My Top Ten Albums of 2023 – and a few more

Posted on December 19, 2023 by John S

Wednesday at Band on the Wall, Manchester, in November

It’s been an unusual year for my music this year, as it has been dominated by two, maybe three bands. They are Wednesday, the Murder Capital and Jockstrap. The first two have had new albums out this year, which top my list; Jockstrap’s I Love You Jennifer B was released in in 2022, but they have been one of the great live experiences this year. There has been an album of radical remixes recently, but I’m still playing the original a lot.

Wednesday are far and away my most listened-to band of the year.  If you follow this blog, you’ll know they are an American band – from North Carolina – who combine grunge, shoegaze, country and Americana in a way that just works so brilliantly. Initially I drew a few comparisons with Big Thief; but they are more dynamic, less up themselves and play in the joyous (and sometimes angry) spirit of rock’n’rollers through the ages. Rat Saw God is a superb album, but mostly I’ve listened to it with its predecessor Twin Plagues. Together they make a magnificent double album, to use a term from the days of vinyl. I’ve done something similar with the Murder Capital’s Gigi’s Recovery, combining it with debut album When I Have Fears. And then I wrap them up with my favourite period of U2, encompassing The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and Zooropa. There is a connection.

Live, the Murder Capital have reigned supreme – except when Bruce came over to Hyde Park of course! I saw them three times this year as well as watching their Glastonbury show a few times on the BBC iPlayer. Outstanding every time. I saw Wednesday a couple of times and really enjoyed them. They are less spectacular than the Murder Capital, but at this stage in their career has an enjoyable intimacy. And they do rock!

The Murder Capital at End of the Road, September

The rest of the top ten could be in any order really, though I put Samia at No3, because her album Honey really grew on me, sparked by the title track. The best angsty indie-pop album of the year. Shame I missed her at End of the Road. Gretel Hanlyn combines indie rock with a pop sensibility too, and is a great live performer. Her EP, Head of the Love Club, is long enough and good enough to get into the albums list.

Modern soul is represented by Cleo Sol and Jorja Smith. Cleo released two albums, Heaven and Gold, and both are rather beautiful journeys through the ages of soul, with the occasional jazz and reggae inflection. She is the singer on many of the great Sault songs  – or so it is said. They are rather secretive, though prolific. Jorja’s album doesn’t fire throughout, but there are some great tracks, notably Little Things.

Two jazz albums made the ten, though jazz doesn’t fully capture what the artists are playing. It’s a fusion: jazz, hip hop, music from around the world. That particularly applies to Yussef Dayes masterpiece, Black Classical Music. Simply calling it that shows you his ambition.  Alfa Mist’s Variables is more of his cool sounds from the heart of London.

A few weeks ago, I felt like I hadn’t listened to enough new indie this year and trawled through the reviews in Pitchfork. I’m always impressed with the diligence with which they analyse rock and pop music. Almost too earnest at times. The exercise did unearth some gems, notably Girl with Fish by Feeble Little Horses and Everyone’s Crushed by Water in Your eye. Fuzzy guitars and a good dose of psychedelia. They reminded me that indie guitar music is alive and well. Wednesday and Murder Capital do that as well, of course, in their different ways. I could throw Tirzah into that mix too, with added hip hop and soul. I’ve not had time to listen to trip9love??? too much yet, but first impressions were very good.

Elsewhere, Yo La Tengo and Lewsberg flew the Velvet Underground flag and the modern sound of Ireland came through with Grian Chatten – singer with Fontaines DC – and John Francis Flynn. And Murder Capital of course. I tried Lankum, who are all the rage at the moment, but found them a bit dull to be honest.

The spirit of shoegaze was there in the albums of Bdrmm and Daughter (back after seven years). One of the originals, Slowdive, had a new album too. On first listen it didn’t grab me, so I haven’t listed it here.

I liked the first few tracks of the National’s First Two Pages of Frankenstein, but felt it tailed off after that, and rather forgot about it. There’s a second album from this year, Laugh Track, which I haven’t heard yet. Even more of a blast from the past, I really enjoyed Blur’s The Ballad of Darren. A grower – wistful and somehow redolent of the music of late Bowie in places.

Black Country New Road lost their singer Isaac Wood just after they released their second album Ants from Up There in 2022. However, they quickly wrote an entirely new set of songs, and they feature on their Live at Bush Hall album. An intriguing mix of sounds, which I like to think of as modern prog. They were superb at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in October. As violinist Georgia Ellery is also one half of Jockstrap, she might just be my artist of the year!

And the album I’m really looking forward to in 2024: the debut from The Joy Hotel. I think it’s called Ceremony and is scheduled for April.

So here is the 2023 Top Ten and the best of the rest:

1 – Rat Saw God by Wednesday

2 – Gigi’s Recovery by the Murder Capital

3 – Honey by Samia

4 – Girl with Fish – Feeble Little Horses

5 – Heaven/ Gold – Cleo Sol

6 – Head of the Love Club – Gretel Hanlyn

7 – Black Classical Music – Yussef Dayes

8 – Variables – Alfa Mist

9 – The Ballad of Darren – Blur

10 – Everyone’s Crushed – Water in Your Eyes

Best of the rest: trip9love??? – Tirzah; Live at Bush Hall – Black Country, New Road; Out and About – Lewsberg; Look Over the Wall, See the Sky – John Francis Flynn; Chaos for the Fly – Grian Chatten; Falling or Flying – Jorja Smith; Stereo Mind Game – Daughter; This Stupid World – Yo La Tengo; First Two Pages of Frankenstein – The National; I Don’t Know – Bdrmm.

This is the last blog I’ll be posting for a while. Next year I want to concentrate on finishing the third novel in my HOPE Trilogy, working title Different Days. It’s about HOPE in power – and naturally lots goes wrong! I’ll publish it on Amazon when I’ve finished it, like the rest, if you have been following the story.

I’ll continue to post a few photos and comments on gigs on Instagram, so follow me there if you’d like to keep in touch. I’m at johnasills.

In the meantime, thanks for all your support and I wish you a happy Christmas and successful New Year.

Bruce and Stevie at Hyde Park, July. Always the best.

 

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Music Roundup 06: 6 to 20 November 2023

Posted on November 28, 2023 by John S

The acts which feature in this roundup are Wednesday, The Murder Capital, Sleater Kinney, Bill Orcutt, Teenage Fanclub, Bdrrrm and The Joy Hotel.

Students union, Glasgow Uni!

A bumper month of concerts this November, after a relatively quiet October. November is often quite busy because of the London Jazz Festival as well as the fact that a lot of bands seem to tour at this time of year – after the festival season and before it gets too close to Christmas. As it happens I didn’t really do the jazz this year, with all the other gigs already planned. Some pacing is needed!

It was unusual in that I twice travelled north this November too. The first time was because I couldn’t see the London shows of Wednesday and the Murder Capital –  and I always enjoy an excuse to go up to Manchester and Glasgow. Great cities, both. The second occasion was to see the Joy Hotel play their only headlining gig in recent months – and in their hometown, to boot. It also provided an opportunity for Kath and I to hop over to Edinburgh for a feast of art and a great day’s walking. I’m writing this blog on the train home from Edinburgh.

Wednesday, Band on the Wall Manchester, 6 November

I wrote in praise of Wednesday’s two albums, Twin Plagues and this year’s Rat Saw God, in my last roundup, so I won’t labour the point except to say that Rat Saw God is heading for the No1 slot in my 2023 albums of the year list. I love the band’s combination of grunge, Americana, country and even shoegaze; and band leader Karly Hartzmann’s lyrics weave affectionate tales of a misspent youth. I’ve seen the band play once before this year, at the Lexington, near King’s Cross. That was a cracking show, so I had high hopes of this one.

Band on the Wall is in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. From the outside it doesn’t look too inviting, but inside it’s a nice space, holding a few hundred people. The gig was sold out and the vibe was relaxed – Wednesday’s fans seem to be an easy-going bunch. As are the band: lots of smiles and quips, and some entertaining story-telling from Karly. And when they rock, they truly do rock! This was mostly full-on stuff, played with verve by a band who seem to have been on the road most of the year. The set was a good mix of the two albums, with a couple of songs from earlier EPs. One, called November, was a request from the crowd, which Karly invited just before the last song Bull Believer. If I’d been a bit closer to the front, I would have been tempted to call for Birthday Song, a favourite from Twin Plagues which doesn’t seem to feature in the live sets right now. Good to hear November though, which has been added to the playlist!

A highlight for me was Formula One, a woozy country number from Rat Saw God which didn’t feature at the Lexington. That was followed by a rocking sequence of Toothache, Chosen to Deserve – Lynyrd Skynyrd with better lyrics! – and the awesome Bath County, with its line about playing Drive by Truckers real loud. All so good!

Following a heartfelt plea for peace in Gaza – Karly and another band member are Jewish, which she felt gave them a right to call for a ceasefire – the last song was the aforementioned Bull Believer, at the end of which Karly lets out a prolonged scream. It’s a dramatic end: there’s no scope for an encore after that – her voice is shot. I’ve noticed on Setlist FM that they don’t play it every night. I’m not surprised.

Walking down Swan Street afterwards, I heard a woman behind me saying to her friend, that last song was insane. Which I take to mean insanely good, as well as mad to perform. But let’s forget the madness bit and say, Wednesday are insane!

The Murder Capital, Queen Mary Union Glasgow, 7 November

So Wednesday were great; could the Murder Capital match up? Of course they could! The drama, the stagecraft, the energy and the electric presence of singer James McGregor: for me, the Murder Capital have few equals at the moment.

The show was at the student union for Glasgow University, in the city’s West End. The Hillhead subway station is nearby – four stops from the city centre, where I was staying. It’s a great venue, regularly used for gigs by bands with a decent-sized following. I thought that it might be a bit small for the Murder Capital these days, but in the event I think there were a few tickets left. A great atmosphere –  mostly students I’d guess, but a fair quota of us oldies, attracted I guess either by the post punk sounds, or the Irish influences. In my case, both and more besides! The band had dressed down for the occasion, compared with the last couple of shows I’ve seen; and perhaps there was a slightly more raw feel to the songs tonight. The set was broadly the same as they’ve been playing all year, but with a lot of the songs being shifted to different places in the set. They began with new single Heart in the Hole and then launched into the mighty More is Less. That’s one that doesn’t get moved –  really gets things going after the measured opening.

Highlights in a set that is one big highlight: the true-to-the-recorded version of Slowdance II; the reappearance of On Twisted Ground (after a strident Ethel) in stunning extended form; and of course the dynamic duo at the end, Don’t Cling to Life and Feeling Fades. There was a poster outside the hall banning a number of crowd behaviours: crowd surfing, circle pits, human pyramids and walls of death. A few of those are new to me! And a couple of times when someone made an attempt to surf, James waved them down. So there was only one incidence of surfing all night, during Feeling Fades. And the culprit? Why, James of course!

A fabulous show to cap a great day, with a visit earlier to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery (part of the wider museum there) also in the West End. Exhilarating art, courtesy of the Colourists and Glasgow Boys. Exhilarating music from the Dublin boys in the evening. What’s not to like?

Sleater Kinney, Roundhouse, 10 November

Sleater Kinney is an American indie-punk band that emerged in the mid 90s and was associated with the riot grrrl movement. I’m not sure I really got to know their music until 2005’s The Woods, which included the song The Fox. I liked their sharp version of grunge/hardcore, but they broke up the year after, which might explain why I never really followed it up. They were an all-woman trio, with a strong political element to their songs and developed something of a cult following. They reformed in 2014, though one of the original members, drummer Janet Weiss, left again in 2019. Singer/guitarists Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein remain.

Going to their Roundhouse concert, which formed part of this year’s Pitchfork festival, was the suggestion of Dave’s friend Gordon. He’s a big fan of the band. I’ve been to see a few bands with Gordon: most recently Alvvays, but also Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy. All fronted by women of a younger generation, and I’d wager that they would all cite Sleater Kinney as important influences on their music and philosophy.

The band began with recent single Hell, which along with Say it Like You Mean it, will be on the new album in 2024. The sound is poppier than the 90s tracks, but still rocks , like most of the set. Carrie in particular laid down some hard-driving riffs, without striking the standard macho poses. I’m not too familiar with the back catalogue, but the set covered a good range of favourites, including a final three of Entertain, Modern Girl and Dig Me Out. Corin took the lead in introducing the songs, including the obligatory statement on Palestine and a rather doomy monologue about life being a void. Gordon, who’d left our seats to go down and commune with the hardcore fans, said that one of the other band members eventually interrupted her – get on with music!

So yes, a good show that made me think I really ought to get to know Sleater Kinney’s music better.

Bill Orcutt Quartet, King’s Place, 15 November

I’m not quite sure where I first heard Bill Orcutt now, other than it was on 6 Music. Probably Tom Ravenscroft or Mary Ann Hobbs, but perhaps Iggy Pop. I do remember that I was intrigued by the sound he was producing. Complex, sometimes discordant, an element of jazz. When I saw he was playing King’s Place, which shares a building with the Guardian in King’s Cross, I thought it would be worth a try. Kath was happy to give it a go, so along we went.

