The Music of Nashville, May 2019

Posted on June 8, 2019 by John S

This May my wife Kath and I spent a week in Nashville, Tennessee (I spent a further week in the state, exploring Memphis and Chattanooga – more of that another time). It was something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. And for one reason in particular – the music. Country music. My love for country music grew over time, starting tentatively in the 1980s. I write about this in my book, “I Was There – A Musical Journey” in a chapter called Duende – the beautiful sound of breaking hearts. That title says it all really. For me country music is the sound of melancholy. Mostly about losing love, or not finding love, or being down on your luck. But at the same time, finding strength through the music. I’m not so into the uptempo stuff – I’d rather go straight to rock’n’roll for that. And I’ve found that pretty well all my favourite country singers are women. Why, I don’t know, other than feeling that there is something in their voices and their perspective that truly reflects that sense of duende – what Nick Cave once described as “the eerie and inexplicable sadness that lies at the heart of certain works of art”. I would add that there is, at the same time, something uplifting in the sound, when it takes the form of music. The beautiful sound of breaking hearts.

It was Elvis Costello, in the early 80s, who handed me the keys to country music, when he released an album called “Almost Blue”. That was a celebration of many of the great country artists of the past, rendered in Elvis’s inimitable style. Amongst others that that album introduced me to was Patsy Cline. There was a film about her tragically short life at around the same time, and the soundtrack to that became my second country album. Songs like “Sweet Dreams” and “Crazy” became favourites. Of course I had Bob Dylan’s ventures into country too, principally “Nashville Skyline”; while some of Bruce Springsteen’s more stripped-back music (think “Nebraska” or “The Ghost of Tom Joad”) had the dark soul of country at its heart. But I didn’t really delve deeper until the 2000s – dance, reggae, rap, soul and jazz, along with a steady diet of indie and punk, were my staples in the intervening period.

It was the discovery of singers like Laura Cantrell, Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch in the 2000s that reignited my interest in country, though none of them would necessarily be described as in the mainstream of the music. Lucinda Williams’ “Ventura” off “World Without Tears” from 2003 may just be the saddest song ever. Laura Cantrell’s “The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter” is another song I love to this day – a classic example of the strong relationship between all that melancholy and having too much to drink!  But it wasn’t until 2013 that I discovered the singer who remains my favourite country artist: Lindi Ortega. I was introduced to her music by her album of that year, “Tin Star”. She has everything that I want from my country music: a beautiful voice, heartfelt songs and a sense of defiance. She can also get a little weird at times with her lyrics, which keeps you free of too much schmaltz – the biggest risk in listening to country music. I loved “Tin Star” so much that I went back to her earlier albums, which are even better – notably the wonderful “Cigarettes and Truckstops”. And I’ve bought everything since, as well as seeing her a few times when she has come over to the UK. She’s a great performer, and mixes up the ballads with some hard-nosed bluesy rock’n’roll. She’s not huge in the country world, which baffles me, but she has a decent following and a lot of respect. That’s not bad.

The other singer I most like these days is perhaps more predictable, and that’s Kacey Musgraves. I’ve been listening to her since I discovered her first album “Same Trailer, Different Park” around 2015-16 – it came out in 2013. So many great songs on that one, but my favourite remains the wistful “It Is What It Is”. As with Lindi, I love the combination of sensitivity and feistiness, and a refusal to comply with the mainstream expectations while being rooted in the traditions of the music. Of course, with the success of “Golden Hour”, Kacey has crossed over big time into the pop world, and what a great album that is. My No 1 of 2018.  A brief mention for Catherine McGrath too, a young Northern Irish singer who made my second favourite album of last year, “Talk of This Town”. She makes country music with a strong pop sensibility – and the influence of Taylor Swift is obvious. She’s in Nashville right now, writing new songs, no doubt with input from some of those seasoned songwriters in the city who write hits for the stars. I’m looking forward to her next album, not least to see what direction she takes.

So yes, I’ve been ready for a trip to Nashville for some time. And music was at the heart of it. Some extraordinary history, great art, excellent beers and food too. But I’ll concentrate on the musical journey in this piece.

We stayed downtown in a very pleasant apartment on Polk Avenue, surrounded by building works and a parking lot – two common features of central Nashville. From there it was a short walk down to lower Broadway, which is where we ventured on our first evening. Crazy place, and what a noise! The entire street was lined with bars with their windows open and bands playing. The streets were packed. Tourists, obviously, though from the rest of the USA mostly. Not so surprising, I guess, given the size of the country. For us in London, the comparable experience would be going down to Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, something we generally try to avoid! But, as a tourist myself, I enjoyed Broadway. It was buzzing, the vibe was friendly, and all the music was very enjoyable, if you stopped to listen. Country-ish, but generally veering towards the rockier side. The spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd lives on, especially in the noisiest establishment of all, Kid Rock’s place.

Broadway just before things get going at lunch time

Glad to say no Bud Lite passed my lips on this trip!

We settled on a bar that had two guys with acoustic guitars, who were playing the Allman Brothers’ “Rambling Man” as we walked by. We had a couple of drinks there and enjoyed their set. Not quite as in-yer-face as some, with no drums reverberating around the room. We didn’t hang around for too long, as we were pretty tired from a day’s travelling, but we did pop down to Broadway on a few occasions during the week, and it was always fun. At one point in the week we got talking to a local Nashvillian in an art gallery on 5th Avenue who absolutely hated Broadway, which I can understand; but it is a magnet for visitors and must bring in a lot of money, some of which will find its way to all the aspiring musicians in the city who play in the bars (mainly for tips).

