Indigo Sparke at the Louisiana, Bristol, 7 November 2022

Posted on November 10, 2022 by John S

On Monday I took a trip to Bristol to see one of my favourite artists at the moment, Indigo Sparke. She’s an Australian indie-folk singer, currently based in New York. She released a new album in October called Hysteria, which was produced by Aaron Dessner of the National, who was involved, of course, in Taylor Swift’s Folklore and Evermore albums. I first came across her music last year, courtesy of the Spotify algorithm. I’d been listening to another Aussie indie-folk singer, Julia Jacklin, and let it run after the album was over. A couple of songs in a hauntingly beautiful tune played. It was The Day I Drove the Car Around the Block by Indigo Sparke. A prosaic title for such a striking song. Not knowing anything about her, I checked what else she had on Spotify. A 2021 release, the album Echo, stood out. A wonderfully spare, resonant collection, mostly just Indigo and her guitar, electric and acoustic. And yes, there was lots of echo. It felt like desert music, which the album cover reinforced. I loved the album, and made it No 2 in my albums of the year.

Echo was actually recorded in 2019, so Hysteria wasn’t really as quick a follow up as it might seem. It has a fuller sound than Echo, with a band backing Indigo on this one. And you can hear the influence of Aaron Dessner. But the beauty of Indigo’s voice and the melodies remain. As does the angst and burning emotion. It’s a captivating collection of songs, and is shaping up to be high on this year’s Best Of selection.

So, when I heard she was doing a short tour of the UK I knew I had to get to one of the concerts. Normally that would be in London, but she is playing the Pitchfork festival this Friday, and I already had tickets for Julia Jacklin – had to be her, didn’t it? – at the Roundhouse. I always like an excuse to visit Bristol, so I booked a ticket for her show there at the Louisiana, which is just down the road from Bristol’s M Shed museum, on the banks of the Avon. Had to catch a coach to Bristol as a rail strike had been planned for that day, although it was called off at the last minute.  All went smoothly, after taking 45 minutes to crawl from Victoria Coach Station to Earl’s Court and the A4!

The Louisiana venue is above a pub of the same name. A lot of up and coming bands play there. Indigo mentioned that there was a flyer on the wall of the “green room” advertising the National in the early 2000s. Bristol punk rockers Idles frequented the venue in their early days. It’s quite small – no more than 200 capacity, I’d guess. Intimate – the perfect setting for Indigo Sparke tonight. It was quite a small crowd, which gave people the opportunity to sit down at the front if they wanted to. She’s been supporting the National on tour in the US recently, so this was quite a contrast. A bit of a respite, I’d guess – she came across in between songs as quite intense and vulnerable – and she commented on how “warm and relaxed” the evening was. She mentioned that she wasn’t feeling too well and asked if the lighting could be turned down. That was fine, and she played a a heart-warming set of songs mostly from Hysteria, a couple of highlights being the Sharon van Etten-like intensity of Golden Ribbons, and the poignant, rolling melody of Sad is Love. There were one or two ventures into the past, including a wonderful rendition of Carnival, one of my favourite songs from Echo. It was mostly just her and her guitars, but there were layers of sound in her playing, and her voice soared, despite her illness. Maybe because of how she was feeling the set was less than an hour, but she gave it her all. She also talked very interestingly about the provenance of the songs, as well as her fears and insecurities. All in a humorous and engaging way. A lot of Hysteria was written during and after a difficult recent relationship, as she explained after she played Burn. The refrain on that song, don’t wanna talk about it, couldn’t be further from the reality!

She was accompanied on vocals for a few songs by the opening artist Jackie Smith. Jackie’s own set was a taster for Indigo’s, being just her and an electric guitar. It turned out she is also Indigo’s tour manager and good friend, providing her with reassurance when she needs it. You couldn’t help but find yourself rooting for them. Especially when Indigo talked about the parlous state of the music industry, and how much the musicians are being ripped off. They need the money from live shows and merch to survive as artists. Spotify introduced me to Indigo Sparke, but it barely provides her with a living, despite millions of streams.

After the show I bought a CD of Hysteria and had a brief word with her and Jackie. The Julia Jacklin connection goes quite deep – not only are they ploughing a similar musical furrow (Indigo a bit bluesier, Julia poppier at times) but they went to the same High School! Julia was in the year above. Right now Julia’s musical trajectory in the UK is more advanced, but I suspect that Indigo may get more traction in the end, especially in the US with the support of the National.

If you haven’t heard Echo or Hysteria, I’d recommended you give them a try. They are two of the most affecting albums I have heard in the last couple of years. And Monday’s show, performed against the odds – the concert in Glasgow the following night was cancelled – was a wonderful taste, I hope, of things to come. Indigo’s expecting to return with a band at some point, and that will be something to relish.

 

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Biig Piig at Hoxton Hall, 3 November 2022

Posted on November 5, 2022 by John S

Biig Piig is the stage name for Jessica Smyth. She was born in Ireland, lived in Spain for much of her childhood and moved to west London in her teens. Her music began as a jazzy hip hop fusion, but dance and pop elements have increasingly featured. I first came across her music early in the first lockdown in 2020, when I was listening to Lauren Laverne’s Recommends show on BBC 6 Music late one night. The track she played was called Switch. It was a catchy piece of indie with electronic beats rather than guitars. It had a great refrain: I had a dream, I was learning, then your love took it from me. I checked it out on Spotify, put it on my Heard on 6 Music playlist, and played it more than anything else for a while.

It was only in July that year when I properly explored the other music that she’d made. I’d put everything she’d done onto a playlist and listened to it during a walk through Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. The sun was shining and we were free to go walking where we liked again. It felt good, even if the world around us was a very uncertain place. And the music of Biig Piig that day suited my mood perfectly: enjoying life’s simple pleasures, appreciating nature, but still wishing for better times. There were three EPs, from 2019 and 20, imbued with that languid hip hop beat, and Jessica’s dreamy, rather wistful tones: Big Fan of the Sesh, A World Without Snooze and No Place for Patience. I played them all twice as I walked through the parks. The beats were familiar – there was certainly some Erykah Badu in there – but one thing that distinguished the music was that Jessica often sang part of the songs in Spanish, the language of her childhood. The tracks Roses and Gold, Shh, Vete and Perdida were outstanding examples. In Perdida she was, well, lost: I just wanna lay here, smoke my cig and drink my wine, I just wanna lay here, until my hurting’s done.

After those EPs, the music became more upbeat, first with Switch and then Don’t Turn Around, which felt very summery. Oh No and Liahr had a touch of Billie Eilish about them and Feels Right was full-on pop. In 2021 The Sky is Bleeding EP combined trip hop with something close to rock in American Beauty; while the excellent 405, a collaboration with Metronomy, sounded like, well, Metronomy.  This year the dance beats have kicked in for real, with Fun and Kerosene and the latest offering This is What They Meant, which could be Kylie.

All of which set us up nicely for the gigs at Hoxton Hall. Both sold out quickly, but I managed to get a couple of tickets in the presale. As long as I’d been aware of her music, Biig Piig hadn’t performed much live, so I was intrigued to know how she would come across on the stage. And would she just focus on her newer material with a few upcoming tunes thrown in? Well, from the moment she sauntered onto the stage in a fog of dry ice and blaze of lights, and began to dance, you just knew it was going to be good. Sensationally good, in fact. I enjoy most of the concerts I go to, in many different ways. But this one, it was just pure joy. So upbeat, confident, celebratory. So much energy. Sumptuous beats, languid when they needed to be, ramping up the bpms when she started to rock. She was accompanied by a multi-instrumentalist – keys, sax, guitar, bass – and a conventional drummer. It worked a treat: the sound was just right, allowing Jessica’s sultry voice to work with the groove and compete with the louder breaks. I was pleased to hear a few of my old jazzy favourites, like Roses and Gold, Shh (I think) and Perdida. Jessica gave a spiel before Perdida about how she had been at a low ebb and unsure about releasing music, but gave it a go and it came good. The message being that if you have something to share, do it. The worst outcome will be indifference. Those lyrics to Perdida had a lot of resonance with the crowd.

The poppier singles really sounded good in the live environment, with plenty of hooks for the audience to join in with. And towards the end the beats per minutes started to accelerate. We were in drum and bass territory.  One highlight – it had to be – was Switch. Not a typical Biig Piig sound, but a clear favourite with the crowd, who chanted along to the chorus as Jessica leapt around on stage. The set finished with Feels Right – and yes, it felt very right indeed. I didn’t really know what to expect tonight. I had quite high hopes, but this was something else. Yes, sensational was the word as I texted a few friends after the show.

Another concert in London is already planned, at Electric Brixton on 23 March next year. A much bigger venue, and clearly merited. It’s part of a short UK tour; she’s playing Ireland and some European gigs as well. I’ve got my ticket already!

More photos. I had a nice position at the back of the balcony with a largely unimpeded view, so have plenty to share this time.

 

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Four great concerts: Ravi Coltrane, The Unthanks, VS Funk Soul Orchestra and Caroline

Posted on November 3, 2022 by John S

I’m wrapping these four shows up in one review as I have a busy November coming up, with 12 gigs at the last count – and the start of the World Cup!

The concerts took place over the last three weeks. I saw Roxy Music in that time too, but that had to be a separate review as it was such a special event. (Click on the link above if you’d like to read it.)

Jazz, folk, soul/funk and abstract folk noise (or something like that) are all on the menu. I’ll take them in chronological order.

Ravi Coltrane at the Barbican, 11 October

This was a sensational two hours of music, led by Ravi Coltrane, the son of two jazz greats, John and Alice Coltrane. Ravi is in his fifties and told us that he had avoided playing his parents music all his life – until now. On the whole he steered clear of John’s best known pieces, though there was a version of Giant Steps, which I didn’t really recognise until near the end. I think they might also have played Alice’s Journey in Satchidananda – certainly the opening bars of one tune received a big cheer. It didn’t really matter what they were playing because the band was so good: Ravi on saxophones, Rashaan Carter on bass, Gadi Lehavi on keys and Elé Howell on drums. (I’m grateful to the website Marlbank for the band members’ names). The virtuosity of all the band was astonishing at times, particularly Elé Howell’s drumming. It was fascinating to watch him: elaborate, but always holding down the beat. Rashaan Carter’s bass – double and electric – was subtle and vibrant. Two pieces began with his bass solos – so warm and melodius. And Gadi Lehavi’s piano runs were breathtaking – think the best of 70s jazz rock.

