Lady and the Lost Boys

November 29, 2009

by Neil Mach © . Berkshire, gigs, live music, Live Review, music, Riverside, rock, Windsor .

Lady and the Lost Boys Nov 28, The Old Fire Station, Windsor

Playing music from the Berkshire school of damp labradors, green wellies, moist Edinburgh woollens and ‘Mummy Knows Best ’ attitudes, this band played a short but sweet set at the Firestation Arts Centre, Windsor on Sat 28t November.

The smallish crowd sat in patient lines, cross-legged on the wooden floor, humble like children in the school end-of-term concert.

Lady and the Lost Boys are a female lead five-piece band with chunky bass guitar, tantalizing percussion, emotive keyboards and a multi-talented muso who bounces between guitar, keys and even supplemental percussion, providing layers of texture as each song unfolds.

The introspective topics of the songs are based upon personal experiences and transparent memories – coming largely from a female perspective. Sipping a coffee in the breaks, petite dark haired vocalist Annabel Jones sings the Legoland, Camberwick Green, Technicolor songs from the Lady and the Lost Boys song-book. Her delivery reminds me of ‘Alanis Morissette’ and to a lesser extent, ‘Elizabeth Fraser’ (not so ethereal) and her voice is airy, high register and distinct enough to cut above the harmonic texture of music. Some of the songs ended with melodramatic yet creative ‘shoe-gaze’ blended sounds – others ended on a hand-clap or a jingle.

A few pared down guitar riffs are well hidden and tend to illuminate rather than detract from the amorphous sounds and add drama and insistence when required. The experience is fascinating and calming reminding me a lot of ‘Alison’s Halo’.

One of my favourites was the bass heavy (bass by Robin Pearson) song ‘That’s OK’. This is a song rippling with action, combining integrated piano tinkling and rat-a-tat percussion with honey sweet lyrical content delivered in a breathy, whisper-in-your ear style. The clappy and trilling chorus was nod-headingly joyful and the extraordinarily well-behaved and obviously well educated audience showed their appreciation with understated murmuring claps. Gently unfolding lyrics such as “How many gold coins should I put aside before I’m out of debt in your eyes . . . “ demonstrate the band’s ambitions as poetic quality shoegazers.

This is a band for a damp autumn evening by the open-fire, or to listen to on your Ipod as you take your golden retriever for a walk down the leaf-fall winter lanes. Thoroughly recommended.

Link:

www.myspace.com/ladyandthelostboys

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News From the Bridges – Nov 8th 2009

November 8, 2009

by Neil Mach © . gig guide, gigs, Guildford, hampton, Hobgoblin, Kingston, live dates, live music, middlesex, music, punk, Riverside, rock, ska, spelthorne, staines, West London, whats on . 8th Time Luckie, adpontes, adpontes-staines, anonymous tip, arcane roots, boileroom, buckle up, Chris Coulter, Eccentric Sensibles, Feltham, GETSETRADIO, gig, gig guide, gigs, Guildford, hampton, hobgoblin, JB Conspiracy, live music, Lori Sims, middlesex, miss pink shoes, Music Week, news, Polar, purge, rock, ska, staines, STAKEOUT STUDIOS, Subba Cultcha, Surrey, the hob, Truebeat, WAXHOUSE, whats on, without thought

News From the Bridges – November 7th 2009

TrueBeat are looking for a new drummer!

Yes Truebeat are parting company with their old drummer (on good terms) because of commitment issues so the new guy must be dedicated and willing to go the whole hog. A car and the ability to do backing vocals are also very useful but not essential! Anyway, have a listen to ‘em and see what you think; if you want an audition, get in touch at info@truebeat.co.uk. Catch these skasters in STAINES on Nov 26 2009 at The Hobgoblin [www.myspace.com/truebeatuk]

WAXHOUSE are going into the STAKEOUT STUDIOS Hampton next week to start recording an EP with Chris Coulter … we wish them a pile of luck [www.myspace.com/waxhouseband]

Melodramatic Surrey rockers ARCANE ROOTS have a new website they want you to visit : www.arcaneroots.com …. it is coming to life a bit more too with some live tracks and some demos up as well as a discography … but they would like to see more fans coming in tho! Click on, send ‘em messages, tell ‘em what you want and who you are!

Feltham eccentric yet sensible indie rockers “The Eccentric Sensibles”
[www.myspace.com/eccentricsensible] will be in the Studio next week to collaborate with artist Lori Sims (acoustic), on a blinding new song entitled “Player” . . .