Bill Orcutt is an American guitarist who has been around a while. He’s worked in various genres, including punk. His latest album, Jump on It, is an acoustic affair, similar in style to Gwenifer Raymond. The previous one, Music for Four Guitars, is a pretty left field album, which sounded slightly out of tune to me – deliberate, no doubt. I didn’t finish it when researching for this concert. It was too much. So naturally the King’s Place show was based on that album! I warned Kath that the pre-gig meal at Supawan might be the highlight of the evening, but my worries were unfounded. It was an interesting and enjoyable hour which left me wanting more.

There were four guitarists, as you might expect. The other three – Wendy Eisenberg, Ava Mendoza and Shane Parish  – were quite a bit younger than Bill and more sharply dressed. He ambled out in cargo pants and what looked like a pair of slippers as if he was ready for a night in front of the telly. But when the music started he was always in control, the leader. Not so much in terms of solos, but in the sense that he was the conductor. All had electric guitars. There were a lot of rhythms played in unison, less interplay than I expected. During the first tune, I thought I heard a resemblance to Status Quo’s Roll Over Lay Down, which was unexpected. Each player had one moment when they were given the opportunity to play a lengthy solo, which I think was improvised. Each one was excellent, and I rather wished there’d been more of that. I don’t doubt that playing so precisely together was technically demanding; but in taking that approach I’m not sure we saw what these musicians could really do.

So, a concert that was intriguing and frustrating in equal measure; but a few new names to look out for in future. As for that out-of-tune aspect of the album, Bill did mention in passing that they’d been playing in upper G, or something like that, and they were resorting to the traditional E tuning for the last piece. So I guess that explained it. A guitarist’s guitarist –  which rules me out! I just know what I like.

Teenage Fanclub, EartH Hackney, 17 November

I know what I like, and I do like Teenage Fanclub, especially the mid 90s albums Grand Prix and Songs from Northern Britain. The Byrds, Beatles, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, grunge, you can hear all of these things in Teenage Fanclub’s music. I have very fond memories of a late show in the Big Top at End of the Road in 2016, the last of the festival that year. A packed tent, a greatest hits set. An absolute joy. I’ve seen them since at the Electric Ballroom in Camden and wasn’t as excited; nonetheless, when Steve suggested going to this concert I was happy to agree.

The concert was in the upstairs theatre at EartH, which meant we were able to sit down. We arrived early to get a decent view and saw the opening act, Sweet Baboo, aka Stephen Black, from Cardiff. He played a few quirky acoustic songs and showed a dry sense of humour inbetween songs. He reappeared with Teenage Fanclub, playing guitar and sax and providing supporting vocals. They came on at nine o’clock and played for a generous hour and a half, including a three song encore. A few songs from the wistful new album Nothing Lasts Forever featured, but plenty of old favourites too, like About You, What You Do to Me, I Don’t Want Control of You and The Concept, which closed the main set. None of my four favourites – Don’t Look Back, Sparky’s Dream, Neil Jung and Start Again got an airing. Once reason I like those four is that there’s some great guitar on each of them. There wasn’t so much of that tonight: the trademark mid-tempo chug and vocal harmonies dominated. That’s fair enough, but it did get a little samey after a while.

That said, there was a very positive reaction from the crowd and lots of people went down to the front for a bit of middle-aged dancing during the encore. You can’t knock it really – Teenage Fanclub always deliver. But I wonder whether that new album title is telling us something. They’ve had a good run if it is.

Bdrmm, Scala, 20 November

Bedrmm aren’t a band I’ve listened to much, but I usually like what I hear. They are often described as shoegaze – initially a 90s phenomenon typified by bands like Slowdive, Ride and arguably My Bloody Valentine (on the more radical end of the spectrum). Big sweeps of guitar, dreamy melodies: Jadu Heart are another band purveying the sound at the moment. Jon G’s a big fan, and I went along to the Scala with him and his son Louis. I’d been listening to this year’s album I Don’t Know as I walked through the streets of King’s Lynn, Norfolk in the fading light, with a light drizzle falling, earlier in the day and it seemed the perfect accompaniment. Twilight music.

The Scala was unusually packed for the support acts, the second of which, Damefrisor – from Bristol despite the Scandinavian-sounding name – had just started. I liked them: elements of shoegaze and post-punk, and more electronic than Bdrmm. The singer Kazhi Jahfar seemed to be modelling himself on Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Their sound was similarly portentous, but pretty lively too.

Bdrmm arrived on stage just after 9.30, by which time I felt ready to go home, after a long day! I stuck it out until 10.50, by which time the waves of guitar had started to blur into one undistinguishable sound. The lure of the Piccadilly Line had become too strong to resist. I only missed a couple of songs and I’d got the gist. I think Bdrmm are probably best enjoyed on record – live they are a bit static and dare I say it, monotonous.  Admittedly a lot of the crowd would disagree – they went down very well.

The Joy Hotel, Saint Luke’s Glasgow, 22 November 

A second trip to Glasgow this month, and one I couldn’t wait for. The band had been a revelation to me at Latitude – such a big, varied sound conjured up by the seven-strong ensemble. Hard to categorise, but the celtic swagger of the Waterboys and Hothouse Flowers is one reference point. Some of Bruce Springsteen’s early epics are another; but there’s also a hard rocking element. Still just three tracks on Spotify – Killing Time, Jeremiah and Old Man’s Eyes. An album, Ceremony, is now due for release in April. It had been November, but I assume they want to promote it with a proper tour. This gig was a one-off, and a homecoming, after a stint supporting Deadletter on tour.

Saint Luke’s is in Glasgow’s East End, close to Barrowlands, one of Glasgow’s iconic venues. It was a church from 1836 until it was finally closed in 2012. A refurbishment was undertaken in 2015 and it is now a music and arts venue with a restaurant/bar called the Winged Ox. The capacity, including the balconies, is 700. I’m not sure there were quite that many people there at the gig, as there was a bit of space at the back, but it was a sell-out. It’s a lovely space for a concert, with its high ceiling and, behind the stage, two large stained glass windows and a magnificent old church organ with resplendent pipes.

Magnificent setting, magnificent performance. An hour and ten minutes of full-on, enchanting music. Played with joy and huge energy. The three familiar songs were all played, with Jeremiah a rousing anthem towards the end (though not the closing song). As at Latitude songs ran into each other, pace and rhythm changed when you least expected it. No chance of drifting into the kind of reverie that was quite possible at Bdrmm – and Teenage Fanclub for that matter. This was a celebration by a band that is going places. The debut album will be the launch pad – watch out for take-off next year!

 

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Music Roundup 05: 6 October to 19 October 2023

Posted on October 25, 2023 by John S

The acts which feature in this roundup are Gengahr, Black Country New Road, Honeyblood and Taylor Swift.

No concerts for a month after End of the Road, but a great holiday in Zakynthos (Greek island in the Ionian Sea), some interesting walks and, of course, lots of sport, including the Rugby Union World Cup, which has now ground its way to the final next weekend, having started on 3 September!

Lots of music at home of course. Still picking up on new tracks and a few nuggets from the past on 6 Music, with the weekly shows from Iggy Pop and Cillian Murphy (on one of his occasional runs) two that I try to keep up with. And a word for Cerys Matthews on Sunday mornings. A wonderfully eclectic show, with music from all around the world and consistently interesting guests from the worlds of drama, poetry and more besides.

But most of all I’ve gone retro. The effect of some great playlists of favourites in different genres that I’ve made on Spotify. They are easier to listen to when I’m writing or reading because of the familiarity, and there is so much that is good! Much as I love discovering new music, there is a lot of competition out there.

It won’t be long before the albums of the year lists start coming out, and right now there are only two that are absolute shoo-ins because of this retro effect. They are Gigi’s Recovery by the Murder Capital and Rat Saw God by Wednesday. They will be No1 and No2 unless something amazing turns up in the next month or so. Two brilliant albums: but even with them I’ve pulled out the best few tracks and put them on playlists with the best from their previous albums. And Murder Capital have been merged with U2 and Fontaines DC on two other playlists – to great effect. The Wednesday selection of ten from their two albums – the first was Twin Plagues – has probably been my most played of the year. I just love it – as an album it would be vying for a place in my top twenty of all time. At least for now – the older ones do have a tendency to reassert themselves. The music of our youth always wins in the end!

Anyway, onto the concerts, two of which felt quite retro, though only going back to the mid-2010s. Anything pre-pandemic does seem so long ago, a different age. Three gigs to cover, plus a concert film which was just awesome. I’m sure you can guess what it’s going to be!

Gengahr at the Electric Ballroom, Camden, 6 October

Gengahr returned to live action this year after being largely absent since before the pandemic. They released a new album, Red Sun Titans, in June – their first since Sanctuary in January 2020. The new album is in a similar vein to Sanctuary, with less emphasis on the guitar sound which made them one of my favourite indie bands in the second half of the 2010s. Their debut album, A Dream Outside, was my top album of 2015, and the 2018 follow-up Where Wildness Grows was a very worthy successor. On both of those there was some outstanding guitar work from John Victor; on the last two that has been less prominent, with more emphasis on poppy melodies and dance beats, the notable example being Heavenly Maybe from Sanctuary. I guess it’s an attempt to appeal to a younger crowd, and on the evidence of the show at the Electric Ballroom, that has been successful. It was very much a twenty-something crowd.

I enjoyed Red Sun Titans without being bowled over by it – with all that retro competition! – and the last time I saw them play, at EartH in February 2020 I was a bit underwhelmed. But I  thought I should go up to Camden to see how they are doing, if only for old times’ sake. And the answer is, very well. The venue was close to being sold out and there was a lot of love for the band from that youthful crowd. They played a nice mix of songs from all their albums, with two of the great tracks from the first album – Heroine and She’s a Witch – following opener A Ladder. Heroine is a song where they get a chance to rock out at the end, and was a highlight for me. She’s a Witch remains their most loved song, I think: one which demands a singalong. Its biggest rival these days is Heavenly Maybe, which closed the show, and had much of the crowd dancing. It was good to hear Embers and Fill My Gums with Blood mid-way through the set; and Carrion was as magnificent as ever. Overall I’d say there was a slight move back towards letting John loose on the guitar.

The encore was a delight: first, surprisingly, was Lonely as a Shark from A Dream Outside – one of my favourites – with singer Felix singing the first verse unaccompanied; and then came that upbeat finale with Heavenly Maybe.

So I’m glad I went along, and it’s good to see that Gengahr are still thriving, after a challenging few years. Long may they continue.

Black Country, New Road and Kinu Trio at Shepherds Bush Empire, 10 October

I went to this one with another friend called John – not one of the usual Jons! John is a great fan of prog, the music I most dislike; though to be honest it’s more on principle these days, as there are plenty of prog bands I quite like really, Genesis being the main example. And some bands I love, like Radiohead, do have a prog element to their music. As for BCNR, as we shall call them, I think they have to be described as modern prog, but with an important difference to the 70s heyday of the genre: there is no bloke in a cape noodling on the keyboards. But there’s always time!

I introduced BCNR to John two or three years ago by playing him the crazed epic that is Sunglasses. I hadn’t realised until recently that it had sown a seed for him and he is now a big fan. More than me, probably – he knew the songs at the Shepherds Bush concert a lot better than I did. Not that Sunglasses was ever going to feature: singer Isaac Wood, who was on their first two albums, left the band just as they released their second, Ants From Up There in February 2022. He had some mental health issues and made a wise decision to put his well-being first, even if the timing was unfortunate. The rest of the band were supportive of their friend, and have said they hope he might return one day. Seems unlikely, but as a mark of their respect for him they don’t play any of the songs from their first two albums. Instead they play a set of new songs, most of which were recorded for an album called Live at Bush Hall which was released in March this year. In effect it is their third album. The recording and playing is so good it almost feels like a studio album.

The band has six members, three women, three men. One of the women, Georgia Ellery, is also a member of the increasingly popular Jockstrap. In that duo she sings, plays guitar and violin and leaps around a lot. A real star. She is more low key in BCNR, sticking mainly to the violin, which is an integral part of their sound. She sang one song in the course of the evening, and arguably is the best singer; but BCNR is very much a collective these days. Musically it always was, but Isaac Wood was such a distinctive vocalist that it was hard to imagine the band without him. But here they are, still pulling in sell-out crowds – two nights at Shepherds Bush and could easily have done more – who seem to know all the songs.

The evening began with Kinu Trio, featuring BCNR’s piano player May Kershaw. She was accompanied by a violinist (not Georgia) and a clarinettist. They said they were going to play a couple of “folk” pieces, but they felt classical – rather like some of the music of 18th and 19th century composers who drew on folk traditions for some of their works. The clarinet inevitably added a jazz feel at times too. Both pieces comprised two quite distinct tunes, and took about half an hour altogether. None of it was familiar to me, but I was very impressed. All very accomplished musicians. I’d happily go to see them play again – a venue like King’s Place would be ideal.

Kinu Trio

Accomplished is a very good word to describe BCNR too. A lot of them are trained musicians, and it shows. Tonight’s concert was outstanding, musically. It was a similar set to that recorded on Live at Bush Hall, though there was at least one new number. I still don’t feel that familiar with the music, though I did see the band at Wide Awake in May this year and have listened to Live at Bush Hall a few times. It’s quite hard to categorise: it’s not rock, it’s not indie, it’s not folk, it’s not jazz, it’s not classical; but it incorporates elements of all of those. It doesn’t sound like 70s prog, but I think it is played in the same spirit. It is an amplified version of chamber music, perhaps. It doesn’t really matter what you call it, of course. The important thing is that quality and the clarity of the sound, of the melodies, was amazing. Not knowing the songs that well didn’t matter – you could just luxuriate in that quality.

