...one of ‘em looked well...ahem...chilled) veer between the blissful surf tickled pop of Girls and heavier numbers that really get the sap rising (heck, it’s spring...sap should be rising). Debut single Blue Velvet in particular hit the spot tonight and is well worth digging out for those moments when you fancy a phat one...that’ll be 24/7 then.  

Although they formed as far back as the dim and distant days of 2009 Alabama Shakes rise has been pretty swift. Having only released their debut EP in September 2011 the hype machine went into overdrive and deals with Rough Trade and Jack White’s uber cool Third Man label pretty much sealed the deal. Oh...and that guarantee of success (here in the UK at least)...a prime slot on Later...soon followed too. So, what’s all the fuss about y’all? Well the fuss is standing just a few feet away in a packed HMV Institute, belting out some of the finest primal rock n’soul you’re likely to see this side of the Mississippi...and (to paraphrase the ads) she’s worth it. Brittany Howard, the ‘bama’s lead vocalist, possesses the kind of voice that could well raise both Janis Joplin and Otis Redding from the grave to see who the hell the competition is. Capable of sounding sexy, fragile and as powerful as a H-bomb (often all in the same line) she gives a delightfully unselfconscious performance, pulling all kinds of unflattering faces in the search for that perfect note and redefining that well worn phrase ‘givin’ it all you’ve got’.

Kicking off the set with the brief declaration of intent that is Going To The Party the Shakes bravely follow it up with Hold On. Bravely? Well, unless you’ve been hiding under a large wi-fi-less rock for the past few months you’ll know the band’s big breakthrough single Hold On, a smouldering bowl of countrified soul that gives hope to the hopeless and love to the unloved. It’s pretty much become their theme tune and I reckon most bands would want to hold that baby back for an encore. Shooting your proverbial load just a few minutes into the set might’ve backfired a little, especially for a relatively new band. In fact this evening the opposite seemed to happen. Hold On was the vocal equivalent of a warm up at the gym for Brittany’s voice and, as the set wore on both it and she just seemed to get better and better. At just 23 years old there’s that crack in her vocals that hints at the pain that’s often behind truly great vocalists (in Brittany’s case I guess this includes the death of her older sister from a brain tumour), and it’s not something you can fake. Ya either got it or you don’t. And she got it. By the bucket load. It’s not just the vocals though, she’s a decent rock and blues guitarist too and it would be shameful to ignore the rest of the band who provide the perfect backdrop to the theatrics, groovin’ away in fine style.  

As you’d expect much of the set drew from the band’s debut album, Boys and Girls, which topped the first ever Record Store Chart back in April (now there’s a question for the pub quiz), but some of the best gems were the non album cuts. Worryin’ Blues is the kind of song Jack White would sell his soul for and tonight saw Brittany at her testifyin’ best, frequently moving from soulful pleading to full on explosive rage. New song, the countrified rock n’roll of Making Me Itch, just begged for Jerry Lee to step up and pound the keys and Heavy Chevy ramped up the rock all the way to 11 to practically blow the place apart. Sending us all home safely the band encored with On Your Way, with Brittany singing of “the promised land”. Judging by the smiles on the faces of the crowd I reckon we were already there. Well bless mah soul...

Setlist courtesy of the lovely Wayne Fox...check out his pictures of the gig at www.gigjunkies.com in the next day or two. 

Pond - Tears Of A Clown

To celebrate the start of their UK tour Aussie psych rockers Pond are giving away this wonderfully scuzzed up version of Smokey's Tears Of A Clown. Play it loud and frighten your gran...

With Friends like these...

Hipper than a hip hopper after a double hip replacement Brooklyn's latest sensations, Friends, are currently bringing their particularly hip brand of dance punk with a gig here in Birmingham this Saturday night at the O2 Academy. Be there or be very, very square...which I guess is actually kind of cool...oh good grief. Tickets currently still available right here.

The Semi Regular New Music Roundup Thingy

Hola. How’s it hanging? Time for another trawl through the old inbox and first up Picture Book with a jolly electro ditty for the summer bravely entitled Sunshine (I guess Endless Dray Grey Days Punctuated Only By Thunderstorms aka the British Summer wasn’t catchy enough). Anyway, it’s got something and I don’t just mean the 'getting jizzed on by clowns' video (clown jizz is multicoloured you know...it’s all that makeup they use).

Imagine if Syd Barrett had had kids, I reckon his son would produce something like this, Of Montreal’s Spiteful Intentions, a glam psych Bowie meets Floyd mash up with a suitably twisted video. Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out!!!!!

You’ve gotta love Tom Jones. No matter what Jessie J, Billy.I.Am or The Other Bloke trot out in The Voice, Tom can just turn on ‘em with a simple “When I was hanging with Elvis/Dusty/Aretha/Janis/The Beatles etc etc...”. Boom. Game Over. Sadly the routines when he’s been roped in to sing during the show have been a bit of a nadir, but happily his latest single goes someway to repairing the damage. Tom does Leonard Cohen...rather well too.

Ever wondered what a Lana Del Rey / Azealia Banks mash up would sound like? Me too. Makes me want to inject Iron Bru into my eyeballs. Make of that what you will, but I reckon that’s a good thing.

Okay, so I may have missed May Day but Skinny Lister’s new one (featuring Land Rovers ‘dancing’ round a Maypole) still deserves a spin for its jaunty, pints of real ale in the air spirit. Expect to hear it soundtracking the next Magners advert sometime in the future...

