Second Sun Rising...an apology!

Look back a couple of reviews and you'll see a mention of a band that I called Second Son Rising. Thanks to a combination of old age and booze I got their name wrong (that explains why I couldn't find them on the interweb!).

Check out their My Space site now for some cracking toons.

Misty's Big Adventure 'Fashion Parade' feat Noddy Holder

Genius. Sheer genius.

Coldrice 5th Birthday Party Saturday 21st October 2006 Somewhere in Birmingham...with loads of bands...loads...seriously...

(pictured above, Mr Dan Sartain ladies and gentleman)

Read the previous post and you'll know I have a hangover. That's what you get for OD'ing on JD and cokes...still you're only young once...and I was once.

Anyway Coldrice, for the uneducated, is a kind of club night that features some of the best bands in the world, bands who most people have never heard of...shame, shame, thrice shame (my god I'm turning into Frankie Howard).

It used to be held in the Bar Academy (little venue in Brum, one of the better places to see live music) but it's now moved to an industrial park in the arse end of Digbeth (place that Birmingham City Council is trying to turn into a kind of Camden - artsy and all that - but is still full of industrial units and rats).

You have to register on the Coldrice website then get an invite before you can go along, we've been to quite a few of the Bar Academy nights but this was the first time we'd gone along to the newly named Coldrice Underground (it's actually on the first floor but I guess Coldrice First Floor didn't sound so good). I'm waffling...it's the drink...anyway it has to be the most bizarre but endearing venue that I've ever been to. Imagine a party in someone's house - two small rooms where the bands play, a narrow corridor where people hang out and a bar that serves JD...all night long...JD...I think I may be sick...no...I'm ok...and you're just about there. Tonight there were a load of great bands. Sticking with my hangover driven minimal reviews...

Coptor - space addled rock n' soul monsters with a robot who run the whole Coldrice shebang and should be famous 'cos they're ace.

The Grease Monkeys - Glaswegian blues rockers with a mental male lead vocalist (v. entertaining and powerful female vocalist who plays a mean harmonica (it won't do the washing up or buy anyone a drink at the end of the night...boom boom - good grief now I'm Basil Brush...).

The Sugars - seriously brilliant band from Leeds with a deeply sexy lady and very cool gent who reminded me a bit of The White Stripes - only better (and I happen to love The White Stripes). Totally '50's they make the kind of music you imagine James Dean would've shagged Marilyn to.
The Dexateens - Deep south Gods of Leon, the real deal.

Dan Sartain - God I love this guy, from his pencil thin 'tache down his 5ft somthing frame to his little boots. Again a heavy '50's flavour with music that reminds me a little of the Them track Baby Please Don't Go . Walk Among the Cobras was a real highlight in a set sprinkled with them. The fact that - due to the intimate venue - I was standing literally 2ft away from him made it all slightly surreal, in a good way though. Buy his album please...THIS MAN NEEDS TO BE HEARD BY MORE PEOPLE!!!

Swampmeat - drummer from The Big Bang's side project. Surprisingly strong vocals, short set, but very promising.

The Big Bang - One of the many Birmingham bands poised to make it, The Big Bang are loud, trashy and pack enough swagger to see them make the front cover of NME (before it finally turns up its toes like every other music paper has). I've seen them loads of times before and they just get better and better. If Joe Strummer were alive, and in a band, it would be The Big Bang.

So, several JD's later, we stumbled out into the early hours of Sunday morning and back to reality. But, for a few hours, life was just one big house party. Viva Coldrice.

Vincent Vincent and The Villains / Hafdis Huld / Second Son Rising Jug Of Ale 16th October 2006

The Baron has a hangover...nothing to do with this gig...blame the good people of Coldrice...hell YEAH! So let's keep this short and sweet. I will adopt a technique used by the venerable Mr H, here goes:

Hafdis Huld - Icelandic pop queen in waiting, vocals as sweet as sugar, lyrics as dark as a dark room is to a blind man. Majestic. Listen to Ski Jumper and you'll fall in love.



Second Son Rising (can't find a link or any mention of them anywhere...now that's rock n'roll) - Brummie rock/metal group who rocked as rockingly as Ozzie on a rocking horse.

Vincent Villain and the Villains - 50's tinged rock-pop-abilly who's just signed to EMI. Oodles of energy, bags of cool and lashings of 'winkle pickers'. Stonkingly good.