The band came on to Dire Straits’ Money for Nothing. Post ironic, or what? Up Song, with its sax intro, was greeted like an old classic by the crowd. And they were up for it throughout the set, grasping at the very occasional guitar outburst for a bit of jumping around. Unlike Black Midi, a band with whom they are associated, BCNR don’t riff out from time to time to give the youngsters a chance to mosh. For me, the highlight came towards the end, with an epic Turbines/Pigs which went through any number of phases and got quite jazzy at times. They played for about an hour and a quarter – enough, but I would happily have listened to more. Black Country, New Road are a very good band.

Honeyblood and Freya Beer at the Social, Fitzrovia, 12 October

As with Gengahr, this was Honeyblood’s first full tour since the pandemic, although Stina Tweeddale, who is Honeyblood these days, played a few gigs around Scotland prior to this tour. The venues are much smaller than Honeyblood were playing up to 2019: lockdown pretty much finished off the band, whose finances were always fairly precarious, I imagine. Stina did maintain contact with her diehard fans via Patreon, playing solo versions of her back catalogue and producing a few covers of songs voted for by her followers, which she put on Bandcamp. I subscribed for a while, but the sessions were often beset by technical problems and I got bored after a while. Time to stick to the memories: there’s no denying that between 2017 and 19 Honeyblood were my favourite new band. The second album, Babes Never Die, which was my introduction to them, must have been my most played for a couple of years, and I made it my album of the year in 2017 (it was released in late 2016). The debut album, Honeyblood, became a firm favourite too. It was only with the third, In Plain Sight (2019) that the doubts crept in. Recorded in LA, it was good, but over-produced, with more electronics and fewer riffs. And overall, the melodies weren’t as strong. Some of the celtic soul had been lost in California.

So, as I made my departure from Patreon, I thought that was pretty much the end. Those first two albums would always have a place in my heart, and that was good enough. But I still followed the band’s social media, and when the tour was announced I felt I had to go along, as with Gengahr, for old times’ sake. My friend Tony said he’d come along too – he’d seen the band play an energetic if slightly shambolic gig at Bush Hall in January 2018 – so I got a couple of tickets for the London show. It was at a place called the Social, on Little Portland Street, not far from the BBC in Portland Place. It’s a bar at ground level with a concert/club space in the basement, holding around 150. Though it was rather compact, it was well-maintained, with a decent bar at the back. We got there in time for the support act, Freya Beer. Like Stina, she was playing her songs solo – for the first time in her case. I really liked one of her early songs Dear Sweet Rosie, which had a great dirty guitar riff straight out of the 70s. Playing those riffs unaccompanied, the songs did sound a bit samey after a while, but Dear Sweet Rosie finished proceedings on a high, and we were ready for Stina.

Freya Beer

The show was sold out and the atmosphere was good – an audience of people who knew and appreciated the songs. Stina came on looking happy and relaxed – none of the tension that used to be evident in her interactions with the crowd pre-pandemic. I felt that maybe she has come to terms with her changed circumstances and has decided to enjoy herself in the here and now, rather than reflect too much on what might have been. The show was a delight, enhanced by the stories that Stina told before some of the songs. That was something she rarely did in the past. Tony thought she went on a bit at times, but I enjoyed hearing her share her experiences and feelings with the audience. The songs were mostly old favourites, mainly from those first two albums, but there were three new songs, entitled Hooked, The Deepest Girl on Earth and Risk. The first two were classic heartfelt Honeyblood tunes; Risk had an almost techno beat, and didn’t really do it for me on first encounter. But it will be interesting to hear the recorded version. There is an album in the making, which is good news.

Highlights for me were Anywhere But Here and Fall Forever from the first album and Justine, Misery Queen and Sea Hearts from Babes Never Die. The song of the same name was also pretty rousing, as was the closer, a joyous version of Super Rat, with the crowd invited to sing along to the chorus: I will hate you forever! Which they did, with gusto. I thought Stina’s guitar-playing had come on as well – more subtle and varied. All that time to practise during lockdown, I guess.

As we left I felt quite uplifted. I’d loved the music, and it was good to see Stina back and thriving – and really enjoying herself. An augury for good things in the future, I hope. Now, bring on that album!

Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour, IMAX Waterloo, 19 October

Like a gazillion other people, I signed up to the website for the Eras tour, specifically the Wembley shows. And like the vast majority I drew a blank in the lottery. Never mind, I’m not that big a fan, and the tickets were very expensive. Back in 2018, the one time when I’ve seen her play live – also at Wembley [link] – I don’t recall any problem getting tickets. I think it’s this post-lockdown thing – you see in it the speed that some festivals like Green Man and End of the Road now sell out, too. It’s like people are making up for lost time.

It was only really with the release of Reputation in 2017 that I really started to appreciate Taylor Swift’s music. Before that I just assumed it wasn’t for me, though I did quite like some of the hits like 22, We are Never Ever Getting Back Together and Shake it Off. But she did, of course, have country roots which weren’t so different to a few artists that I already liked – Kacey Musgraves, for example. And in the UK, Catherine McGrath, whose 2018 debut album Talk of This Town was a great favourite at the time. I now realise it’s an absolute carbon copy of Taylor’s early work. In fairness, Catherine has always been open about the influence of Taylor Swift on her music. And, in fact, it was she who put me onto Reputation, through a video of her covering Gorgeous from that album.

But what really cemented my appreciation Taylor’s music was the release of Folklore in pandemic year 2020. What a beautiful, wistful album that was – perfect for the times. Its companion piece, Evermore, with the wonderful song Willow, was pretty good too. Folklore was my album of 2020, and I still listen to it a lot. The Long Pond Studio Sessions, a Disney + film of Taylor performing the songs acoustically with co-producers Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff in an upstate New York log cabin, is also an absolute joy.

Her latest album, Midnights, is a bit formulaic; but there are two stand out tracks for me; Anti-hero and Karma. The latter is, I think, one of the best things she has ever done: it’s anthemic, has a classic Taylor melody, and the lyrics are very clever. More than a pop song, but also a brilliant pop song.

So, of course I had to see the film. It’s a great initiative. It gives people who went to see the American shows something to remember them by; it gives all the people who missed out an opportunity to experience the show; it does the same for those of us in the rest of the world who can’t see it; and it heightens the anticipation who are going to future shows. It’s a massive commercial success of course, but also exemplifies Taylor’s engagement with her fans, which is part of what made her so popular in the first place. Everyone is a winner. More artists will follow her lead, I suspect.

As for the show, it was brilliant entertainment. Very long: the film came in at just under three hours, and that was wall-to-wall music, apart from a few aerial shots above the SoFi stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles. The actual show has been around three and half hours in length, I believe. Whether that includes the time taken for all the costume changes, I don’t know. There were different outfits – and settings – for each album. All her albums, from the eponymous debut in to last year’s Midnights, were covered. Unsurprisingly there were fewer songs from the early albums, but it was good to hear some of the favourites from that era, as I’m not very familiar with them. The albums weren’t covered in chronological order: the set began with a few from Lovers, the follow up to Reputation, and ended with seven from Midnights. I was beginning to flag a little by then, but was hanging on for Karma, which provided a triumphant finale to the show. Other than that, the highlights for me were the Red section, which came about halfway through the show; and Folklore, which followed. 22 and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together were absolute bangers and the ten minute epic that was All Too Well had me making comparisons with Bruce Springsteen. And how could the Folklore selection fail? Six songs, starting with The 1 and finishing with My Tears Richochet. What was not to like? That was followed by more classics, this time from 1989, which may have got the biggest cheer of the night. And before the Midnights denouement, she slowed down the pace, playing Our Song from her debut album and You’re On Your Own Kid. That last one is also from Midnights, but came before the last section.

Watching it all on the IMAX screen was pretty in-yer-face. But the set was sufficiently varied that it never quite reached the point of sensory overload. And of course you get a sense of detail that few if any would get from the live experience. Even better than the real thing, as U2 once sang? Not really, but not far off!

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“Capturing the Moment” at Tate Modern

Posted on September 27, 2023 by John S

I went along to the Tate Modern on Monday to see one of the current exhibitions, Capturing the Moment. It’s an exploration of the relationship between photography and painting in the 20th century and beyond. I didn’t know much more than that – I hadn’t read any reviews of the exhibition beforehand. Generally I find that’s the best way to go about it, to avoid either heightened expectations or being put off by a critical review. The art world is a fairly small one, I imagine, and no doubt the critics, the curators and indeed the artists all know each other. Probably a lot of them went to the same art schools. And in some cases they may not like each other. That can colour a review at times, I’m sure. I like to read the reviews afterwards, to see if they chime with my own perceptions – or add insights, which they often do. And then I might go again, with a new perspective.

I enjoyed Capturing the Moment. There were plenty of artists familiar to me – it was a bit of a C20 greatest hits – and others I hadn’t come across. I found the themes, while a bit random in places, intriguing. The initial thesis was that the realism that photography brought to images, albeit in a split second, released painters from representative art and encouraged them to explore multiple perspectives. Cubism was the first example, with a number of Picassos to illustrate the point. Bacon and Freud also featured.

Likewise, the varying perspectives in painting encourage photographers to experiment and move away from simple representation. A room was devoted to the photographer Jeff Wall reinterpreting a C18/19 Japanese painter Katsushika Hokusai, while Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimotos’ Seascapes brought abstractions to the medium. In reverse, there were a couple of landscapes by Gerhard Richter that at first glance really looked like photos and Peter Doig took a scene from the movie Friday the 13th for his vivid Canoe Lake.

Andreas Gursky’s grand scale photos, which I think I’d seen before, were endlessly fascinating. I spotted a couple of England football shirts in the one showing a May Day parade in Berlin, and nerdily wondered whether there’d been a World Cup or Euros at the time.  Inevitably David Hockney made an appearance, with one of his striking swimming pool paintings, this one being Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures). This was derived from a series of photos, apparently.

Another theme was the convergence of the two art forms, which was a good excuse to show a Warhol self-portrait – four images in this one, none revealing his inner being of course. And at the end the interface with digital technology was briefly explored. I was surprised that Hockney’s exhibition of digital paintings, Arrival of Spring, Normandy 2020, which I saw at the Royal Academy in 2022, didn’t feature here. Afterwards it occurred to me that perhaps the narrative was woven around the available paintings, rather than driving the selection. But I’m sure that’s often the case.

And then I read the reviews…

The Guardian declared: Capturing the Moment is not a serious exhibition. To draw connections of any sorts between the works feels ultimately specious. Some stuff we borrowed… some stuff we already owned. A more complacent exhibition cannot be imagined.

The Financial Times concluded that it was a lazy apology for an exhibition. The Evening Standard was kinder, more balanced: If you want real insight into the tensions between the two disciplines, you won’t get it here. But you will get dozens of out-and-out bangers, and that’s enough for now.

So there you go! Actually, that Guardian quote is so vitriolic you feel that there must be some personal animus. All exhibitions will comprise stuff you borrowed and stuff you already have, so making that a criticism is itself specious. Overall, there seemed to be disappointment that the exhibition didn’t go deeper into the relationship between photography and painting and wasn’t more comprehensive. Fair enough, but I feel that what you have in this exhibition is not only pretty amazing in its own right – those Evening Standard bangers – but it’s perfectly possible to take the themes outlined and apply your own imagination to make connections. You could say that what the Tate was doing was showing rather telling. I’m OK with that.

It’s worth mentioning that most of the collection was provided by the Taiwanese Yageo Foundation, founded by a billionaire called Pierre Chen, who made his money from electronic components. He bought the Hockney painting on display for over $90m in 2018, the most ever for a work by a living artist. So my impression that the narrative was shaped by the available artworks may have some validity. It might also be what inspired some of the negativity in the reviews. The Guardian critic was rather sniffy about Chen following the blue chip market.

Oh well, make what you will of this. If you haven’t seen the exhibition, go and see it for yourself and make your own mind up about it. Art, after all, means different things to all of us, with our individual perceptions. And to reiterate, I really enjoyed it and will certainly go again – it’s on until 28 January 2024.

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A Thames Journey: (13) From Dartford to Southend and the North Sea

Posted on September 13, 2023 by John S

Mudflats at low tide, Leigh-on-Sea

And so we come to the last of these blogs on the River Thames’ journey: from a hole in the ground in Gloucestershire to where it meets the North Sea. The journey was immensely enjoyable to walk – many times in the London sections – and fun to write about, although I have taken my time over it. Part one was posted in May 2020!

This one’s a little different to the others: not so much a walk along a particular stretch as a few visits. First, it’s Dartford and Gravesend – Dartford for the bridge, Gravesend as it was nearby and historically interesting. Next it’s Canvey Island, based on a trip in April 2016, the primary motivation to pay homage to the great rock’n’roll band Dr Feelgood. And finally Leigh-on-Sea and Southend-on Sea. It’s here where the Thames becomes the North Sea – and I’d never been to Southend before and was curious to see what it was really like.

So let’s get going with a trip to the North Kent coast…

Dartford to Gravesend

From Erith you can see the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in distant outline. I was keen to take a closer look, which was why I took the train to Dartford in March this year with my friend Dave. I’m not quite sure why he agreed to come, given that the bonus element was Gravesend, but he did! Maybe it was the promise of a Hawksmoor steak in Borough back in London afterwards that did it. Anyway, we met at Waterloo East station and made the trip to Dartford station.  Only takes 45 minutes.