And leading the way, Ravi Coltrane himself. Not trying to sound like his father (who died when he was two). But with a range of expression which was worthy of the great man. I particularly liked it when he played the soprano sax (the long thin one). An instrument that combines eerie beauty with journeys to the outer realms.

The two hours flashed by. The sounds, the rhythms, they were all so absorbing. I think Dave, who was with me, would agree: we were lost in music.

The Unthanks at King’s Place, 15 October

The Unthanks are two sisters, Rachael and Becky, who make richly varied folk music that is rooted in their native North-east. They have core of band members, including Adrian McNally on piano and keys (also a songwriter and arranger), Niopha Keegan on violin and vocals, Chris Price on guitar and bass and Lizzie Jones on trumpet. Kath and I saw them at the first of two shows on the same day at King’s Place. Ours started at 4pm, and with interval, finished around six. Both shows were sell-outs.

I’d known about the band for some time before I really got into them with the release of their album Mount the Air in 2015. I particularly liked the dreamy Flutter and the more traditional Magpie from that album. The two sisters sing some beautiful harmonies, tinged with that north-east accent. They have just released a new album, called Sorrows Away. It’s full of tales of love and mystery, broken hearts – and disused coke ovens! It formed the basis of the evening’s music, though there were visits to their past, including wonderful versions of Flutter and Magpie. I think they said the latter was now part of a soundtrack to the Worzel Gummidge film.

The band was an eleven-piece for these shows, which lent itself to that rich variety of modern and traditional folk. The harmonies, often supplemented by Niopha Keegan, were a joy, though they strained at some of the higher ranges. A highlight was Lizzie Jones’ trumpet, resonant and wistful. Inevitably I thought of that beautiful, sad trumpet accompaniment to Elvis Costello’s song Shipbuilding. That could have fitted seamlessly into this set.

If you haven’t heard the Unthanks, do give Mount the Air and Sorrows Away a listen. You’ll find them a rewarding experience. This concert certainly was.

VS Soul and Funk Orchestra at Ronnie Scott’s, 20 October

Kath and I met up with Dave and Fiona for this one. It was another early show – 6 o’clock – with the band playing another set that night. Quite a common feature at Ronnie’s, Dave tells me. It was billed as a tribute to James Brown and Prince, so we expected it to be very funky. Dave and I speculated beforehand about what Prince songs they might play: maybe some of the earlier, less well-known material, where the funk ruled. Controversy, I Wanna Be Your Lover, that sort of thing. Wrong! They kicked off with an awesome Let’s Go Crazy, and then it got even better!

Twelve band members were crammed onto the small stage – and just off it, in the case of the strings. As well as strings we had brass – the full funky soul arsenal. It’s a great but slightly odd experience at Ronnie’s; you’re close to the band, a full on experience; but you are sitting at a table and quite possibly eating. I found myself tapping a toe to the funk while still working my way through my steak!

And what a show! The band were superb – they had everything to do justice to the great songs they were playing. Prince and James Brown alternated, with a few more Prince songs. The lead singer, Ashton Jones had a terrific voice and a personality to match. His rendition of James Brown’s It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World was out of this world. And the selection of Prince songs was a dream come true: 1999, Alphabet Street, Kiss and Sign o’ the Times, to name a few. I was really surprised (and delighted) to hear the latter. It was played faster than the original and with full horn accompaniment. A brilliant treatment.

It was so good throughout, but the last two songs deserve a special mention. Get Up (I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine) was so funky that everyone just had to stand up and dance, even in the confines of Ronnie’s. Such a groove! And then, after a brief pause, that guitar began… It couldn’t be could it? Yes it was! Not funky, just one of the all-time classics. Purple Rain. Blimey, I think there was a tear in my eye at that point. Guitarist Harry Greene is the mastermind of the ensemble. He stayed near the back and played the funk for the most part; but for this one, when it was time for the solo, he let rip. It would have done Prince proud. And it was such a loving rendition of the song that they even had that stately string outro. It was a nice touch, giving the string players a moment in the spotlight – the final say in fact.

VC Soul Funk Orchestra are a south London collective, I think. I’m grateful to Close Up Culture website for the band members’ names; if you read the review on the site, there’s a lot more detail. And if you love the music of Prince and James Brown try and see this band. I’d love to see them again.

No photos for this one – not allowed at Ronnie’s.

Caroline at EartH, 1 November

 

This was the third time I’d seen Caroline this year – the other two shows were at Cecil Sharp House (the home of English folk music) and at Latitude festival. Each time I review them I struggle to define their music. It’s rooted in folk, for sure, but the sound is deconstructed and reassembled, so it’s like nothing else you’ll hear. I went to the show with Shane last night. Afterwards we were thinking of descriptions. I came up with psychedelic folk meets avant-garde jazz; but I think I’ve just thought of something better. Cubist folk. Just as the art form takes an image, breaks it up and reassembles it, Caroline do something like that with music. Not in every song – IWR is a thing of simple beauty, like a medieval religious chant. Dark Blue, which ended the show, could be Mogwai. But then you have the staccato Skydiving onto the library roof – even the song title is Cubist!

I was pleased that the band played in the EartH upstairs theatre, where you can sit on the wooden tiers. Gets a bit uncomfortable after a while, but it gives you a chance to contemplate, to absorb, which is want you want with Caroline. This is engrossing music, best enjoyed in the dark.

The band released their debut self-titled album this year. It’s a superb piece of work – not overburdened with tunes, but constantly intriguing. The live shows are an extension of that, with the tunes elongated, stretched, embellished. Endlessly fascinating. And it’s evolving – it was noticeable that the two violinists are playing an ever more prominent part in proceedings, with Magdalena McLean also taking on some singing duties. There was some new material, including an embryonic piece in which twelve people were invited on stage, sat in a circle, all but one with an acoustic guitar, which they started to play as they picked up the chord sequence from one of the members of the band, Jasper Llewellyn. It went on a bit and didn’t develop much beyond a gentle chant; but it was a very Caroline thing to do. There’s a real inclusivity about the band, both within the ensemble and with the audience, even though they don’t do much talking. That said, one of the guitarists – Casper Hughes, I think – did briefly take on the role of spokesperson, expressing their gratitude for the year they’d had, the places they played. And this show, he said was the culmination of everything. That felt genuine and felt good. It was great to be there, to share in this celebration of music that challenges and enthrals. There really is nothing else like the music of Caroline.

 

 

 

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Roxy Music at the O2 Arena, the Dome, 14 October 2022h

Posted on October 21, 2022 by John S

Last Friday Jon, Dave, Tony and I indulged our tendency to nostalgia and went to see Roxy Music at the O2 Arena in the Dome. The occasion was the 50th anniversary of Roxy’s self-titled debut album. Fifty years of Roxy Music, and they’ve been on tour to celebrate the fact. They are getting on – aren’t we all? – with Bryan Ferry just turned 77, guitarist Phil Manzanera 71, saxophonist Andy Mackay 76, and drummer Phil Thompson 71. All featured on that first album. The missing member, of course, was Brian Eno (74). He left after the first two albums, but is still indelibly associated with Roxy Music, for those who were with them from the start, notwithstanding his remarkable achievements since, as a solo artist, a thinker, and producer with the likes of David Bowie and U2.

I was a bit slow on the uptake with Roxy Music in the early 70s. I liked their weirdness when I saw them on TV, but only really connected to the singles at first, Virginia Plain and Pyjamarama being the first two. The first album I heard all the way through was the third, Stranded, which had the single Street Life on it; but I didn’t buy a Roxy album until their first Greatest Hits album in 1977. That was brilliant, but it didn’t have anything from the first album on it. I made up for it later, when I was earning money – Roxy were one of the bands I splashed the cash on to get up to speed with their full majesty.

What was clear before that was that Roxy were hugely influential on punk – their style rather than the music itself – and the New Romantics. By the time of the latter, in the early 80s, Roxy, now dominated by Bryan Ferry, had moved on – or more accurately, had joined the mainstream, playing a mellow, almost jazzy music that earned the legend of coffee table. They were one of the best, of course, with the album Avalon a classic of the genre. But just a little off-kilter, with Ferry’s distinctive warble setting them apart from the pack. And the style: no-one had a better haircut, and no-one could wear a suit like Bryan Ferry.

The first three albums – Roxy Music, For Your Pleasure and Stranded – are absolute classics. An artful mish mash of rock, soul, jazz, psychedelia and, by the time of Stranded, grandiose balladry that sounded like nothing else before it, or since. Number four, Country Life, was pretty good too, and has grown on me over the years. The fifth, Siren, repeated old tricks for the most part, but did have Love is the Drug, that rhythmic ode to empty romance. Actually, a lot of Roxy Music songs were odes to empty romance – Bryan may have been trying to tell us something!

Those first five albums came out between 1972 and 1975. Roxy went quiet for a while after that, through Bryan released three solo albums, mostly his distinctive takes on old hits from the 60s and earlier. The band came back for a dance-orientated album, Manifesto, in 1979, before they hit full coffee-mode in 1980 with Flesh and Blood, and then the ultimate, Avalon in 1982. That was the last album badged as Roxy Music, though Ferry has regularly released solo albums since then, and Mackay and Manzanera have often featured. Since the early 2000s, the band has played a number of tours, while Ferry’s solo performances have usually been based on Roxy classics. An exception was in 2007, when he made an album of Bob Dylan covers, and toured those. It was pretty good – we saw him play at Hampton Court Palace on that tour. We saw Roxy at the O2 in 2010, while Ferry played the Roxy catalogue at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 2011 and again at Hampton Court in 2017. Each time we loved the early songs most, while large parts of the audience came mainly for the 80s songs. Both groups went home happy. Each time we’d remark how dapper Bryan still looked as he advanced in years – an example to us all.