There. Short and sweet!

Everybody else is doing it...

At the risk of being the untrendiest old bastard in the world (since when has that stopped me eh?), here is a video...from You Tube...of The Horrors...oh how last season...

the horrors - sheena is a parasite

A PTV3 Picture...at last!

For some strange reason this wonderful blogger thingy wouldn't let me post any pictures from the amazing PTV3 gig...until now! Here is a picture - singular - as it doesn't like me posting more than one. Maybe I've gone over my limit...not for the first time.

It's black and white too, classy eh? (the picture...not my limit)

PTV3 / Pram / The Courtesy Group Birmingham Barfly Friday 6th October 2006

No new update for two weeks...aaaagghhh...naughty Baron, where does the time go? Well I have man flu, the ongoing demolition of Baron Towers and other nonesense to blame. So there. Anway, I am going to take you on a journey. A journey that goes back to the mid 80's. A time before t'net. A time when exploring the vast musical landscape meant getting off your arse and trapsing round record shops or fairs and punting your hard earned cash on stuff you'd never heard before. It was a simpler time (cue violins and sepia tinted film) when you'd use one band's influences and collaborations to give you a new band to explore. Thus, via a thing for all things Marc Almond, I entered the world of a certain Mr Genesis P.Orridge. The more I got to know about him the more splendid he became. I won't attempt to try to do him justice here, but there's a good write up on him on Wikipedia. Suffice to say that, amongst many other highlights, he has been a respected artist, invented Industrial music, studied undr William Burroughs, played a leading role in Acid House music, started a cult (of sorts) and been hounded out of the UK by a media witchhunt lead by Channel 4. As I say, a splendid character. Back in my dim and distant student days I nearly saw him (and Psychic TV) live, but as none of my fellow students felt like going to see someone who decided to name himself after a type of breakfast cereal, I didn't go. Then he fled the country and has remained an infrequent visitor to the UK ever since (even though the accusations of satanism that forced him to leave in the '90's were long since dropped).

His latest art project is himself and his good lady wife, Lady Jaye. The idea is that he wants to look like her...and vice versa. It's a pandrogeny thing. He already has the boobs, lips, hair and eyes. Now this may freak most people out. Big time. Personally I think it's utterly fantastic. As indeed was this whole evening.

Openers The Courtesy Group (from dear old Brum) have the whole shouty man thing that make The Fall so charming down to a fine art. They also have a wonderful Chinese guitarist, Hidehiko, who's musical ability acts as a wonderful counterpoint to the often slightly shambolic vocal delivery - this is all good. Lead singerAl Hutchins is also a poet and the whole set was interspersed with ramblings about the number 11 bus and the like. Brilliant, unique and set to get even better.

Pram were up next. According to Mike from Swordfish (Birmingham's number one record emporium) they've been around for about 20 years. And he knows his music. They reminded me a little of Stereolab and Broadcast, but with a bit more wibbliness...and a theramin. As I've said before, every band needs a...yes you know because you've been paying attention haven't you? Cool. With a capital C. And L.

Okay, as you can imagine from the start of this review I was sort of looking forward to the next band. In fact I had waited 20 years for this. They were due to play last year at the Summersonic festival in Birmingham but there was a bomb scare...a bomb scare I tell you...I was not a happy puppy. As with anything that you look forward to, I was also a little apprehensive. Would it be any good? Would Mrs Baron run out screaming in terror? Would the rest of the audience turn out to be devil worshipping nut jobs? Stay tuned when the review that time forget returns after a short break...

