Agression - Misty's Big Adventure

I've had this track going round and round in my head for various reasons lately, so it's a great excuse to make good on my promise to continue promoting the music of Misty's Big Adventure. Almost 6 months on from the passing of Grandmaster Gareth it's still almost unimaginable that there won't be any more music or gigs from 'em...whatever the rest of the band are up to I hope they're all as well as can be expected. 

Edge Of The Edge - Panda Bear & Sonic Boom

How beautiful is this track eh? Odd, I'll give you that, but beautiful nonetheless. Especially if, like most of us, you're on the edge of the edge right now.   

Jazzberry Ram - Stupid

Took a punt on a CD (a whole 35p punt too) on Saturday by a Canadian band called Jazzberry Ram and it's a bit of a winner. If you're a fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers and/or Barenaked Ladies (the band, not actual bare naked ladies...ahem...) I'm guessing Jazzberry Ram will be right up your alleyway. Enjoy! 

Music For Chameleons - Gary Numan

With our Sky TV on the blink I've been rewatching Alan Partridge on DVD this week and was reminded of the frankly awesome bass solo (played by Pino Palladino I believe) at the heart of Gary Numan's Music For Chameleons (that Partridge plays air guitar to in series 2). The rest of the track's not too shabby either. 

The Real Mercury Award Winners 2022...

Once again it falls to The Hearing Aid to reveal the real winner and this year it's...drum roll please...YARD ACT! Congratulations lads, worthy winners.  

Where Have You Gone - Mr Bruce

Brand new track from Mr Bruce in tribute to his The Correspondents band mate Tim Cole (aka Chucks) who passed away suddenly from a pulmonary embolism back in 2020 at just 35 years old. I was fortunate enough to see the band back in the 2010s and clearly Mr Bruce has lost none of his Duracell Bunny energy. How the hell does he dance like that and still manage to sing? Voodoo I'm guessing. 

Face It Alone - Queen

A mere 31 years after going to that great stage in the sky Freddie's back with a brand new track! An offcut from Queen's last but one album (The Miracle) released during Freddie's lifetime it's clearing the reflection of a man who knows he's not long for this world, perhaps giving it more in common with the band's follow up, Innuendo. I wonder if Queen are keeping an eye on ABBA's Voyage and plotting a similar virtual. Hmmmm, that could work!

Blues Five Spot - Thelonius Monk Quartet

How cool is this? It just is. Even the bloody cover's cool. Damn. In fact it's ice cold, it's that cool. 

Tomorrow's People - Humble Souls

Following a tip from Gilles Peterson (and being a fan of all things Acid Jazz) I snapped up a copy of Humble Souls' 1993 album on CD for a whole £1.25 (+ p&p) the other day. With echoes of Galliano's best it's well worth a listen and Peterson was right, how the hell did it fail to get anywhere? 

ABBA Voyage @ ABBA Arena - Friday September 30th 2022

ABBA! Live! Sort of! 

Unless you've been living under a rock this year (and quite frankly who could blame you if you had) you'll be aware that ABBA have been turned into ABBA-tars and are 'gigging' again for the first time in 43 years. I was a little sceptical about how well it would all work but it really does look as though they're up there on stage. That's only part of the show though, there are animated bits and videos shown on ruddy huge screens that make up the walls of the Arena, a live band and vocalists to add that live feel and enough frickin' laser beams to destroy a small planet. In short, it's pretty bloody spectacular. 

Pretty much all the hits are included plus some of the new stuff that magically appeared last year and each ABBA-tar 'comes out' on stage to deliver a little speech throughout the night. Of course what they can't do is interact with the audience so there's the odd moment or two when people cheer something that's been said but the ABBA-tar carries on speaking rather than basking in the adoration but that's a minor quibble. I'm guessing there's zero chance of seeing the real band play live ever again so this is a pretty great substitute. 

What its success will mean for live music in the future, who knows? As this technology develops will artists play live shows in one country and have them beamed around the world so they appear to be on dozens of stages at the same time? And will people accept it? Will they even notice? Lets face it, if you go to a huge gig the chances are you'll end up watching most of the action on giant screens anyway. I suspect the likes of The Rolling Stones are watching this play out and seeing a way to carry on raking in the squillions without having to leave home. Fast forward a decade or three and you'll probably be able to beam bands into your own living room so you can enjoy the show in your pants...