And so to the O2 this time around. Anticipation was high – might this be the last time we would see Roxy Music play together? Well, if it was, we’ll have a great night to remember. The band were superb – and by band I mean the whole troupe, which included instrumental back up for all the original members and the three backing singers. The sound was excellent, at least where we were sitting, and the multiple screens added some arresting imagery as well as giving those far back in the arena a chance to see the band close up.

They came racing out of the traps with an urgent rendition of Re-make Re-model, the first track on the first album, and from there you knew it was going to be good. The early part of the show was a real treat for us oldies, with Out of the Blue, The Bogus Man, Ladytron, If There is Something and In Every Dream Home a Heartache featuring in the opening eight songs. So many highs there: that eerie opening to Ladytron, with Andy Mackay on oboe; Phil Manzanera really rocking out in the second half of If There Is Something; and Bryan Ferry imperious as he warbled his way through Dream Home, swathed in green light. Still able to sing about inflatable dolls with a straight face! Dave thought his voice was a bit weak; I didn’t really notice that. I guess I was just too engaged in the whole sound and vision to care.

Andy Mackay, Ladytron

Phil Manzanera, If There Was Something

Bryan Ferry, In Every Dream Home A Heartache

The middle part of the show catered for that ten years younger generation. We’d had While my Heart is Still Beating and Oh Yeah (aka On the Radio) earlier; but things really got going with the instrumental Tara, which is the closing piece on Avalon. Played beautifully by Andy Mackay on that oboe. The highlight, obviously, was More Than This – it’s a great song. The focus was on the Avalon album, though Dance Away made it in there. I like this side of Roxy – my attention didn’t waver – but when the opening bars of Love is the Drug kicked in, it was celebration time. That song unites both camps like no other. And then things got even better, a sensational version of Editions of You, with Eno’s synth madness executed perfectly by the keyboard player, and Manzanera letting rip on guitar. That segue between the synth and guitar solos is one of the great Roxy Music moments in my view.  And that was followed by Virginia Plain – glory be!

That was the end of the main set, though most of the band remained on stage and Ferry was soon back for Jealous Guy, the band’s only No 1 single, and a cover at that. A John Lennon song, you may recall. The crowd loved that one, and I imagine many would have gone home happy if that had been the end. But there was one more tune: an electrifying Do the Strand.  Strident and weird as ever: rhododendron is a nice flower! One of our favourites – the opening track on For Your Pleasure. The perfect end to a wonderful show.

I hope this isn’t the last time we see Roxy Music, or Bryan Ferry, perform live. There are some rumours that they might play Glastonbury next year. That would be a good way to bow out. But if we don’t see them again, then this show will be a fitting end. And we will always have their weird and wonderful music on record. For your pleasure, indeed!

(The full set list, courtesy of Setlist FM, is here. Dave grumbled that there were six songs from Avalon and NONE from the classic third album Stranded. That was a shame, but you can’t have everything – there are those two audiences to satisfy.)

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The Lounge Society, Butch Kassidy and Automotion at the Village Underground, 4 October 2022

Posted on October 11, 2022 by John S

The Lounge Society

Last Tuesday Jon and I, along with Louis and Gab and a few others, went to the Village Underground for a triple bill of indie guitar rock. Not the coolest genre these days perhaps, but we like it!

We were there primarily for the band who were second on the bill, Butch Kassidy, friends of ours. Louis was at school with two of the band members, Fionn (guitar and vocals) and Tom (bass). But the all the bands promised a good night of music.

I like the Village Underground as a venue. It’s a renovated old warehouse on a side street off Shoreditch High Street, about 10 minutes north of Liverpool Street station. Old Street station isn’t far away either. It has a high ceiling, plenty of natural light during the day I imagine, and unadorned brick walls. It is used as a cultural centre during the day as well as a theatre and concert venue. I’ve seen some good concerts there before, notably Pumarosa and Goat Girl – the first time I saw them, supporting Moonlandingz, the Fat White Family offshoot. It was good to back – it is one of the best medium sized venues around, holding about 700 people standing. I’d guess we had about 500 today.

First on were Automotion – a little surprising, as their profile is a bit higher than that of Butch Kassidy, who haven’t yet recorded a lot of music. We saw Automotion at End of the Road recently. Perhaps unfairly, they are always going to be known as Lennon – son of Liam – Gallagher’s band. Like all the bands on the bill tonight, they played a variant of fast-slow-fast rock that Pixies, Sonic Youth, Fugazi and others forged in the late 80s and which Nirvana and other grunge bands took to new levels in the 90s. In more recent times the rise of Black Midi has been particularly influential. But these are just the influences I perceive: each band had their own style. Automotion for me need a bit more melody in their sound. There are plenty of riffs and time changes and it’s entertaining for half an hour, like tonight. But I think their journey needs to be towards a bit more pop. I can see why Lennon might be keen to avoid that though.

Butch Kassidy won’t ever be pop! Though quite what they will be, I’m not sure yet. Previously I’ve likened their sound to a combination of Mogwai (for the slow, atmospheric builds) and Black Midi (for the frantic riffing interludes). I can hear a bit of Black Sabbath too, though this isn’t metal. There are no guitar solos right now, for a start. Like Automotion, they had half an hour. I think they played four pieces in that time, maybe five. It was the best I’ve seen them play, and I think that was a consensus amongst us. They are developing a big, powerful sound, pushed along by the energetic drums, which provide a dynamic counterpoint to the slow build. The intermittent riffing gets the mosh going, and they got a great reaction from tonight’s crowd. It was all helped by the excellent sound system, the acoustics of the building and the atmospheric lighting. Their biggest gig yet and a great success. We need some more recorded music now, so the fans can relate it to the live shows.

The Lounge Society are from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire – quite a fertile area for indie bands at the moment, other luminaries being the Orielles (Halifax) and Working Men’s Club (Todmorden). They released their debut album Tired of Liberty in August. On a first listen I was getting a bit of Talking Heads and the Strokes, maybe the Libertines too. The singer Cameron Davey’s voice reminded me a bit of Pete Doherty – and Steve Harley. In other words, rather strangled. In interviews they sound pretty angry about the world around them. Live they were dynamic and tuneful and reminded me at times of Franz Ferdinand and the Futureheads. Cameron started on bass, but he and the two guitarists swapped their instruments around during the show. It was an entertaining and energetic performance and the crowd appreciated it. On the faster numbers there was some serious moshing – the most that evening. Cameron’s vocals came across better live than they do on record and he sang (and moved) with a real intensity. I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

We all departed in an upbeat mood. Three good bands, Butch Kassidy triumphing on their biggest stage yet, and the Lounge Society showing why they are getting a lot of good reviews in the music press.

Indie guitar rock, post-punk – call it what you will – is alive and well!

A few more photos.

Automotion

Guess the Gallagher!

Butch Kassidy

Tom

Fionn

The Lounge Society

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A poem for National Poetry Day

Posted on October 6, 2022 by John S

I was listening to BBC 6 Music this morning and Mary Anne Hobbs was talking about National Poetry Day – which is today! It’s also five years since I published my first book of poetry, called Growin’ Up – Snapshots/Fragments. The poems are about just that – growing up. Snapshots, fragments of memory from my first 25 years. Things that stick in your mind, even if you’re not sure why, given all the things there are to remember.

School is a theme, of course – and my love of music and words. They come together in one poem, which is simply called English. If you are reading on a phone, the words might scatter a bit, so I’ve included photos below.

English

I loved English.                                                                                                                                      At school it was                                                                                                                                      My favourite A level,                                                                                                                              Even if I chose economics                                                                                                                 For university,                                                                                                                                      In the end.                                                                                                                                                 I loved the creativity,                                                                                                                         The insight into human kind.                                                                                                            The mysteries of                                                                                                                              T.S.Eliot’s masterpiece,                                                                                                                      The Wasteland.                                                                                                                                 April is the cruellest month,                                                                                                          Stetson! You who werewith me                                                                                                          In the ships at Mylae!                                                                                                                        The opulence,                                                                                                                                     And the breakdowns,                                                                                                                          In Tender is the Night.                                                                                                                 Nicole and Dick,                                                                                                                       Fortunes reversed.                                                                                                                             The magnificent tragedies                                                                                                                Of Othello,                                                                                                                                            And Lear.                                                                                                                                              The green-eyed monster,                                                                                                                        The self-inflicted misfortune,                                                                                                          The rage,                                                                                                                                      Defeat,                                                                                                                                        Inevitable and final.                                                                                                                  Walking back from supper,                                                                                                            With class mates,                                                                                                                Exclaiming,                                                                                                                                            Howl wind, crack your cheeks!                                                                                                Actions speak louder than words,                                                                                                  But words last longer than actions.

I didn’t spend all my time,                                                                                                                 As a teenager,                                                                                                                                Pining after girls                                                                                                                                     I was too shy to ask out,                                                                                                                 Because I was in love with words.                                                                                                The Clash,                                                                                                                                              T.S Eliot,                                                                                                                                      Shakespeare,                                                                                                                                  Orwell,                                                                                                                                         Tolstoy,                                                                                                                                                       F.Scott Fitzgerald,                                                                                                                    Conrad,                                                                                                                                   Apocalypse Now,                                                                                                                             (You surf or you fight!)                                                                                                               David Byrne,                                                                                                                                     Alex Harvey,                                                                                                                                    Elvis Costello,                                                                                                                                  Bruce Springsteen                                                                                                                     Slogans,                                                                                                                                  Observations,                                                                                                                      Metaphors,                                                                                                                              Emotions,                                                                                                                              Resonances,                                                                                                                             Fragments,                                                                                                                            Memories.

Words.

English.