...that's better. It builds the tension doesn't it? PTV 3 came on like a band with business to do. That's always a good sign. Then Mr P.Orridge entered, stage left. A vision in camo tights, black bra and nice little jacket. Opener Black Cat featured much meeowing and was, dare I say it catchy. As was 90% of the rest of the 1 hour 30 minutes set. Genesis was using a kind of theramin ring sort of thing, with which he 'played' the audience. The closer it gets to you or any 'hard' object the higher the pitch. The acid test? Even Mrs B jigged about a bit. Now that's praise indeed. Granted the music and lyrics aren't likely to get your average James Blunt fan moist, but then that's the point. This is music and performance for people who like to be challenged a little as well as entertained. The gig finished and Mrs B went off to powder her nose. I, harbouring a secret desire to meet Mr P. O, loitered around the dressing room door looking shifty. I'd met the bass player Alice and stood next to the lovely Mrs P.O, but had kind of given up when Markus, the keyboard player spotted me, had a quick chat and invited me into the inner sanctum. So, in we went, opening the door to come face to face with Gen him/herself. Surreal. They say you should never meet your heroes / heroines, but it's never been anything but a pleasure for me. Gen was charming. Despite being pestered by a sweet but slightly drunk character who had met Gen the night before, got him/her to sign his chest and had the signature tattooed on the following day - I kid you not dear reader - he was a delight and chatted to us for a good 10 minutes or so. Highlights? Admitting that his/her gold teeth had cost $30,000, confiding that, since the boob job, more women had hit on him than ever before because he was 'exotic' and bashing his boobs against Mrs B's (they're quite bouncy she says). He came across like a dear old Aunt, or a mixture of Quentin Crisp, John Lydon and Kenneth Williams...just super company.

He is a national treasure and should be Knighted / Damed as soon as possible. Arise Sir / Dame Genesis Breyer P. Orridge that's what I say. Thanks to Gen and the crew for making us feel so welcome and giving us a damn fine evening. There, that's a review and a half. I'm going for a lie down now.

The Pipettes / The Hot Puppies Birmingham Academy 2 Wednesday 20th September 2006

Hmmm sweaty. This gig had sold out a while back so it was always going to be a bit moist...and so it proved. Got there a bit later than normal so we lost out on our front row by the speakers spot, but got close enough to perv...sorry...enjoy the sounds of The Hot Puppies. They were as good as the last time we saw them (supporting The Grates), with lead singer (insert lead singers name here if you know it) sounding even more Marianne Faithful in parts. Plus they have a Theramin. All good bands need a Theramin.

I love The Pipettes. They are like all the best girl bands of the 60's - 80's wrapped up in polka dot. Vocally much stronger than I'd expected (and with a solid real life band behind them) they were bloody good fun. And that's what music should be all about (unless you're feeling all depressed and suicidal...in which case you probably want a spot of Leonard Cohen or, if you really want to end it all, Coldplay). The fact that they are the 'prettiest girls you've ever met' (their words) kind of helps too.

Anyway, no pictures of the gig. Instead (drum roll please) an actual set list...used by the band...that I nicked off the stage. Ha!

PS: The links on this blog are to the band sites...not My Space...cos My Space keeps giving me viruses and therefore sucks (for today anyway).

My Space you are spoiling us...

New albums from Scissor Sisters and The Rapture are currently available to listen to...no ripping...honest...on My Space. Hurrah!! Although they usually vanish again in a matter of hours. Boooo. Wasn't sure about Ta Dah when I first heard it but it's a bit of a grower pop pickers. Sounds even more like Elton John on speed than the first album. Not that Elton John has ever been on speed...

(The picture was taken in Chicago last year by the way...'cos I don't have any pictures of Scissor Sisters or The Rapture...but it's sort of American isn't it? Oh alright, please yourselves).

The Destroyers...again! Birmingham Artsfest 10th September 2006

Okay. Last time I mention The Destroyers for a while...I promise. This was the third time that I'd seen them in a week and they just seem to get better and better. This isn't really a review though...just an excuse to post a couple of pictures that aren't too bad by my modest standards.

The whole Birmingham Artsfest thingy seemed pretty good on the whole. Not that I got to see much of it. It's all just a bit too much, if you know what I mean. You spend so long deciding what to go and see next that you end up jacking it all in and going to Weatherspoons for a pint of Weston's Organic Cider (see I'm trying this product placement malarky to try and get loadsa freebies...think anyone will notice? No...me neither).

The Destroyers vs Mitchell and Kenyon Curzon Street Station, Eastside (aiiieee!) Saturday 9th September 2006

Having been captivated by the mighty The Destroyers at last weeks Folk Festival (yes I know I didn't mention them but I was saving it up for this entry so there...anorak) I was cock a hoop (yes my cock was never more 'a hoop') to discover that they were going to be soundtracking some old movies as part of the Birmingham Artsfest. For the uninitiated, The Destroyers are a 14 (I think) piece band that play a variety of instruments in a style that could be called Eastern European gypsy folk - so I will. They're not as punky as yer Gogol Bordello, but just as up beat and life affirming (can't you just tell I'm writing this on a Sunday afternoon?). Anywho, they were, once again, utterly brilliant. Playing aong to silent movies can't, I guess, be easy but they were pretty faultless and gave you a feeling for just how much fun the early movie houses must have been.