We weren’t exploring the town today, as the aim was to get down to the Thames and along to the bridge. The bit we did see was indentikit modern English town. But Dartford does have an interesting history, not least the fact that its name comes from when the Romans were building a road from Dover to London – Watling Street – and needed to build a bridge over the River Darent. It’s only 18 miles from London, and was an important stop for travellers to Canterbury and the Continent in medieval times. It may also have been a place of rebellion. It lays claim to being the home of the Peasants’ Revolt leader Wat Tyler in the 14th Century.

It is a bit of a trek down to the Thames – we took nearly 45 minutes, walking through industrial estates alongside the Darent and then down a road through the reclaimed marshes. The Dartford Badlands, I thought. Various settlements here and there – a caravan site, a clay pigeon shooting range, a model aircraft airfield; but mostly bleakness. With a certain beauty, but you could imagine some gangland scores being settled out here.

Dartford Public Slipway

The Darent

First glimpse of the bridge

Anyway, we made it to the Thames without incident and went over to look at the Dartford Creek Flood Barrier. It opened in November 1982 and is designed to modulate the tidal flow from the Thames during particularly high tides. It protects Dartford from flooding, as well as nearby Crayford, which lies on a tributary of the Darent, the River Cray. There is a path over it, but it is not accessible to the public. In fact there is no crossing over the Darent before Dartford itself. This means that anyone walking along the coastal path has to walk into Dartford and out again, adding over an hour to their journey. I imagine this will change in the future, especially that there is a newly designated coastal path stretching from Woolwich in London to the Isle of Grain in North Kent.

Mouth of the Darent

Dartford Creek Flood Barrier

The Darent nearing the Thames

From the mouth of the Darent it takes about half an hour to reach the bridge. On the opposite side is Purfleet and then Thurrock. The shore is lined with docks and visiting ships.

Think this is the Royal Hotel, Purfleet

The bridge is part of the Dartford Crossing – there are also two tunnels. Except when there are high winds and the bridge is closed, the bridge is used for southbound traffic and the tunnels for northbound. The west tunnel opened in 1963, the east tunnel in 1980. The bridge began construction in 1988 and opened in 1991. The crossing connects the north and south sides of the London Orbital, the M25, via the A282. It is the only road crossing of the Thames east of Greater London and is heavily congested, even though it is a toll road. The bridge is a stunning piece of architecture. It’s a suspension bridge and was designed by a German civil engineer called Hellmut Homborg.

From the bridge we walked along the river to Greenhithe, which had a pleasant riverside street. We stopped at a pub called the Pier Hotel for a beer then decided the 6-7 miles we had already walked was enough and we caught a train to Gravesend.

Some views on the way to Greenhithe.

A kestrel hovers above its prey

My overall impression of Gravesend was that it was a bit neglected, down-at-heel. For example there was a long Georgian terrace leading from the river to the clock tower – itself an impressive sight – where a lot of the buildings seemed to be covered with dust. Quite a few looked disused. That said, there was plenty of interest to see in the town.

Gravesend Clock Tower, modelled on Big Ben

Given its position on the Thames, Gravesend has a long history as a maritime and military centre, and the Port of London Authority still has its headquarters there. Back in 1380, during the Hundred Years War, it was sacked and burned by the Castilian Fleet. It was later heavily fortified, and the remains of various forts can be seen in Fort Gardens, down by the river. There is also a range of cannon and anti-aircraft guns, the latter dating from the Second World War. The oldest building in Gravesend, Milton Chantry, is also in Fort Gardens. It was built in the 14th century as a chantry chapel, where people prayed for the souls of the dead. It was connected to a hospital for lepers and housed a number of priests – until Henry VIII took it into Crown hands. Later it became a private residence and then a tavern, before being built into the military fortifications. After the Second World War it was converted into a local history museum.

Milton Chantry

There are a couple of short but elegant piers on the river and a ferry that runs between Gravesend and Tilbury, another significant docks in the modern age.

Heading for Tilbury

Tilbury Docks

One of Gravesend’s oddest historical connections is that the renowned native American Pocahontas died there. Born in 1596, she was the daughter of a prominent chief, Powhatan, in what is now Virginia. She was captured and held for ransom by English colonists in 1613. She was encouraged to convert to Christianity and was baptised as Rebecca. She married a tobacco planter John Rolfe in 1614 and had a son, Thomas, in 1615. The Rolfes travelled to London in 1616 and she became a celebrity in English society. They set sail for Virginia in 1617 and stopped in Gravesend, where she died of unknown causes. She is buried in the grounds of St George’s church, in the centre of the town, although the exact location of the grave is not known today. There is a monument to her in the church grounds.

St George’s church – Pocahontas and Dave in foreground!

Canvey Island

Canvey Island is in Essex, a few miles west of Leigh-on-Sea. It’s barely an island, separated from the mainland by often narrow creeks. The nearest station is Benfleet; trains run from Liverpool Street. My sole visit, with Kath, Jon and Maggie, was in August 2016. We walked a full circuit of the island, which was around 16 miles. Travelling clockwise, the walk down to the beach and entertainments on the south coast was interesting; the latter half, often ploughing through narrow tracks between bushes, was quite arduous, especially in the August heat.

Looking over to Leigh-on-Sea

There is evidence that the Romans occupied Canvey Island, notably some remnants of salt mines and fragments of pottery and glassware which suggest that there may have been port facilities of some kind. From the Saxons onwards the main use of the land was in farming, and in particular sheep. The island has always been prone to flooding from the North Sea tides and in the 17th century Dutch engineers were brought in to construct sea defences. Some of them settled on the island, which explains why some of the street names are Dutch.

From the Victorian era onwards, Canvey became popular as a holiday resort and became more developed. A casino was built in the 1930s and other entertainments thereafter. The Labworth beach café has had its up and downs, but has been restored and is a splendid example of art deco architecture. The holiday industry suffered from competition from cheap package holidays from the 80s onwards, but there are still ranks of mobile homes juxtaposed with gas and petrochemical storage facilities!

Labworth Beach

The cafe

Holiday destination!

The island’s first oil terminal opened in 1937, and gas terminals for LNG opened in 1959. Various plans to build an oil refinery on the island in the 60s and 70s all came to nothing; but a very long pier was built for the purpose. It was never needed and sits there as a rather magnificent white elephant.

That white elephant

In February 1953, huge floods overwhelmed the sea defences and 58 people died, including many in holiday homes. 13,000 people were evacuated. More robust sea walls were constructed around most of the island after that. They are very evident as you walk around.

A few views from the second half of the walk.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the blog, Jon and I were keen to visit to pay homage to Dr Feelgood, who were from Canvey island, and see the place where they took the photos for the cover of their classic album Down by the Jetty, released in 1975. That album revolutionised my and my metal-loving friends’ musical taste –  and the way we wanted to look. Short sharp songs, scruffy jackets and thin ties became the order of the day. That set us up for the advent of punk a year later. The Feelgoods truly were pioneers, guitarist Wilko the master of the staccato riff. We’re not quite sure we managed to locate the exact location of those iconic photos, but we did have our picture taken in front of a mural on the sea wall down by the beach.

Jon left, John right

Leigh-on-Sea to Southend-on-Sea   

Dave, Jon, Tony and I took a train from Fenchurch Street to Leigh-on-Sea one morning in February this year. We managed to pick a gorgeous sunny day, which made a real difference to the trip. I don’t think any of us had actually caught a train from Fenchurch Street before, so that was quite exciting in a nerdy sort of way.

I felt a tinge of nostalgia as we passed through Laindon and Basildon stations: my Gran used to live in Laindon for many years after she was moved out of Willesden in north-west London. I used to spend time there in the school summer holidays as a teenager. She lived on a featureless housing estate with very few amenities, but I managed to amuse myself. Indeed, I did my Business Studies A Level project in Basildon M&S. The lunches were great! It’s solid West Ham territory too, the Essex hinterland, which gives me a strange affinity for the place.

I wanted to visit Southend for a sense of completion to this Thames journey, it being where the river ends and becomes the sea. And I’d never been before. As with Canvey Island, I associated it with a crucial band in my musical development, Eddie and the Hot Rods. The Rods were contemporaries of the Feelgoods’ and also played rock’n’roll, but even faster! I played one of their songs, a cover of Bob Seger’s Get Out of Denver, before every A Level exam I took in the summer of 1977. It was on an EP called Live at the Marquee which remains one of my most treasured records.

Southend’s history seems fairly obscure before it developed as a seaside resort in the 19th century, with the coming of the railways. Like so many resorts it thrived until people started going abroad more on cheap packages. It developed its service industry and was headquarters for the Access credit card company. Tourism kept going – it’s convenient for a day trip out of east London and is a commuter town. The Fenchurch Street Line was known for some time as the Misery Line, but you don’t hear that so much these days.

We got off at Leigh and headed down to the estuary. The tide was out, to reveal glistening mudflats in the sun, dotted with stranded boats, silhouetted when you looked in the direction of the sun. On the shore below us were rows of cockle sheds – they are farmed round here. I think oysters are too – they were certainly prominent in the restaurants and bars which lined the cobbled seafront street. Very tempting to stop for a snack, but we had a lunchtime booking in Southend. Leigh used to be a fishing port, and it looked as if there is still some activity, but the port silted up a long time ago. It has reinvented itself as a resort and culinary centre.

Cockle sheds

The walk into central Southend covered around three miles, and ran alongside the railway. On the other side of the railway there were some smart and interesting houses, some quite modern in design (photo). We passed areas called Westcliff and Clifftown, where it looks like there is a lot of money. We speculated that it might be a combination of retirees and wealthy traders and bankers working in the City of London – a fair number of them hail from Essex. I guess we all expected Southend to look a little run down, another faded seaside town. But not at all, at least by the seafront. It looked like there had been a lot of recent development.

 

 

Just before Westcliff, at Chalkwell, there is an obelisk-like pillar out to sea. Clearly visible at low tide of course. Known as the Crowstone, until 1857 it marked the seaward limit of the jurisdiction of the City of London over the Thames. The jurisdiction now lies with the Port of London Authority, though its remit extends considerably further into the North Sea. Meanwhile, I will happily take the Crowstone as the point where the Thames meets the North Sea.

The place was buzzing as we neared the famous Southend pier, the longest in the world.  It was half term week and the amusement park was in full flow.

Some people think this is fun!

We didn’t have time to go along the pier, as we were heading along the Eastern Esplanade to a restaurant on the beach called Billy Hundred’s Fish’n’Tapas. Just past the pier we passed the Kursaal, which is now closed. It was one of the earliest amusement parks, built in the early 20th century. I remember it as a rock venue in the 70s and 80s. Indeed there was a pub rock band called the Kursaal Flyers. It functioned more recently as a bowling alley and casino. They ceased operations in 2019-20. It seems a shame that such an iconic building lies empty – it doesn’t seem in keeping with the general revitalisation of the seafront.

The Kursaal

We had half an hour to spare before lunch so we popped into a big pub called the Castle Hotel, which was ornate and packed with snooker/pool tables and dartboards as a seaside pub should be. And then it was time for Billy Hundred’s. It’s just a small beach café, but the food and service was outstanding and very reasonably-priced. We started with some large Leigh Shore G&Ts and shared a couple of bottles of a fresh Verdejo. To eat we had a range of seafood and vegetable dishes, all done in interesting ways. With sides of chips of course – it was the seaside. The sun blazed through the plastic sheeting, making it feel like summer. An unexpected treat.

Castle Hotel

Billy’s from the beach

Those Leigh Shore G&Ts – complete with samphire

I popped out during the meal to take a few photos of the pier from the beach, as well as the one of Billy’s. And across the estuary you could see the refineries on the Isle of Grain. I went there once in the early 80s when I was at BP, as part of a course learning about other parts of the business than our own (I was an economist). Fascinating place – the scale and complexity. I also remember there were a few rather dirty sheep munching away on the surrounding grass. Apparently they were employed for the task as they couldn’t risk mowers causing sparks and causing an explosion.

This one taken after we left Billy’s. Sea coming in

A grainy shot of Grain

We lingered in Billy’s rather longer than planned and didn’t leave ourselves enough time to visit the Beecroft Art gallery, which sounded promising. Next time… there must be a next time. We did have time to witness a glorious sunset from the Royal Terrace, above the seafront. A fitting end to a trip that greatly exceeded our expectations.

Some parting shots.

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End of the Road 2023

Posted on September 10, 2023 by John S

Wilco on the main stage, Thursday night

My seventh End of the Road since Jon and I started coming in 2016, and quite possibly the best. Mind you, I think I often say that! But the line-up had some of my favourite bands of the moment, and I’d taken the trouble to listen to the excellent EOTR 2023 playlist on Spotify, so had a list of new artists I wanted to find out more about. On top of that, the weather, apart from some rain on Thursday, was perfect; and Jon and I once again took the glamping option, which meant a ready-assembled tent, a comfortable and warm bed, a handy local café and decent showers. Little things can make quite a difference to the experience.

But of course it was all about the music – with a little bit of spoken word in the mornings.

Thursday 31 August

There was drizzly rain most of the afternoon and it felt a bit chilly, but thankfully the rain stopped just before performances got going. There was another burst later, but that was it for the festival. Summer arrived just in time!