Just as jaunty, but with an odder video (seriously, odd) it’s Brooklyn’s Here We Go Magic with How Do I Know, a folky, country-ish toe tapper if ever I heard one...and I just did.

Last one for this edition of the semi-legendary Semi Regular New Music Roundup Thingy...how do you fancy a darkly industrial synth number from Toronto’s Trust eh? Clearly influenced by Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb Bulbform’s brooding breakdowns and twisted disco make a neat mix. One for those bondage clubs I’ve seen you at...

Alabama Shakes, rattles and rolls

Unsurprisingly Alabama Shakes are winning hearts, minds and asses across the UK on their biggest tour to date and they're due to hit my 'hood, Birmingham, this Friday. The gig's already been upgraded from a smaller venue due to overwhelming demand but I wouldn't bet against this one selling out too. If you wanna know what all the fuss is about check out the footage above. And how about this beauty?



Now damn...that's a performance. Tickets currently still available from the good folk at Birmingham Promoters. You know what to do...

MCA RIP

Sad news about the death of Adam Yaunch from the Beastie Boys. 47...shit. Still, what with the music and the campaigning on behalf of Tibet he crammed more into his life than most of us will. Crank up a bit of Sabotage in his memory...

George Barnett - Bewitched

Just in case you needed any further proof that George Barnett's one of the best new talents in the UK right now (trust me...he is) crank this little beauty up. Taken from his frankly essential debut album 17 Days it's the kind of track that simply screams out to be played in front of tens of thousands of adoring fans...lighters aloft...arms in the air...singing along. And, you know what, I reckon it won't be long before that happens...

Buy the album here.

Tickets for George's headline show (July 13th) at The Clapham Grand, London here.

Longing for Latitude...

Still not got your big festival fix for this year yet? We’ve not been to Latitude before but always heard great things about it. Like all the best festivals it seems to have its own distinctive personality together with a mind, body and soul enhancing cocktail of music, comedy, poetry, literature and theatre. This year the musical bill looks particularly trouser moistening. On top of the headliners (they’ve recently added the divine Rufus W) you’ll find the reanimated Dexys, Lana Del Ray, Thomas Dolby, Alabama Shakes, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Django Django, Zola Jesus, Team Me...each and every single one of ‘em well worth the entry fee alone. The Poetry Arena’s got Benjamin Zephaniah, Scroobius Pip and John Cooper Clarke, over at the Literary Arena Dave Gorman’s no doubt unveiling another off the wall theme for his latest million seller whilst Miles Jupp’ll be his usual laconic self. Mark Thomas continues to give it to da man at The Theatre Arena and the art exhibition includes work from the mistress of the montage Linder Stirling. Blimey. Like the strapline says... “It’s more than just a music festival”. 

Team Me / Phil Gibbs Band @ The Rainbow, Tuesday 1st May 2012

It might have been an unseasonably cold and damp Tuesday evening...I say ‘might’, what I really mean is “Damn it! What’s with the freakin’ cold...it’s May already...oy vey!!!”...but tonight did more to warm my cockles (stop sniggering at the back) than a bath in a boiling hot toddy.

First up Phil Gibbs and his band (featuring TemptingRosie’s tip top trumpeter Ewan Whyte!). Phil’s been busily building a name for himself over the past few months and opener Part Time Lover, a fine slice of funk driven white boy soul, exceeds all expectations. Most of Phil’s vids online are solo performances so it’s easy to see he can cut on his own but the addition of a really great band adds that magical ingredient. I’m a sucker for brass so Ewan’s trumpet solos were always going to be winner, but the bassist laid down some particularly sweet reggae grooves too. Niiiice. Playing half a dozen self penned tracks Phil’s in fine voice tonight (even if he does do that slightly annoying spl-iii-ttt-iiiii-nnnn-gggg up the words thing that seems to be quite trendy these days) spinning out some distinctly summertime sounds...and lord knows we all need some of them right now. An easy going and hugely enjoyable set.

The older you get the harder it is for music to really (and I mean really) hit you. Sure, you still love stuff, enjoy listening to new bands and catching up with the trillion tunes recorded so far but it’s rare to get that same buzz that you got when you first started to connect with music in your own sweet way. That’s what makes Team Me so special.

Hailing from Norway (a country with a surprisingly rich musical landscape) each song practically drips with joy. They’re mini anthems to love, life and everything in between, carefully crafted to make audiences throw their hands in the air and go three shades of mental. In fact, you know what? If God existed (let’s not get into that one today eh?) and made music I reckon it would sound like Team Me. Seriously. Musically there are shades of everything from the joyful singalongs and orchestral pop pomp of the Polyphonic Spree to the indietronica of MGMT and through to more leftfield acts like Conan Mockasin and Yeasayer, but such comparisons are dumb and lazy (yep, that’s me), on tonight’s showing I honestly believe Team Me are in a league of their own right now. Having carefully draped handmade bunting around a stage crammed full of kit (legend has it that they bought more kit to The Rainbow than any other band in history) the set exploded into life with Patrick Wolf and Daniel Johns, three of the most joyful sounding minutes in pop history and somehow got even better from there on. 

