Rhythm & Booze An online music webzine created by music lovers for music lovers.

18 November, 2014

Poor Boys Of Worcester @ The Lamb And Flag, Worcester

Filed under: Americana,blues,folk,Live Reviews — Tags: Lamb & Flag, The Poor Boys Of Worcester, Worcester — willmunn @ 21:22

The Poor Boys Of Worcester are a six-piece band featuring the unlikely line-up of four Ukekele’s, double bass, banjo (actually a banjolele apparently), harmonica and vocals (shared between the various members of the group). The band were making their live debut and as you might imagine with any group making their first bow, their were mistakes, forgotten vocals and at times indecision, to the point of being ramshackle….…but…..didn’t they entertain. Despite the stop-starts, the band’s set was a varied collection of covers done in a unique style that was both infectious and a barrel of fun.

The band ran through a number of songs from the songbooks of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash (including a wonderfully ragged Folsom Prison Blues), a rustic Way Back When by Ronnie Lane, a handful of genuine rock classics in the shape of Fade Way by The Stones, Hotel Yorba by The White Stripes and a brilliant Bad Moon Rising (it really shouldn’t work on uke’s but the some of the finger picking by Tom Doc Watson was sublime) and a folk blues classic by Leadbelly all re-imagined with strummed and plucked uke’s and banjo often complimented by parping blues harmonica and thumping bass.

Talking of bass. I really should mention here ,the rather tasty Shane MacGowan cover drawled and delivered delightfully by double bassist Mick ‘The Hat’ Morris as another set highlight, again proving the band’s diversity and ability to straddle genres.

Like I alluded to at the beginning of this write-up, The Poor Boys aren’t the tightest of bands out there (and it’s early days), but they know how to deliver a fun-filled set, both  the packed out back room of the Lamb & Flag and the band themselves were left with a collective Cheshire cat like smile welded on their faces and a song in their hearts. I can forgive and overlook any missed lyrics or musical indiscretions when a band know how to entertain and those “boys” sure know how to entertain.

If your idea of live music is faithful, tight renditions of your favourite songs, I suggest you look elsewhere, but if you want some fun The Poor Boys are the band for you.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 8

http://thepoorboysofworcester.weebly.com/

12 November, 2014

Bellowhead Live @The Symphony Hall, Birmingham 9/11/14

Filed under: acoustic,folk,Live Reviews — Tags: bellowhead, birmingham, symphony hall — willmunn @ 08:33
Bellowhead
At Birmingham Symphony Hall
9/11/14
 
The Symphony Hall in Birmingham is a grand building with a stage that’s purpose build for large ensembles, but normally of the orchestral variety, however on a dark and dreary Sunday night the venue played host to eleven-piece folk heroes, Bellowhead, dozens of small trees … and a sofa. Well, why not.
 
Right from the off we knew we were in for a high energy, professional and fun fueled folk affair and we were not to be disappointed, with the band kicking out over two hours worth of foot stompin’, hand clapping, heart wrenching and mind blowing music, kicking off with, Let Her Run from their new album Revival quickly followed by fan favourite 10,000 Miles Away from their 2012 album Broadside, the band hit the stage running.
 
Being such a big band it was hard (nay, impossible) to know where to focus your attention, wherever you looked there was something going on. To the left were the awesome brass section (sax, trumpet, tuba, trombone) that simply refused to stop dancing whilst blowing up a storm. To the right were the whirlwind string section of cello and fiddles, towards the back an impressive line-up of drums and percussion, whilst slap bang in the middle, concertina, guitars and front man Jon Boden on fiddle and lead vocals. A hive of activity across the boards of experienced, passionate and versatile musicians having the time of their lives playing the music they love to a very appreciative and loyal audience.
 
After an impressive spritely opening, the band reigned in the tempo a little for a majestic and sweeping Seeds of Love which emphasises the band’s terrific individual musicianship, versatility and how each component fuses to create such an intoxicating cohesive whole.
 
The high energetic pace was restored by I Want Too See The Bright Lights Tonight, originally a song by Richard Thompson, but made very much Bellowhead’s own with their combination of horns, strings and all important concertina creating a widescreen version, topped by Boden’s booming voice. The audience responded aptly with a proportion of the crowd taking to their feet for the first (but not last) time of the night.
Forty-five minutes of captivating stories and songs, impressive musicianship, infectious melodies and near choral sing-a-longs, the band announce their last song of the first half … Gosport Nancy, with the audience showing their appreciation right from the opening fiddle introduction, once again encouraging out breaks of dancing towards the front and hollers from elsewhere in the auditorium.
 