And on photo:

Growin’ Up is available on Amazon and Kindle, if you’d like to give it a try. £5.99/£3.99 in UK money – getting cheaper by the day for the rest of the world!

 

Posted in Art, books, theatre, cinema, Poems | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Alina Bzhezhinska and the HipHarp Collective at King’s Place, 25 September 2022

Posted on September 27, 2022 by John S

Alina Bzhezhinska is a harp player from Lviv in Ukraine. She studied in Poland, Germany and the US, before settling in the UK – for seven years she was a harp tutor at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow, but eventually she moved to London and became more involved in jazz music. She released a critically acclaimed debut album, Inspiration, in 2018, and has played with modern luminaries like Kamaal Williams (on his excellent album Wu Hen) and sax maestro Shabaka Hutchings. This year she released Reflections, an album which acknowledges the influences of the harpist Dorothy Ashby as well as the music of both Alice and John Coltrane.

I’d not come across her until I heard her being interviewed on Cerys Matthews’ 6 Music Sunday lunch time show a few weeks ago. It’s an excellent show by the way, featuring music from around the world and over the decades. Alina and her band, the HipHarp Collective, played a couple of songs, which I really liked, and the conversation was fascinating. It was mentioned that she was playing King’s Place, in King’s Cross in September and afterwards I bought a couple of tickets for the show. I promised my wife Kath it would be worth coming along!

The concert was scheduled for seven, on Sunday. We had a lovely Thai meal beforehand at Supawan, on the Caledonian Road. I think I’ve mentioned it before – highly recommended. The show was an opportunity to showcase the new album, which Alina and band played through in sequence, cutting the last two songs, but playing a tribute to the great saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders who died, aged 81, at the weekend. He played with so many different artists, but the Coltranes were foremost amongst them. And only last year he starred on the brilliant Floating Points album Promises, which I made my album of 2021. The tune they played for the encore was called Astral Travelling, which felt appropriate.

It was a wonderful show. A superb band, with at different times through the two sets, a string section, trumpet, saxophones, percussion, and of course the solid base of electric bass and drums. And then Alina, centre stage. In a sense her harp played the role a piano might play in a band like this normally. But, of course, it had a different feel – more delicate, dreamier. It’s such a beautiful sound, one which I associate through experience with religious services at the school where I was a governor and Irish music, often the two coming together. And of, course, in the pop world, there is Joanna Newsom, whose 2006 album Ys brought something new and distinctive to the genre.

On the more upbeat numbers the harp mostly played a supporting role – its subtle variations were at times upstaged by the drums and bass, or the soaring sounds of the sax and trumpet. Alina played a few solos of course, and it was always fascinating to watch her fingers move across the strings even when you couldn’t fully hear the sounds coming from them. But on the slower tunes, notably John Coltrane’s “Alabama” – a lament for the people of that state who were killed during the struggle for civil rights in America – the instrument really came to the fore, weaving its magical spells. The interplay with Tony Kofi’s soprano sax on that song was a thing of great beauty. It was the last tune before the interval; just before it came another Coltrane song, “Afro Blue”, with vocals from the Scottish jazz singer Niki King and some drum pyrotechnics from Adam Texeira. Towards the end of the show we reached one of my favourites, Paris sur le Toit, which has something of a hip hop beat, and definitely a feel of that great city. Alina described how she’d written the song on the Eurostar, on the way back from Paris. I think it was the first song of hers that I’d heard, on that Cerys Matthews show. There are two versions of the tune on the album, one with a jazz-rap vocal – partly in French.

Throughout both sets Alina took the trouble to introduce each song, describing its inspiration and the joy she has in making music. She avoided the topic of the Russian invasion of her country until the final applause of the show; tonight she just obviously wanted to focus on the launch of her new album, Reflections. She was clearly touched by the reception she and her band received from the audience – these must be such challenging times for her and anyone from her country, and to experience people coming together to celebrate her music must be a wonderful, if temporary antidote. In the longer term, we can only hope that creation once again trumps destruction in Ukraine.

So, give Reflections and Inspiration a listen if you get the chance. And while you’re at it delve into sounds of Pharoah Sanders, one of the great saxophonists, a man who brought real spirituality to his art. Rest in peace, Pharoah.

(The first photo below is what Alina called the “core band”, though the trumpet and saxophone played an integral part. Adam Teixeira is on drums, Mikele Montolli on bass and Joel Prime on percussion. The two violinists and cello player I don’t know the names of. Alina referred to them by first names only, so I assume they were brought in for the album launch.)

Jay Phelps on trumpet

With Niki King, who sang on Afro Blue

Toni Kofi on the soprano sax

Posted in Music - concerts, lists, reflections | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Soccer Mommy at the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, 22 September 2022

Posted on September 25, 2022 by John S

I went up to Kentish Town last Thursday to see Soccer Mommy for the second time this month, having seen them recently at End of the Road. They were good there, very dynamic; but I thought this would be a chance to enjoy the show in a bit more depth. Soccer Mommy is the vehicle of singer and guitarist Sophie Allison, from Nashville. You could file her under indie or singer-songwriter, and as she progresses, maybe even grunge – 2020s pop-style. I first came across her in 2018, when she released her first full album Clean. Prior to that she’d released two compilations, For Young Hearts in 2016 and Collection in 2017. Clean had a lo-fi indie sound and some trenchant lyrics about life as a young woman. The stand out track was the defiant Your Dog, but there were also some lovely, wistful melodies, and these led me back to some of her earlier songs like Switzerland, Allison and Waiting for Cars, as well as the sprightly Henry. She played a very successful show at the Moth Club in Hackney early in 2018 and in November that year I really enjoyed her performance supporting Kacey Musgraves at Wembley Arena. One of the highlights of that show was her cover of Brice Springsteen’s I’m On Fire. She imbued that song of love and frustration with a tenderness that gave it a new perspective.

Her second album, Color Theory came out in 2020. The stand out track on that was Circle the Drain, a melodic rocker that belied the despairing lyrics. I never really got into the album, though recent listens have inevitably revealed more. And this year we have a new album, Sometimes, Forever. Again, I rather skated over this one until the last couple of weeks. It’s the rockiest, most grungy album yet – a real 90s sound. I could even hear elements of The Bends-era Radiohead. But with repeated listens, you locate the melodies and realise that it’s not so different to Clean and the earlier tracks after all.

The concert at the Forum featured the new album heavily. The band have been touring Europe, reaching Britain just recently – as well as doing that EOTR show. The setlist has been the same as far as I could see; nine songs from Sometimes, Forever, four from Color Theory and just the one, Your Dog, from Sophie’s earlier music. As at EOTR, I liked the performance, the full sound, the sense that Sophie has really worked out how she wants to play live. You do lose a bit of the new songs’ subtlety in the rock sound; and I felt that had she mixed it up a bit more, not relying so much on the new songs, she might have got a more lively response from the crowd. There was a surprise – a very welcome one – when she added a couple more songs from Clean towards the end of the show: the ballad Still Clean (which she performed solo) and Scorpio Rising. They gave the audience a boost at just the right moment, and that energy flowed through the rest of the concert.

If I ever found myself giving advice to a band that is getting more popular with each album I would say, don’t give up on your old tunes. They are likely to be the ones that people are coming for. Give them some new songs of course; but letting them dominate a show won’t make people rush out to buy (or stream) them. Their memory of the show will be better if you give them the old favourites too, and that will make them more likely to listen to your new stuff. I can understand why artists want to move on, but when you are playing live I think you need to respond to your audience’s needs. This doesn’t apply just to Soccer Mommy, but just about anyone. Rare is the band whose audience laps up five new tracks in a row at the start of a concert, as happened at Radiohead’s brilliant Roundhouse concert in 2016. The rest of the set that night was rich in classics from throughout their career.

Anyway, the addition of Still Clean and Scorpio Rising made a real difference to the dynamic of the show, and the momentum was sustained by the excellent Still, newdemo and Yellow is the Colour of her Eyes (the latter being the second best song on Color Theory). The encore began almost immediately – the band had started surprisingly late (9.30) and I think they suddenly realised they were running out of time. Maybe those two extra songs were a spur-of-the-moment thing. The first song was Sophie’s most Nirvana-like song yet, Don’t Ask Me; then the Soccer Mommy anthem, Your Dog closed the show on a high. We all went away happy – especially if we’d had time to listen to the new album.

Posted in Music - concerts, lists, reflections | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

End of the Road 2022

Posted on September 12, 2022 by John S

Back to End of the Road at last! My last EOTR was 2019. It was cancelled in 2020; and last year I was confined to the back garden self-isolating when the festival took place. So I was really looking forward to this one, especially as I skipped Green Man this year, in order to have a bit more flexibility about Edinburgh festival dates.

Cast list was Jon G, Louis and Gab and Louis’ friends Tom, Fionn and Dylan. Tom and Ffion are members of Butch Kassidy, who I reviewed earlier this year. It was good to have the youngsters around – all passionate about their music, and lively company. Jon and I generally part company with them around midnight and leave them to the secret shows in the Tipi tent and all sorts of other late night gatherings. Gone are the days when I’d be at a secret show at 1.30 in the morning, or dancing to reggae music in the Woods at Latitude at 3am; it’s all about pacing yourself when you’ve hit your 60s! A glass of wine out of the box back in the tent and off to bed, to conserve some energy for the next day…

Thursday, 1 September

End of the Road has an evening line up in the Tipi tent and on the Woods Stage – the main stage – on a Thursday. We arrived at around 3 o’clock, set things up then sat around chatting for a few hours, accompanied by a few beers. Then it was off to the first show of the festival: either K.O.G (rap with an African flavour) on the Woods stage or Joe and the Shitboys in the Tipi. Jon and I opted for Joe, on the grounds that a bit of lively punk might make a good start to proceedings. It was OK. Lots of crude lyrics and chants that might appeal to a thirteen year old – not many of those at EOTR – and a brevity to the songs that was straight from the Ramones playbook. We stayed for the whole show, which was mercifully short. Onwards and upwards!