PS: A word of warning about buying tickets for this show. There doesn't appear to be a box office so all sales are handled by Ticketmaster. Oh dear. An awful lot of tickets then seem to end up on Viagogo, a secondary ticketing platform with a lousy reputation populated by touts who are making millions by slapping obscene mark-ups on anything they can get their sticky little hands on. Worse still are the scammers who don't even have any bloody tickets, My father in law bought 4 tickets through Viagogo...or so he thought...but they didn't exist. He was unaware that Viagogo was a secondary ticketing platform or that he was 'buying' from a private 'seller'. When we turned up we were gently informed by a very lovely lady that he'd been scammed. Ouch. Fortunately Mrs B and I were able to buy tickets from a couple of people who had spares for a fraction of the sum that the scammer had charged and we got in but father-in- law and his partner weren't so lucky. I LOATHE Viagogo and anyone who prays on music fans and always have done. It should be illegal to buy tickets purely for profit but sadly too many people are making too much money from it and there seems little appetite to stamp it out. Personally I'd never buy a ticket with a mark-up on it and if everyone else did likewise these leeches would be wiped out. 

This Is Why - Paramore

Spankingly brand new single and video from Paramore...and I think quite a few of us can probably relate to the lyrics right now. It's a little heavier than some of their more recent material, but then again we're living in heavier times. After all in the 5 years since their last album we've endured Covid, lockdowns, an energy crisis and now the stirrings of a global recession coupled with WW3. Oh deep joy. Anyway, the track's ace, so every cloud and all that jazz.   

The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum - Sex Patels

This seems a pretty appropriate track for today. Irrespective of political party, nationality, religion, gender etc etc the whole world appears to have gone quite bonkers. Ah well, I'm sure it'll all come out in the wash. 

Great Lost Albums Of Our Time - Handcream For A Generation by Cornershop

 

Picked up another copy of Cornershop's classic album Handcream For A Generation (I already have a few...ahem) from Brighton last week and noticed that this year's its 20th anniversary! Good grief. I have no idea why this album wasn't number one all over the planet but then again much of what happens in this world makes zero sense to me. A glorious mash up of funk, disco, indie, ska...you name it...it's ripe for (re)discovery for anyone with ears. I mean...how good is this?! 

And this...

Trust me, you need this album in your life. 

Altered Images / Vanity Fairy @ Concorde 2, Brighton - Tuesday September 13th 2022

I may go to a miniscule number of gigs these days (blame the shocking lack of public transport down here in sunny Devon) but it’s all about the quality not the quantity and tonight's gig, all the way across the south coast in Brighton, was a blinder. Kicking off with the wittily named Vanity Fairy (see what she did there?) we were treated to a brilliantly bonkers set fusing the vocal gymnastics of early Kate Bush with a super cool electro disc beat. Bonus points for the recycled promo material made from playing cards featuring either cats or...er...naked men in various states of 'excitement' too.

Altered Images have been on my and Mrs Baron’s live wish list for a looooooooooooooooong time so as this gig coincided with her 21^st (ahem) birthday it was too good an opportunity to miss. Bouncing onstage like the past 40 years never happened Clare Grogan and the band delivered the perfect mix of old and new tracks (from this year’s awesome Mascara Streakz) with enough energy to power most of Western Europe (which could come in handy right now eh?). All the hits were performed to perfection from the decidedly anti-pop classic Dead Pop Stars through to the chiming sunshine pro-pop of I Could Be Happy and a personal favourite of mine, Don’t Talk To Me About Love. We also got some fine deeper cuts too including Insects (from first album Happy Birthday) which wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Siouxsie and the Banshees album (perhaps unsurprising given that Steve Severin had a hand in the production of the original). What really impressed though were the new songs, released a mere 39 years after Altered Images’ last album. Let’s be honest now, Kylie would give her gold hot pants for title track Mascara Streakz, a sultry and sublime slice of techno dusted dance or the anthemic Glitter Ball. 

There was a surprisingly emotional moment too during another newbie Your Life Is Mine, a touching 'I've got your back for the rest of my life' love letter from Clare to her daughter. She predicted that she wouldn’t make it through the song without shedding a tear or two and she was right bless ‘er. I suspect she wasn't the only one. 

After leaving the stage to thoroughly well-deserved rapturous applause the band returned for a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday that Clare very kindly dedicated to Mrs Baron. No idea who asked her to do that…  

Releasing a new album after such a long gap’s never an easy trick to pull off and even though this version of Altered Images have seemingly been playing together for a while tonight’s gig could have been a bit of a resting on past glories affair, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, as another highlight of the new album puts it, the whole evening was a truly ‘Beautiful Thing’.