The first band we saw, in the Folly tent (formerly the Tipi) was Beige Banquet, a London-based five piece whose frenetic jerky riffs bear comparison with the likes of Duds, Crack Cloud, Squid and going further back, Gang of Four. So much begins with the Gang of Four. I really enjoyed their high energy set, particularly the excellent closing song Wired/Weird.

The Last Dinner Party, on the main Woods stage, were a mixed bag, just as they were at Latitude. It was a lively show, with singer Abigail throwing herself around and occasionally revealing her inner Kate Bush. Once again, I heard quite a lot of Sparks in the sound, including the intro to their now-anthemic hit Nothing Matters. That is a very good pop song. They are obviously going places.

Brigitte Calls Me Baby in the Tipi were completely new to me until I heard their song on the playlist, Eddie my Love. I liked its 60s feel – or was it 80s? They hail from LA and play rock’n’roll which is one part Strokes, one part the Smiths and the rest an amalgam of 60s R&B and surf music. So nothing new, but the songs were well-constructed, with catchy melodies. Singer Wes Leavins is a stylish front man with more than a touch of Smiths-era Morrissey. A fine performance.

Wilco headlined the main stage. I used to listen to the band quite a lot back in the 2000s. I liked the mix of Americana with occasional left-field twist. The formula remains the same, with a strong emphasis on the Americana. Singer Jeff Tweedy, somewhat more portly than he used to be, was in fine voice throughout. But there were some searing guitar solos at unusual moments and an extended piece at the end which was full-on motorik beats and screeching guitars. Spiders (Kidsmoke) it’s called. A rousing end to the first evening.

Friday 1 September

Literature

Jon and I went to all three of the book talks down at the Talking Heads stage today. It’s a beautiful setting amid the trees, with the Dorset hills in the background. The straw bales were still a bit damp, but I had a plastic bag with me, which prevented wet bum syndrome! First up was scientist and nature writer Amy-Jane Beer who published a book about rivers called The Flow last year. As a bit of river obsessive myself, I enjoyed the talk, though there was rather a lot about kayaking. Next was Harriet Gibsone, music writer, Guardian journalist and now a freelancer. She’s written a memoir called Is it OK? which delves into her relationship with the internet, her obsessions – which include Coldplay singer Chris Martin! – and grappling with depression, the menopause and motherhood. Sounds heavy, but she was actually very funny and incredibly candid. A very engaging interview. Finally Emma Warren, a music journalist specialising in the dance genre – she’s also a DJ – talked about her recent book Dance Your Way Home; A Journey through the Dancefloor. She did it without an interviewer, which was a mistake, as she lost the benefit of interaction; but her passion for all things dance, including kitchen moves and school discos, came through strongly. I liked the way she talked about dancing your history and your story (which she distinguished). In fact, later in the day, as a woman in front of me at Angel Olsen danced a peculiar dance, all hand movements, I thought, she’s dancing her history – or maybe it was her story.

Amy-Jane Beer

Harriet Gibsone on the right

Emma Warren

That setting

Music

After a brief excursion to Ursa Major Moving Group (one person!) in the Folly, which was not for us, the first music of the day was American band Say She She. If you enjoy the recreation of the 70s disco and soul sound, this band could be for you. The crowd were soon dancing. I enjoyed it for about 20 minutes then got a little bored. Next up, on the Garden stage were Horse Lords. I’d been intrigued by the track Zero Degree Machine on the playlist, which combined some African-style guitar with a crunching beat and strident sax. The show had all those things and more. It was avant garde jazz meets math rock, pretty intense. Played by geeky-looking bunch of Americans from Baltimore. Intriguing – further exploration required.

Say She She

Horse Lords

It then got even better on the Garden stage, with Daniel Norgren. Exquisite swamp blues, straight out of Mississippi, or maybe Chicago. Daniel’s first extended guitar solo over a gently rolling beat was a thing of great beauty. Standing in the sunshine it brought a tear to my eye! It took me back to a similarly revelatory show many years back at Latitude, when I first came across Duke Garwood. This was the essence of America – and Daniel and band looked straight out of 70s blues rock casting. I googled his name, only to find that he was in fact Swedish! Of course it didn’t stop me loving every note he played. A wonderful gig.

It was the Garden stage again 45 minutes later for the Mary Wallopers. What a hugely entertaining show this was. The band are from Dundalk in Ireland, and their music was a cross between the Dubliners and the Pogues. Of course those two bands, from different generations but with a shared heritage, did come together from time to time. The Mary Wallopers continue the tradition, combining rousing stomps and forlorn ballads. The themes are timeless: economic struggle, exile, lost love, the booze. The patter between the songs is good natured and humorous, even when the content of the songs is serious. But most of all, it’s a big party and everyone is invited. The crowd was really rocking by the end, front and back. I’m not sure I’ve seen it quite like that at the Garden before. I’ll be looking out for a London show to repeat the experience!

After the intensity and energy of the three Garden shows, I felt like something a little more relaxing, and wandered down to the Talking Heads stage for Sessa, a Brazilian guitarist and singer. He played a set of gentle ballads on his acoustic guitar in a kind of bossa nova style. He was accompanied by a backing vocalist, Paloma, who added to the dreamy effect. And all this in the gorgeous setting of the Talking Heads stage, with the trees lit up in reds and blues. Truly, my soul was soothed.

Final show of the night was Angel Olsen, headlining the Garden stage. I’ve always enjoyed her music, both the heart-rending ballads and the more trenchant rockers. Recently she’s delved more into country too. All were present tonight, in something of a greatest hits show. She played with a real confidence that comes from success, and was relaxed and humorous in between songs. It was noticeable how much the women in the audience were relating to it – it’s in the lyrics, I think. I was delighted that she played Sister, which is my favourite song of hers, and features a couple of searing Neil Young-style guitar solos. Shut Up Kiss Me packed a punch, and All the Good Times oozed country heartbreak. And it still sounds a bit like Good Year for the Roses!  A very satisfying end to the first full day.

When I say final show, I mean for me and Jon. There is plenty of entertainment into the early hours, notably in the Folly tent, where there are always a couple of surprise shows featuring some of the livelier bands from the day’s line-up. Looking back at my 2016 review, I was reminded that I went to a couple of late shows: Wild Beast in the Big Top and the Big Moon in what was then the Tipi tent. In between we went to see Natasha Khan of Bat for Lashes do some DJ’ing. These days though, Jon and I prefer to pace ourselves. Need to retain energy for the whole weekend. Needless to say the younger members of our group did not follow the same strategy!

Saturday 2 September

I skipped the literature talks today, had a leisurely breakfast, read a bit and wrote up some notes in the sunshine. So the first thing today was Mabe Fratti and her band on the Garden stage. Mabe is a cellist and singer. She’s Guatemalan, based in Mexico. She came to my attention in 2021, with her extraordinary album Sera Que Ahora Podremos Entendernos? Translated that’s Will We Be Able to Understand Each Other Now? It combined wildness and beauty in equal measure, and the sounds she generated from her cello were remarkable. Kath and I saw her live at King’s Place in 2022 in a captivating show. That one had moved on from the music of the first album, but today she returned to it. And it was awe-inspiring. Together (I think) with guitarist Hector Tosta – with whom she’s about to release an album, Vidrio, under the name of Titanic – she created a beautifully atmospheric soundscape, even under the blazing sun. Over that her vocals wafted, while the drummer added an unobtrusive but sympathetic beat. I was truly engrossed, and I could see that others around me were too. A festival highlight, for sure.

Irish folk singer John Francis Flynn was another playlist discovery. I loved his haunting rendition of Come My Little Son, which tells the tale of a father’s regret at being away from his son as he works on England’s motorways. John cuts an imposing figure: a big man, dressed in black, with a bushy black beard. But he sings and plays with great sensitivity. The music ambled by, almost soporific in the afternoon sun. There were a couple of perkier numbers towards the end, and a lovely version of Come My little Son, which he said was a Ewan McColl song. That made sense. John Francis Flynn continues the tradition.

After a break back at the tent, we returned to Kokoroko on the main stage. The perfect band for a sunny afternoon. Joyous sounds melding jazz funk, salsa, Afro-beats. The trumpet and trombone to the fore, embellished by funky guitar and insistent drum and bass. One or two punchy guitar solos added to the mix. The crowd responded in the only way they could – with a lot of dancing. Kokoroko know how to make you feel good!

There was a secret guest scheduled for 7.15 on the main stage. Louis found out that it was going to be Wet Leg, who seem to have conquered the world since the release of their insanely catchy song Chaise Longue in the summer of 2021. Jon and I can lay claim to have been early adopters, having seen them play to a capacity crowd on Latitude’s Alcove stage in July that year. But I must admit that I found the debut album a bit disappointing, a bit of an indie/glam rehash. Nothing much to distinguish it, except for that glorious first single. They felt like a bit of an industry hype, and as they gained mainstream success I lost interest. But given that they were playing EOTR I had to see them. And they were good. Not sensational, but entertaining, and clearly enjoying the unexpected fame. And of course the last song was Chaise Longue – played a little differently, but still a full-on celebration.

Jon and the others left Wet Leg after about 15 minutes as they are massive Crack Cloud fans, and wanted to see the whole of their set on the Garden stage. I went along after Wet Leg had finished and saw just over half the show. I’ve not been that keen on them in the past – we saw them once at Green Man and I found them a bit too shouty. But this evening I was very impressed. Their music is in a similar vein to Beige Banquet’s, but more complex, the lyrics more profound. The band, who are Canadian, met while recovering from drug addiction, something which clearly informs their lyrics. The music is intense and incredibly rhythmic. Most impressive was the singer and drummer Zak Choy. To be able to sing so passionately and keep the beat driving on – holding the rest of the band together – is some feat. And I was delighted that the one song I know well, Drab Measure, was played at the end. Superbly. A great performance.

After a few songs from the indie rockers Lime Garden (which I’m struggling to recall) it was the Garden stage again for our last show of the night, Arooj Aftab. An interesting choice of Saturday headliner – not one to get people up and rocking – but EOTR is never predictable. I saw Arooj play a wonderful show at the Barbican earlier this year, with pianist Vijay Iyer and bassist Shahzad Ismaily. That performance centred on their album Love in Exile; tonight she was back to her earlier songs, including those from the excellent 2021 album Vulture Prince. She was accompanied by a harpist and double bass player. Together they wove an eerie, enchanting spell. Arooj’s voice was a thing of wonder as it wafted through the night air. Music to dream by.

Jon and I had planned to see electronic dance duo Overmono in the Big Top. But by the time we got there it had reached capacity, and there were queues to get in. We decided to call it a day. Louis reported the next day that they had been brilliant. But there’ll be another time.

Sunday 4 September

Of all the days this was the one I’d been most looking forward to. Four of my current favourite artists all playing: Indigo Sparke, Gretel Hanlyn, Biig Piig and the Murder Capital. No clashes. Bring it on!

Literature

One literary talk for me today, which was Richard Morton Jack being interviewed about his book Nick Drake: A Life. This may well be the definitive account of Drake’s short life: although not an authorised biography as such, Morton Jack was given access to all of Drake’s papers and possessions by his sister Gabrielle, along with the diary that his father kept when Drake was back home, suffering from the mental illness which eventually led to his death at the age of 26. The discussion was fascinating. It focused on Drake’s early life, before he went to Cambridge University and made his now revered trio of albums. In doing so it debunked the myth that Drake was always an introverted, tortured soul, a doomed poet. Far from it, it seems. They essentially ran out of time before heading to more familiar territory; but it was good to hear the positive aspects. I’ll be buying the book.

Music

First music of the day was Australian band Floodlights on the Garden stage. The playlist track Lessons Learnt reminded me a little of a New Zealand band from the 90s, the Mutton Birds. Live, the band had one of those big rock sounds that I associate with Scottish bands like Big Country, Simple Minds and Glasvegas, but the history of indie music was written into their songs. Nothing particularly original, though the EOTR programme talked about vivid lyrics painting landscapes of the Australian bush. I thought they were an engaging band with good, strong songs and merit further exploration.

We caught a little bit of Divorce on the main stage – surprising countryish – and then tried Madmadmad in the Big Top. The playlist track Gwarn gave me Talking Heads vibes, which is always a good thing. Live the three of them, armed with an array of keyboards and effects, pounded out some hard-rocking dance beats, embellished in one song by a raging guitar. An in-yer-face sound, which I enjoyed for a few songs, before I started to feel I’d heard enough and could do with something a bit more soothing.

Note the Big Top floating tiger – referred to later!

I hopped over to the Folly, where Australian singer-songwriter Gena Rose Bruce was just starting her show. She picked at an acoustic guitar while her companion Connie, an old school friend, threaded gentle electric guitar patterns around the melodies. Gena’s singing reminded me a little of Faye Webster; so too did the songs. That’s a recommendation!  An unassuming but highly enjoyable performance.

That set me up nicely for another Aussie singer-songwriter: my favourite of the moment, Indigo Sparke. Her 2022 album Hysteria was my album of the year; its predecessor, Echo, made No2 in 2021. I find her songs captivating, subtly moving. There’s a real beauty – and sadness – in her voice. She does have a band back in the US where she is based, but once again – I’ve seen her twice recently – she was solo, except for the last song where a friend accompanied her on vocals. She played a familiar mix of songs from her two albums, plucking a rather splendid green acoustic-electric guitar. She had the crowd entranced – no talking during the songs for this one. I found myself almost in a dream-like state; but that ended abruptly when she announced that she’d come to her last song, a Cat Power cover. Up to that point she’d only played half an hour. After that last song she could have played a couple more; but in fairness it was very hot and maybe that was as much as she could manage. A case of quality rather than quantity today, and I really would like to see her with a band sometime.