The second half of the show began with the surreal sight of the drummer being dragged onto stage in a blue wheeley bottle bin, a strange, humorous touch that re-engaged the crowd instantly, before kicking into the Roll Alabama from the aforementioned Revival album. Had it really only been twenty minutes since they were last on stage for the first half? It seemed much longer, Oh Bellowhead, how we missed you!
 
Another hour of Bellowhead madness/beauty passed in the blink of an eye, but they somehow managed to enrich our Sunday night lives with more than our fair share of fine tunage including Roll The Woodpile Down, Let Union Be, Greenwood Side, Frogs Legs and Dragon Teeth, New York Girls and the live show favourite London Town, getting everybody on their feet doing the actions to the annoyingly addictive chorus.
And before we knew it, it was over. Two sets, a three song encore and then back into the wet November night. The crowd would have happily sat their all night watching the band regale their tall tales but despite the weather and the end of a truly euphoric night, everyone left happy with the knowledge that our lives had been enriched by watching one of the finest live acts of the current folk’s (and any other genre)scene.
Bellowhead don’t play purist folk, they take liberties, embellish and mold to create a sound that’s unique, invigorating, fun and always compelling, the albums are incredible but live….they’re on another level altogether.
Rhythm & Booze Rating 10
Words and Photos Chris Bennion

 

6 November, 2014

Susan McKeown-Belong

Filed under: Americana,folk,Live Reviews — Tags: Belong, new album, Susan McKeown — willmunn @ 15:24

Susan McKeown is an Irish born award winning singer-songwriter (who in the past has dipped her fingers in mariachi, klezmer, African and celtic music), who has spend half her life in the US, writing and recording critically acclaimed music without perhaps ever really hitting the headlines this side of the Atlantic.

Despite, perhaps Susan not being a household name over here, she still has managed to rack up a number of high profile collaborations and performances with the likes of Pete Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Billy Bragg, Linda Thompson and The Klezmatics (who collaborated on the award winning Wonder Wheel, a track originally written by Woody Guthrie) as well as appearing throughout Europe and North America, taking in the likes of Carnegie Hall and Glastonbury along the way.

New album, Belong has already picked up plaudits from the likes of Mike Harding and Mark Radcliffe among others and could be the album to really break Susan over here in the UK. The eleven track album showcases a love of folk, roots and Americana, as well as Susan’s expressive, evocative lyrics.

The album opens with a striking duet with fellow Irish singer-songwriter Declan O’Rouke, setting the mood perfectly for a mature stroll around the stripped down roots genre and matters of the heart, taking in elements of country and folk along the way. Susan’s and Declan’s vocals compliment one another superbly, whilst the stripped back instrumentation of guitar and organ, frames the song wonderfully. Everything We Had Was All Good adds longing banjo and accordion to the mix along with James Maddock supplementing Susan’s vocals with his own dulcet tones further peppering an already beautiful track.

During the album, Susan deviates from the rootsy folk on the likes of Lullaby In Manhattan, which is a slow, mournful waltz with minimalistic instrumentation and a  world weary vocal, which is an interesting proposition but rather out stays it welcome over the five minute duration, whereas the jazzier City Of The Roses with its latin percussion and tinkering piano is a more welcoming proposition and again proves that Susan, is more than capable of crossing genres and is perhaps something that she could explore further in the future.

Listening to Belong really highlights the songwriting and structure of Susan McKeown and as a whole seduces the listener, whilst her lived in vocals intoxicating throughout. The album is a welcome addition to the folk cannon, leaving me with a little catching up to do with Susan’s prior releases.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 8

www.susanmckeown.com

17 October, 2014

Mellow Peaches Live @ The Gardeners Arms, Droitwich

Filed under: blues,folk,Live Reviews — Tags: Droitwich, mellow peaches, the gardeners arms — willmunn @ 20:23

 

Mellow Peaches on the menu at The Gardeners Arms

Mellow Peaches are a 2 piece band from the West Midlands, who practice the art of fusing blues and folk in a, well, pretty mellow way. Rich tickles up his mandolin, occasionally breathing through a harmonica. Amit, picks his way through the string jungle of his guitar, stamps out a beat through his stomp box, vocalises quite a lot, and has an odd toot on a kazoo. Sounds all fairly straight forward, and to them, it probably is, but they produce a fine mix of lively, self penned songs, from soft country blues, like the glowing embers of a log fire to the crackling spit of flame as the songs take on a hotter pace. Amit’s guitar playing is exemplary, his long fingers making light work of the frets as he busily finger picks.