I'm off to catch their Artsfest set this afternoon and will try to take some more crappy pictures that won't do them any justice. In the meantime the shot above comes from my seminal master work "Crappy Shots of the Moseley Folk Festival Volume One". Hurrah!

Moseley Folk Festival Moseley Park 2nd / 3rd September 2006

All together now..."Alllllllll around my hat". Yes, yet another foray into Folk for the good Baron. This time a whole two days of it and by heaven it threw up some pretty incredible performances. It was the first Moseley Folk Festival ever, but the organisation was spot on (except the scrumpy kept running out, but maybe that was a good thing).

I won't bore you with a list of all the artists who performed (you can find this for yourselves right here you lazy tinkers) but there are a few that scream out to be mentioned. So, here we go:

Pentangle, fronted by Jacqui McShee, were one of those bands I'd heard about but never really listened to. She has a remarkable voice, just what you want a folk voice to sound like (if that makes any sense) and they were, for me, one of the highlights of Day One.

Andy Votel. Genius DJ, loves his music and a bloody nice bloke to boot.

Seth Lakeman. Mrs Baron wouldn't forgive me if I didn't mention him, but he really is bloody good (that's a photo of Seth in action at he beginning of this piece by the way. Artistic or crap - you decide).

Nick Harper was possibly the finest guitarist I have ever seen. Ever. He played his guitar with his teeth, the side of the stage and even changed a string...whilst still playing and singing. Beat that Jimi. Vocally he reminded me a little of Phil Ochs, an unsung Folk legend who should really be up there with Bob Dylan in my books. If you get the chance to see him live you simply must.

Which is a nice link into another must see...The Toy Hearts. Fronted by sisters Hannah and Sophia they're a remarkable bluegrass band that really deserve to make it big. Fans of the Be Good Tanyas will be in heaven...but then so should anybody who just loves great music. The whole band are brilliant musicians, including the sisters' dad who plays a mean slide guitar and banjo (and who was in the Jerry Lewis film too by the way....see, educational and informative). Bags of energy and the kind of close harmonies that you can only get to hear once in a blue(grass) moon made this a really special performance. Debut album "If the Blues Should Come Calling" is out soon. Buy it and you'll be thanking me forever.

Last, but by no means least, Vijay Kishore who played just a few songs on the Acoustic Stage. You know those voices that suddenly make the hairs on your neck stand up, someone like Jeff Buckley or Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (legendary Qawwali singer) for example, well Vijay is right up there. During the last song he played, Freedom, he held on to the most beautiful note for what seemed like forever. And I kind of wish it had been. In a world full of Blunts, it's time someone like Vijay really got the exposure they deserve. You can make your own mind up when he plays the Birmingham Glee club in on October 27th (check his My Space site for other dates).

So that's it, in a nutshell. I pretty much enjoyed all of the acts, but these were, for me, the highlights.

Michael Franti & Spearhead Birmingham Academy 2 31st August 2006

No support on this one...which was a little strange...but as ever the towering form of Mr F more than made up for it. Michael Franti is possibly one of the greatest live performers around and one of the few men capable of getting my good self to believe in the peace, love and understanding stuff that my cold, hard cynical heart normally rejects. In fact, if Mr F were made President of the US of A, I'm fairly sure he could inspire the millions of nutters who are all busy trying to blow each other up with increasingly devious devices to sit down and spark up a phat one.

Back to the music. Needless to say we were treated to a number of old faves as well as tracks from the new album. No 'Freaky People' sadly, but then, after a two hour set that saw Mr F sweat his own body weight several times over we can forgive him that. New album 'Yell Fire' is, unsurprisingly, all about the Gulf war and Michael has been touring Iraq (brave man) to find out, in the words of his spiritual godfather, Mr Marvin Gaye, what's going on. The gist of his findings is that it's all a bit of a mess and that we should get the hell outta there quick smart. I'd love to believe that this would work and that everyone would get on. And, during the gig, for a few minutes you sort of feel that everyone would. Which is as good a review of Mr F's performance as you could ever wish for.

For the uninitiated track down a copy of Spearhead's seminal work (urrgggh messy) Stay Human, one of the great 'lost' albums of all time.