One place that we had recommended to us was the Listening Room café, which sounded like a small place where we might see one or two artists close up. I liked the idea of that, although the reality turned out differently. We went twice, having enjoyed the first evening so much. That was on our first full day there, Thursday 9 May. The Listening Room café is in an area called SoBro – south of Broadway. Still downtown, and only about ten minutes’ walk from Broadway; but really, it looks and feels like you are in the middle of nowhere. And hardly anyone is on the street – everyone seems to drive. Kath and I didn’t hire a car; we walked when we could and otherwise got taxis or took buses. The latter were interesting – it’s fair to say that we were the only people like us on the buses we took. But, you see, walking and taking public transport is entirely normal in London, so we just did it in Nashville too. It meant we got to know the streets a lot better than we would otherwise have done.

Two shots on 4th Ave South in the vicinity of the Listening Room show you what I mean.

The Listening Room café turned out to be quite a lot bigger than expected, and was more a restaurant than a café; but the concept was a good one. Four different artists each sang four songs, taking turns song by song, rather than playing all their songs at once. Typically the singers were people who made a living writing songs in Nashville, and in some cases, were looking to make a name as performers in their own right. From what they said as they introduced their songs, most had been living and working in Nashville for a good number of years. On the first occasion we went there the singers were Hannah Bethel, JD Shelburne, Ryan Calhoun and Stephanie Owen (accompanied by guitarist) who was also the host. They were all pretty good. I really liked Hannah Bethel, whose sound and style was right up my street, and JD Shelburne had a hint of Bruce in his songs and delivery, which naturally appealed. I looked up Hannah’s music afterwards, and there wasn’t that much on Spotify; but she has just released a third track called “Rhinestone Rodeo” which she played on the night, as well as her second release “Train”. Hope she makes it over to London some time.

Hannah Bethel sings; JD Shelburne looks on.

The second time we went there, which was the second show on Saturday, it was all men. I’m afraid I didn’t note all their names and have now forgotten all but one. They all seemed to know each other and a few beers were consumed. The quality of the songs was high – all of them were songwriters for a living and obviously enjoyed playing their own songs from time to time. Three of them looked exactly how you would expect male country singers to look these days: denim shirts, jeans, baseball caps. One at the end of the line stood out: dressed in black, more indie in appearance than country. At first he also seemed slightly detached from the others, but that changed during proceedings. I fact it seemed like he was regarded as the senior figure amongst them. You could tell from his songs too: they had real depth to them. Two were called (I think) “Drinking about You” and “Don’t Call Me When You’re Drinking”, which gives you some idea of his subject material! His name was Matt Rogers. As it happened Kath found herself sitting next to his wife in an upstairs space where we were allocated a table. We got talking to her; she said Matt made a good living from writing songs and had no plans to go out on the road himself. Fair enough, though I do wonder, when you write such good songs, how you feel always giving them to someone else. We had a chat with Matt after the show. He was a really nice guy, very humble. I mentioned to Catherine McGrath to him, as she was in town. You never know!

Matt Rogers in action.

Of course, being tourists in Nashville, we had to have an evening at the Grand Ole Opry, the self-styled home of country music, and a place where every aspiring country artist dreams of playing. We went there on the Friday evening, having visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum during the day. The latter is just down from Broadway and opposite the Bridgestone arena, which is home to the ice hockey team, the Predators, as well as being a big concert venue. The museum was really interesting, well put together and very informative about the history of country music. At any one time, three or four artists are featured in depth. One such during our visit was Emmylou Harris. It reminded me that I’ve never really listened to her music properly, apart from some of the music she made with Gram Parsons, and that was a long time ago. And yet, I’m sure my favourite artists have been strongly influenced by her. I was also reminded that I really ought to give a bit more time to some of the greats, like George Jones, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and the rest. One day, one day! I was amused that there is now a Taylor Swift Education Centre attached to the museum. Or maybe that should be impressed rather than amused. She is obviously putting something back into the place that she started from.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 5th Ave South

Me and Taylor!

The Grand Ole Opry is about half an hour’s bus ride out of town, next to a large shopping mall and a theme park called “Opryland”. And yes, we took the bus out there and back. Very cheap too! Unlike the tickets and the drinks at the Opry, but that is to be expected. Going to the Grand Ole Opry is an experience. Again, mostly tourists I would guess, but very, very American – white, middle class American. The show too, was everything you’d expect – very slick, very self-referential; and highly enjoyable. The show is recorded live for radio, and there is still announcer who sounds like something straight out of some kind of 50s talk show and gives corporate sponsors endless plugs. The music, of course, was what mattered, and that was great. There were twelve different acts, divided into four half hour segments. Each segment had a host who also sang a couple of songs, along with each of the other acts. There was a tremendous variety, within the context of country music, from rootsy blue grass to the latest Taylor Swift style country-pop. That was reflected in the age range of the performers too. The youngest was a singer called Tegan Marie, who was 15, though she looked older. She obviously had the marketing men behind her, and was in the Taylor mould. Oldest was Jesse McReynolds, who was still holding his own in his bluegrass band at the age of 87. From time to time the music veered into that middle-of-the-road schmaltz – at one point I had a frightening vision of watching Val Doonican in his comfy sweaters on family TV in the 1970s – but there was some really good stuff too. Highlights included the vocal harmonies of The Isaacs, and the high speed bluegrass of veteran Ricky Skaggs and band at the end. Their technique on both acoustic guitar and electric mandolin was astounding.