‘Aint No Grave’ to hold my body down, is a lovely spiritual blues, plenty for Amit to get his fingers around, and that mandolin of Rich’s is kept busy. The pace is picked up for ‘Canary’, a fast moving instrumental, and some extraordinary guitar work as the bird flutters wildly, rides the breeze, then bursts into frenzied activity.

A nautical twist is taken as more songs are extracted from the recent Mellow Peaches album, formed in an empty unit of The Custard Factory.

Mayflower, has more nimble finger work with explosive highs, running rapids and flowing surges, a more folk tilted song. On to the title track and ‘I’ll Go Down With This Ship’, a much more gentle example of a folk song.

Next up came Charleston, an eyeballs out rag time instrumental, with a kazoo thrown in for good measure. A very enjoyable good time tune evoking speak-easy days of Chicago. Amit changed to lap guitar and slide for the excellent bluesy ’65 Years Of Soul’, taken from the Biscuits And Cobblers album. We were nearing the end of the session, Rich picked up his harp, Amit his banjo, and they blasted there way through Red Goose, apparently based on an old ’20’s nursery rhyme, not sure about red goose, more a good old red neck ho-down.

The evening had been a display of superb musicianship throughout, with Amit’s voice being put to the test and coming up trumps. Rich bringing some lovely mandolin, jousting with the well worked guitar of Amit, but his harp trumping the kazoo, though maybe not on the smile factor. With few exceptions, the music was all theirs, and fully deserving the plaudits earned for their current album.

Make a note in your diary for next month, Thursday November 13th, at The Gardeners, Rodney ‘2 guitars’ Brannigan is appearing. If you have yet to see him play, make the effort, you will not be disappointed, a gifted musician with a difference!

19 September, 2014

Vo Fletcher & Tyler Massey/Arc Iris Live @ St Peters Church, Malvern 1/9/14

Filed under: acoustic,alternative,Americana,folk,indie,jazz,Live Reviews — Tags: arc iris, malvern, st peters church, tyler massey, vo fletcher — willmunn @ 13:33

Occasionally you come across a band that defy classification, a band that straddle and merge genres to create something new, innovative and beyond description, a band that have to be literally seen to be believed, the mesmeric Arc Iris are one such band, an explosion of glitter, glam, jazz, folk, country, ethereal indie and lots more beside, fronted by the enigmatic multi-instrumentalist Josie Adams (once of personal favourites The Low Anthem), a performer that bewitches and enthralls in equal measure.

Thanks to Tyler Massey (more of whom later), Arc Iris hit Malvern and one of the most spectacular venues in the county, St Peters Church, following on from their triumphant performance at this years Moseley Folk festival, Arc Iris stunned a small yet rapt audience with a gloriously engaging set, that ranged from hushed ethereal folk to an almost jazz swing.

As soon as Josie and her band took to the stage you could tell this wasn’t going to be usual ensemble, the band were adorned in glitter and sparkles, with Josie looking captivating before uttering a word in a stunning all in one catsuit, whilst pianist Zach Tenorio-Miller complimented the look with equally flamboyant attire.

The band soon proved to be a whole lot more than mere clothes horses, with the opening number instantly drawing the listeners attention in, a stunning combination of piano, cello, drums and Josie’s evocative voice seduced the audience instantly, imagine a combination of the beauty of the Cocteau Twins colliding with the other worldly experience of Bjork or Joni Mitchell fronting The Dirty Projectors (if that’s possible) and you’re sort of in the right kind of direction. After the opening number the band proceed to produce a collage of folk, classical and jazz mixed with cabaret and theatrics topped with rich harmonies and infectious melodies.

Arc Iris drew heavily from their recent self titled album with the likes of Honour The Rainbows and the smoky jazz of Powder Train proving to be instant highlights along with Lost On Me, but in truth picking individual highlights seems to be something of a disservice as the entire intoxicated from start to finish.

Supporting Arc Iris was the always impressive duo of Tyler Massey and Vo Fletcher, who set the scene with a glorious set of folky laments and intricate guitar work, playing off one another superbly, with the likes of Pancho & Lefty (originally by Townes Van Zandt), Wheels On Fire (Dylan) and Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key (unrecorded Woody Guthrie song, released by Wilco & Billy Bragg on the Mermaid Sessions) standing out during their hugely enjoyable set.

Tyler and friends have put a few events on at St Peters Church and each one has been more than a little special, if you missed Arc Iris, more fool you, but I do highly recommend you keeping an eye out for the next one, you never know who might be performing next time round.

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress