The Hanwell Hootie, 7 May 2017

Posted on May 7, 2017 by John S

Hanwell is a West London suburb, in between Ealing centre and Southall. Like quite a lot of west and south west London, it is part of the history of the 60s blues and rock’n’roll artists who took their cue from America’s traditions and made the sounds universal. Marshall amps began in Hanwell too. In 2013, the Hootie began. In that first year there were 13 bands in there official pubs. This year there are 85 bands in 14 venues, including two new outdoor areas, one by the historic Hanwell Viaduct, built by Brunel, and still a railway line into Paddington.

Strangely, I only went for the first time last year. It was pouring with rain, the pubs were all packed out and it was almost impossible to get a beer. I felt like it had become a victim of its own popularity. It was still really busy this (dry) year yesterday, but I sense that the two new park venues will have taken some of the pressure off. They also allow families to stay on longer.

Kath and I went along at about 7pm. Other duties called before that. Mainly, in my case, recovering from two work leaving do’s in two days and watching Harlequins last game of the season away to Northampton on BT Sport! We got the losing bonus point that means we qualify for the European Champions Cup next year, as sixth-placed team in the Premiership.

We saw three excellent bands while we were there. None are big names yet, but they all could be. First up were Rews, at the Village Green pub. It was rammed. Rews are Shauna Tohill and Collette Williams, one from Belfast, the other from London. Guitar and drums. Just like Honeyblood! I read the blurb that said BBC Radio s 1 and 6 were already interested and thought they sounded just right. And they were. They rocked! And the crowd reception was brilliant. Live of course, the guitar is louder, more distorted, and the drums piledrive. There were melodies in there, but the riffs were the thing, and they were good.  When we got home I checked their videos of four singles they’ve released, and the melodies got a bit more space. The parallels with Honeyblood are definitely there, if not quite the celtic melancholy of some of Honeyblood’s best – yet. I’ll definitely be looking out for Rews.

(Couldn’t get a decent photo of the band – too many tall blokes taking pictures. Er, like me!)

We tried something different after that – some jazz funk in the Viaduct meadow big top from a band called Okapi. They looked every inch the Shoreditch hipsters, though I’m not sure any of them are actually from London. All three guitarist/bassists had beards and the required clothing. They played some sharp rhythms, while singer Gina Tunbridge had a strong and soulful voice. I was getting a bit of the Brand New Heavies, a band I really liked in the 1990s.

We then went over to Sandy Park, which is bang in the middle of housing, so I wonder how they got permission. But it had a really nice vibe. It was close to many of the pub venues, and there were still loads of kids running around as Du Bellows laid down their 70s rock riffs and conscious lyrics. Jimmy Page is apparently a big fan, which is quite an endorsement. They are heavier than Zep, on the basis of last night’s performance. Somewhere between Zep and Black Sabbath, but with singer Jade Williams doing a bit of a Grace Slick/ Robert Plant thing too. I really liked them, and there were vociferous demands for an encore from a decent-sized crowd. Didn’t happen – they have to keep to time. They are playing at the Half Moon in Putney in June and I shall try to catch them again there. Still love a good bit of metal!

We called it a day after that, at 9.30. There were still a couple of hours left and I’m sure we would have seen some more excellent artists – if we could get in. It’s not a festival for fully established bands, but many of them are making strides, and from what I heard this year, deserve success. Competition is hot though. I wish Rews, Okapi and Du Bellows the best of luck!

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The Big Moon at Village Underground, Shoreditch, 2 May 2017

Posted on May 3, 2017 by John S

About six months on from seeing The Big Moon’s excellent gig at the Scala, I was at the Village Underground in Shoreditch – fast becoming one of my favourite venues – to see them again. This time they had their debut album “Love in the 4th Dimension” to promote. It’s a good pop-punk album, one that I think should appeal to the youth who don’t like their riffs too hard, and enjoy a good singalong. Which I don’t mean disparagingly – pop makes the world go round.

But it explains why I didn’t get too excited by the album, along with the fact that I’d heard and downloaded the best ones like “Sucker”, “Cupid”, “The Road” and  “Silent Movie Susie” before. And songs like “Formidable” and “Bonfire” sounded like they were still templates for the live performance. Most Big Moon songs are based on a slow-quick-slow-quick format which really comes alive on the stage. On record, that sometimes feels a bit samey.

But live, The Big Moon rock – and the audience rocks. The riffs are louder, more distorted, and the dynamics of those songs like “Formidable” and “Bonfire” really reveal themselves. The (relatively) old favourites are at key moments in the show. “Susie” was the opener, “Cupid” kept things going after two or three, and “Sucker” was a rousing closer.  And the  Madonna cover “Beautiful Stranger”, which they’ve played whenever I’ve seen them, was a chance to get the moshers going. Doesn’t bear too much resemblance to the original, but who cares? This was the last date of a successful and pretty lively tour, judging by the reports, and I could see how the band have become slicker and more confident six months on. And they were good the last time! Nothing succeeds like practice – and success.

The Big Moon are Juliette Jackson on vocals and guitar, Soph Nathann (guitar, backing vocals), Celia Archer (bass, backing vocals and song intros a lot of the time) and Fern Ford (drums, the person who holds it all together). These next three photos are Juliette and Celia.

I’ve predicted success for a few bands recently. Time will tell. But I suspect that The Big Moon have a better chance than most “indie” bands, because their formula looks right for the older teenage market. I’m waiting for that moment when one of my daughters says, “why are you playing Big Moon?”  I’ll resist saying, “well I discovered them at End of the Road in September 2016 and then saw them at the Scala and Village Underground.”

Or will I?

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Sportsthoughts (157) – A tribute to Nick Evans, Quins fly half

Posted on April 30, 2017 by John S

On Friday evening just gone, Harlequins played their last home game of the season, against league leaders Wasps. My friend Jon and I duly went along, fully expecting the team to be whupped, particularly after the collapse against Exeter in the previous home match. Of course Quins left until this game for their best performance of the season. After an even first half, with Wasps marginally ahead on the scoreboard, they put on a brilliant display, full of intensity and pace, and beat Wasps 32-13. It showed what they are capable of – but why does it happen over the whole of a game so rarely these days?

So we went away on a high, but not just because of the victory. We also had the privilege of saluting Nick Evans, Quins’ fly half, now 36, in his last ever home game for the team. And Karl Dickson, dependable deputy at scrum half to Danny Care. “Nev” has been the star of the team for all the time Jon and I have had season tickets. He joined the club from the Auckland Blues in New Zealand for the 2008-9 season. I’m pretty sure that was the first time we had season tickets – we started going to a few games the season before. And with perfect symmetry, as Nev retires, we are ditching the season tickets. Too many mediocre games for the last three seasons, and with half the team missing for the long periods when there are internationals. The price of a successful academy, which develops players who go on to represent their country. Quins are hardly unique – it affects all the top sides – but, for a while now, the overall squad hasn’t been good enough to challenge for honours. So we will pick our games next season and hope things get better. But it will take investment by the club.

But back to Nev. What a player! The consummate fly half – probably the best in the Premiership in his time here. Before he came over to England he won 16 caps for the All Blacks. But he had the mighty Dan Carter in his way, and he decided to take the more lucrative route in England. Play here and you don’t get picked for the All Blacks. He had all the skills: vision, game management, a cool head, the eye for a gap, pace off the mark, delicate footwork, a good kicker of penalties and conversions (most of the time), and bravery. He isn’t that big by rugby standards, but you’d never see him shirk a tackle or avoid going into the areas where he’d get hit hard by some flanker or second row.

He has been associated with all of the most memorable moments at the Stoop and Twickenham. The ice cool penalty at the end that gave us a 26-26 draw against Leicester  in the first ever Christmas Big match at Twickenham in 2008; the amazing victory in the same year over Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup, when Nev won it with a drop goal after 20-odd phases of play in overtime; victory in Cardiff in the second tier European tournament, the Amlin Cup in 2011 in Cardiff, against Stade Francais again (after the amazing away win at Munster in the semis); winning the Premiership final in 2012, 30-23 against Leicester, Nev scoring 20 points. And so on, although there was a slow decline after the Premiership title peak. The best moment since then was the European Challenge Cup final in Lyon in 2015, which Jon and I went to. Nev went off injured in that, and his – for a while – heir apparent Ben Botica made a complete hash of things at the end against Montpellier, which consigned us to defeat. Ben had shown great promise, but didn’t fulfil it. Unlike Nev, he played with his head down, didn’t read the game like the master. He moved to Montpellier – straight after that defeat!

The recent seasons of mediocrity have been marked by long periods of absence for Nev, through injury. That bravery against the hulks started to take its toll as he advanced into his mid-thirties. So it makes sense for him to retire while he can still put on a display like the one against Wasps on Friday night. Another twenty-two points. The man who made Harlequins tick, along with the inspirational Chris Robshaw in the forwards, in the glory years. Let’s hope there will be more success – there is always hope with so many good youngsters coming through. Joe Marler and Kyle Synckler are both on the plane for New Zealand and the Lions tour. Jack Clifford has broken into the England team, and centre Joe Marchant must do so soon. He’s on the Argentina tour this summer.

So expectations are not that high at the moment, but there are still grounds for optimism that things will improve. Meanwhile, thanks Nev for some of the best rugby we’ll ever see down at the Stoop, and best wishes for whatever you do in the future.

Come on you Quins!

 

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lovelondonscenes 129 – Rattus Brentfordicus

Posted on April 30, 2017 by John S

Down by the canal…

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lovelondonscenes 128 – From Flat Iron Square to Kings Cross

Posted on April 23, 2017 by John S

Yesterday Kath and I walked from Flat Iron Square, which is just down from Borough Market, through old London, to Kings Cross. Inspired in part by Peter Ackroyd’s “London – The Biography” which I’m reading at the moment. No other reason to walk up Fetter Lane, off Fleet Street, if it wasn’t the fact that it was once the home of the down and out, the shysters, the dissolute and the intellectuals. And the hidden – the Catholics at the time of the reformation; the Protestants at the time of the counter reformation! We took in a couple of exhibitions: the Wolfgang Tillmans photography at the Tate Modern (interesting, but not that amazing, I thought), and the Sir John Soane museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields (interesting, but weird – was he really living with all those sculptures?).

A few photos. Starting with Flat Iron Square. It’s on Union Street near the junction with Southwark Bridge Road in Borough/Bankside. The square has presumably been there for ages, but there is now a food hub tucked away under the railway arches on one side of the square. There may also be a bit of life in the square itself, but there was no sign of that on Saturday lunchtime. I learned about the place through a Guardian review of a Portuguese restaurant called Bar Douro. Sounded good, and looked good when we had a look in too. We just had something from the food stalls, which was good, though it took a while to get our order. Borough Market is obviously the place in the area, but Flat Iron Square is a good option if you fancy something a bit less rammed and more relaxed.

Southwark Bridge.

Views from the Millenium Bridge.

St Paul’s, the magnificent.

A fascinating new building on Old Bailey.

Looking up to Fleet Street from Ludgate Hill.

This church, St Etheldrada’s – good Saxon name – is the oldest Catholic church in London, dating back to the 1200s. It’s on Ely Place, near Holborn Circus. In its heyday it was a magnificent palace. Henry VIII and then Elizabeth I put paid to that. But it survived, was rebuilt and sits now between Georgian terraces. Classic London. A wealth of history tucked away.

One for my friend Paul. This pub is on Farringdon Road and hosts Paul’s favourite local Americana bands.

Exmouth Market is a cool place off the Farringdon Roard, on the way to Kings Cross. Clerkenwell, sort of. Nice restaurants, bars and vibe. There’s a church on the street where I saw Emily Barker in Applewood Road last year.

Kings Cross Road. London’s mixed architecture.

Home of many of my favourite gigs these days, the Scala.

St Pancras station, looming, in the London haze.

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Have you Heard? – (81) “Babes Never Die” by Honeyblood

Posted on April 20, 2017 by John S

My first new favourite album of 2017 is “Babes Never Die” by Honeyblood. It was released in 2016, and I didn’t really pick up on it until the end of year reviews. Honeyblood are Stina Marie Claire Tweeddale (vocals and guitar) and Cat Myers (vocals and drums). They are from Glasgow.

Their sound is a punky/indie/pop mixture. I include the pop, because they have some great melodies. Listen to this album a few times and it really grows. And not only are there some great melodies, but they know how to lay down a riff – and in a way which I think will be awesome live. I’ll find out soon enough, as I’m seeing them at Koko in Camden in June. And they are at Latitude too.

Of course they remind me of some other bands – I have 40 plus years of influences to refer to! On the other hand, someone who is say, 18, could find them one of the most exciting bands they’ve ever heard, and pretty original. Like all good bands, they make familiar melodies, riffs and sounds their own.  But for what it’s worth, the bands they remind me of most are Ash (Northern Irish indie-punks with equally great melodies) and Elastica (from the 90s). With a Scottish element, which brings in a bit of that celtic soul that I wrote about in my book, “I Was There – A Musical Journey”. You hear it in the slower songs like “Cruel” and “Hey, Stellar”, which I love.  The singing by Stina has elements of Hayley Williams from Paramore too, and in “Cruel”, I was reminded of Courtney Barnett in “Depreston”. These are all good things!

Favourite songs? Well, the punkiest tune, “Ready for the Magic” is still the best, but it’s not typical. The opener, “Babes Never Die” also rocks, as does “Justine, Misery Queen”, which, notwithstanding the title, is the most singalong track on the album. “Sea Hearts” is rousing and “Love is a Disease” powerful. But I do like those two slower pieces, “Cruel” and “Hey, Stellar” just as much as the upbeat stuff. It’s just a great, accessible album.

Here are a couple of the official videos. But check out the whole album. It’s uplifting.

Nothing is ever entirely new in rock’n’roll, but the capacity of the music to regenerate, in the hands of young, spirited bands, is forever an inspiration.

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lovelondonscenes 127 – View from the Photographers’ Gallery towards Oxford Street

Posted on April 17, 2017 by John S

The Photographers’ Gallery is on Ramillies Street, between Oxford and Great Marlborough Streets in Soho. These shots were taken from the fifth floor of the gallery, through a window, with some kind of covering to mitigate the light coming through.  The gallery is really worth a visit. You can see all the exhibitions for £4, and I think it may be free before midday. Highlights for me, when we were there on Good Friday, were Roger Mayne’s photos of people in West London, Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham in the 50s; and a series, made over the last twenty years, of the people of South Central Los Angeles by Dutch photographer Dana Lixenberg. Both stark and revealing, in black and white.

Anyway, I liked this view, with a narrow sight of Oxford Street, but an odd bit, with trees. Perceptions disorientated.

 

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lovelondonscenes 126 – Heron by Vauxhall Bridge

Posted on April 14, 2017 by John S

Walking to work yesterday the sun was shining and a lone heron was perched on the Thames shoreline at low tide. I couldn’t resist stopping and taking a few pictures. Shooting into the sun, the grey stones and mud, the river, seem to be in black and white. The first three photos were taken on my digital camera, the last on my iPhone.

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Three concerts in a week

Posted on April 8, 2017 by John S

I managed to pack in three concerts this week, while work was pretty intense too. I was pretty pooped by Friday evening – it took all my energy to watch the Masters on the TV. I’m writing this on a lazy, sunny Saturday, which is just what I needed. But no complaints about the gigs – they were all memorable.