After a break, Jon and I headed up to the main stage to see soul veteran Lee Fields. He is an absolutely classic old school soul man, Resplendent in shiny green suit, he threw a few James Brown shapes and sounded like a cross between Al Green and, especially on the ballads, Otis Redding. The energy he brought to the stage, aged 72, was impressive. His old school-ness grated a little when he talked about the ladies, and he elicited a groan when he asked one man at the front whether the woman next to him belonged to him. He meant well, of course and he had the crowd eating out of his hand for the most part. His band were super-slick, his voice soulful to the nth degree. A perfect sound for a gorgeous late summer’s day.

I so love the contrasts you get at festivals. From the sweet soul of Lee Fields we launched into the wild punk riffing of Panic Shack in a hot and sweaty Folly tent. Panic Shack are four women with a male drummer, and they have attitude to spare! Any stupid man who does them a disservice gets a full-on riposte in their venomous – and amusing – lyrics. They are best known thus far for their song The Ick, which describes going on a date which starts to go wrong when the singer discovers that her companion puts the milk in his tea first! And then he shushes her in the cinema. It’s over. The energy of the songs was infectious, and they did it all with smiles on their faces. They threw in a few amusing little dance moves too. It was all going so well until, after about 25 minutes, there was a power cut. They took that in typically good spirit and came back on for another rousing ten minutes before there was another power cut. That finished off the set unfortunately; but Panic Shack made a really positive impression.

Fortunately power was restored in time for Gretel Hänlyn to have time to tune up before her show, and it stayed on. Gretel said that the generator had been in a pool of water. Presumably some kind of leak. So that was a relief. The band started up the riff for Apple Juice and they proceeded to play the best set I have seen them do yet. Latitude was good, but this was even better. It no doubt helped that I was quite close to the front, but they are exuding a confidence these days that comes from the hard graft of live shows. The crowd was a good size and Gretel seemed very pleased and energised by that. The melodies were strong and clear; the riffs packed a real punch. I loved it all, but particularly enjoyed Wiggy and Drive amongst the uptempo songs and the two ballads, Connie – which Gretel declared her favourite song – and In the Water. As is now customary, the show ended on a high with Today (can’t help but cry), which belies its title. Great stuff.

Straight over to the Big Top next for Biig Piig. When I got there the gates were shut at the front. But a side entrance was still open. I got in and made my way further back to get a clear(ish) line of sight. The place was heaving. Jessica – she who is Biig Piig – was awestruck by the number of people that had come to see her. She has come a long way over the last year. Over the course of the show, as some people drifted out, I was able to get quite near the front. Still couldn’t take a decent photo though – she is a non-stop bundle of energy, bouncing from one side of the stage to the other. The set was similar to the one at Electric Brixton in March, with a good selection of her earlier jazzy grooves, some of the lyrics sung in Spanish (Jessica spent part of her childhood in Spain).  Towards the end the tempo accelerated, kicked off by a banging version of Switch, followed by Feels Right and finally Kerosene. Phew! It definitely felt right.

Three great shows, Panic Shack, Gretel Hänlyn and Biig Piig, in succession. Could it get any better than that?

The one I was waiting for was the late show in the Big Top: the Murder Capital. First I went down to the main stage to catch a bit of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. They’re an Australian ensemble who are remarkably popular with the youngsters despite the fact that they play an updated version of 70s prog rock. Not my favourite genre, which explains why I don’t know their music very well. That said, Louis and Gab are huge fans, so I thought it was time to give them a go. I didn’t see the others as they were right at the front, but I got a good view and watched for about 45 minutes. Twenty-five of those were all one piece: an extended guitar and keyboard work out. And I rather liked it – it had a rolling groove and the band are very energetic as they go about their business. It’s well-presented too, with vivid lighting and an ever-changing psychedelic backdrop. I could happily have stayed for the whole show, but I wanted to grab some food before that final event.

Could it get any better?

You know the answer. The Murder Capital were unbelievable. Unbelievably good. As good as it gets. A truly amazing concert. They just seem to get better and better. More drama, more swagger, more everything. I got there quite early – I wasn’t going to miss any of this one – and let the others know where I was. They found me before the show, so we enjoyed it together. The structure of the show was similar to Latitude, but there were a few changes of song. They started with The Stars Will Leave Their Stage, which has a feel of Bowie at his most grandiose. And singer James McGovern upped the grandiosity. After that he quipped, this is the first time I’ve had to sing staring at a tiger’s arse, referring to the model floating above the crowd (see Madmadmad photo). The grandiosity is left for the songs! And then it was time to rock, with Return my Head and a pile-driving More is Less, by which time full scale moshing had erupted. We had a good view of that, standing just to the side of where the ripple effect ended. You learn these things over the years!

We then had the sequence of slower but no less dramatic songs, featuring for the first time that I have seen, the brilliant Slowdance I and II: the latter a searing instrumental, which they reworked considerably from the recorded version tonight. It involved the band forming a huddle at one point, as the guitars thrashed. Things then started to build to the climax with a scintillating For Everything. Our appetites truly whetted, it was time for the energy rush of the final three: Feeling Fades, Ethel, Don’t Cling to Life. Anthemic, chaotic, exhilarating. The band and crowd lit in deep blue. Truly, truly sensational.

We came out of the Big Top buzzing. It’s not the first time that the Murder Capital have sent us away on a high – it happened in the Tipi tent on the Sunday of the 2019 festival. But this was different scale. Right now there cannot be many better live bands around. They’re so good I’m going to see them again in November, in Glasgow. That will be something else.

And so another exceptional End of the Road drew to a close. The best ever? There’s always a temptation to say that about the one you’ve just experienced, especially when it ends on a high like tonight.  Let’s just say that End of the Road does the business every time. I’ve already bought my ticket for next year!

All over

 

 

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Sportsthoughts (194) – Premier League predictions 2023-24

Posted on August 19, 2023 by John S

A week late, so with the benefit of knowing the first round of results and a few more transfer developments – notably Chelsea – here are my predictions for this season;

Champions – Arsenal

2nd – Newcastle

3rd – Man City

4th – Liverpool

5th – Chelsea

6th – Man Utd

7th – Tottenham

8th – Aston Villa

9th – Brighton

10th – West Ham

11th – Brentford

12th – Fulham

13th – Bournemouth

14th – Burnley

15th – Nottm Forest

16th – Wolves

17th – Crystal Palace

18th – Everton

19th – Luton

20th – Sheff Utd

The obvious thing to do would be to go for Man City to win for the fourth time in a row. They are the bookies’ favourites. The relentless machine, with Haaland scoring at ease. But, they have lost Gundogan and Mahrez and now De Bruyne is out for four months with a hamstring injury. So far only Kovacic and Gvardiol have been brought in. It was expected they would get Paqueta from West Ham, but he is now being investigated for betting irregularities, so that might put them off. Arsenal, on the other hand, have brought in Havertz from Chelsea, Timber from Ajax (though he has been injured and may be out for the season), keeper Raya from Brentford, and most important, the best English midfielder, Declan Rice from West Ham. With Dec they must win the league – I won’t forgive them if they don’t!

I’ve put Newcastle second. Initially I had them sixth, on the basis that being in the Champions League might stretch the squad. But they are reinforcing – with all that Saudi money – and the attacking riches on display against Aston Villa on Saturday, with Tonali and Barnes spectacular additions, made me think that this team could already be the equal of the fabled Kevin Keegan team in the 90s.

Of course there is wishful thinking in my first and second. Quite likely the boring thing will happen and City will win again. Just like Bayern Munich always do in Germany, even in an off colour season. But please let it be interesting…

The rest of the top six is equally intriguing. There are cases for all three to get that fourth place, if not higher. Man Utd are solid, and have strengthened, with Onana in goal, Mount in attacking midfield, and the young striker Hojlund. They are experienced but have quite a few ageing players. Liverpool have brought in MacAllister and Szoboszlai in midfield, but have lost defensive midfielders to the Saudi league and have been gazumped by Chelsea for Caicedo and Lavia in the last week. That said, if the forwards can stay fit and Trent moves into midfield again, they could be exciting. I’m putting them fourth, even though I’m tempted by Chelsea, partly because of those two midfield purchases. They are still spending like crazy, and seemingly avoiding financial fair play strictures by giving players eight year contracts, and amortising their cost over those eight years. It will catch up with them though. I’m an admirer of Pochettino as a manager, and I think he will turn them into an exciting and well-organised team. But it may take a while, and they still don’t have a forward who feels nailed on to get twenty-odd goals. Chilwell and James as wing backs are superb, but both are injury-prone. James is already out with another hamstring problem. So I think it might be fifth for them. Am I right in thinking that might earn a Champions League place in the following season?

The next bunch are interchangeable too. Spurs have finally lost Harry Kane, which is clearly a massive blow in footballing terms and psychologically. But it might be the making of Richarlison as a Spurs striker; and Son, despite a disappointing season last time, remains a world class player. New manager Postecoglou did well at Celtic, and will give the team a boost. But I’m not sure the quality is there for top six this season. Likewise Villa, despite further strengthening of the squad over the summer. Two key players, Buendia and Mings are already ruled out with long term ACL injuries. As for Brighton, every year I predict they will do worse than in the previous season, and I’m always wrong! But I think the same this year: how much longer can they keep on selling their best players – MacAllister and Caicedo this time – and finding high quality replacements? Ninth would be respectable for them.

That brings me onto my team, West Ham. Who knows? I’ve gone for tenth, because I do think there is quality in the squad. We’ve lost Dec, which is traumatic though expected. We may lose Paqueta to City, though the betting investigations may hold that up. He is a brilliant player and showed that in the latter half of the season. It would be good to keep him, even with the shadow of a ban over him. Alvarez from Ajax looks like a good addition in defensive midfield – he has 69 caps for Mexico at the age of 25. James Ward-Prowse from Southampton is a quality midfielder too. His set pieces are second to none. I hope he abandons that stupid golf swing when he scores, though. We could still do with a good alternative to Antonio up front. I was hoping the youngster Mubama might start this season, but manager Moyes is a cautious soul. A shame – I think we have some very good young players who should get a chance to show what they can do, just as happens at Arsenal.

The next ten are all a bit indistinguishable. Maybe unfair to have Brentford in there – they have been good in the last two seasons, and could continue to threaten a breakthrough. Losing Ivan Toney until the new year is a blow, but Mbuemo and Wissa appear to be supplying the goals in his absence. I think Burnley, of the promoted teams, will be OK this season, under the management of Man City hero Vincent Kompany. Nottingham Forest continue to buy interesting players, and might well finish higher than fifteenth. Luton and Sheffield United seem guaranteed to be relegated – I can’t see the quality for survival. The last relegation place is more of a puzzle. But Everton have been flirting with it for a few years now, and haven’t significantly strengthened the squad. They lack effective strikers, except when Calvert-Lewin is fit, which is not very often. So I’ll go for them finally to drop, though Crystal Palace without Zaha must be vulnerable. Interesting that Olise has signed a new contract rather than going to Chelsea – where else? – but I’m not convinced that Roy Hodgson can keep on doing rescue jobs.

So there you go. As ever it will be a lot of fun – unless West Ham are in another relegation struggle. But mid-table and a good Europa League run is what I’m hoping for. Win that this time and we are in the Champions League. And then we will really be able to sing:

West Ham are massive, everywhere we go!

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A Thames Journey: (12) From Greenwich to Erith

Posted on August 7, 2023 by John S

The Thames Barrier

Last time we finished at Greenwich, with the splendid vistas of London from high up in Greenwich Park by the Royal Observatory. In this episode we complete the Thames Journey walk with a 9-10 mile stroll downstream to Erith in Kent. This journey, in reverse, was the first of the Thames walks with Kath, Maggie and Jon which formed part of our three year project. That was in August 2015 – eight years ago!

The walk is completed in this instalment, but there will be a bonus episode taking in three locations on the Thames estuary, as it merges into the North Sea. More on that at the end.

We start with the O2 Arena, the Dome, on the North Greenwich peninsula, which is formed by one of the river’s more spectacular bends. Then we move down river to the nearby cable car before crossing over to the north side of the river for a further exploration of the old docklands and a diversion up the River Lea. We then return to the south side for the rest of the journey, with glimpses over to the industrial north bank.

So, to the Dome!  It was a rather controversial project back in the 1990s. Conceived by Michael Heseltine, who we encountered in the previous instalment, it fell to Tony Blair’s Labour government to decide whether to go ahead. They decided to do so, with Peter Mandelson to the fore. It opened on schedule on New Year’s Eve 1999, but it was all a bit of a damp squib. It lacked any real purpose until it was taken over by O2, who turned it into a music venue, with supporting infrastructure – restaurants, bars, a cinema, a secondary venue and so on. It opened in 2007 with a concert by Bon Jovi and has been a huge success, becoming London’s premier indoor music venue. It’s cavernous and rather impersonal, but I certainly prefer it to the other large venues, like Wembley Arena and Alexandra Palace.

The building, designed by Richard Rogers, is striking, and has become a London landmark. The best views of it are from the north side of the river (first two shots) and from above in the cable car (third one).