Next up was Sudan Archives on the Woods stage. Sudan Archives is the stage name for an American artist, Brittney Parks. Her music combines electronic dance sounds with some African influences and, more unusually in this genre, the violin. Indeed, at one point she played an Irish/ Scottish jig. She was accompanied by a keyboard player, sticking mostly to electric violin and vocals herself. I liked what she was doing, but felt that the violin was a bit of an add-on really, and didn’t work for me. I daresay she would say it is integral to her sound. The best moment was a fierce bit of drum and bass towards the end of the set. Must check out how that dance/violin combination works on record.

Headliners on the Woods stage were Khruangbin. I’ve always liked their sound, and particularly enjoyed their collaboration with the singer Leon Bridges, Texas Sun, in 2020. That is a beautiful, summery soulful song. The core band is a trio, comprising Laura Lee on bass and vocals, Mark Speer on guitar and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums. They are from Houston, Texas, but draw on a range of global influences in their music. At the heart is a wonderful soulful, sometimes funky groove. I really loved the show tonight. Mark’s guitar twanged and echoed, Laura’s bass throbbed and DJ lay down a superbly spare drum beat that subtly held the whole thing together. Everything about the set was so stylish – the lighting; the way that Mark and Laura dressed, 70s style; the way they moved around, up and down the steps on either side of the ramp where the drums sat. It was really languid, and yet so funky. I got a little bit of Talking Heads’ Genius of Love at one point, and checking Setlist FM, I see that they have thrown that in before. The set lasted 90 minutes; I could happily have stayed for more. A great start to the festival.

Encore

Friday 2 September

The literature events – three talks before the music gets going – have moved home, to the Talking Heads stage, which sits behind and downhill from the Garden Stage. It’s a stage that is home to the comedy at EOTR, amongst other things. I had never been down there in all my visits to EOTR. It’s a lovely site, set into the slope, with the wooden stage at the bottom, against a backdrop of trees and a large hill behind them. All rather idyllic. I only made it for half of the second talk, with the journalist and broadcaster Kate Molleson, talking about her new book, Sound Within Sound, which is about composers across the world who have challenged classical music conventions. It was interesting, and went beyond its allotted time. It turned out that historian Matthew Green before her and musician/writer/film producer Bob Stanley after her had both pulled out because of covid. I suspect that in the days of the common cold and flu they might have soldiered on, but we live in different times.

The curse of the festival is the clashes on the timetable between lots of bands you want to see. On the flip side, there is a wonderful amount of choice. On the whole, I didn’t face too many dilemmas at EOTR this year, but there was a minor one to start off Saturday’s music. Rosali on the Garden Stage or Automotion in the Big Top? I hadn’t heard of Rosali until I listened to EOTR’s excellent pre-festival playlist on Spotify (look up EOTR 2022). I liked her bluesy Americana. Jon was keen to see Automotion though, so I went along to that. They are a young band, featuring Liam Gallagher’s son Lennon on guitars and occasional vocals. Most of the vocals are handled by the other guitarist Jesse Hitchman. Lennon wore a rather daft flying cap with very long flaps, which his father might have favoured, but there was no trace of Oasis in their sound. A lot of it was instrumental, with some of the Black Midi-style stop-starting and talk/singing. Jon thought Black Country New Road. Most of all though, it was early 70s heavy prog rock. Pretty good, but a bit lacking in light and shade. A very popular sound in the indie world these days though.

We tried a bit of south London lo-fi rap/R&B next with Keyah/Blu. I liked her sound, which reminded me a little of an artist I’ve really enjoyed in the last couple of years, Biig Piig. Quite what Keyah (if that is her name) made of playing to an audience of mostly middle-aged white people, I’m not sure, though she did talk of wanting to raise the energy level. Which, in fairness, she did as the show progressed – perhaps more young people turned up. The sound was pretty minimal, Keyah singing to a back beat created by the keyboard player, who occasionally left her console to leap around a bit. She also got the guitar out for a couple of solo ballads in mid set, which were a bit weak. I’ve been listening to some of her music as I’ve been writing this section – and it’s good. In her natural environment I think Keyah could get a real party going.

Straight over to the Woods stage next, to catch English Teacher. On the basis of what I’ve heard on 6 Music, I’d say they are one of the best new indie bands around. I’ve just read two interviews with them in which they say they aren’t a post punk band and they don’t sound like the Pixies. Well, actually… they’re from Leeds, a hot bed of post punk indie at the moment. One thing that distinguishes them from most indie is that their singer (and guitarist) Lily Fontaine is black. She addresses this in their best single so far, R&B. It has a classic Pixies slow build, before the guitars break out. As the chorus surfs the waves of guitar Lily sings, despite appearances, I haven’t got the voice for R&B. So what of the show today? In the sunshine on the main stage, at 2.15, it was good, it rocked; but both the subtleties and the full force of their music was lost a bit. On the plus side, they engaged with the crowd really well. You’d expect the singer of a band like this to say next-to-nothing to the crowd. Lily wasn’t like that at all – she came across like she was really enjoying herself. I liked that – and they ended with R&B. I’ll be looking out to see them on their next tour, for sure.

I went over to the Garden stage to see The Golden Dregs once English Teacher had finished. I was really taken by the band when I saw them at the Wide Awake festival at the end of May. The band are led by Benjamin Woods, who is from Falmouth in Cornwall. They are south London-based now, and play music which has an Americana base with an English overlay that reminds me of the likes of Lloyd Cole, Tindersticks and Gene. This time, in the sunshine, I enjoyed the performance, without being quite so engaged. The crowd were very positive though. I found my mind drifting elsewhere, while the band played in the background. That’s festivals for you: it’s a long haul.

I got back with Jon for Steam Down on the Woods stage. This is a band that absolutely demand you dance. A great pot pourri of jazz, soul, dance, African beats and more. We both took the opportunity to lie down on the grass and take it all in while having a bit of a rest! Gotta pace yourself, remember? I’m glad to say there was a big crowd at the front responding to the exhortations of the singer. There was a party going on, but we snoozed through it. And loved it at the same time. A band really worth going to see, but not a bad one to chill out to either. Not literally – the sun was blazing at the time.

Anais Mitchell was next for me, on the Garden stage. She’s a long-established performer, but the first time I heard her sing was with a band called Bonny Light Horseman in 2020. They had a song called The Roving, which I loved. She popped up again on an album by Big Red Machine, the collaboration between members of the National, Justin Vernon and Taylor Swift amongst others, last year. She released a self-titled album this year, which features a lovely song called Bright Star. And that’s what she was singing when I arrived at the Garden stage a few minutes into the set. I stayed for the rest – perfect music for a mellow late afternoon. She has a beautiful voice, which is just right for her poignant songs. An unassuming triumph.

Back down to the Woods stage next for one of the highlights of the festival – the sweet, slinky soul of Durand Jones and the Indications. They’ve changed a little since I first saw them at Latitude in 2018, when they had a very cool horn section, and a bit more of a 60s feel than now. It’s full-on 70s soul and funk now, and it is so good! The vocal duties are split between Durand Jones, who does a very good Marvin Gaye – think Let’s Get It On – and the drummer Aaron Frazer, whose falsetto takes you straight back to the likes of George McCrae and the Chi-Lites and, come to think of it, Smokey Robinson. It’s pure joy as every song unfurls – I particularly liked one of the slower ones called Is It Any Wonder? I think the crowd, which was a good size, felt the same way. Just about everyone was moving to the groove. It’s irresistible! This is a band to put a smile on your face and feel the love.

Having said that, I did dash off before the end, because I wanted to be there for the start of Skullcrusher in the Tipi tent. Possibly the most inappropriate name in music – far from being a purveyor of death metal, Helen Ballentine, she of Skullcrusher, sings delicate, introspective indie-folk songs. There’s some similarity to Phoebe Bridgers’ more reflective moments, and it’s no surprise that she has a song called Song for Nick Drake.  I first heard a song called Places/Plans in 2020, which I liked; but the tune that really got to me was Storm in Summer, which came out in 2021. It has a beautiful melody and is a bit more upbeat sound-wise than most of her work. It has become one of those songs that frequently comes into my head for no reason that I can think of – a real earworm. That’s why I needed to be there for the start: just in case she played Storm in Summer first. I needn’t have worried: she mostly played songs which I imagine are from her forthcoming debut album. Accompanied by another guitarist, she played a sequence of slow, dreamy tunes that would sound great in a darkened living room on a winter’s evening, but didn’t really work in the Tipi. I got the impression she was pretty nervous and she stayed seated for the whole show. Storm in Summer did make an appearance near the end, but in a new guise – yes, slow and dreamy! So, a bit of a disappointment, but I will definitely give that new album a go – on a dark winter evening.

After a break back at the tent, with some rotisserie chicken and roast potatoes – quite difficult to eat from a paper plate on your lap with a wooden knife and fork! – it was time for Soccer Mommy in the Big Top. Soccer Mommy is the vehicle for singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, who grew up Nashville. Her music initially fitted the indie-folk label, but over the years it has become rockier. I first came across her when she released her first full album Clean in 2018. That album, which was full of catchy indie-pop tracks, included the defiant Your Dog, which has become her signature tune. Delving into her back catalogue, I really liked some of her slower songs like Switzerland, Waiting for Cars and Allison, as well as the jaunty melody of Henry. I saw her play a sold-out show at the Moth Club early that year and she appeared at End of the Road, in the Tipi. Even better, she supported Kacey Musgraves at Wembley Arena later that year. Her cover of Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire was a highlight of that show. I haven’t been quite as keen on some of her more recent output, though I did love the strident Circle the Drain from her 2020 album Color Theory. She has a new album out, Sometimes, Forever, and that naturally featured strongly in tonight’s show. I’m not too familiar with that yet, but it didn’t matter – Sophie and band played with a real confidence and verve which bowled you along. I couldn’t help thinking how far she has come over these last four years. This was a really powerful, rocking show. There was even a bit of grunge in there. Circle the Drain sounded great early on and Your Dog received the warmest greeting of the evening. Everyone knew the words to that one! I’m seeing her again at the Forum, Kentish Town later this month – this show really whetted my appetite.