Yes, even if most of the music wasn’t really my thing, this was an event to be remembered, and a highlight of the visit.

Jesse McReynolds is the dude in the white jacket.

Tegan Marie

The Isaacs

Ricky Skaggs centre stage with the mane of white hair!

On the Sunday evening we went down to “The Gulch”, a somewhat soulless modern development of office blocks, restaurants and bars on the south west edge of Downtown,  to a place called the Station Inn, which specialises in bluegrass – the mountain roots of country music. On Sunday night they have a jam, where anyone can bring along their guitar or mandolin and play. I imagine there’s a core of people who do it all the time. Most of them looked like mates. They were mostly older, but there were a couple of young lads, who were in the thick of things. The place was very busy – we fortunately got there early as another bar we planned to have a drink in had closed at 4pm. 4pm! So we got a table and a jug of beer and settled in for a couple of hours. Most entertaining; the music a reminder that a lot of it came over from Ireland and Scotland in the first place.

On Monday evening it was back to Broadway, starting down by the river at a place called Acme Feed and Seed. My friend Paul had recommended we go and see a Grateful Dead covers band there – Monday night is Grateful Dead night! He’s a massive fan of the Dead (as it were). They’ve rather passed me by, but I have to say the band we saw were very good. All Nashville session musicians I suspect. There weren’t a lot of people there, but it was a pleasant hour or so. After that we went to one of the bars recommended in our tourist guidebook: Robert’s Western World. The place was rammed. The music was good and there were a few people dancing (not us!). Has to be done.

Roberts

The last musical experience came on Tuesday, our last night in Nashville. We went down to a place called the City Winery, which has a couple of music venues. This was the smaller venue, called the Lounge. We saw a Canadian country/folk act called Kacy and Clayton. They were pretty good. On Spotify they’d sounded a bit 60s-ish, looking back to the roots and also just slightly psychedelic. Live it was a bit more straight folk. They had a rather quirky between-songs banter that put me in mind of David Byrne from Talking Heads for some reason. Support act Dori Freeman (with a drummer called Nick Falk) was engaging too. The two bands were clearly friends, and supported each other’s shows. It was an enjoyable, unassuming evening, accompanied by some nice food and excellent wine. Only 40-50 people there, but the atmosphere was good.

L-R: Nick, Dori, Kacy, Clayton

After that we returned to what became our favourite Nashville bar, the Tennessee Brew Works, which was nearby.  Again rather in the middle of nowhere, right next to a highway flyover (probably called something else in America). Excellent range of pale ales and other beers, and a fairly young and probably local crowd. Some decent bands playing at times, too – there was one that reminded me of Little Feat. Check it out if you are ever in Nashville. Another bar we liked was the Flying Saucer, which was near the Frisk art museum and Union Station hotel. A superb range of beers from all over the world and decent food. There was a Flying Saucer in Memphis too, which I popped into while there.

Tennessee Brew Works on the right

A fine selection

And that was music of Nashville, one week in May. We didn’t get over to East Nashville, where all the cool people live apparently, and country musicians put on the occasional informal show. But I think we saw and heard enough to agree that Nashville deserves its title of Music City.

Rooftop bar over George Jones museum. Tennessee Titans football stadium on other side of the Cumberland River.

And to end, I must share this video of the song about Nashville that introduced me to Lindi Ortega. “Tin Star.  As Lindi sings, if the music wasn’t flowing through the blood in my veins, I might just walk away. But it is and she didn’t. And so many others are the same. The dreams keep coming and the music keeps flowing.

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Big Thief at SWX Bristol, 24 May 2019

Posted on May 25, 2019 by John S

Big Thief are a band from New York who play music that gets defined as indie/folk, although they don’t fit easily into any category. They are: Adrienne Lenker (vocals, guitar), Buck Meek (guitar, backing vocals), Max Oleartchik (bass) and James Krivchenia (drums). I first came across them when I was mugging up for End of the Road, where they were playing last year. The first song I heard was “Masterpiece” off their first album of the same name. I was immediately impressed. It was anthemic and delicate at the same time. The delicacy came from the fragile vocals of singer Adrienne Lenker. It was a good place to start my appreciation of Big Thief’s music.

As it happens, I missed the band at End of the Road, as I was watching Fat White Family then the Orielles, but I continued to listen to their two albums, “Masterpiece” and “Capacity” and really grew to like them. The songs are often quite gentle, but will then lurch into a jarring guitar break. The words are rather other-worldly, elliptical; musing on relationships, but not in a conventional way. The songs that emerged as favourites for me were “Shark Smile”, which starts with a screech of guitars and then settles into a rumbling, rolling rhythm, while Adrienne murmurs in a country style about the woman with a shark smile; and second, and most of all, Parallels”. I love that song – I’ve listened to it as much as any other in the past few months. For me, it’s the quintessential Big Thief song. It has a lost soul feel to it, that delicacy, and builds to a chant about parallels, which seems to switch key at one point. The lyrics feel like they are about a relationship, but they might also be about another dimension of space and time. The guitar drifts in and out. And caterpillars come into it at one point! This is all good. 