Wearing a rather fetching headband (are they back in?) lead singer Marius – who started the ‘band’ as a solo venture but then had to quickly recruit other ‘team’ members to play live – is a super cute ball of energy, frequently losing himself in the music like a man possessed (in a good way of course...no head spinning and projectile vomiting tonight). Flanked by Uno (who uses the novel technique of playing his guitar with a violin bow) and Elida (drafted in to replace the recently departed Synne) they’re a ménage a pop with that rare ability to get people clapping along without it all feeling a little self conscious and forced.  

Plucking tracks from their essential debut album To The Treetops! (darn it, even the title’s as adorable as hell) the grins of the audience grew as wide as lake Mjøsa (that’s Norway’s biggest lake dontcha know...see, who says the internet’s not educational?) culminating in a mini freakout as fans danced their socks off at the front. Who can blame them? Stephen Hawking would find it hard to resist this lot. Saving the best for last the pairing of Show Me (as low key as Team Me get but still more joyful than a sack full of fluffy pink kittens) and the frankly life enhancing With My Hands Covering Both Of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have A Look At You Know surely convinced everyone there that they were watching something truly special. “Mediocre band, perform mediocre songs for us now” sang Marius climbing off the stage to sing amongst the converts. The ultimate in humility or throwing down the gauntlet to the rest of the pop world? Right now I’m too busy bouncing up and down to care...

The Rapture - How Deep Is Your Love

...and the winner for the most random video of 2012 goes to...(rustle of envelope)...The Rapture for How Deep Is Your Love! Come on up guys and get your award...

Neat tune though. 

Team Me UK tour starts next week!

You know sometimes how a tune grabs you from the very first listen and you end up popping it on repeat for...oh...four hours or so? Okay, so that's a rare event but one tune this year made me do just that...and no, I'm not making it up. In 'With My Hands Covering Both Of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Look At You Now' Norway's Team Me have created the kind of anthemic, life affirming song that makes you want to rip off all your clothes and run down the street hugging strangers. Again...not making that up...thank heaven for understanding police officers. Anyway, they're going to be one of the big hits of the festival season this year but you lucky people still have the chance to catch them on their UK tour which kicks off at The Rainbow next Tuesday 1st May. Tickets from our chums at Birmingham Promoters of course. Unmissable.

Dent May spreads a little Fun

Blimey the weather's pants here in England right now. Okay, April showers we're used to...but day after day of pigging rain, enough already. I make the point about the weather here in the UK 'cos I've noticed that a growing number of my dearly beloved readers (hello to you all...you're looking particularly lovely today...have you done something new with your hair...it suits you) come from overseas. This shouldn't really surprise me, what with the web being world wide and all that but it's still rather lovely that someone in Chile should take a moment or two out of their busy day to read this humble blog. It seems that The Aid is particularly big in America right...in fact I'm expecting to seal a takeover bid with Google any day now, they're currently offering a half eaten doughnut from the 'trash can' and a soiled mouse mat...tempting. I'm holding out for $100billion...we've got some negotiating to do I'll grant you. Er...anyway...music...and in the spirit of international relations here's a peach of a track full of woozy loved up summertime good vibes from American musician Dent May...lovely stuff.



Generous soul that he no doubt is he's done a rather spiffing (yes, we actually talk like that over here in the UK...well I do) mix for us all too, featuring (amongst others) Orange Juice and Kid Creole and the Coconuts. God bless America...

Dancing In The Streets @ The New Alexandra Theatre, Monday 23rd April 2012

Can there be a record label more suitable for the ‘jukebox musical’ treatment than Tamla Motown? The music, the artists, the energy...it’s pure musical gold and after three years in the West End this latest production of Dancing In The Streets hits the road.

For anyone with a short attention span, relax. There’s no storyline at all. Instead it’s one hit after another...each a bone fide classic. It sounds obvious (and it is) but the success of this show stands and falls on the quality of the cast and musicians. The music of Motown is so ingrained in the public’s musical heart and soul that anything less than a top notch performance risks becoming at best amateur cabaret and at worst bad karaoke. Happily all of tonight’s artists tread this high wire pretty successfully with some truly memorable performances, notably Martha Reeves and the Vandellas Nowhere To Run (even better than the original perhaps), Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s You’re All I Need and roof raising ensemble renditions of River Deep Mountain High, Dancing In The Street and show closer Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

 The whole show’s linked together by veteran West End star Ray Shell as a janitor kind of dude, frequently appearing with a broom to brush up the stage (I guess it saves paying a cleaner at the end of the night). Bantering with the audience he’s the playful heart of the piece, providing neat little breaks between the almost relentless flood of hits. There’s no scrimping here, the cast get through dozens of tracks (literally), albeit often in slightly truncated forms. It’s the only way to do it in a couple of hours and I’m guessing that’s what the audiences want...all killer, no filler.

Choreography and costumes were always crucial to Motown live shows and the producers have wisely invested just as much time and energy into getting these just right. The Supremes’ outfits in particular were every bit as glam as the originals and all the tracks came with the right dance moves, bravely attempted by certain members of the audience...yes...me included. I have no shame. Always fancied myself as a Vandella...  

The live band did a great job of recreating the music too, better perhaps on the more complex, slower stuff than the punchy horn driven tracks but, short of inventing a time machine and dragging the original Funk Brothers into the 21^st century, you’re ain’t never going to get that back.

The elitist musical purist in me (go on...admit it...there’s a little of that in all us) always wants to dismiss shows like this, but it’s frankly impossible. It’s an amazing night of classic music performed by some truly talented singers that well and truly (Four) Tops your expectations. Go see.     