Queen Elizabeth II RIP

I chose Jeff Buckley's album Grace to listen to in the bath last night knowing that the passing of Queen Elizabeth II could come at any moment...and it did...shortly after this track played. Whatever you think of the monarchy carrying out royal duties for over 70 years right up to hours before your death is pretty bloody remarkable and, personally, I reckon the country and world's a poorer place without her. What's striking from the people showing up at Buckingham Palace is the range of ages, cultures, faiths and any other differentiations that you care to mention. Apparently even Putin sent a tribute. It's hard to imagine any other person on the planet whose passing will receive as much coverage as the Queen's or to envisage a future monarch (or any head of state for that matter) that will ever see (and, arguably, initiate) as many changes as she did. In the immortal words of Paddington Bear, "Thank you...for everything". 

Narrow Ocean – The Standing Waves

 

You’d have to be living under a rock not to notice that we’re living in troubled times (that’s if you can afford the rent that is…have you seen how expensive rocks are these days?) and it’s against this backdrop that Devon based The Standing Waves release their second album, Narrow Ocean. 

As fine a collection of country folk tinged tunes you’re ever likely to hear either side of the River Exe it’s a much needed salve for the soul, from the powerfully poignant Cindy through to the hoedown of Wildfire and the gentler waltz of Luck & Money (two things we could all do with a little of right now eh?). 

With heartbreakingly beautiful harmonies from vocalists Will and Deborah, arrangements and playing from a collective of artists clearly at the top of their game and recorded in the intriguingly named Valvetastic Studio in Exeter it’s an album that’s somehow both timely and timeless.

Narrow Ocean is available to buy on CD or download from September 30^th and you can follow the band right here The Standing Waves | Facebook

Better Things - The Bouncing Souls

Picked up a stash of noughties US pop punk CDs for 50p each (yes, I know...if only energy bills were that cheap eh?) from the local car boot on Wednesday including The Gold Album from The Bouncing Souls and this track seems pretty appropriate for these troubled times. The country/world may well be going to hell in a handcart but at least we can go out pogoing!

Dirty No-One - The Maisonettes

Caught this lot playing the Exeter Arts Festival thingy at the weekend, ace Riot Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl pop punksters with enough energy to power a small town...and boy....or girl...could we do with some of that right now. 

Beautiful Days 2022 @ Escot Park, August 19th - 21st

Oh for the days when I had the time and energy to write proper reviews of gigs and festivals…by proper I mean pages of the bloody stuff that reminds me of what I’ve seen over the past 30 years or so which, even if no one else is interested, mildly amuses me. So, for the purposes of recording who I saw at this year’s Beautiful Days here’s a whizzzzzzzzzzz through the highlights…

Cam Cole 

After spending a traditional night wandering around the site drinking cider and talking bollocks with loads of lovely random strangers we kicked off Day One proper with bluesy busker extrordinaire Cam Cole followed by some sultry rocksteady courtesy of Hollie Cook and The Rumjacks, neatly summed up as The Clash meets The Pogues in the programme, I’ll go with that. 

                                                        Hannah Moule and The Moulettes

Hannah Moule and The Moulettes were a new one on me but at times their mash up of strings, proggy rock vibes and folk blew my socks off…so much so that we parted with £20 for a double CD after their gig. And that don’t happen very often. Caught a snatch of The Dandy Warhols before dancing our knackered old asses into funk soul oblivion to Disco Panther in The Bimble Inn. 

                                                                Disco Panther 

Caught a little bit of Flogging Molly but what happened after that is a bit of a blur.

Day Two saw us rise and shine (ahem) to Idestroy’s riot grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl punk on the main stage and then…oh my…oh my…Opus Kink. 

                                                                    Opus Kink

If Nick Cave and Searching For The Young Soul Rebels era Dexy’s got it on in an opium den the Kink would quite possible be the result. Not to be outdone by the keyboard player who did the whole show in his boxer shorts and socks the lead singer played the last few tracks in his pants. 