Talking of the cable car, it’s just downstream of the Dome, connecting North Greenwich with the Royal Docks on the north side. Arguably it was a bit of an expensive folly, but the views as you travel over the river are spectacular. The photos from the cable car are from a trip I took with my friends Jon, Dave and Tony in June 2021.

View from Trinity Buoy Wharf

South side view

Before we proceed any further along the south side, which will take us to Erith, let’s explore the north bank for a while. We start with the area around what was East India docks. These opened in 1806, following the success of the West India docks, which opened in 1802. As the name suggests, their trade was with the east – not just India, but the likes of Persia (now Iran). Commodities like tea, spices, indigo, silk and Persian carpets were their staples. As we have seen in earlier episodes, they declined in the 60s and 70s with the arrival of containerisation. From being a vibrant community, the area became a wasteland. The surrounding areas have recovered, but the docks themselves have been re-wilded and are now a haven for birdlife.

The photos in this section were taken on a walk that started at Three Mills Island on the River Lea and led down to where the Lea meets the Thames. East India docks are nearby. Since then I’ve done the walk a few times with friends and family but in the opposite direction. It’s a fascinating stroll. Take the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Bank to East India – with great views of the City and Canary Wharf – walk down to the Thames, along to the docks and then to Trinity Buoy Wharf, where the Lea and Thames meet. Then there’s an interesting walk up the River Lea to Hackney Wick. The whole thing is about six miles and when you arrive at Hackney Wick there are some very good craft beer bars near the river, including the Crate Brewery and the Howling Hops. The photos below include a diversion up the Lea to Three Mills. It has become one of my favourite London walks.

I’ve included the photos of the Dome already, which is the first thing that hits you; but a little further along you come to Virginia Quay, where a monument celebrates the journey of some of the first settlers in America – Virginia in 1606.

Ok, one more Dome shot!

We then come to the East India docks. Nearby is a derelict building that was once the Thames Ironworks. Originating in 1837, its main business was shipbuilding. But most important to me, in 1895 Thames Ironworks football club was formed. In time this became West Ham, my team. Hence the nickname, the Irons.

Trinity Buoy Wharf is an intriguing place. In the days of the docks there were lots of warehouses, as well as a lighthouse, which remains. Today it’s a centre for the arts as well as the site of a primary school and residential blocks. And it’s where the River Lea flows into the Thames. By the confluence is a square called Orchard Place. There are buildings made from shipping containers and a café with a black London taxi on the roof!

The mouth of the River Lea

From Trinity Buoy Wharf you wander along the Lea – also known as Bow Creek in these lower reaches – to London City Island, a new residential development, which is also the headquarters of the English National Ballet. It’s then worth crossing over the River Lea to Canning Town station and taking the DLR one stop in the direction of Stratford to Star Lane. Otherwise the walk is just through an industrial estate. From Star Lane you walk down to Cody Dock by the Lea. There’s an interesting revolving bridge there, as well as a little nature reserve and various studios and offices. It’s still being developed, but there’s a café and lots of tables by the river. A rather serene place to have your sandwich and a cup of tea.

The bridge connecting Canning Town station and London City Island

The bridge at Cody Dock.

The Lea had, by the 60s and 70s, become a forgotten river, polluted and neglected. But it has been cleaned up, and work is still going on to make it more accessible. I find it a fascinating combination of the natural and the industrial. Earlier this year, on another walk with Jon, Dave and Tony, we saw a seal just upstream of Cody Dock. It must have wandered up from the Thames. Maybe it was lost, or maybe there were plenty of fish for it to feed on. A river revived.

From Cody Dock the walk up to Three Mills is past Amazon warehouses and unfinished building works, with reeds massed by the edge of the river. You cross over a road bridge and then follow a path along a causeway with the river either side. It’s also where a canal known as Limehouse Cut heads off to Limehouse Basin. And then you arrive at Three Mills. Nearest tube station Bromley-by-Bow, on the District Line. It’s an extraordinary place to find in the middle of East London, When I first came across it reminded me of Bruges in Belgium. I remember similar architecture along the canal there. The original mills date from Norman times; today’s buildings were mainly constructed in the 18th century. Some of the complex is now TV and film studios. The BBC’s Master Chef is filmed there.

The ubiquitous Shard!

Modern art, East End style!

Take a right to Limehouse Cut

Three Mills Island

From Three Mills the walk up to Hackney Wick takes half an hour or so. The highlight is of course the view of the London Stadium, which hosted the 2012 Olympics and is now the home of West Ham United. As you approach the bridge over the Lea at White Post Lane there’s a stretch of the riverside which hosts numerous open air cafés and bars. On a sunny weekend the place is heaving. Crate Brewery opens out to the river on the other side of the bridge; Howling Hops is on the same old industrial courtyard. Crate Brewery was once the site of a paper mill. Not only are the beers excellent, but they do very good thin crust pizzas.

Come on you Irons!

 

Resuming the journey along the Thames, we come to the Royal Docks. There are three: Victoria, Albert and George V. They were completed between 1855 and 1921, to take bigger ships than could be handled further upstream. But they too were usurped by containerisation. The area around the docks is now revived, and includes the ExCel Conference Centre and London City Airport.

I went down there, armed with camera for you dear readers, in April this year. I took the DLR to George V and ventured into North Woolwich. It was pretty bleak and I couldn’t walk into the George V dock from the Thames as the channel was cut off by barbed wire. So I walked upstream until I reached Thames Barrier Park. I’ll come back to the Thames Barrier when we are on the south side. From there I walked through a new apartment development called Royal Wharf to Victoria Dock. There’s a spectacular footbridge over the dock to the ExCel. It’s pretty high up and has quite low barriers on the sides, which meant I got the wobbles a bit and felt impelled to stay in the middle. So my photos weren’t taken from the best vantage points.

Steam hammer from Royal Albert Dock, 1888

Approaching Woolwich ferry

We’ll meet again!

Entrance to Woolwich foot tunnel, north side

Thames Barrier Gardens

Art Deco style, Royal Wharf

Royal Victoria Dock, looking east. ExCel Centre to the left

That scary footbridge!

London City Airport runway

Who owns this?

Looking west

We now go back to the south side. And the first notable landmark – very notable – is the Thames Barrier. This is what prevents central London from flooding at high tide, which it used to do in the past. The barrier began operation in 1982. Worryingly, it starts to become less effective from 2030 and will need to be reinforced before 2070. That might not take into account the rapidly rising sea levels because of global warming. But for the time being it remains a marvel of engineering. When necessary, the barriers rise from under the surface at very high tides. Generally it’s less than 10 a year, though in 2013-14 it was 50.

Next up is Woolwich, known for its naval history and tall ships. Woolwich Arsenal was also the home of the football club that is now Arsenal in north London. My second team and the favourites of the rest of my family. And the team I support to win the Premier League, as that is beyond West Ham it seems.

Now on the Lizzy Line!

Captured from the French!

Woolwich Arsenal, June 2022

From north side, April 2023

Tall ships on that first walk, August 2015

From Woolwich up to Erith the walk is fairly bleak, past housing estates and industrial complexes, on both sides of the river. But that bleakness has a certain beauty as the river widens. One of the features of the south side is the Crossness pumping station. Sewage. Serving south London, as Beckton, near the Royal Docks, does for the north. There’s a bit of a pong as you walk by – there’s also a waste incinerator – but it’s essential. This part of the Thames you could call the arse end of London, where all the things that no-one wants to know about happen. Things we can’t do without. Sewage is a massive problem for London. Bazalgette’s Victorian era sewers, which I mentioned in episode 9, transformed life in the city, but they were built for four million people. There are now 9-10 million and rising. There’s now a super sewer being built, which runs from Acton in west London to Beckton. It’s due to open in 2025; the tunnelling has already been completed. It will take the pressure off the existing network and ensure that when it’s raining, sewage doesn’t spill into the Thames. Of course, at the moment, it means it does. It’s notable that seagulls and other birds congregate on the river by the pumping station. Presumably the discharges attract the fish.

Just out of Woolwich

West Thamesmead from the north side. Nice!

The gathering of seagulls by Crossness, 2015

Dagenham car works on the other side

Pumping station, July 2021

Nearby there’s a nature reserve

Soon after we approach Erith. The town is rather nondescript, but the river, now very wide, is a thing of majesty. When the tide is out it is all mudflats. And in the distance is Dartford Bridge. We will come back to that in the final blog of this series.

Welcome to Erith!

 

The pier

A glimpse of Dartford bridge in the distance

So, that’s the end of the Thames Journey, just as it was the beginning for Kath, Maggie, Jon and me in 2015. But there is one more episode, in which we venture further along the Thames estuary to Dartford and Gravesend, Canvey Island and Southend.

A taster for the next one. First stop, Dartford Bridge!

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Latitude 2023

Posted on August 2, 2023 by John S

My eleventh Latitude, and an unusual one as I could only make Thursday and Friday. But I got to see some outstanding performances – from old favourites and one fantastic new discovery. My highlights below.

Thursday 20 July

Racoon Jane – Trailer Park

Racoon Jane, who played for an hour in the Trailer Park, starting at eight, were an absolute delight. They are a five-piece who play country, folk and bluegrass. And they were just a lot of fun. I assumed they were American, because they felt very authentic, but then I realised the singer had an English accent – though her voice was straight out of Nashville. They aren’t on Spotify and a Google search didn’t reveal anything, but I’d love to see them play again. Maybe they’ll do something like the Half Moon in Putney some time.

Friday 21 July

The Joy Hotel – Alcove

I was wavering between the desert blues of Tinawiren on the Obelisk and the chance to hear something new. Jon had heard good things about the Joy Hotel, so I plumped for them – and how glad I am that I did. They were a revelation. One of the best acts I’ve ever seen at Latitude. Their music was an utter joy – at the end I felt quite emotional about it, and when Jon asked me at the end how I would define their music, all I could say was epic. There were seven of them crammed onto the tiny stage: four guitarists, two of whom shared lead vocals; keyboards, bass, drums. Even as they tuned up, I felt that they had a presence about them, an assurance. We were on for something special.

So yes, they were epic, and so interesting as the music veered across multiple genres. The first piece took up well over half of the forty minute set, and was a series of songs and musical passages within the whole. During the performance they brought so many of my favourite bands to mind, and yet they had their own distinctive sound. Key references would be early Springsteen (think New York City Serenade or Growin’ Up), the Waterboys at their most grandiose (Whole of the Moon, Old England), the Murder Capital (for the guitars and the drama), Hothouse Flowers (Don’t Go, Isn’t it Amazing), Glasvegas (Daddy’s Gone, Geraldine) and maybe even The Band for that keyboard-infused rambling, rolling sound. Rolling thunder indeed!

The band have three songs on Spotify at the moment: Killing Time, Old Man’s Eyes, Jeremiah. I am loving them all! There’s another out soon called Black Balloon. And the debut album Ceremony is out in November. It has been recorded as one piece of music, rather like the first part of the set at Latitude. There’s no big tour planned just yet, though I’m sure there will be – perhaps early in 2024. They have a homecoming at St Luke’s in Glasgow in November, just after the album comes out. That promises to be a huge celebration and I’ve managed to get tickets for it.

The joy of discovery has always been a key part of the Latitude experience. The Joy Hotel are one of the great examples.

The Murder Capital – BBC Sounds stage

From the exhilaration of discovering a great new band to the exhilaration of seeing a now-established band on peak form. The Murder Capital were awesome. They play with a swagger that comes from knowing how good they are, and that people have recognised it. The atmosphere in the BBC tent was fantastic – after their Latitude debut on the Sunrise in 2019, this felt like a homecoming.

The set was paced similarly to their performance at Glastonbury, though the songs were moved around a little. Fast, slow then very fast! They began with three from the debut album When I Have Fears: For Everything, More is Less and Green & Blue. For Everything was raging; More is Less was as explosive as ever. The anguish of Green & Blue took us into a sequence of five from this year’s album Gigi’s Recovery. More elaborate and contemplative than most of the first album, but imbued with an inner power and melodies that grip you after a few listens. The last of that sequence, Return my Head, started to up the pace, and then we were into a whirlwind last three – the biggest crowd pleasers: Feeling Fades, Ethel – the new favourite – and Don’t Cling to Life. Cue moshing, with singer James McGovern once again venturing into the audience, declaiming the lyrics while standing on shoulders and surfing on his back across the crowd. Total engagement.

This was the third time I’ve seen the Murder Capital play this year, including Glastonbury on the TV. The first was a magnificent show at the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, in February. They are on tour again in the Autumn and I’ll be making one of my two trips to Glasgow this November to see them. The London gig clashes with something else, and they are just so good at the moment that I can’t miss them.

The Last Dinner Party – Sunrise stage

We got across to the Sunrise, in the woods, just in time for the start of The Last Dinner Party. The arena was packed to the rafters, which took me by surprise. I knew this band were highly-rated, but I didn’t know it was this highly. In fact, I didn’t know that much about them at all, although I’d heard them being interviewed on Steve Lamacq’s 6 Music show. Doing a bit of research for this blog, I discovered that there was a lot of hype around the band at the time they released their debut single Nothing Matters in May. And there was a backlash too! The detractors allege they are music business plants, a manufactured band who have had access to a major label, Island. Supporters point out that they have been gigging for a year, building a strong following. It’s also suggested that a lot of the criticism is sexist, as the band are all women. I’m sure there’s some truth in that. Still, if they are any good, they’ll succeed on that basis.