Elliptical, meandering, entrancing, jarring, other-worldly, lost, anthemic, beautiful. The words that describe Big Thief’s music are similar to the ones I’d use to describe Radiohead – think “In Rainbows” crossed with “The Bends”. That occurred to me more than once as I watched the band play at SWX in Bristol on Friday night. They are touring to promote their new album “UFOF”. It’s a lovely album, but you have to listen to it a few times to allow the essence of the songs to reveal themselves. It’s mostly on the subdued end of their musical spectrum, with fewer guitar outbursts (although opener “Contact” gets quite shouty at the end). “UFOF” overall sounds quite like Adrienne’s enchanting solo album from last year, “abysskiss”. 

The concert was terrific. I’d not been to SWX before, and liked it. Medium size, a few hundred, maybe a thousand. It was sold out, and the band got a great reception, from a mostly millennial crowd (with a sprinkling of older types, like me!). Looking at set lists from recent shows , it looked like the newer songs would dominate, but that it was unpredictable, as the set varied every night. And we got lucky: there was a great balance of new and established songs. In fact, almost all of my favourite songs got an airing, including “Parallels” about half way through. That was a bit of a bonus, as I hadn’t been expecting to hear it, going on previous set lists. “Shark Smile” was second song in and was greeted like an old friend. Their bounciest tune, though rivalled now by the bluegrassy “Cattails” off the new album. The crowd loved that one too. “Paul”, which might be their best known song, followed  “Shark Smile” – always good to start with some crowd pleasers. 

Perhaps the most popular song on the night was “Mythological Beauty” from “Capacity”, a mid-tempo beauty with characteristic lyrical twists. If not that, then it was “Masterpiece”, which was second last in the main set. What a great song! Last was “Mary”, which has the intriguing wordiness of The National, another band with which Big Thief have something in common. An uplifting end to the set. Huge applause, followed by a two song encore: two lovely tunes from “UFOF”, “Orange” and “From”. The first was just Adrienne and her acoustic guitar, though the band looked on. 

Big Thief aren’t a demonstrative band: there’s no leaping around, and few words in between songs. Not aloof, although they have a certain New York alternative cool about them. I think they are a pretty modest lot – they express themselves through the music. I was quite taken with the reception they got – I think the band were too. I thought that Adrienne wasn’t far off being in tears as she acknowledged the applause. I saw her solo show at the Union Chapel in January this year. She was quite nervy then, and re-tuned her guitar endlessly. There was less of that in Bristol – being one of four band members isn’t as exposing, even if you are the (reluctant) star. 

But modest or not, Big Thief are a band of real substance, who take some standard musical forms – indie, folk, Americana – and twist them into something quite different. They are clearly building quite a following too. Like the National, they might find themselves becoming pretty big without really seeking it. And that’s because they make music that intrigues you and draws you in. And surprises you. You hear new things all the time. If you haven’t heard them, give any of their albums a try, though I’d recommend going through them chronologically, starting with “Masterpiece”. Which is guess what…?

A few more photos (iPhone and cropped, to get rid of the head of the tallest man in the place, who stood just in front of me!).

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On re-reading “1984” – the Brexit connection

Posted on May 24, 2019 by John S

Over the last few days I’ve done a fair bit of travelling. Memphis to Chattanooga by bus, then back to Nashville, and the flight home via Detroit. Amongst other things I took the opportunity to re-read George Orwell’s dystopian classic “1984”. It’s a book I first read as a student (of course) and I’m sure I read it again at some point. Written in the late 40s, it has always been seen primarily as a critique of the totalitarian societies of Nazi Germany and the Communist Soviet Union. Big Brother is Stalin and Emmanuel Goldstein is Trotsky. It is seen as a companian piece to “Animal Farm”, another parody of Soviet Russia. But there is so much more to it than that, and it has a very contemporary relevance.

My motivation for re-reading the book was two fold. First, as a bit of inspiration for my own dystopian trilogy, the first part of which is “The Decision” (available on Amazon and Kindle). My society in 2027 is nowhere near as grim or all-pervasive as that of Oceania in “1984”, though I did nick the idea of having a pointless war against a far off enemy from Orwell’s story – mine is in the Ukraine, and is essentially to use up surplus labour, divert refugees and justify authoritarianism at home. 

Second, and more pertinently, in this era of post truth and fake news, Brexit and Donald Trump, I felt like “1984” would have resonance. And it sure did. Not because we live in a totalitarian society – we don’t. Nor do we live in a deliberately impoverished one – not yet. But we do live in a surveillance society, and Big Brother gets thrown around these days to describe not only governments, but the tech giants too. The things that struck me most, though, were the parallels with contemporary rewriting of history (and even current events) and the motivations for power.

Ignorance is strength. One of three slogans of The Party. The main character of “1984”, Winston Smith, is employed in the Ministry of Truth, rewriting news stories, speeches and the like, in order to make the past consonant with the needs of the present: the infallibility of Big Brother, the predictions matching the outcomes, the country that Oceania is at war with, be it Eurasia or Eastasia (which frequently changes). Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past. There’s a chilling resonance in that phrase, when we consider the Brexit experience in the UK. Taking back control. The slogan that summarised the appeal of Brexit for many who voted for it. Let’s set aside the fact that a medium-sized country on the edge of Europe isn’t going to be able to control its destiny in today’s interconnected world by going it alone. Let’s just ask what taking back control actually meant. 

The answer of course is complicated, as it would have meant different things to different people. And each individual narrative would be based on a individual version of the past (as well as a vision of the future flowing from it). The past, you see, is a nebulous thing. Some of it is recorded, but it has no tangible existence. It is in people’s minds. Their memories. This is the point O’Brien makes in “1984” as he works on changing Winston’s inner beliefs. Altering his mind so that he ends up loving Big Brother. If you can change the records, keep people in ignorance, and, in the last resort, alter their minds, then you can have everyone believing the same thing. 

That’s not to suggest that Brexit was in any way like this; but much of its appeal was and is based on a number of what I would consider false narratives – while acknowledging that they are false to me and many others, but only because of what I and they consider to be the facts. So, for me, the Brexiter politicians have spun a web of lies, distorted the facts, re-invented the past. Taking back control becomes a return to some halcyon era, when Britain ruled the waves/ stood alone against the Nazis/ controlled a vast Empire/ wasn’t under the yolk of dastardly Euro-regulations/ built the world’s ships/ had loads of money for the NHS, etc, etc. Fintan O’Toole’s book, “Heroic Failure: Brexit and the Politics of Pain’”, characterises this brilliantly. The British narrative has become one of victimhood, where things are done to us. And we want to get back to when we did things to other people, did what we wanted, without some foreigners telling us we couldn’t do it. Yeah, let’s take back control! Forward to the past!  It’s pathetic really – in my view, based on my version of the past. But God knows what goes on in other people’s heads…

The other resonance was about the motive for power. Why do so many people want to take back control? For what end? What’s wrong with influencing the EU from within, as one of the three biggest powers in the organisation (as we have done on many occasions)? What’s wrong with being a member of the world’s biggest trading bloc, one that can compete and cooperate on equal terms with other major economic powers like America and China? What’s wrong with being part of an arrangement that has kept peace on a continent that, for most of history, has been riven by war? I don’t know, that’s for sure. All these things come from what you might call pooled sovereignty. We share power, for the common good. That includes our good. It is not a zero-sum game. In “1984” O’Brien acknowledges that what the Party is always striving for is simply power. It is the end in itself, not the means to ensure something else. Sometimes I think this is actually what politicians (and others) end up striving for. They start with something more – a vision of how the world should be – but end up simply aiming for power. Retaining power. The moment some party or person takes over government they start to plot for re-election. To achieve what? Staying in power, and preventing the other lot having it.

And isn’t the motivation of, let’s say, the hardcore Brexiters just the same? They are happy to see the economy tanking, huge queues at Calais and Dover, trade deals worse than the one we have in the EU, security cooperation undermined, possible instability in Europe as a result of the disruption caused by our leaving, collapse of the Good Friday agreement in Ireland, and so on, because we will have taken back control. Our power will be greatly diminished, compared with being part of the EU collective, but what we have left will be all ours! 

Remember though guys, another of the Party’s slogans in “1984”: Freedom is slavery.

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Honeyblood at the O2 Academy, Leicester, 2 May 2019

Posted on May 5, 2019 by John S

Yesterday I went up to Leicester to see Honeyblood play at the O2 Academy, which is located in the grounds of the University. It’s just down the road from Leicester De Montfort Hall, which has a special place in my heart, as the first venue I ever used to go to see gigs, back in the mid 70s. It was mostly a diet of rock and metal back then: Status Quo (my first ever gig), Budgie, Uriah Heep, Rory Gallagher, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the amazing Sensational Alex Harvey Band, amongst others.

Why Leicester when I live in London? Well, when the tour was announced, there were no London shows, or at least not until 31 October. Halloween… and the latest deadline for Brexit!  So, taking advantage of my retirement, I decided to go to a couple of shows outside London. I chose Leicester because, apart from some business meetings, I haven’t been there since my schooldays (I was at school in a place called Oakham). And the other choice was Edinburgh, on 3 June, because it was near the end of the tour, it’s Stina’s hometown, and I really like Edinburgh! As it happens, there are now a couple more London appearances: a record launch at Rough Trade East on 25 May and a slot on the bill at Citadel Festival in Gunnersbury Park on 14 July. The latter is home turf – I can walk there in twenty minutes, which will be nice. And, as a bonus, they’ll be at Latitude too.

The tour coincides with the build up to and launch of the new album, “In Plain Sight”, on 24 May. The first three songs to be released from that – “The Third Degree”, “Glimmer” and “She’s a Nightmare” – are all great, catchy songs. “The Third Degree” took us back to the sixties; “Glimmer” is a bit of a glam stomp, and my favourite of the three; and “She’s a Nightmare” could easily be on “Babes Never Die” – it reminds me a bit of “Sister Wolf”. “She’s a Nightmare” is about the night terrors Stina suffered after coming off touring “Babes Never Die” and relaxing. The album, she says, is about how she has been reappraising things over the past year. She was certainly in a bit of a mess at the beginning of 2018, by her own admission. It will be interesting to see how that all comes through in the new album.

So, I was expecting a show heavy on new songs at the O2 Academy. Maybe a bit less punky – again that is what Stina has been saying in interviews. But actually, it was the opposite. Drummer Cat Myers is no longer in the band – I think she got a gig with Mogwai, which is interesting – and a bassist* has been added. The addition of a bassist makes sense – it frees Stina up a bit and adds more heft to the live sound. I’d thought there might even be a keyboard player – but not yet. The result, last night, was a sound that sounded even more raw and rocking than usual. Possibly my perception was shaped a little by being near the front and not far from one of the speakers. And I’m not sure the sound was that great either – there was a fair bit of interchange between the band and the mixing desk through the evening. But Stina is getting a deep and dirty sound from her guitar, which was evident in both the sessions I’ve heard previously, including one with Shaun Keaveny on 6 Music last week. It sounded great in the sessions; live it took me a moment or two to identify some of the older songs.

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The show was a nice mix of all three albums. The three new songs mentioned above all sounded good live. “Glimmer” was a real highlight. There were a couple of other new ones. I didn’t catch their names, but Setlist FM from Cambridge suggests they were called “Gibberish” and “Take the Wheel”. Strangely, the riff in the latter reminded me of “Touch the Leather” by Fat White Family. My hearing does play tricks a bit at live shows! There was a big representation from the first album – including “Biro”, which I don’t think I’ve heard live before. I thought that encapsulated the push for that raw, rocking sound. But it might also be because this really is Stina’s vehicle now, and that first album is clearly very personal. First albums always are. “Babes Never Die” was correspondingly under-represented, though we got “Sea Hearts” right at the start, a rather messy rendition of one of my favourite songs, “Hey, Stellar”, and, of course “Babes Never Die” and “Ready for the Magic” at the end. Hooray! Cambridge had “Walking at Midnight” too, but unless I have had a memory blank, it didn’t feature at Leicester. I’m not sure what was going on with “Hey, Stellar”. Stina missed a few of the lines, and it felt like the timing wasn’t right. Might have been those sound issues – or maybe the new band still needs a bit of time to gel. I also sensed that the band may have been a bit disappointed about the turnout – the place wasn’t much more than half full, and I saw Stina and the drummer looking a bit concerned as they peered into the venue from outside while the support band, Feet, were on. A very positive crowd and a nice atmosphere, but Leicester doesn’t seem to have twigged on fully to the wonders of Honeyblood yet. I guess long tours must be up and down things – not every night is going to be a blazing success. I expect a very different reception at Edinburgh!

So, I really enjoyed the show, but I feel there may be better to come. I’m looking forward to the next instalment, which for me will be Rough Trade East on 25 May. In the meantime, I’ll soon be off to Nashville and Memphis for a couple of weeks, with a large helping of country and soul in prospect!

*I’d name the bassist and drummer if I could find their names anywhere! Stina did introduce them, but I struggle to discern what people say at most gigs. I’ll keep looking, for reference in future reviews.

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lovelondonscenes 161 – A Hammersmith Sunset

Posted on April 19, 2019 by John S

I’ve been meaning meaning to post this one for ages. In fact, since I took the photos towards the end of January this year. Not the first pictures I’ve taken of this part of the river; but it is perfect for that setting sun, as you look west.

Some of these images are not apparent to the human eye at the time; but when you point the camera on zoom into the heart of the sun you get some weird and wonderful results!

 

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Pom Poko at the Lexington,10 April 2019

Posted on April 13, 2019 by John S

Pom Poko are from Norway. They are an interesting band. A short description of their music would be post-prog-punk. In other words, lots of time changes, all sorts of guitar noodles and some wild riffs. Sounds familiar, but also like nothing else. They all met at the Trondheim Music Conservatory. Their debut album, “Birthday”, was released this year. Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music is a big fan, which is where I got wind of them, and thought their concert last Wednesday at the Lexington, on Pentonville Road, was worth a shot.

And wasn’t it just! It was really pretty amazing. Just so exhilarating. The proggy parts were harder-edged than on record and the punky rhythms were just awesome!  Singer Ragnhild was terrific. She had real charisma – bounced around a lot, smiled a lot too. Effervescent would be a good description. Guitarist Martin made the distinctive sound. Never changed guitars – just piled on the riffs and the variations with aplomb. Fuzzy, discordant, but razor sharp too. The rhythm section of Ola and Jonas held down all those time changes and created the incessant beat.

The whole thing was great. They started, I think, with two great blasts: “”Theme #1” and “My Blood”. Near the end, “Crazy Energy Night” lived up to its name. It was just such fun, made so in large part by Ragnhild’s engaging attitude.

I came out of the concert thinking, when can I see them again? Answer: End of the Road in August/September and then the Scala in October. Can’t wait!

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Ward Thomas at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 3 April 2019

Posted on April 10, 2019 by John S

Ward Thomas are two sisters from Portsmouth, Catherine and Lizzy, who are one of the UK’s leading country performers – country with a big pop inflection. They released their third album, “Restless Minds”, this year. It’s bursting with infectious pop tunes – the country roots are still there, and show themselves especially in the ballads; but this is a pitch for the mainstream (bearing in mind that their previous album, “Cartwheels” did get to No 1 in the charts!) In that respect they are like a lot of American country artists; and, back home, my favourite, Catherine McGrath, is moving the same way. I saw the band at Latitude in 2017, on the main stage at 2pm. They put on a good show, but it’s hard to make that much of an impression in those circumstances.

They played the Shepherd’s Bush Empire last week. It was the day after Amyl and the Sniffers at Heaven. Talk about a contrast! I went with some friends who were keen on the band. I wasn’t really sure what to expect – I found the new album likeable, but maybe just a little bland, a bit shiny, for my tastes. Especially the more up-tempo numbers. But live, I have to say, they were excellent. Catherine and Lizzy are an engaging duo and they had a very slick band behind them. The backdrop and lighting was simple but striking. And the set was well-paced, varied and just very entertaining. All those pop numbers on “Restless Minds” came across powerfully, with plenty of opportunities for singalongs – “I Believe in You” was one standout. From time to time they slowed down the pace and played some lovely ballads, including three on the trot mid-set, which featured just Catherine and Lizzy and their guitarist. The songs were “Cartwheels”, the title track from their previous album, and “No Fooling Me” and “Deepest You”. The set was predominantly songs from the new album, but the crowd was certainly familiar with them. I think my favourite song is “Hopeless”, which is a bit of an anthem – you could imagine it in a Coldplay or Taylor Swift set.

The main set ended on a high, with “No Filter” and “Never Know”. They came back for a couple of songs: the closing ballad on the new album, “This Too Will Pass” and then the celebratory “Carry You Home” with support band, the Wandering Hearts, joining them on stage. A joyous end to a rather uplifting show, which, I have to say, exceeded my expectations, whatever they were. Quality entertainment.

A few more photos. Catherine left, Lizzy right, on the first one.

Ballad time.

Encore!

 

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Amyl and the Sniffers at Heaven, Charing Cross, 2 April 2019

Posted on April 5, 2019 by John S

I first came across Amyl and the Sniffers at End of the Road last year. They were a lot of fun – an Aussie potpourri of punk and metal. Think Sex Pistols, Ramones, AC/DC and Joan Jett and you’d get there. Back in September it made me feel rather nostalgic for my youth.

So I’d been looking for an opportunity to see the band again. I bought their album “Big Attraction and Giddy Up” in the meantime; but, to be honest, it really just told me that this band are all about the live experience. I liked a couple of songs a lot – “Cup of Destiny” and “I’m Not a Loser” – but otherwise, on record they sounded a bit run-of-the-mill.

Fast forward to last Tuesday, when my friend Tony and I went to see the band at Heaven, at Charing Cross. They had a couple of support bands, whom I’m afraid we missed. First, we definitely planned to be in the pub; second I’d hoped we might catch a bit, but mistimed it. Amyl and the Sniffers came on at 9.45 and launched their onslaught of punk and metal riffs. Singer Amy Taylor plays the part of rock front person to a tee, and guitarist Dec Martens is a walking classic, with the mullet, the riffs and the poses. The rhythm section eschewed T- shirts early on. All the clichés, you might say. But if you like this kind of music, then they are a perfect distillation.

Beyond the two songs I mentioned above, I couldn’t tell you what they played. It doesn’t really matter. They just rocked. Amy did a fair bit of crowd surfing, but wore her parka for the last go, as her top seemed to find itself undone on the previous incursions. She swigged what looked like champagne (or Prosecco?), although she had a bit of water too. She expends a lot of energy on stage, for sure. The boys shout the choruses and lay down those riffs and rhythms. It is rock’n’roll. Nothing more, nothing less.

They played for about 45 minutes. That was enough. It all gets rather exhausting, even when you are standing at the back, supping a lager.

So, if you have a penchant for punk and 70s/80s metal, go and see Amyl and the Sniffers. Otherwise, stay well clear!

A few more photos. In keeping with the punk ethos, I didn’t crop or improve them. They are what I managed to capture over the heads and into the lights on the night.

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Tiny Ruins at Bush Hall, Shepherd’s Bush, 27 March 2019

Posted on April 2, 2019 by John S

Tiny Ruins are a New Zealand band whose sound, I guess, could be described as folk-rock. On record, the gentler, folky side prevails, led by the lovely voice of Hollie Fullbrook. Live, there is more rock – some interesting guitar twists, some powerful rhythms. On Wednesday they played at Bush Hall in Shepherd’s Bush, West London. They are promoting a fine new album called “Olympic Girls”, released earlier this year.

I first came across Tiny Ruins on the Garden Stage at End of the Road in 2018. It was one of the early afternoon shows that become something of a revelation. I was very taken then by Holly’s singing and those guitars. The song I really loved was one called “Old as the Hills”, which is from their 2011 album, “Some Were Meant for Sea”. They have been going a while. A well-respected band, but maybe one that won’t ever become massive. It’s a sound that appeals to me, but there’s an understated air about it which is never going to pull in a huge number of people. It’s enough to make a living out of the thing you love though, so why not? And the affectionate reaction they received at Bush Hall showed that they are held in high esteem.

Holly started nervously, and said that she always does. She relaxed visibly as the concert went on.  There was a section midway through the concert which I particularly enjoyed, when they played a favourite tune from the 2014 album “Brightly Painted One” called “me at Museum, You in the Wintergardens” and then “School of Design” from “Olympic Girls”. Both lovely, reflective songs. Others which I’m pretty sure featured included “Holograms”, “How Much” and “Sparklers” from the new album. They finished with the track “Olympic Girls”, which is up there with their best. They came back for two mellow songs, including another old favourite, “Straw from Gold”.

On record Tiny Ruins make music that you can relax and reflect to. They fulfil a role for me that the Staves and This is the Kit have played in the past: music to soothe the soul. Live, the guitar twists bring to mind another folk-rock band I enjoyed a few years ago called Espers. Whatever happened to them?

Tiny Ruins, though, keep on keeping on. And good luck to them. A very likeable band, and one I’ll watch out for in the future. In the meantime I’ll enjoy “Olympic Girls”, which is well-placed to make my top ten for 2019.