Dancing In The Streets is on at Birmingham’s New Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 28^th April (tickets here)  before touring the UK throughout May and June.    

Barnett and Bastille storm Birmingham

This Thursday night sees one of the best new British artists around, George Barnett, support the hotly tipped Bastille at The Rainbow (Digbeth, Birmingham). George was stunningly good when I saw him live earlier this year and his self produced debut album, 17 Days, should be superglued to your ears. Seriously. Cop a listen to this beauty from it.

And this was written, played, recorded and produced by George before he turned 18...amazing.

Tickets from our good chums at Birmingham Promoters, right here, for just £6!

Busdriver / Abes Oddysee @ The Rainbow, Friday 20th April 2012

Bo! Word to your mother. Break it down etc etc. Yep, tonight Digbeth’s legendary boozer, The Rainbow, is well and truly bouncing along to a hippity hoppity beat kicking off with a rising local collective Abes Oddysee. Keeping it old skool there’s a pleasing hint of of J5’s laid back grooves in this four pieces set. Lyrically they’re focused on the key subjects of young inner city kids these days (1) What the fuck am I going to do with my life? and (2) Where can I score some weed? All four took the mic at various times and the different styles worked well together. Of course there’s a rich history of rap collectives going back to the early 80’s but few young crews (yes, crews...I’m down with the street) seem to be making it right now. Shame. No mention of the local rap scene in the recent NME feature on Birmingham either so kudos to tonight’s promoters Fantastic Damage for giving it more of a platform. “Make hip hop one of your 5 a day” one of ‘em shouted at the start of the set. If it’s this good I’d be inclined to agree with him.

As rap names go Busdriver’s not the most convincing. Perhaps only Tax Inspector, Quantity Surveyor and Customer Service Representative have less street appeal. Still it’s not stopped Busdriver, aka 34 year old Regan Farquhar, who ‘dropped’ (as they say in the biz) his first album at the tender age of 13 and is now touting his 11th, Beaus $ Euros. A quick poke around t’interweb reveals a lot of love for this dude and, whilst he might not be as well known as some of his peers (Tinie Taxi Cab, DJ White Van Man and MC Chauffeur), this is less about talent and more about the frankly fickle finger of fame.

From the outset the flow’s amazing. Busdriver packs more words into the average track than most rappers stick on a whole album. Freestyling a warm up he rapidly reaches about 350 WPM (words per minute) and still finds time to pose for photos. Incredibly he reveals that he’s been ill for a month (touring a cold, moist Europe in Spring will do that to you) and gives a shout out to the NHS. Can’t imagine many rappers doing that. “We don’t have that (free healthcare) in the US...I’m going to die...penniless...next to a mailbox”. He makes a good point...and I know that most of his raps do too but, oh boy, is he fast. I swear I saw sparks coming off his tongue at one point. On the plus side this is a hugely impressive display of oral dexterity, on the minus side you kinda want a rewind button so you can keep going back for a second, third and fourth listen “Oh...that’s what he said...clever”. Plenty of stuff did get through though. It’s powerful material too, a world away from the tired macho posturing and preening of most mainstream rap, rich in wordplay and humour whilst still getting across some serious points. Take No Blacks, No Jews, No Asians, a Gil Scott Heron worthy cut from the driver’s latest album. Two minutes of sparse electro and pounding drums bedding a blistering rant against continuing racial inequality. He dropped Me Time too, fusing classical music (sadly my knowledge of the classics fails me here) with a frankly synapse fusingly fast lyrical blast against the modern world and all its woes (war, poverty, media manipulation, existentialism...you get the idea). Check out the video. It’s a miracle he didn’t explode for real tonight.

Two Trick Mind (Busdriver’s collaboration with Nocando) slowed the pace right down giving all concerned (us and him) a much needed chance to catch our breath. If TV On The Radio made pure hip hops tracks this is what it would sound like. A crowd pleasing run...okay...sprint...through Imaginary Places left any doubters open mouthed. How is it possible to keep this pace up without spitting up a lung?! Drenched in sweat (seriously, the dude was soaked) after giving it his all he wandered off stage loitering around for a while taking richly deserved pats on the back from the discerning few who had shown up tonight. Hip hop isn’t about bling. It’s not about huge arena tours, sponsorship deals, scantily clad young ladies or popping caps in people's bottoms. Nope, true hip hop...the language of the streets, the music of protest and rebellion, thought provoking, witty and wild...is what we witnessed tonight and Busdriver’s simply one of the best in the business. What a ride...

Folk for free!

Fancy attending what promises to be one of the loveliest, most chilled out new festivals of the year? For FREE!?!! You're in luck. The good folk behind The Lunar Festival (the same dudes who run Moseley Folk and Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul Festivals) are looking for volunteers to check wristbands, direct happy campers and generally do the old steward thang. In return for working a couple of half day shifts (or one night shift) you get to enjoy the rest of the festival for FREE! Bargain.

Here's the link to the form.

And here's the link to the lowdown on the whole deal.

Completed forms should be sent to john@moseleyfolk.co.uk

Tonight! Busdriver! Live! Birmingham!

Yes! I’m using lots of exclamation marks today! Lots!!!! There’s a good reason too! Legendary rapper’s rapper Busdriver stops by The Rainbow! For the bargain price (or maybe that should be fare?) of just £8! Holla! In a 25 year career (the dude started when he was 9) he’s become one of the most original artists in the game, witty, thought provoking and just a little bits nuts. Here’s three of his best...