The Grates / The Hot Puppies Birmingham Bar Academy 27th August

The Hot Puppies. Think late 70's new wave mixed with a little classic Jarvis Cocker and more than a dash of Marianne Faithful. Oh, they've got a theramin too! Bloody good live band with Becky (lead vocals) and Beth (keyboard/backing vocals/theramin) working particularly well together on harmonies. Hot puppies too...

I'd heard The Grates a few months ago on ye olde listening post at ye even older HMV and fell in love with them straight away. 19 20 20 out Yeahs anything the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (a band that they've been compared with) have ever Yeahed. But could they be just as (bad journo trick ahoy) grate live? Well, this has to go down as one of the best gigs I've ever been to...so yes in a word. Lead singer Patience has clearly done a deal with the devil. How anyone can dance none stop and sing like a beautiful banshee at the same time is beyond me. The energy this woman has is amazing (amazing grate...huh...that's much better). Covering most of the tracks from their debut album this Aussie trio deserve to be the biggest band in the world! Ever! Godamn it they're good...just listen...see. If music be the food of love, I'll have Sukkafish and Chips please (this is an album reference, I've not gone mad).

Jeffrey Lewis / NY Howl / Faceometer Jug of Ale 24th August 2006

The Jug of Ale delivered yet another healthy dose of Anti Folk with a bill that opened with the oddly named Faceometer. I'd not seen Mr Ometer (or Will Tattersdill as he is also known) before and know very little about him but he proved most entertaining. At times he appears to be mixing folk with sci fi but does it in a way that avoids any nerdy stuff. Vocally he's like Dylan who can sing (ooh cutting) and is yet another folk influenced artist who deserves to be heard. Now! Have a listen or else.


Next up were New York Howl a newish (formed last year in New York) band fronted by the Geldolfian Andrew Katz (pictured to the left). More jazzy/soully (not really a word that is it?) than Anti Folk they possess a truly awesome sax player who looks like he's been nicked from the E Street Band. In my mind they sum up New York better than a million Strokes (the band not the medical condition...good grief that would be nasty). Judge fer yerself motherfudders.

Finally the man himself...Mrrrrrrrrrrr Jefffffffffffffreyyyyy 'Anti Folk Godhead' Lewwwwissss. As understated as cheese on toast, but just as satisfying, Jeff was on his own tonight after touring with his bro and band earlier in the year. So we got to experience the full stripped back charm of 'Creeping Brain', 'The History of Communism in China' and 'The Red Hand' replete with paper based video. This man is a star. I've said it once and I'll say it again. This man is a star (there, told you I would). If you haven't fallen for him yet, today's the day.

Cud Birmingham Academy 2 16th August 2006

90's indie, don't you just love it? Well, judging by the gathering of men of a certain (ahem) age, quite a few of us do. For the uninitiated, Cud were / are a classic indie band from Leeds packed full of funky toons and a vocalist who sounded a little bit like Barry White's younger (and funkier) brother. Like most great bands they were pretty much ignored back in the day and scored a few low chart placings at a time when faceless dance acts were getting to number one with 'We're all going to Ibiza A Yabba Dabba Doo'. However they inspired a mighty loyal fanbase and copies of their finest work 'Leggy Mambo' kept fetching silly money on ebay, indicating that it 'Cud' be time for a comeback (yes I know, I'm sorry, I can't help it).

A brief national tour was arranged et voila...it's like 1991 all over again. And it really was. For a band that's been away well over a decade they seemed pretty damn fresh and full of spunk (in a good way, not in a Tory MP caught in the back of a black cab with a rent boy kind of way). The nearly hits were duly delivered (with the exception of the mighty Through The Roof) and the crowd got hot and sweaty (nothing to do with the dancing, that's just what middle age men do).

Whether we'll see any new material from them is a moo-t point...(see you've missed this haven't you?).

That didn't last long....

Well, after a very brief retirement The Hearing Aid is BACK! BACK!! BACK!!!

I guess I just enjoyed posting random rubbish about music a little too much and hey...there are only 6,487,432 other music blogs out there...oh wait, make that 6,487,433...no 6,487,435...oh balls.

Anywho, we've got a lot to catch up on so it's time for gig round up (just imagine some funky music at this point...a bit like John Craven's Newsround or maybe the theme from Starsky and Hutch...hmmm yes that's better...or maybe a mix of the two...John Craven and Hutch...oh good grief).