Indie poppers AUDIO VIDEO DISCO [www.myspace.com/audiovideodiscouk] will be playing The Fighting Cocks Kingston-Upon-Thames Dec 5 2009 at 8:00P

Guildford’s Fab Four GETSETRADIO is coming to STAINES for all you lucky people – catch ‘em on Nov 15 2009 at 8:00P at OUR FAVOURITE STAINES venue The Hobgoblin w/ 8th Time Luckie [www.GETSETRADIO.com]

Twickenham punksters ANONYMOUS TIP (who will be playing STAINES Nov 26 2009 at 8:00P The Hobgoblin W/ True Beat) have been getting some seriously strong support from radio and hot reviews from tastemakers Subba Cultcha and Music Week …

WITHOUT THOUGHT are lined up for two sparkling Christmas Shows… the first is Dec 19 2009 8:00P at Guildford – The Boileroom **Christmas Party** w/ Polar + JB Conspiracy and the VERY NEXT DAY the band plays STAINES Dec 20 2009 8:00P at The Hobgoblin (w/ Purge & Polar) [www.myspace.com/withoutthought ]

After a gob-routing shockingly successful show at the BUCKLE UP Rock Goblin, STAINES hometown’s favourite pop act MISS PINK SHOES is back in TOWN playing THE HOB Dec 3 2009 7:00P so if you missed ‘em in November come back and support this LOCAL ACT this December.[www.myspace.com/misspinkshoesofficial]

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Arcane Roots – Staines Hob October 4th

October 5, 2009

by Neil Mach © . gig guide, gigs, Hobgoblin, live music, Live Review, metal, middlesex, music, Riverside, rock, spelthorne, staines, Surrey, West London, whats on . adpontes, adpontes-staines, andrew groves, arcane roots, buckle up, hobgoblin, hobh, live band, live music, Melodramatic Popular Song, neil mach, neil_mach, review, rock, staines, Surrey

arcane roots AND IT ALL STARTS with nylon . . .

It is Sunday in Staines and we witness another frenetic and electrifying concert by Arcane Roots.

This popular Surrey-based band is led by fuzzy mopped high-roller Andrew Groves with his cloying whimsical, skylarking highs and gurning crashing lows. It is like watching a glook trapped inside one of Mr Dyson’s see-through cyclones.

This ride is as gut wrenching as a trip over the Niagara Falls in a barrel. You get that sense of sublime grace and purity of spirit whilst you halt momentarily at the very edge of the precipice, but you are also very aware that in a just a few moments you will hurtle downwards, out-of-control, crashing into the destructive vortex below.

Yes, it is true that Andrew’s voice sounds like Mickey Mouse, after he has sucked up a helium balloon the size of a house, and has also been force-fed a mixture of amyl nitrate and ethanol (guzzled down with a keg of Red Bull.) And when he embraces his red guitar and begins to turbulently Flay and Play, you really start to believe that this Scissorhanded type creation is actually the work of a kindly yet absent-minded inventor who mistakenly added agricultural thrashing machines to the spindly arms instead of the normal working hands (or even scissors.)

Percussion and harmonies by Daryl and exquisite bass-lines and more texture with subtle tones from Adam meant that the smallish crowd at The Hob Staines had a lot to be pleased with. The set commenced with a howling and haunting ‘Nylon’ and grew more and more intense and fluently engaging- ending with a vastly exaggerated and hyperbolic blues number with searing and blistering guitar breaks from Andrew.

Powerful stuff. Please, please catch Arcane Roots soon.

Link:

www.myspace.com/arcaneroots

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East of Ealing – Bearded Theory Benefit

September 29, 2009

by Neil Mach © . festival, Folk, gig guide, gigs, Guildford, live dates, live music, Live Review, middlesex, music, Music Festival, staines, Surrey . ad pontes, adpontes, adpontes-staines, Balkan folk, bearded theory, Bela Fleck, benefit, city club, DeVotchKa, Druhá Trava, East of Ealing, Folk, folk-rock, Gogol Bordello, Guildford, Jim Bean, korpiklaani, neil mach, neil_mach, Paul Castleman, rock, roots, Stephanie Graffitti, Surrey

EoE SEP09

East of Ealing at Bearded Theory Benefit gig SEP 26 City Club, Guildford

East of Ealing play a fun mix of roots rock fused with traditional brick built and foundry forged foundation folk.