                                                                    Opus Kink-ier

And this was all before 1pm. Quite frankly one of the best live bands on planet earth right now or ever. Feet served up some fine post punk to bring ours back down to earth (our feet that is…oh you got that…good). The Lovely Eggs DIY punk snapped us (and our ankles...pogoing at my age is a risky business) before Snapped Ankles' (see?) krautrocky beats sent me slightly squiffy (although that might have been the cider). Retiring to our tent for a much needed respite we heard a little Neds Atomic Dustbin in the background before emerging for a quick blast of The Interrupters (who I wish we’d seen more of) on our way to see Seth Lakeman. I’m not a huge fan of the Big Top, it’s a festival dammit…I want to be outside…come rain or shine…and when it’s busy it’s hard to see much so we scurried (I say scurried…I mean crawled) over to the main stage for Maximo Park’s hit littered set and, another festival highlight for many, The Specials. Musically they sounded better than ever but perhaps they missed the youthful leaping about of Neville Staple…although at 67 I’m not sure how much leaping about he’d be up for…as a counterpoint to Terry Hall’s considerably dourer than thou delivery. I still loved every second of it though and happily ticked one of the few remaining bands off my bucket list. As if that wasn’t enough for one day we even made it to the majority of a truly moving set from The Imagined Village featuring, amongst others, folk legend Martin Carthy, daughter Eliza and, popping up now and then, Billy Bragg. Martin looked a little frail this time and his contribution seemed modest but then again he’s 81 for god’s sake. He ended the set singing a spirited Cum On Feel The Noize with Billy Bragg though followed by a quick blast of I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles that for some reason seemed incredibly poignant this evening. 

                                                                The Tiny Tea Tent...awww...bless it

A cup of tea in the Tiny Tea Tent capped off one of the best days at a festival that I can remember…and I’ve been to one or two.   

Day Three already? How?! After a little breakfast red wine to steady the old feet we made it down just in time to join Funke and The Two Tone Baby’s monkey army (you had to be there). 

                                                            Funke and The Two Tone Baby

I first encountered Funke waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2013 and he’s doggedly played gigs here, there and everywhere to a small but perfectly formed group of fans ever since then. Normally a resident of The Bimble Inn this year he was justifiably elevated to the mains stage and blew the frankly huge 11am crowd away with his one man assault on the beats and blues. If there’s any justice one day he’ll be headlining. Yorkshire post punkers Deadletter continued the incredible run of great bands with an equally lively set necessitating a quick walk around the site to catch our breath before catching something else…Bob Vylan. 

                                                                            Bob Vylan

There’s controversial and then there’s Bob Vylan who’s stream of grime rock fuelled “righteous anger” reached its peak with a little speech about wanting to kill the queen. Judging by Facebook some people took offence at the Vylan’s set but somehow, given the chance, I doubt whether Mr Vylan (either of them, the drummer's called Bob Vylan too...that's handy...ahem) would actually murder a 96 year great grandmother. 

Personally, whilst I didn’t agree with every single word he said, I bloody loved the set (and even ended up on the stage with the Vylans and a bunch of others who’d jumped the barriers at Bob’s request…never a simple move for a man of my age). We’re living in a painfully bland age at the moment and it was refreshing to see someone up there who’s not afraid to say what they’re thinking, even if it’s likely to attract all kinds of flack. 

I was interested to see someone who appeared to be their manager, a grey haired American dude, who clearly enjoys a little limelight himself judging by his sound checking. Could he be encouraging the band to ramp up the controversy in a tactic taken straight out of Malcolm McLaren’s playbook? Hmmm, maybe. Given the grim inevitability of riots and civil unrest that’s hurtling towards us Bob Vylan could well turn out to be 2023’s Sex Pistols.

                                                                        Katy J Pearson

A quick dash to the Big Top to catch the lovely Katy J Pearson (wearing a dress just purchased from our good friends at Kinky Melon) country tinged pop before legging it back to the main stage for Jim Bob, former lead shouter behind Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine. I’ve been wanting to see this dude for years and he didn’t disappoint, even if he didn’t play Sheriff Fatman. That just left The Unthanks' hauntingly magical clog driven folk, Billy Bragg’s mix of singalong hits and social commentary and The Levellers traditional festival closing set culminating in a pretty spectacular firework display. 

                                        Billy Bragg...and someone's head...I'm available for weddings 

I was too far away to see which one of The Levs made a comment about how this year going back to the real world would be harder than ever with what’s going on but the coming 12 months are going to be pretty hideous for an awful lot of people, here and across the world. I don’t have the answers but pogoing about in a field every day after a pint of scrumpy or 5 seems more appealing than ever right now...     

Splendor In The Grass - Pink Martini

How's this for a beautiful track eh? One of the picks from last weeks CD haul the album it comes from cost me a whole 33p.