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Have you Heard? – (90) “Crushing” by Julia Jacklin

Posted on March 31, 2019 by John S

“Crushing” is the second album by Julia Jacklin, an Australian indie/folk singer, whose first album “Don’t Let the Kids Win” was a real favourite of mine in 2016. I first caught a glimpse of her and her band at End of the Road in September 2016, and have seen her quite a few times since. “Don’t Let the Kids Win” was a beautiful, wistful album threaded through with a real pop sensibility, as well as melancholy. The underlying music was fairly simple and gave plenty of space for Julia’s expressive vocals – she has an impressive range.

So I was looking forward to this new album, and seeing her live again, after a break of a year or so. When I heard it was called “Crushing” I immediately thought it was going to be, if anything, even more melancholy than the first. The word can mean a lot of things. If it was the title of a metal album it would be all about stomping enemies into the dust, or something equally preposterous. It could be construed as having crushes; but you kind of knew that with Julia Jacklin, it would mean that she had felt crushed by something or someone, and wanted to sing all about it. And so it proves.

There’s a really interesting interview with Julia in the excellent Loud and Quiet magazine, Issue 131. And yes, “Crushing” is primarily about the breaking up of a long term relationship and the aftermath. It is incredibly sad in places, heart-wrenching; but there is also defiance, a claiming back of herself, the tentative steps towards a new life, and some hope. You listen to the lyrics, imbibe the melancholy sounds and take in Julia’s intense, fragile singing, and it’s hard not to feel the hurt along with her. But, but… it’s not miserable or whingeing. It’s not depressing. It’s too beautiful for that. It’s ultimately uplifting. You feel with her, and associate with the defiance and hope, as well as the hurt.

It’s an album that you have to listen to a few times, to get beyond the downbeat aspect to it. But there are things which jump out straight away, as well as the revelations from repeated listens. The first song I heard was a single, “Head Alone”, which is one of Julia’s Americana sounds, and has some defiant lyrics about how she doesn’t want to be touched all the time, how you can love somebody without using your hands. A song for our times, and one in which Julia demonstrates her vocal range, effortlessly. The next single was another upbeat one soundwise, “Pressure to Party”. This one really rocks along, and, like “Head Alone” is post-breakup, part of the recovery. Fighting the pressure to just get out and be “normal” again. I’ll open up the door and try to love again soon. But when I first heard the whole album, the song that jumped out and got me first time was “Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You.” It is just so heartbreakingly sad, but also has a couple of wonderful, fuzzy guitar breaks, which are straight out of the Neil Young songbook – or to draw a more recent analogy, Angel Olsen, on her mighty song, “Sister”. Angel’s song had a really long solo at the end; I really wanted the second break on “Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You” to be the same. It isn’t, and I’ve got over the disappointment – it’s still my favourite song on the album. In fact it’s my favourite song of the year so far. It gets me every time.

The breakup was hastened by an incident on a plane apparently, when Julia’s boyfriend was arrested for smoking in the toilets. The opening song of the album, “Body”, tells the tale in some detail. She sings in a deep, mournful tone. There’s something hypnotic about it. A song full of loss and regret, but also some of that defiance: heading into the city to get my body back. Fear too, that some photos of her body might one day find themselves on the internet. Another song for our times.

As with “Don’t Let the Kids Win”, there is a strong sense of family in Julia’s songs. There’s a wonderfully touching line in “Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You” which goes, I want your mother to stay friends with mine; and the song after that is called “When the Family Flies In”. You know it’s bad when the family flies in. This is real life. I’ll be interested to see how Julia handles it on stage. She says in her Loud and Quiet interview that it all happened some time ago, so she feels detached from it now. But can you really be? I’m missing her London show because of other commitments, but I’m glad to say she’s on the Latitude bill, so I’ll be able to see how some of the new songs are portrayed there.

There are three more songs I want to mention. They are part of the recovery sequence, but there is still a lot of anguish. “Good Guy” is a plea for affection: tell me I’m the love of your life just for tonight, even if you don’t feel it. Conversely, “Turn Me Down” doesn’t want to go that far. There’s a really affecting moment towards the end of the song as Julia’s voice goes as high and vulnerable as it can, as she implores the person in question not to tempt her. The interview says that she found this very hard to sing and kept on breaking down in the studio. You can sense the hurt as you listen. It’s a lovely song at the same time though. “You Were Right” takes a firmer stance – the resistance begins. It’s about saying, yeah you were right about how cool that place was, and I can go there on my own now. The closest thing on the record to a f*** off song. Appropriately it’s one of her more uptempo tunes.

You can listen to this album and just enjoy the melodies, the rhythms and the beautiful singing. You don’t have to wallow in the lyrics and feel the pain. But the pain is there, along with the defiance and determination to get things back on track. And to stay in control. Her body seems to be a metaphor for that control in a few of the songs, and she says in the interview that she thought about calling the album “Body”. Actually, I think “Crushing” works as well. In one sense she has been crushed; but she’s dealing with it, and she’s getting the crushes again. Exposing yourself on a record in this way seems pretty brave to me, although she’s far from the only one who does. So much of the great music has come from artists sharing their pain with us. Julia Jacklin’s “Crushing” stands in that fine tradition.

Here’s a lovely rendition of “Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You” which is on YouTube. So good!

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