Folk songs are commonly regarded as the songs that express something about a lifestyle that existed in the past or is about to disappear- but that sense of the melancholy does not dominate the music of EoE. Instead, their songs are a lot of fun and puns are in abundance, with musical interludes sometimes surprising the audience when they rise up without warning, like the musical equivalent of Pop-Tarts.

The band also remembers that traditional folk music is an experience shared across the world. So, like Druhá Trava or Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, East of Ealing provides lessons aplenty on the subject of how folk music has evolved into what we now consider to be popular music and how the traditions have merged, emerged and altered into the various distorted forms we now recognise, along the way.

They provide some interesting and unexpected variations, along this tortuous path, and their shared sense of fun is welcome, as is their undeniable virtuosity.

For example, in an imaginative and fun song ‘the Great Unknown’, Moorish influences prevail, but the melody just puffs along like a ska number with Balkan folk flourishes. And for those who did not know that punk rock is a direct descendant of folk music (and I’m not kidding) East of Ealing provides plenty of references to this musical criss- crossing from the reels, hornpipes and jigs of pure folk to the analytical and sparse punk melodies that can be heard in work by the early Pogues, and even The Clash

Along the way, there’s plenty of fun in the East of Ealing musical repertoire, with puns a-plenty and twinkle in-the-eye tongue-in-cheek antics, as we try to keep pace with the myriad of tiny musical one-liners and punch lines. But the substance of East of Ealing is dances, jigs and general merry-making. And the crowd at the City Club Guildford responded to the music with a hearty gusto …. reeling, jumping and dancing into the warm evening air.

There are large portions of Eastern European sounds in the EoE tunes- in particular in the single ‘Black Ship’, and these sounds cross-over to more traditional Romany music and then back to punk rock, like other brands of rebel music similar in style and heart to that of Gogol Bordello and DeVotchKa. Pre-Raphaelite beauty Stephanie Graffiti squeezes out some amazing sounds from her electric violin- from Pink Floyd-esque ‘synth’ lushness all the way through to Led Zeppelin-style screeching ‘guitar’ breaks.

Jim Bean provides most of the voice and the looks (if the whole Pirate Shipmate look is your bag, baby), with a neckerchief, hearty hat and superficial smile. He plays a beautiful acoustic bass and also employs, at times, an electric squeeze-box to give the sounds more depth of image. Paul Castleman on drums, cannot be ignored. Paul is a talented drummer with a superb sense of the mischievous. Mik P plays the electric and acoustic guitars and often provides the kind of rawness and energy that lifts East Of Ealing from their trad-folk roots and prods, pushes and squeezes their sounds towards more lofty rock horizons.

East of Ealing are folksters tinged with rocker irony like ‘The Knitters’ and rockers mixed with folksy irony like ‘Korpiklaani’. I like that. Get up and dance. Are we there yet?

http://www.myspace.com/eastofealing

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HMS Pinafore – New Victoria Theatre Woking

May 29, 2009

by Neil Mach © . Live Review, Musical, opera, show, Surrey, Windsor, woking . 2009, adpontes, Berkshire, Beverley Klein, Carl Rosa Opera, Fred Elliott, Gareth Jones, Gilbert & Sullivan, HMS pinafore, John Savident, Joseph Porter, June, neil_mach, New Victoria Theatre, Olivia Safe, Steve Elias, Surrey, theatre royal, whats on, Windsor, woking, Wyne Pencarreg

sani-annatt

I must admit that I was a bit concerned about the choice that Peter Mulloy (Artistic Director, Carl Rosa Opera) had in mind to play the pompous desk-pushing first sea-lord (The head of the Queen’s Naveeee) Sir Joseph Porter in the latest production of Pinafore. Corrie Street butcher Fred Elliott was not a face that I had previously connected with the works of Gilbert & Sullivan. But the 71 year old actor, John Savident, had previously performed in Phantom of the Opera (as well as giving 11 years exalted service on The Street) and has enjoyed a brilliant career on stage, television and in film. In many ways he makes the perfect Sir Joseph Porter. Just the right amount of parody and pastiche.

Gilbert & Sullivan went to painstaking lengths to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of the original work, even going to Portsmouth to make detailed drawings of a real quarterdeck to be replicated by D’Oyly Carte. At the time (1878) the operetta was a huge box office success- and so it was with some pleasure that I noticed that the same kind of attention to detail was present (in production) in the new show at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking. I was also pleasantly surprised that the theatre was full.