It started on Monday, with a trip to the Roundhouse, to see Grandaddy, supported by my great favourites, Amber Arcades. On Tuesday it was the Village Underground in Shoreditch, to see Moonlandingz, supported by Goat Girl. After an evening off on Wednesday (which just meant I stayed late at work), it was the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the 80s classic album “Lexicon of Love” with ABC. A few contrasts there!

Starting with Monday then, my friends Jon E and Dave and I headed to Camden for our customary pre-gig feast at Sushi Salsa on Camden Lock before heading up to the Roundhouse. First on were Amber Arcades. A big step up for them – an important moment. You could see that in their body language – there were undoubtedly a few nerves. But they played a good set, including all my favourite tunes: “Come with Me”, “Fading Lines”, “Constant’s Dream” and “Turning Light” included. There were a couple of new tunes, including new release “Can’t Say we Tried”, which has definite anthem potential. The sound was a bit bass-heavy at first, which meant some of the subtlety and flow of the songs was lost – at least for me, because I know them so well.  But that got better and they got a good reception from a Grandaddy crowd.

And yes, there is a Grandaddy crowd. The place looked sold out and there was a mix of ages, even though, until recently, the band’s last album was in 2006. There was a real energy too, in the response to the music. That’s a kind of Americana-plus; there’s greater sense of pop melody and some electronic doodlings in the mix. They’re in the same sort of category as Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips, Wilco, Fleet Foxes, even Bon Iver. What, for want of a better term, I called in my book “I Was There”, American pastoral. I downloaded the new album “Last Place” the weekend before the show, and really liked it. Quite poppy, even rocky, early on, but with some lovely, wistful tunes towards the end. It was one of the featured albums at Rough Trade East when I went there on Saturday afternoon – the band have indie credibility.

The show was captivating, helped by an intriguing film backdrop. Probably helps, as the band themselves are a modest lot, dressed in standard Americana gear. They’re not going to leap around the stage. The musicianship was top level and some of the songs felt like anthems – a lot of the crowd knew the words. You didn’t need to know the songs to enjoy them. I came away pretty impressed, having enjoyed them more than I expected.

And I was pleased for Amber Arcades – the main reason for going, in my case. They did well and I hope it’s a stepping stone to greater things. A long haul.

Tuesday was my friend Jon G’s initiative. He, as am I, is a fan of The Fat White Family, and Moonlandingz is, is part an offshoot of FWF. The main singer, Lias Saudi, is in both, and just as crazed in Moonlandingz as he is in FWF. You do wonder if he’ll last the pace he’s set himself. When we got there a young punky three piece were on. I didn’t catch their name, unfortunately, but they made a good noise.

Next up were a support band we wanted to see, called Goat Girl (and I’ve just realised we missed a previous opportunity, as they opened for Parquet Courts and Eagulls last year at the Kentish Town Forum). They have a growing reputation, and are playing Latitude this year. Another all-woman indie/punk band – a good thing. They are from South London and play raw, jagged songs that veer off in interesting directions – it’s not an all-out punk thrash. Good when it is though! Really enjoyed their set, which, alone, made the evening worthwhile.

(The hats came off, but my photos weren’t great – strong lights).

And then Moonlandingz. Well, they started with some high energy, glam-stomping riffs which caused immediate moshing. Looked promising, if a bit chaotic – there were a lot of band members. Lias prowled around with a bottle of red wine and shouted a lot. As did everyone else. But after about three songs, something went wrong for me. I just start to feel, this is taking the piss. And I got bored. I felt like it was just a bit too contrived – like, what can we do to get them moshing, as opposed to, what is it we care about, love playing? I’m sure I’m doing them an injustice, and most of the crowd were loving it. So maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for that type of thing on the night. Maybe it was comparing them with Goat Girl, who had that sincere passion. Jon thought it was brilliant, and it’s not often we have such divergent responses. So, yeah, maybe it was just the circumstances. I’d happily check them out again at a festival, if they were on, and I might change my mind completely.