You never really know what you are going to get with Black Midi when you see them live. They set their own rules – don’t expect a tune you might know from an album to sound anything like the recorded version when it’s played live.  The band emerged in 2017 and cultivated an air of mystery at first. I first saw them play at Latitude in 2018, and was blown away. How on earth to describe them? Prog-punk-metal? One minute they’d be riffing, the next there’d be some delicate noodling; and always there was the amazing drumming of Morgan Simpson. You could spend the whole show just watching him. Over the last few years they have become stalwarts of the festival scene. Jon and Louis are both big fans; sometimes I find them a bit too much, but they are always interesting. In recent years they’ve added sax to the band, and at Glastonbury I thought they were really beginning to sound like avant-garde jazz rockers. So no surprise that they were nothing like that on the Garden Stage tonight. They were hard core, stripped back, rocking Black Midi. A mosher’s paradise. They went down a storm. A great end to the day’s music, at least for me and Jon. The youngsters had another three or four hours to go!

Saturday 3 September

I got down to the Talking Heads stage to catch the second half of the author Tom Cox’s talk. He has just published his first work of fiction, Villager, which synthesises his passion for music, nature and folklore. I liked his description of his writing process – lots of “faffing”, mulling over ideas; and then once he starts writing, it happens quickly. I can relate to that. He was followed by singer PP Arnold, who was a real force of nature. She was interviewed by author and music journalist Will Hodgkinson – he could hardly get a word in! Pat (as she referred to herself) married young and was in an abusive relationship in Texas. But providence came her way and she got a chance to audition as a backing singer for Ike and Tina Turner. It kicked off from there. Ike and Tina supported the Rolling Stones on tour in the UK in 1966, and she quit after that to pursue a solo career in the UK, encouraged by Mick Jagger, with whom she had a relationship. Her solo efforts never really took off, but over the years she sang with all sorts of stars, including the Small Faces in the 60s, Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. She also appeared in various musicals. She made some recordings with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees in the 60s and 70s, which she was finally able to release in 2017. After moving between the UK and Los Angeles, she settled in this country. She was such a great talker that she didn’t get much past the Stones and Immediate Records days in the 60s, but it was a joy to listen to her. She has recently published an autobiography called Soul Survivor, which I think I’ll have to get. And at the end of the talk, something happened that I haven’t seen at the literature events before – just about everyone stood up to applaud and cheer. Great stuff!

Jon and I avoided the temptation of see Sniffany and the Nits again – we saw them at Latitude – and wandered down to see The Heavy Heavy. I was keen to see the band, having heard their single Miles and Miles on Cerys Matthews’ 6 Music show recently. It has a lovely rolling riff and guitar work straight out of the Allmans’ songbook. Their debut EP Life and Life Only came out this year and is a good listen, if you like late 60s/early 70s melodic rock. The sounds of California, with just a touch of southern boogie for good measure. And live it was completely joyous. I loved their set from start to finish: the rolling rhythms, the harmonies, the guitar solos, the driving beats. Rooted in the past, but fresh and contemporary too. They had the crowd dancing almost as much as Durand Jones and the Indications. One of the highlights was when Georgie Fuller, who shares the vocal duties with lead guitarist Will Turner and plays keyboards, sang the soul classic Piece of My Heart. She gave it the full Janis Joplin. A wonderful moment – brought tears to my eyes. The band are about to start a big North American tour. I’m not surprised – they will absolutely lap up the Heavy Heavy on the other side of the Atlantic. For pure pleasure, my favourite show of the weekend.

 

Jon and I went our separate ways for a while after that: he to see Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan – mainly for the name! – while I went over to the Garden stage to catch a bit of country singer Margo Cilker. She was a new name to me when I heard her on the EOTR playlist. I liked her sound on record; and that translated to the live show. Nothing flash about this one: just good old country music, sung and played beautifully. Margot had a nice sense of humour in between songs too. One song had one of the best country music refrains I have heard: Crazy and died, crazy and died, everyone I looked up to has gone crazy or died. All sing along now!

Back at the Woods stage I watched a bit of the Umlauts while waiting for Modern Woman in the Big Top. I thought they sounded pretty good on the EOTR playlist, and I’ve heard them on 6 Music too.  Naturally, with that name, the music has a German electronic angle, but it has punk elements too. The band apparently met at Wimbledon College of Art. The two women who front the band are from Austria and Monaco. I thought they were interesting, but like a few other bands, including English Teacher, it’s quite hard to get anything like the full impact of their music on the main stage in broad daylight. One to research further.

Modern Woman were playing the Big Top, a step up from the tiny stage I saw them on at Wide Awake in May, and the Alcove at Latitude. They certainly rose to the occasion. They played a powerful set of jagged post punk with elements of gothic folk rock – the latter coming from the subject matter of the songs and especially band leader Sophie Harris’ singing. Add to that the wild sounds that David Denyer conjures out of his synth and violin and you have an intriguing and unusual mix. Try the 2021 EP Dogs Fighting in My Dream if you want to hear them for yourself. That includes their two most streamed songs to date; Juniper and Offerings, as well as The Eel, which has some screeching sax on it. All featured in the show. Sophie, as usual, looked very striking – not in her flowing red dress this time, but a pale blue two piece suit that glowed in the lights. This is a good band – I’ll be interested to see how they develop in the future.

After a break, during which I quite enjoyed listening to Starcrawler on the Woods stage from the tent (lots of New York Dolls in there) it was time for Irish band NewDad in the Big Top. I stuck around for about half the set. I like their swirling sound – a bit of shoegaze, a touch of Cranberries. I enjoyed them at Green Man last year, and I Don’t Recognise You was one of my most played songs of 2021. Today though, I found them a bit tame – perhaps in contrast to Modern Woman. I decided to leave about half way through, so I could see the Weather Station from the start; but soon after I’d left the Big Top I heard the opening chords of I Don’t Recognise You. So I dashed back, enjoyed the swirling chords and Julie Dawson’s singing for a few minutes more, and then left again!

I’ve not listened to the Weather Station much, but their 2021 album Ignorance received a lot of acclaim in the music press. It was an album said to be informed by band leader Tamara Lindeman’s “climate grief”, the feeling of despair and anger at where the world is heading. I gave it a listen at the time, expecting to hear something that really channelled that despair and anger; instead I heard a lot of well-crafted songs that just sounded a little bland. Nonetheless, I thought they would be worth seeing live – perhaps the amplification and distortion you get in the live environment would give the songs a greater edge.  I’d have to say that my view didn’t really change. The band were excellent, really tight. Tamara sang beautifully, but maybe too beautifully to convey that sense of anger that is there in the lyrics. I can’t really fault them and they went down very well on the Garden stage. But it didn’t really move me.

Perfume Genius was on the agenda for the gang, and apparently it was a great performance. I decided to go up early to a small stage called the Boat, which is the woods, to see Jockstrap. When I got there the place was already packed. The stage appears to be in a dip, so that when they came on most of the crowd, me included, couldn’t see them at all. A bit of a programming error by EOTR – Jockstrap could easily have filled the Big Top. I decided to try my luck back at the Talking Heads stage, where the guitarist Gwenifer Raymond was playing. All the benches were taken when I arrived, but I found myself a nice spot to the side with a good view. I spent the next 45 minutes completely captivated. Gwenifer’s guitar playing is extraordinary. How to describe? She’s Welsh, and there’s the sound of the mountains in there for sure; but there’s blues, there’s bluegrass and there is definitely flamenco. The speed of her playing at times, the double rhythms, the expressiveness, reminded me of two concerts I’ve witnessed recently: some flamenco in Cordoba, Spain, and a classical guitarist called Jonathan Prag (who I saw at Edinburgh) who draws heavily on Spanish and Latin American composers. Doing a little reading for this piece, it seems that the music Gwenifer is playing is called American primitive. All I can say that it wasn’t that primitive! The complexity, the dexterity was a wonder to behold. And there was a tone, maybe those Welsh mountains again, that took me back to side two of Led Zeppelin III, which fans of that band will remember was largely acoustic. I’d heard a couple of her tunes on 6 Music before, but Gwenifer Raymond was one of my top discoveries of the festival.

And so to the headliners on the Woods stage, Pixies. One of the great bands of the late 80s/early 90s. Pre-dating grunge, but highly influential on that whole scene – and early Radiohead too. And still one of the bands that so many others take inspiration from. The key albums are Surfer Rosa and Doolittle from the late 80s, though one of my favourite tracks, Planet of Sound came from Trompe le Monde in 1991. The band split in 1993, but reformed in 2004, and are still going strong. I saw them play at the Roundhouse in 2018 and they were outstanding. There are still three longstanding band members including frontman Black Francis. They’ve made a few albums in recent years, which I can’t say I’ve listened to, though I did like the single Blue Eyed Hexe from 2014. Tonight they had an hour and a half and a massive crowd, just waiting for the great songs. And there was a storming start, especially with Monkey Gone to Heaven and Debaser third and fourth in the set. The few minutes of those two was one of the absolute highlights of the weekend, with everyone chanting the choruses. There was a slight problem over the whole set though – quite a few unfamiliar songs, probably because not many people have listened much to those recent albums. And even on the classic albums, there were just a few tracks that stood out, at least for me. So there were some good-but-not-that-great periods during the show. And my feet were hurting from all the standing! I needed the boost of favourite tunes to keep me going. Planet of Sound did the trick late on; and then right near the end, Where is Mind? It’s a bit unfair on the band, but when they played the big hits it was brilliant; the rest of time it was OK. An hour would have been enough.