So were they any good at Latitude? Well, yes, they were. At times I wasn’t quite sure what to make of them (and didn’t have a very good view) but they had a lot of energy, plenty of variety, and a charismatic singer, Abigail Morris, who looked and sounded like she might have been influenced by Kate Bush. I liked them best when the guitars rocked out, which they did from time to time. At other times I wasn’t really getting much in the way of strong melodies, but that might just have been the unfamiliarity. Other than Kate Bush, the sound of Sparks came to mind quite often. And the way the riffs kicked in at unexpected moments inevitably invited comparisons with the likes of Black Country New Road (Mk I) or even Black Midi. I believe they may have similar music school antecedents too.

So yes, good in parts. And very well-received by the capacity crowd. They clearly have a promising future.

Gretel Hänlyn – Sunrise stage

Someone more familiar next – to me, anyway. I have to remind myself that it’s only a year or so since I saw Gretel Hänlyn play her first ever headlining show at Bermondsey Social Club. That was around the time she released her first EP, Slugeye, which was packed with vibrant rock’n’roll, poignant ballads and catchy melodies. That EP pulled together her singles to date and added a few more songs, an approach she took again with her second EP, Head of the Love Club, in March this year. This collection had a slightly poppier sound and a fuller production, but still plenty of those irresistible riffs. I saw Gretel and the band play a very slick show at the Pitchfork festival at the Roundhouse in November last year, and a less successful show at Wide Awake in May this year, when they were beset by sound problems which seemed to knock her confidence a bit. No need to worry about that though – she and the band were back to their best on the Sunrise.

The set was nicely balanced between the two EPs, beginning with two of her most popular and upbeat songs, Apple Juice and Wiggy (about her cat apparently!). Drive was suitably driving, and I enjoyed the inclusion of two of the ballads from Slugeye, Connie and In the Water. The last four were a dream selection: Slugeye (trenchant as ever); the ever wonderful rocker Motorbike; It’s the Future Baby (the first of her songs I ever heard) and Today (can’t help but cry), which despite the title, is developing into a bit of an upbeat anthem. I was pleased to see Gretel looking so relaxed and confident, talking amusingly in between songs. Comes with experience – if you are good and the crowd are responding. They certainly did at the Sunrise.

The band are playing End of the Road this year. I’ll be there!

Pulp – Obelisk

Pulp were the headliners on Friday. They’ve not played Latitude before, and this show was highly anticipated. If you asked anyone who they were looking forward to seeing, the answer was invariably Pulp. The whole arena was packed in a way I’ve rarely seen it before, though once you’ve made your way through the melée at the back, where people are coming and going, you can usually find a reasonable viewing spot. You just have to hope the people in front of you don’t haul their children onto their shoulders too often. The Obelisk is the main base for families and picnickers, so it’s just part and parcel of the experience. You get used to it. And on the whole I avoid the main stage – most of the interesting bands are playing elsewhere.

People came for all the hits and an entertaining show and that’s exactly what they got.  I was never a massive Pulp fan, but of course I liked Common People, Sorted for Es and Whizz and Disco 2000 – the songs that made Pulp stars in 1995. Or, more accurately, made Jarvis Cocker a star. Waving his bum at Michael Jackson at the Brits helped too! Disco 2000 opened the show after an intro and generated the atmosphere that remained throughout the set. There were some longueurs, although there was always enough going on onstage, with the backdrops and lighting, to keep the attention. The hits were judiciously dispersed through the set. Es and Whizz was a highlight, with green laser light illuminating the darkening sky. Do You Remember the First Time and Babies from 1994’s His’n’Hers album made an excellent sequence towards the end of the main set, and Common People, of course, finished the whole thing off, with Jarvis tantalising the crowd beforehand. It may have been one of the greatest communal moments at Latitude – the song is a national anthem.

Jarvis was at his showy best, dressed in stylish black, standing theatrically astride two blocks at the front of the stage. He did well to avoid the splits! A staircase at the back allowed for a dramatic entrance and some grandstanding throughout the show. He told a few stories around the songs, but didn’t overdo the patter. All very-well judged. It was pure entertainment, a celebration of the music and the man, reminding a lot of people in the crowd of the halcyon days of Britpop. But the younger folk seemed to be enjoying it too. Great pop songs transcend the generations and Pulp have got their fair share.

And that was it for this year. An exceptional day’s music. Latitude delivered once again. I hope to be back again in 2024!

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Music Roundup 04: 7 July to 13 July 2023

Posted on July 14, 2023 by John S

Featured this time: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes; Daryl Hall and Todd Rundgren; Branford Marsalis Quartet; Henry Tozer.

After the glories of Bruce Springsteen, there was no let up, with concerts on two of the next three days. A big dash of nostalgia: Bruce, Southside, Daryl Hall, Todd. All in their 70s, but still relevant and still bashing it out with style.

I’ll get some modernism next week – it’s time for Latitude. Then again, some of the expected highlights are Pulp, Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Proclaimers. One step forward, two steps back…

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 7 July

The day after Bruce! Southside and Bruce – even more so Steve van Zandt – go back a long way, to the early 70s, when they played together in various bands around New Jersey. Southside and the Jukes were big amongst my university friends around 1977-78, just at the same time as I was really getting into Bruce’s music. There were a couple of key albums: I Don’t Want to go Home (1976) and Hearts of Stone (1978). I bought the latter at Oxford and played it to death. Bruce wrote a few of the great songs on it, including the title track. Stevie had done the same on the first album. Bruce also gave the band what might be their finest tune, the jazzily soulful The Fever, a tale of lost but not forgotten love.

Last time I saw Southside and the band was in 2008, also at the Empire. That was some show: 32 songs in all according to Setlist FM. Fifteen years on we weren’t expecting such a marathon, but we still had high hopes of the show. There was just that chance too, that Bruce or, more likely Stevie, would make a guest appearance on their night off. Neither did, as it happens – I expect they were tucked in bed nice and early, readying themselves for another three hour epic on Saturday. That aside though, our hopes were very much fulfilled.

I’m not playing for three f*****g hours, Southside quipped as he arrived on stage; but we were treated to an hour and three-quarters of high-spirited R&B and soul, powered along by the ever-excellent Miami Horns. Most of the old favourites were featured – the main exception being Hearts of Stone itself. Love on the Wrong Side of Town, This Time Baby’s Gone for Good, Talk to Me, Got to be a Better Way Home, I Don’t Want to Go Home. Classics all. As for The Fever – probably the highlight of the whole show. Such a stirring tune, and sung with panache by Southside. He was in good voice all night – giving plenty of limelight to the horns, which allowed him to pace himself. I was reminded what a great soul singer he is in some of the covers they played, notably Don’t Walk Away Renee and a beautiful rendition in the encore of Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come. The three song encore was terrific, starting with Bruce’s Sherry Darling (off The River) and finishing with the only song it can really be: another Sam Cooke song and a Southside perennial, Having a Party.

A good party is guaranteed with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes!

Daryl Hall with Todd Rundgren at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, 9 July

There’d been six of us at Southside – me, Jon, Dave, Tony, Kath and old friends Christine and Ant. That was down to three – me, Jon and Dave – for Daryl and Todd. I was intrigued to see how the two artists would interact – it seemed on the surface an odd match. But they are long-standing friends, sharing a love for the Philly Sound, which was so big in the mid-70s. They are both from Philadelphia, or nearby, so it’s in their blood. The format, which Daryl has been performing as part of his Live from Daryl’s House series since 2007, involved a set first from Todd, then one from Daryl, then one together, before Daryl finished it all off.

I’ve never really got into Todd Rundgren’s music in a big way, finding it a bit overblown and proggy, though there is plenty of the soulful sound too. He’s something of a musicians’ musician and is a highly respected producer. His production credits include the New York Dolls first album, Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell (aaaaargh!) and XTC’s Skylarking. I went with Dave and others to see him perform his cult prog album A Wizard, A True Star at the Apollo in 2010. It was spectacular – completely over the top, but brilliant.

Tonight was a bit more down to earth. He played a 13 song set, most of which I didn’t immediately recognise, though when I saw the setlist, I did know quite a few of the songs. Next to me Dave, a big fan, was loving it. Jon too. Highlights for me were I Saw the Light – one of his soulful rock classics – and a cover of Smoky Robinson and the Miracles’ Ooo Baby Baby. Both reminded me that he must have been an influence on Prince, both in the way he combines soul and rock and through his musical virtuosity.  The next day I couldn’t get either of those songs out of my head!

Todd Rundgren

My knowledge of Daryl Hall’s music is mainly through the pop-soul classics he made with John Oates in the 70s and early 80s, songs like She’s Gone, Sara Smile, Rich Girl and I Can’t Go for That. I saw them play their hits at Latitude in 2014, standing just outside the big tent as it was absolutely rammed inside. The last two of those got an airing tonight, though somehow I didn’t recognise I Can’t Go For That! It was a set of quality rock-soul, about half of which was from Hall and Oates times. My favourite song though was his cover of the Eurythmics Here Comes the Rain Again, transformed from electropop anthem to sultry soul ballad.

Daryl Hall

Here Comes the Rain Again

The joint set was quite short, but featured Todd’s Can We Still Be Friends and another old soul cover: the Delfonics’ Didn’t I. Daryl and band finished off proceedings with another from the Hall and Oates canon, You Make My Dreams.  A satisfying evening of music from two masters of their craft.

Together

Dave and Jon were both buzzing about how good it was, and unusually we all went for a drink afterwards to reflect on the evening – and indeed those three days of wonderful music.

The Branford Marsalis Quartet at the Barbican, 12 July

Branford Marsalis is a jazz saxophonist, and brother of trumpeter Winton Marsalis. I’ve liked his music for a long time, without being expert in any way. I’ve got a couple of vinyl albums of his in my collection: 1988’s Trio Jeepy, which is superb, and the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues, in which he had a big hand. I saw him live in Prospect Park, Brooklyn in June 2018, the night before Bruce Springsteen on Broadway. It was a free festival, and he and his band were brilliant. So when I saw that he was playing at the Barbican, I had to go.

Kath and I went to this one. The show started at seven-thirty and was over at ten past nine! Wish more concerts were like this! We were home by 10.30. As I said to Kath as we walked back to Barbican tune station, a lot of the smaller bands I go to see don’t come on until 9-9.30. We got an hour and 40 minutes of the highest quality jazz music you could imagine, spanning the jazz story – from some pretty out-there modern compositions, with Branford’s soprano sax leading the way, to swingin’ Duke Ellington in the encore. The band were all impeccable; Branford on tenor and soprano sax, Joey Calderazzo on piano, Eric Revis on double bass and Justin Faulkner on drums. The first two have been playing in the quartet since 2007, Justin Faulkner since 2019. Like so many of these top jazz ensembles, the musicianship was astonishing – you didn’t have to know the songs to marvel at them. Branford was brilliant, but he also gave a lot of space to Joey to lead with his piano – and exhilarating it was too! Justin was a phenomenon on drums – so dynamic and inventive. And Eric, like so many bassists, was a calm and resonant presence. He wrote at least one of the tunes, called The Mighty Sword. Mighty they were indeed.

The Duke Ellington at the end was a light-hearted joy, with a singer and different pianist coming on to help perform It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing. An irrefutable sentiment!

Henry Tozer at St Mary’s Perivale, 13 July

This was another of the monthly jazz concerts at St Mary’s church. I wrote about pianist Matyas Gayer in the previous roundup. I went to that one with Kath; today it was Dave and Tony. Dave and I did a ten mile walk beforehand from Kew Bridge to Brentford Lock and along the canal and River Brent to St Mary’s. Refreshment stops were built in!

Henry Tozer is a singer, pianist and composer. He grew up in Devon, studied music at Cambridge and makes music now in the classical and jazz/pop spheres. He played and sang set of standards from the Great American Songbook, focusing on the compositions of Gershwin and Cole Porter. It was such an enjoyable hour and a quarter. So many of the great songs you know and love, even if you don’t realise it sometimes. He started with a dramatic classical flourish before seguing into Summertime by Gershwin, made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong amongst others. Amongst others – all these songs have been sung and played by countless performers. Henry was putting himself up against some illustrious names, but he gave a good account of himself! I particularly liked his piano playing. His singing was quite theatrical, which suited some songs more than others. He also played two piano improvisations in which he asked the audience to choose the starting key. D major and A flat minor came out of the hat. He had a good patter in between songs and really engaged a capacity audience – the applause for the last few songs was very enthusiastic. Last song was The Tender Trap, which is from a Sinatra film. Other highlights for me were Night and Day and Everytime We Say Goodbye. I associate the former with Frank Sinatra, the second with Ella Fitzgerald. Both Cole Porter compositions.

Afterwards, we walked though Pitshanger Park and dropped into the Duke of Kent pub for a quick pint; walked back to Northfields and had another pint at the Foresters before a superb and great value meal at Mama’s Nepalese restaurant, with Kath and Jon also with us by then. Back home, I watched the Tour de France highlights – there may have been some snoozing – and then read a bit of Cormac McCarthy’s final novel The Passenger while listening to a playlist I call mashpotatoschmaltz, taken from a line in Roxy Music’s Do the Strand. Full of those brilliant songs from the Great American songbook, updated to the sixties, with a couple of British classics thrown in. Inspired to listen by Henry Tozer, of course!

Next review – Latitude.

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