Tonight. The Rainbow. Be there.

PS: This gig's bought to you by the good people at Fantastic Damage...Birmingham's premier purveyors of quality hip hop.

New Music Roundup Thingy - April 2012

Okay, not done one of these for a while. I blame the weather. And the dog ate my homework. And Simon Cowell tried to cop off with me (NB: legal disclaimer – he didn’t really...or did he...? No. He didn’t. I’m sure he’s 100% straight...). Anyway, enough waffling, you don’t come here for waffle do you eh? You come here for the very latest in quality tunes hot from my throbbing in box. My how it throbs etc etc. Here’s the current pick of the bunch...

Moonface - Teary Eyes and Bloody Lips

Imagine if Belle and Sebastian hooked up with the Psychedelic Furs and Can. This is what it would sound like. Probably. Welcome to the new old new wave!

Moonface "Teary Eyes and Bloody Lips" from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

O.Children – Red Like Fire

Goth, goth, goth...run to tha’ hills! Yep Toby and his O. Children drop another slab of brooding goth brilliance from their forthcoming album. It’s a bit goth. Well...very goth.


Field Music – Terrapin

Sunderland’s finest follow up their acclaimed album Plumb with a limited edition covers release. Here’s their twangy retelling of Syd’s Terrapin. It’s a grower.


The Polyamourous Affair – Whoever Controls The Groove

With a band and track name like that you better come up with the goods eh? I’m still sitting on the fence a little with this one. It’s a bit Scissor Sisters and a bit Giorgio Moroder...all good so far...but it never really busts out into a big old gay chorus. And I do love a big old gay chorus. Still, it’s as DISCO as you’re likely to get this year.



Billy Vincent – Feathers

Neatly blending folk and Americana with a touch of the old Waterboys, Billy Vincent’s debut album (out May 7th on Something Nothing Records) is a fine collection of self penned but classic sounding tunes like this brooding beauty, Feathers.



Marina and the Diamonds – Primadonna

You know what, there’s a HUGE gap in the market for a proper male pop star right now. A Prince, Jacko, Cliff Richard kinda dude. The girl’s seem to be all over this shit at the moment. Here’s another slice of perfect prime time pop from one of the best Marina (and her diamonds).



Reptar – Blastoff

Last up for this scintillating edition of New Music Roundup Thingy one of the big hits of this year’s SXSW (so the press release says...no one took me up on my offer of paying for me to go and cover it...maybe next year eh?) Reptar with this bonkers but brilliant mix of Talking Heads, Pil, Foster The People, TV On The Radio...and all sorts of other loveliness. Wibbly.

Reptar - Blastoff from Lucky Number Music on Vimeo.

Catch the Busdriver...

Some tracks just sell gigs to you...here's one of 'em. Busdriver's Imaginary Places is all that's great about hip hop. Quite how he manages to rap at that speed without setting fire to his own tongue is beyond me...

Busdriver stops by The Rainbow (Digbeth) this Friday, 20th April. Last few tickets here.

Top of the Poppy...

Birmingham's very own Poppy and the Jezebels return from hibernation this May with a rather poptastic new tune, 'Sign In, Dream On, Drop Out'. Produced and mixed by Richard X (Kylie, Sugababes etc)it's the kind of instantly addictive pop fix that you don't get much of these days. If you find yourself humming it all day don't blame me...

Record Store Day 2012

Now firmly established as the vinyl junkies annual fix this year’s Record Store Day takes place at record stores – yep, all six of ‘em – across the UK this Saturday. Anything that encourages people into record shops is okay by me and, here in Birmingham, both Swordfish and Polar Bear (Kings Heath) are taking part. I’m somewhat ashamed to say that I’ve not crossed the threshold of either of ‘em for months now, partially due to my throbbing inbox of new releases that’s growing by the day. Of course listening to music over t’web and listening to music on vinyl (or CD to a lesser extent) is as different as a microwave meal and cordon bleu cooking. Aside from the difference in sound quality there’s something a bit 'Chinese tea ceremony' about listening to vinyl...the delicate separating of disc and sleeve, the gentle placing on the spindle, the fingertip act of lowering the needle onto the record and the balletic backing away to avoid any unwanted skipping...er...anyway...however you listen to your music, our few remaining record shops are well worth preserving. Do your bit and pick up something up while you’re there...something music related preferably...not syphilis or anything nasty like that...unless there’s a band called Syphilis? Oh god...there is...

Lose yourself in the Wilderness...

Looking for a festival experience that won’t leave you needing several weeks in a Buddist retreat just to recover from the horror...oh the horror! Fed up with selling a kidney just so you can afford to eat spinal column on a bap for three days? Tired of predictable line ups and unpredictable toilets? You’re not alone.

With both Sonisphere and The Big Chill biting the dust recently it’s clear that the traditional festival market (music, beer, burgers, more beer) continues to be a little tired and overcrowded. Keep the faith though people. There are some real gems out there, festivals that aren’t afraid to mix it up a little, injecting some of the magic, mystery and sizzle back in that the big corporate players have squished out a little. Last year saw the debut of one of this new breed, The Wilderness Festival (six years in the planning from the team that brought us The Secret Garden Party), a three day immersion in another world held in arguably one of the most gorgeous sites in the UK. There’s music (hell it wouldn’t be a festival without music) and this year they’re dishing up the likes of the delectable Rodrigo y Gabriela, the downright funky Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (the hardest working lady in showbusiness) and, one of last year’s big festival hits, Crystal Fighters.

There the links with most other festivals pretty much crumble to dust/mud (depending on the weather). Committed to feeding all of the senses there’s a pop up restaurant on site hosting a different chef each night including Michelin Star gobbler Fergus Henderson and seasonal food fetishist Valentine Warner. Drool. Stuffed with fine grub, you’re free to hunt out the rather glamorous midnight masked ball (which last year featured a nude conga...happily for all concerned I resisted the temptation to join in) and dance away until the sun comes up. Which it will. The Wilderness Festival bods have a deal with the weather. Honestly.

You may well be a little tired and emotional after all that so handily they’ve laid on a spa, hot tubs and all manner of pampering for the mind, body and soul near the wild swimming lake (trunks optional...actually I might be making that bit up...depends if your bits are pretty). Suitably refreshed you can head over to the Idler Academy for a stimulating lecture on Cloudspotting, the birth of gin or something equally off the wall. Or how about embracing your thespian side with the Old Vic Theatre Tunnel? Stargazing with the Royal Observatory? Chilling out next to one of the many smaller performances spaces (which last year saw intimate shows from the likes of Daniel Johnston and Fyfe Dangerfield). You get the idea. It’s not just a festival, it’s more a retreat from all the bullshit that the modern world chucks at us and a damn fine excuse to be someone else for a few days. Trust me, you won’t want to leave...


The Wilderness Festival makes the world a better place between the 10th - 12th August in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire. Weekend tickets available from £119. Early booking for the restaurant and spa HIGHLY recommended...be warned...they will sell out...

Laibach @ HMV Institute, Wednesday 11th April 2012

Oh lordy, how do you do justice to a Laibach gig eh? Somehow I’d got them pidgeonholed as some kind of death metal outfit (the same oddball misunderstanding that made me think Justin Bieber was a porn star...yes, I know) whereas they are, as any fool knows, a...well...er...experimental / industrial / rock / synth / insert any one of a number of genres here band from Slovenia. Founded over 30 years ago arguably they’re most famous, or infamous perhaps, for their cover versions, putting a truly unique spin on stuff from everyone from The Beatles and The Stones through to Queen and Status Quo. Seriously. Oh and they’ve been accused of being both far left and far right extremists too. Not quite sure how that works? Perhaps some folk have construed their military uniforms, decision to sing in German and stomp around in jack boots as a sign of Nazism. Actually the whole point seems to be the opposite of all that (it’s that whole big subverting the obvious thing) but you can sort of see where all the misunderstandings come from.

Unusually there wasn’t a support band this evening. Instead the audience (including one or two people who’d well and truly dressed for the occasion in fetishist style military uniforms, not the kind of thing you’d get in Primark) were treated to some stirringly Wagnerian warm up music. Different...

Coming onstage to stark black and white footage of some huge machine slowly grinding into life synth player and co-vocalist Mina Spiler (dressed as the sort of lady who just might have a cellar full of gimp masks and nipple clamps) barks at us down a megaphone and, for a second or two, you could almost imagine being surrounded by machine gun toting soldiers and bundled into a gas chamber. It’s an odd feeling, but I guess that’s the point. Laibach are masters and mistresses of messing with you, twisting and subverting imagery and lyrics and their performance - part gig, part rally – brings this all home. She’s soon joined by lead singer Milan Fras and the second he opens his mouth half the audience immediately disappears down the back of his throat. Boy, that dude has a deep voice...makes Barry White seem like a soprano. It’s so deep it takes several days to get to the bottom of it. In fact James Cameron is rumoured to be planning an expedition down there any day now. True story. Of course what comes out of it is, unless you speak fluent German, often a little difficult to understand but the track in question, Boji, is an ominous, menacing thing. Taking several minutes to kick into gear it ends in a wild cacophony of noise, pounding drums, deranged piano and Milan’s frankly terrifying growl. File under uneasy listening.

If that was all there was to Laibach you’d probably go bonkers and run screaming from the building after half an hour. Happily it isn’t. In fact they eins zwein drei vier/veer wildly between punishingly stark industrial anthems and twisted house music beats to a remarkably sweet (albeit sweet with a hint of menace) cover of The Beatles Across The Universe beautifully sung this evening by Mina. Elsewhere, clearly demonstrating a sense of humour that some people miss about the band, they cover Queen’s One Vision, retitled Geburt Einer Nation. It’s as camp as tits and, for me at least, an improvement on the original (heresy, I know). Cover versions aside tonight was also a chance to hear some of the soundtrack from new movie Iron Sky, an everyday tale of a bunch of Nazis who hid out on the moon after World War II (hey, it’s a comedy too!). It’s difficult to think of a better band to soundtrack this admittedly bizarre proposition than Laibach and, although it’s an older track, B-Mashina perfectly captures the mood of thousands on menacing Nazi flying saucers descending to the earth. Now there’s a reference you don’t get to use in most gig reviews.



Would Adolf approve of all this industrial pomp? I doubt it, I always had him down as more of a reich n’roll lover...

Aside from the covers Tanz Mit Laibach got one of the biggest cheers of the night. As fine a slice of industrial disco as you’re ever likely to hear it’s like the Gestapo equivalent of Village People’s YMCA. Genius.