On to the Albert Hall, for a night of pure, new romantic nostalgia. ABC, backed by full orchestra. Playing “The Lexicon of Love”, their one big album. The tunes that everyone of a certain age remembers being “Tears are not Enough”, “Poison Arrow”, “The Look of Love” and “All of my Heart”.  And they went down a storm. There was a great deal of Mum and Dad dancing. And it was unabashed fun. Singer Martin Fry was on great form, replete in gold lame jacket for the second half of the show, when they played “Lexicon of Love”. The first half was good too – a mix of old and new – but of course it was the classics that everyone was there to celebrate. Much to-and-fro pointing  between Martin and the audience was had. The encore was an encore, in the French sense of the word: they played “Look of Love” again. And everyone went away happy. A spirit-lifting evening.

So, some pretty different bands over the week. I’d have to say the highlight was the ABC classics, followed closely by Amber Arcades (because I love Amber Arcades) and Goat Girl (because I love new, passionate, daring, rocking music). Grandaddy, very good, but not really a band to excite me; and Moonlandingz memorable, if not entirely for the right reasons on the night.

A good musical experience!

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In Manchester

Posted on April 2, 2017 by John S

On 24 and 25 March I spent some time in Manchester, one of England’s great cities, but one I don’t know terribly well, other than for its football and music. I’ve been there quite a few times in the past, but mainly for work or partying reasons and had never had a proper look around. So when I decided to go and see Car Seat Headrest on the Friday evening, I took a day off and spent Friday afternoon and Saturday morning wandering around. For part of Friday I was guided by my old friend Andy, who I went to university with many an eon ago.

Naturally, photos were taken, so here are a few of this city, which still bears the features of its Victorian pomp, but of course has embraced the new as well. And the very centre seemed mercifully free of heavy traffic, helped, I’m sure, by the tram network. Both days were gloriously sunny too, which made walking around a pleasure.

Manchester Town Hall and the adjacent Albert Square tell you all you need to know about Manchester’s commercial glory days. First photo is from Saturday morning, the rest from Friday late afternoon – hence the different light conditions.

 

The great Liberal Prime Minister, William Gladstone, giving it some.

The old Royal Exchange has been refurbished, with a round theatre built inside it. It really works.

Manchester Victoria station.

Manchester Cathedral.

River Irwell. The canals are/were Manchester’s lifeblood, more than the river, I think..

Manchester Art Gallery.

I had a look at the exhibitions on Friday. All free! There was one called “Manchester’s Monet”, featuring an late 19th/early 20th century artist called Winford Dewhurst. I’d not come across him before. His art certainly resembled that of Monet, with a bit of Pissarro thrown in. Here’s one example.

There were a few Lowrys, of course, but they shared a room with another artist, I’d never heard of before, Adolphe Vallette. A Frenchman who settled in Manchester, he portrayed the Victorian city, shrouded in mist, or smog and smoke. Very atmospheric, I thought.

The street my hotel was in. Red brick, as you’d expect.

The Rylands library was founded by Enriqueta Rylands, the wife of a wealthy Manchester entrepreneur. It took 10 years to build and was opened on 1 January 1900. It’s now part of Manchester University, though in the city centre.

It has a striking Gothic interior.

More buildings around the place.

Last thing I did was to wander down to the university area, mainly to go to the Whitworth art gallery. But it was interesting to check out the university grounds too, as both my  daughters might go there. It was very quiet on a Saturday lunch time. I enjoyed the tranquility in the sunshine.

This place has an art deco quality to it. It clearly was a cinema. Might still be – but also a club?

The Whitworth was a great artistic space, with room for five or six exhibitions. Again, all free.  There was a really interesting exhibition about textile design, with some amazing pieces. But the highlight, inevitably, was an exhibition of Andy Warhol’s work.

As he said himself though…

Yeah, great place, Manchester. I’ll leave the last gesture to William Gladstone.

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