I’d been thinking about going on for a bit more after Pixies: Ross from Friends in the Big Top and Tom Ravenscroft DJ’ing at the Boat were tempting. But I was pooped. Back to the tent, shoes off, glass of wine, bed. One more day…

Sunday 4 September

I skipped the literature talks this morning in favour of a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast. Jon and I met up at the Garden stage at midday for folk singer Katherine Priddy. When I first heard her last year I assumed she was Irish, but she is in fact from Birmingham. That first song was a lovely single called True Love Will Find You in the End. I moved on to her album, The Eternal Rocks Beneath, which is a beautiful, wistful collection of soothing folk songs, with a modern beat here and there. Still sounds very Irish to me! On the Garden stage she was accompanied by a guitarist who added a subtle accompaniment to her guitar picking and a few harmonies. Katherine joked that it was perfect music for the start to Sunday, when a lot of people would be nursing hangovers from their Saturday revelries. And yes, it was music you could gently immerse yourself in. There were plenty of people lying on the grass doing just that. I loved the music, and enjoyed her introductions to the songs – a lot of them are inspired by books she has read. I left feeling mellow and ready for some rock’n’roll…

I’ve heard The Bug Club on 6 Music quite a lot. Steve Lamacq is a fan. They’ve got a song called My Baby Loves Rock and Roll Music which is just great rock’n’roll. They’d already started when we got there, and maybe they had already played My Baby… because we didn’t get to hear it. What we did get was half an hour or so of entertaining indie/punk with the kind of quirky observational lyrics that reminded me of the C86 bands of the mid-80s. I liked the refrain, If my mother thinks I’m happy then I must be happy, sung in the middle of a list of all the things going wrong in the singer’s life! The band are a trio from Monmouthsire in Wales, comprising Sam Willmett on guitar and vocals, Tilly Harris on bass and vocals and Dan Matthew on drums. I definitely like to see them again, indoors. They’re a lot of fun.

Briefly I popped into the Big Top with Jon to see Deathcrash, who Dylan had recommended. I took one look and listen, thought it was going to be very gloomy, and decided to stick to my plan A, which was to see Jake Xerxes Fussell on the Garden Stage. It was a good decision, though I’m told that Deathcrash were actually quite lively. I’d not heard of Jake until his songs popped up on the EOTR playlist and caught my attention. His American folk sound has echoes of Bob Dylan’s early work, though Jake’s voice is deeper. There’s an interesting piece on him in the EOTR programme. He is a historian of American folk music, scouring field recordings and catalogues to find songs that he can give a new interpretation. That’s very much in the folk tradition, as songs are handed down from generation to generation. Jake took the stage with just his electric guitar, and finger-picked his way through a riveting selection from his American songbook. The emphasis is, I think, on songs from the south; Jake himself is from Columbus, Georgia. One notable tune, Have You Ever Seen Peaches Growing on a Sweet Potato Vine? had Jake hitting the high notes in a way that conjured up memories of Dylan. It took me a while to figure out which Dylan song it was, but it’s All I Really Want to Do. This show wasn’t a Dylan re-tread by any means, but Jake Xerxes Fussell is rooted in the traditions of his country’s music in the same way as Dylan was, and still is. Along with Gwenifer Raymond, my discovery of the festival.

I stayed at the Garden stage for my next show, having had another brief taste of something in the Big Top, this time Lee Paterson, a drum and guitar duo. The programme promised Royal Blood-style “noise rock”. It was shouty, tuneless metal to my ears. I beat a retreat and enjoyed the more soothing delights of Cassandra Jenkins instead. She had a critically acclaimed album last year called An Overview on Phenomenal Nature. Made with producer and musician Josh Kaufman, it was a response to the trauma and confusion she felt after she was due to play in the Purple Mountain band in 2019, only for the singer David Berman to commit suicide days before the tour began. The music is rooted in Americana (of the mellow sort) but has a jazziness and dream-like quality in places too. All of this was present in the live performance, along with the field recordings that are scattered around the album. I loved Cassandra’s voice and enjoyed her humorous between-songs patter too. All quite similar to the Weather Station you might say; but there was something about the music and the performance which I found more resonant. And take a listen to that album – it’s very good.

The singer-songwriter theme continued, with Jana Horn (pronounced Jayna). My notes for this one say, “self-confessional minimalism”. Jana, who is from Texas, strummed the bass strings of her electric guitar, and that was pretty much the extent of the music. Her songs were fragile constructions, imbued with a sadness. We watched about 25 minutes of the show, during which she twice told us that she had an unborn twin sibling, who was always with her. The two of them were singing, she said. It’s clearly a deep feeling that has remained with her through her life. That and the complaints about getting lost in the Dorset countryside did leave a pall of gloom over the show though. Jon and I decided to head off to catch the beginning of Ryley Walker on the Garden Stage.

Ryley Walker is a phenomenal guitarist. I saw him on the same stage in 2017 when he was new to me, and after five minutes I was transfixed. That day he and his band veered between something like Jeff Buckley on Grace and the 70s jazz rock of someone like John McLaughlin. The song I best remember is Roundabout, which just happens to be his most streamed song on Spotify. The recorded version doesn’t have the elaborate guitar of that live performance. I never really followed up on his music afterwards, although it was also a period when he had some serious alcohol and drug problems, from which he is now recovered. There was a new album in 2021 called Course in Fable as well as a collaboration with Japanese space-rockers Kikagaku Moyo – which, musically, makes sense. Today the band was stripped down to three – drums, bass and guitar. Ryley looked very different too, sporting a neatly cut mullet. He was in good, somewhat bizarre humour, which included extolling the virtues of M&S egg sandwiches and Tesco Coleslaw! He also revealed an anglophile side, paying tribute to Steve Hackett of Genesis and covering an XTC song called Knuckle Down. That wasn’t so great, but the rest of the time, his guitar playing was once again a wonder to behold. At times I was thinking Hendrix, but something more on the prog or jazz rock side is probably closer. Maybe it is Steve Hackett! One of the festival highlights.

I then went over to the Tipi for some good old-fashioned punk music, courtesy of the London punk collective The Chisel. Jon had left Ryley Walker early to get there for the start – he’s a sucker for punishment! It was amusing to see Chubby of Chubby and the Gang studiously playing guitar instead of strutting the stage and bawling out the lyrics. Jon said he did in fact sing on the first couple of songs, but it was full guitar while I was there. Singer Cal Graham did the strutting and the shouting. God knows what his throat feels like after a gig! The music was late 70s/early 80s style – more Sham 69 than the Clash or Pistols. Fairly limited, but enjoyable for half an hour. And they went down a storm. The punk spirit lives on!

The Chisel finished at six. After a break we convened with the youngsters at the bar near the Woods stage, for Kurt Vile and the Violators. I like Kurt Vile’s music, but tonight we stayed at the bar, talking for the most part. Kurt never really grabbed our attention enough to draw us towards the stage. After that there was a choice: Scalping in the Big Top or Cola in the Tipi. Scalping, from Bristol, are a hardcore electro-metal band, with an infusion of dub, which any self-respecting Bristol band must have. I liked what I’d heard on the EOTR playlist, but Louis was raving about Cola, so I plumped for them. Having said that, I could see some of the visuals in the Big Top as I walked by, and they looked impressive. Afterwards Jon pronounced it one of the best things he’d heard and seen all weekend. Meanwhile Cola at the Tipi played their post-punk indie. The band are Canadian, and formed from a band called Ought. The sound is quite dark and you can hear elements of Velvet Underground and Joy Division in there. Maybe some White Lies too. The basslines were at the forefront and relentless. I thought the band were pretty good, but I suspect some of the subtleties of their music – and the lyrics – were submerged by the live sound. Louis declared them the best band in the world – an accolade that is normally bestowed on fellow Canadians Crack Cloud! Definitely worth seeing, though I think Scalping were more of a spectacle.

Kurt Vile

Cola

That brought us to the last show – at least for me and Jon. Yard Act were due to play the Big Top at 11.15, and I might have been tempted, but events intervened, as I shall explain in a moment. Our last show was Aldous Harding on the Garden stage. Readers of this blog will know I am a fan of Aldous’ music, and have been ever since I heard her second album, Party, and saw her play a stunning set at Gorilla in Manchester in 2017. I’ve seen her a few times since then, not least at Green Man in 2019, when she had a large audience at the main stage captivated. Her music is quite hard to describe: there’s an element of folk – her debut album was very much a folk album – but it’s jazzy, poppy and sometimes downright odd. There’s a beautiful fragility about some of the songs; others get those feet dancing. She released a new album this year called Warm Chris. I’m not totally familiar with that yet, though the catchy Tick Tock was on my radar. That came quite early in the set, which drew mainly from songs from Warm Chris and its predecessor, 2019’s Designer. As usual Aldous sang some of her songs sitting down with her acoustic guitar, and others while doing her distinctive dance moves. There was a sequence of real beauty a few songs in: first Treasure and then Fixture Picture, both from Designer. Both acoustic, with subtle support from the band. I was still standing near the back with Jon and Gab at that point, but decided I had to get further forward for the rest, and made my way along the right hand side to somewhere quite near the front. It was a wonderful show, other highlights being The Barrel (in which the ferret is shown to the egg) and old favourite Imagining my Man from Party. So engrossed was I that I didn’t notice that towards the end, the sky was shot through with lightning. And, shortly after the concert ended, the heavens opened. It was the first rain of any note during the festival hours – we really got lucky, given the forecast in the days ahead.

Jon and I headed towards the campsite: the others geared up for the next few hours of entertainment. Unfortunately, that didn’t include Yard Act. Their show was cancelled due to the electrical storm. The shows in the Tipi were halted for a while, but resumed later. But Yard Act didn’t for some reason. On the way back we stopped near the cider bus, where Tom knew a few south London people who had gathered there. One of them was Sophie Harris from Modern Woman, back in red, and rather bedraggled after the rain. I had to go up and tell her how much I’d enjoyed her show. She seemed pleased and we chatted briefly about the other shows I’d seen them play this year. It turned out that all the tuning that delayed their set at Wide Awake was caused by a broken guitar string. It was a nice way to end proceedings.