Audience interaction or acknowledgement for that matter was minimal, except for a few bows of gratitude towards the end of the show, but it wouldn’t work half as well if Milan had broken character and chatted in between tracks. A Laibach gig is about immersion, from the bleak black and white back projections and retina scorching lights through to the kidney rumbling climax of encore Leben Heisst Leben (aka Europe’s Life Is Life).

Dig deep and you’ll get all sorts of hidden meanings in the imagery and lyrics or just Laibach and enjoy the spectacle, whatever you choose to do they’re not a band you’re ever going to forget seeing and that’s something that’s all too rare these days.

The Monochrome Set / The Chinese Burn Society @ The Hare & Hounds Monday 9th April 2012

Like one of those strangely admirable real ale tickers (you know, those dudes who travel all over the UK taking a sip of real ales then writing it down in an exercise book) I’m gradually knocking off all of the major post punk bands of the late 70’s and, with my metaphorical Wire and Magazine cherry popped last year, tonight was a rare chance to catch the equally influential The Monochrome Set.

First up though a band playing only their seventh (or eighth...they couldn’t quite decide) gig, local boys The Chinese Burn Society. As bands go they’re perhaps not the most conventional of propositions, with a cellist playing the kind of up front driving role seldom seen since the glory days of ELO. Other musical influences include prog rock, 60’s mod, Brit pop, psych and, in pick of the set, Grog Song, the Bonzos and The Beatles. It’s a curious mix but somehow it works. Perhaps it’s the influence of local musical maverick Tim (aka Bom and his Magic Drumstick) who, unsurprisingly given his alter ego, plays drums in the band. Rather impressive he was too, neatly getting the balance right between timing, rhythm, fluidity and power. The two vocalists, one with a Weller-ish twang, the other several octaves higher, worked well together, creating a pleasingly rich multi textured sound (yep, I've been reading Mojo Magazine again).


All in all it was one of those sets that you just didn’t want to end...partially ‘cos you didn’t quite know what the heck they were going to pull out of the bag next. Final track, Bubblegum, included Tim/Bom playing a length of pipe and two of the band blowing kazoos...see what I mean?


The Monochrome Set is one of those bands that have influenced many but failed to have the success that they deserved. You can hear their influence in everything from Orange Juice and Franz Ferdinand through to the lords of all things indie, The Smiths. Tonight’s line up included both original members of the band, Bid and the hairy chopped Lester Square (who was also in the original line up of Adam and the Ants too...blimey). He’s a character and not just because of the mutton chops. Rejecting the conventional guitar pic for the first track, The Monochrome Set (from their 1980 album Boutique Strange), Lester chose a dildo instead, not the most obvious choice I’ll grant you. It’s a choice that would probably appeal to Morrissey though, as this opening number must surely have done. Cop a load of the lyrics “I fascinate, infatuate, emphatically. You’re dreary, you’re base, deary. Your face is weary for me”. Now you try telling me that old Stephen Patrick doesn’t owe a huge debt of gratitude to Bid? Musically there’s an echo of the early Ants in there too, with Lester adding some neat complex post punk guitar noodling in there for good measure.

After a few more oldies (including a fine version of The Lighter Side Of Dating) and having not spoken so far Bid decided to open with “Andy (the band’s bassist) told me to say something nice about Birmingham...then he said, nah...don’t bother” perhaps not the best way to win over an audience eh? Still it seemed to tickle Bid. He seemed to be particularly amused throughout the evening in fact, chuckling away to himself in between songs...and even during a couple too. Later on he decided to have another go at building bridges, informing us that the band hadn’t played Birmingham for 30 years and that the venue they had played all those years ago had apparently been burnt down by us...all of us...the people of Birmingham. A joke, of course, but it did seem a curious way to win friends and influence people. We weren’t here for stand up though...and when he wasn’t smirking away he and the rest of the band blazed through an impressive back catalogue, most of which had, like the rest of the world, sadly passed me by...Alphaville (clearly an influence on Blur), the ‘60’s tinged B I D Spells Bid, The Ruling Class (neatly messing with the old music hall tune My Old Man’s a Dustman)...all hidden gems. Tonight wasn’t just an archaeological post punk dig though, there’s a new album out, Platinum Coils, their first in 17 years and despite Bid asking security to lock the doors all the new tracks stood up well against the older stuff. Hip Kitten Spinning Chrome is particularly strong, inspired perhaps by Bid’s recent brush with death from an aneurysm (“There’s a kitten on my hip and it’s going on a trip up the river to my head”). Hmmm...maybe that’s why he was grinning so much...perhaps he was just pleased to be here...anywhere...even Birmingham.

Quirky, cult, influential...call them what you will, but The Monochrome Set deserve their place in musical history. And your record collection for that matter.

Platinum Coils is out now, available here.

Mystery Jets / PEACE @ The Rainbow, Wednesday April 4th

The search for a huge Birmingham band (not fat huge, although I’m sure there’s a few around) has been going on for a while now. For a city as big as Brum, with such a rich musical heritage, we should be churning ‘em out like widgets. There have been a few success stories, Misty’s Big Adventure, Editors, The Twang, Johnny Foreigner and Goodnight Lenin have all flown the flag in one way or another and perhaps it shouldn’t matter if our local bands ‘make it’ or not...but, rightly or wrongly, to me it does. Recently one band’s been getting some really decent press though, PEACE, who proudly claim to make “music to fuck you in the heart”. Ouch. That can’t be good for your ventricles. On tonight’s performance they’ve certainly got the ability, look (all floppy fringes and black outfits) and tunes to more than justify the hype too. Previous single BBLOOD slaps you in the face like a meatier Vampire Weekend whilst elsewhere they channel influences from everything from the Velvet Underground through to the shoegaze movement and on to grunge. Yes, grunge. In fact the monstrously good forthcoming single, Follow Baby, offers up a neat indie twist on the grunge template with the kind of catchy riff that just might grip a generation. Awesome.

Three albums in (four if you count the US only release Zootime) and with a fourth one in the bag (Radlands, due for release on 30th April) Mystery Jets have been steadily compiling a pretty impressive greatest hits collection and adoring fanbase. Tonight the place was packed full of ‘em and from the moment the band came on stage through to the end of the encore the atmosphere was euphoric (I’ve rarely seen so much good natured crowd surfing in such a modest sized venue).

Having taken a year or so off to record the newbie, in Texas no less, this was one of the first chances to hear an older, wiser Jets (in an intimate setting too). That seems to sum up much of the new material in fact. Whereas a lot of the earlier stuff seemed in love with the idea of being in love (Young Love, Two Doors Down, Half in Love With Elizabeth) now, with hearts dented and livers possibly shrivelled, there’s more of a world weary air “You still swim around in the canals of my heart like cocaine” laments Blaine during one of this evening’s newly unveiled songs. Crikey.

It’s a suitable development though, after all life has a way of kicking the shit out of you and I’m guessing that even (or maybe especially) being in a moderately successful band comes with its fair share of bull...relationships, record company politics, crap bands doing better than you, not enough humus backstage...that sort of thing. This all comes painfully hot on the heels of the departure of the band’s bassist Kai Fish too (he quit on April 3rd, just one day before this gig).

Unsurprisingly given where they recorded it there’s more of an Americana feel to the new stuff with the band openly acknowledging the influence of Uncle Neil Young. In fact the first track from the new album, Something Purer, whilst a million miles away stylistically, shares a similar sense of yearning with Young’s Heart of Gold. Despite being a new song the crowd greets it like an old friend, prompting some healthy moshing at the front as the more reflective verses give way to a ‘get your rocks off’ singalong chorus. Blaine was in fine voice, half lost soul, half rock god.



“You guys are well up for it” observed William, beaming at the response. We were too. Later in the set another newbie You Had Me At Hello slowed the pace right down, touching Gram Parsons territory. Impressive stuff. Sister Everett, seemingly inspired by William’s encounter with a fundamentalist Catholic nun, fused Steely Dan’s laidback charm with a lyric to Kings Of Leon’s raw country rock and Lost In Austin sounded like Radiohead’s Creep being shagged senseless by The Eagles Hotel California. Hubba hubba. Radlands deserves to be as big as the state that birthed it...and that’s huge.

The band reserved plenty of space for their older stuff too though with material from all of their previous releases getting a look in, including Half in Love With Elizabeth, Seratonin, Two Doors Down and a particularly enthusiastic Show Me The Light (their last album’s biggest hint at the band’s new direction). No space for You Can’t Fool Me Dennis but you can’t have everything eh? By the end of the night a sizeable portion of the audience were a grinning, sweaty mess. It’s no mystery why...

PS: Respect due to new bassist Phil for doing a fine job this evening. Good work there dude.

On your marks, Monochrome Set, Go!

Legendary godfathers of artful indie The Monochrome Set are heading out on a rare UK and Germany tour this month in support of their first new album in 17 years, Platinum Coils. Widely acknowledged to have paved the way for the likes of The Smiths and clearly a huge influence on Orange Juice and, more recently, Franz Ferdinand (and even more recently than that perhaps Django Django too) they’re led by the charismatic Ganesh ‘Bid’ Seshadri and the amusingly named Lester Square. Ahem.

Click on the vid above for a slice of classic Set. The band plays the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on Monday 9th April, tickets from World Unlimited. Check the Set’s website for other dates...obviously...you’re not going to check the BBC weather site are you? Good grief. I’ll shut up now. Jeez.

PS: World Unlimited have got Ian McNabb on at the Hairy Hounds on Thursday 5th too. Ahhhh Love is indeed a wonderful colour...

Viva Brother v NME

Vaguely interesting (hell, it’s a slow news day) mini storm in a teacup over Viva Brother’s recent decision to split and NME’s perceived role in the whole thing...yes, the old build ‘em up, knock ‘em down thing. Like I’ve said plenty of times before I stopped buying NME a while ago but it was, back in the day, a fine publication with plenty of decent writers and a real commitment to music that seems to have gradually been eroded in the never ending quest for the shiny and new. I was never a fan of Brother or Viva Brother (they were forced to change the name by another band...also called Brother) but you’ve got to feel for any bunch of musicians (no matter how full of it they might have been) who go from front cover darlings to back page jokes in a matter of months.

The speed of the music biz these days is (for someone who grew up pre-internet, CD, electricity...) head spinning. It’s literally impossible to keep up with new bands, new releases, new scenes and, in a world in which a band could (theoretically at least) form, record, release an album AND split up in a matter of hours (hmmm...that would be an interesting experiment) you sort of can’t blame the NME for desperately hopping from one thing to the next. The level of bitchy, dismissive reviews in the damn thing can be pretty depressing though. Those who can do, those who can’t review. Remember that...

All this really just gives me a great excuse to post Thee Headcoats (We Hate The Fuckin') NME though. Ha! Enjoy.