We finished off the wine box back at the tent and reviewed the day – and weekend. A wonderful array of music stretched over the past four days. From Joe and the Shitboys to Aldous Harding – the ridiculous to the sublime. Some discoveries, some old favourites, and a great vibe throughout. As I write, Jon and I have already bought our tickets for next year.

Here’s to End of the Road 2023!

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All Points East festival, Victoria Park, Hackney, 28 August 2022

Posted on August 30, 2022 by John S

The All Points East festival, featuring a series of one day concerts, has been taking place in Victoria Park in Hackney since 2018. At the time it began it usurped Field Day from Victoria Park, after a ten year run. Field Day moved to Brockwell Park in Brixton in 2018 and took on more of a dance complexion than previously. It then moved to Enfield, before returning to Victoria Park in 2021 as part of the All Points East portfolio. This year, as in 2021, there were six events. This year’s headliners were: Gorillaz, Chemical Brothers/Kraftwerk (the Field Day event), Tame Impala, The National, Disclosure and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Each supported by a strong cast, spread over three large stages, as well as a number of smaller ones. BBC 6 music had a presence too, putting on DJ sets at each event.

I was away in Scotland for the first three events and limited myself to just one day, with End of the Road coming up soon. I’d not seen Nick Cave live before, and I liked the look of the undercard, with the likes of Anna Calvi, Michael Kiwanuka and Jehnny Beth performing. And then it got even better when they added The Smile – the new vehicle for Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead – to the bill. I got there with Jon G about 3.30, in time to get a Red Stripe and wander over to the North Stage, which is a large big top tent, in the style of those at all the four day festivals I go to. Jehnny Beth was starting at ten past four. Here’s what I saw during the day.

Jehnny Beth – North Stage

Jehnny Beth is the one-time singer and band leader of Savages, a full-on rock band who made two excellent albums, Silence Yourself in 2013 and Adore Life in 2016. I really liked Adore Life, especially after seeing the band’s amazing performance at End of the Road in 2016. I put it at No 3 in my albums of the year in 2016.  Since 2017, they’ve taken time out, and there’s no sign of them returning yet. One day, hopefully. In the meantime, Jehnny Beth released an intriguing and powerful solo album, To Love is to Live, in 2020. That made No 10 in my best of the year. We saw her perform at the BBC 6 music festival in March 2020, just before lockdown. It was a brilliant in-your-face show, and this was what we got today too. It didn’t take Jehnny long to be surfing the crowd, as she loves to do. It was a relentless set of bounding beats and Jehnny’s declamations. If I have one criticism it is that it lacked a bit of variation. I did miss a couple of songs at the end in order to catch all of Anna Calvi’s set, but in what I did see there was no room for some of the more reflective tunes from To Love is to Live, such as French Countryside. Having said that, if she tours in the near future I shall hope to be there – she is a compelling performer.

Anna Calvi – East Stage (the main stage)

I didn’t know a lot about Anna Calvi’s music until I saw part of her set at Latitude in 2019. I was very taken by the visceral power of her guitar playing that day, and have since enjoyed her albums, particularly Hunter. They can’t quite capture the sound of that guitar onstage, although a song like Indies or Paradise gets close. There’s a real drama to her songs, and something that occasionally brings David Bowie to mind. You could say the same about Jehnny Beth – I think they have quite a lot in common. Today’s show was as dramatic as you can be on a big stage in the sunshine in mid-afternoon, Anna dressed in black suit and white shirt against a red backdrop. And that guitar rocked hard again. With the benefit of the screens I noticed that she plays a lot of slide when she is getting her guitar to screech. I find it captivating. I would like to see her play indoors sometime, when there would be a new level of atmospherics to set against those searing solos.

Bonnie Kemplay – Play Next stage

After Anna Calvi had finished on the East Stage, I had the option of rushing over to the West Stage, the other end of the arena, to catch a bit of Aldous Harding, before rushing back for the main attraction of the day for me, The Smile, on the East Stage. There was also the 90s psychedelia of Spiritualized on the North Stage. I decided to stay in the vicinity and noticed that there was a band playing on the nearby Play Next stage, a venue for new artists. There were about a hundred people scattered around the stage, very few right at the front. The crowd seemed as diffident as the band on stage, but were responding enthusiastically at the end of the songs. Centre stage was Bonnie Kemplay, on vocals and guitar. On the first few songs I heard Bonnie was playing acoustic guitar – once she sorted out her tunings, which were giving her trouble. I thought I detected a Scottish accent as she introduced the songs, which were classic sensitive singer-songwriter style. Then she picked up the electric guitar, and I definitely got a connection with the likes of Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy. All of which is great, in my book! It was a relaxing, enjoyable interlude.

I read later that Bonnie is indeed Scottish, from Edinburgh. Last year she won the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge award for new artists. That was from amongst 10,000 entries. So she clearly has a positive future in prospect. Live, the band are a bit rooted to the spot at the moment – diffident as I noted earlier. It may be lack of experience – Bonnie mentioned that she hadn’t been able to play (live, I assume) for 18 months because of a repetitive strain injury. One to watch.

The Smile – East Stage

The Smile are the latest side project of Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood, supported by Tom Skinner from jazz group Sons of Kemet on drums. They released a seriously good album this year called A Light for Attracting Attention. It’s not Radiohead, but it could be; and in the absence of anything new from that quarter, it is a very welcome development. They played three concerts earlier this year in the round, at Magazine, which I think is near the Dome in London. There’s a video recording of one of those concerts, which is well worth watching.

The set today was mostly from the album, although there was a new song, possibly called Bending Hectic, which still sounded like a work in progress. Like Anna Calvi, the impact was lessened a bit by performing in broad daylight, but it was an intriguing, if slightly self-indulgent performance. Johnny and Thom both played guitar, bass and keys at various stages, with Johnny mostly head down as usual, face covered by the floppy fringe. At one point he went Jimmy Page and got the violin bow out to conjure unusual sounds out of his (bass) guitar. The set ended strongly with the funky bounce of The Smoke – could easily be a track from The King of Limbs  – and the clatter of You Will Never Work in Television Again. But the highlight for me was Free in the Knowledge, which has anthem potential, in the manner of Karma Police. The last thing the band would want are all these Radiohead comparisons, I’m sure; but they are inescapable. Thom did make one reference to the music not being what some of the crowd may have come for, but the set was very well-received. After all, Radiohead fans are used to change – it is a fundamental part of the band’s appeal; and The Smile feels like the next step in their evolution.

Michael Kiwanuka – West Stage/ Sleaford Mods – North Stage

I’ve got a lot of time for Michael Kiwanuka, without being bowled over by his music. I think it’s because it takes me back to a combination of the soul music and the blues rock of the early 70s. Think Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder colliding with Free and Bad Company. These are all very good things in my estimation, some of my favourite music of all time. So shouldn’t I love Michael Kiwanuka’s music, as many people do? I do like the odd song, but whenever I listen to a full album, I find myself getting a bit… bored. Anyway, I’ve been wanting to see him live for a while, having missed him at various festivals in the past. And I really liked the show he did with Jules Holland during lockdown – along with his talent and musical grounding he seemed like a very nice person.

So I went along to a very busy West Stage after The Smile, and prepared to discover the Michael Kiwanuka I’d been missing. Except I didn’t. It was very slick, the backing singers were soulful, the set looked great, he played some tasteful guitar… and after three or four songs I got a bit bored. I thought to myself, why don’t I go and check out Sleaford Mods? You know what you are going to get with those lads. So I popped into the North Stage tent and enjoyed the primitive beats and Jason Williamson’s rants for a bit. The crowd were loving it – those beats can be very catchy. Andrew Fearn, the laptop man with the can of lager, has taken to dancing around after he has pressed the right keys. Anger and jollity at the same time. I missed Mork and Mindy, which I like a lot, but enjoyed tapping a toe for 15 minutes or so. Then it was time to get a drink and find a good spot to watch Nick Cave.

No usuable photos of Sleaford Mods, I’m afraid. Some clouds instead!

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – East Stage

All Points East’s scheduling is unusual in that all the other stages finish before the headline act comes on. There’s plenty of space and good screens and sound system, so the lack of alternatives wasn’t a problem. I stood quite a way back to the side, but had an excellent view, even if Nick Cave and the band were specks on the stage. Nick Cave is an artist who I admire without ever having really got into his music in a big way. I’m not quite sure why; but seeing what I’ve been missing was the main reason for coming to All Points East today. I had a good listen to Spotify’s This Is Nick Cave playlist the other day, concluded that I was familiar with quite a lot of his best-known songs, and that after about an hour and a half I started to lose interest. There are only so many grand, doomy ballads that I can take.

And so it was with the concert tonight. It was long for a festival show – two and a quarter hours. A real feast for Nick Cave fans, a trawl through many of his greatest hits, with a few surprises along the way. I enjoyed it a lot, particularly the songs which took me into Tom Waits territory, like Jubilee Street and Red Right Hand. And what was not to like about a rendition of The Mercy Seat? Nick paraded around the stage, looking like a man who’s just taken his tie off as the party hits the early hours, a little ruffled but still stylish. He was in good humour – a nice counterpoint to the content of the songs! – and communed enthusiastically with the fans in the front rows (who’d paid extra for the privilege). The band were very slick, the backing singers adding heft to the choruses. Long-time partner Warren Ellis was resplendent with long grey beard, and emitted some strange howls from time to time. I was impressed, but also found myself thinking about the time, and the attraction of beating the crowds on the way back to Mile End tube. Is this the onset of old age? I don’t think so – that’s already happened! I had taken a look at Setlist FM and seen that they had played the same set around Europe this summer, so decided to go just after that hour and a half mark, my Nick Cave tolerance limit. That coincided with The Mercy Seat, followed by The Ship Song, two anthems to finish things off nicely. I’m sure the rest was excellent, but I ended on a high, and managed to get home in time to watch a recording of Match of the Day 2. A very nice way to end the day, with West Ham winning for the first time this season!

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