Beverley Klein (Orlovsky: Die Fledermaus – English National Opera and Golde: Fiddler on the Roof – Savoy Theatre) presented a relaxed and rosy bumboat woman – Little Buttercup. Wyne Pencarreg (winner of the Erich Vietheer Memorial Award from Glyndebourne) played an efficiently capable Captain Corcoran. Perhaps baritone Gareth Jones (Dick Deadeye) could have been more forceful in vocal style and – at times- his voice was lost in the huge auditorium at Woking. But Josephine (Olivia Safe) was a pleasant and lightly agile soprano.

The best thing about all Gilbert & Sullivan operas is that they stand the test of time. When Sir Joseph sings “I grew so rich that I was sent – By a pocket borough into Parliament….I always voted at my party’s call” the audience cheered and chuckled. You could not help but be reminded of the ignominy faced by many of today’s ‘Sir Joseph Porters’ in a Parliament scandalised by a bunch of pocket-lining over-promoted junior clerks. Likewise, how many people do you know (family and friends) who, “In spite of all temptations – To belong to other nations – Remain (probably begrudgingly) English Men” ? Almost everyone I know is thinking of moving abroad for the sake of their own sanity!

And so the performance zipped merrily along – and all too soon- we found ourselves at the finale ‘Oh Joy, Oh Rapture. Unforseen’ and the jubilant celebration of right over wrong, good will prevailing over wickedness and a really English kind of muted successful conclusion – in other words a bit confused and bedraggled with everyone facing an uncertain future.

All in all, the show was light and frothy in all the right places but stern and stubborn when required. The choreography (by Steve Elias) was spot on – I particularly enjoyed the lines of pattern – almost like coiled ropes being rolled and unrolled on stage- and the gentler hornpipes, vortices and flourishes. Stage management was excellent and the costumes were efficient and convincing. The lively ensemble proved to have plenty of gusto and moved the show onwards in leaps and bounds.

Very highly recommended – whether you are a Gilbert & Sullivan ‘vet’ or new to comic opera – please try this show…

Link:

http://www.carlrosaopera.co.uk/

Next Shows (last in series)- Tuesday 16 June to Saturday 20 June at Theatre Royal, Windsor (01753 853 888)

(This autumn Carl Rosa Opera will be reviving their West End production of The Pirates of Penzance with Jo Brand as the
Sergeant of Police)

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Abstract Genius – Sticky Fungus, Staines 13 May

May 14, 2009

by Neil Mach © . Funk, gig guide, gigs, Guildford, live music, Live Review, music, punk, ska, spelthorne, staines, sticky fungus . abstract genius, adpontes, bosstones, Guildford, incubus, neil_mach, reel big fish, staines, Stand your Ground, sticky fungus, Surrey

AG_rougex500

“Thankyou for not killing me”

Abstract Genius is a funk hip-hop hardcore ska band from Guildford. They don’t make it easy on themselves (Its A Long Way To The Top -If You Wanna Rock ‘N Roll) and mixing ska with hardcore was never gonna be easy … if you want hardcore then you won’t like the ska elements, and if you like ska you won’t like the hardcore elements…

Add to this the fact these lily-white kids are from the stockbroker belt of leafy Surrey and don’t possess enough angst in them to hurt a fly (let alone participate in a drive-by) and you cannot help but think that they will never be ‘Hurt So Bad’ to be able to authentically play ska-punk… there is a dawning realisation that AG have made a fair few rods for their own corporate behind.

But the results are quite surprising … Abstract Genius took to the Sticky Fungus stage on a Wednesday night with a small crowd (shall we say 40+) of devotees watching on – and stormed the place with their hip-hop vocals, high singing strings, mento semi-acoustic thrumming chords, thumping bass play and squelchy sparkling sax.

Luke, on tenor and alto sax added tension and interest (not least by breaking a glass of Rosé – much to the overwhelming annoyance and personal displeasure of the SF soundman) and played the crowd with a practiced ease – deploying rapid-fire flowing patterns and progressively faster rap formations.

Combine this with Nick’s off beat chops, complete with the kind of singing lead breaks that threaten to singe the air and burn up the available oxygen (‘cos they are being played so high and electrically charged) and you have got one helluva hip-hop ska outfit. Mike’s offbeat lyrical percussion and Ben’s hard work and solid funkster bass-play all added up to a not to-be-missed adventure into sound and rhythm.

The breath control and vocal presence of the raps came across well, but in my opinion, some of the most delicate quality of Nick’s guitarwork was drowned out by crushing low bass distortion. When I was comparing what I heard live last night to the AG recordings (on their singularly good new album) I realised what I was missing. I also noticed that Mike’s backing vocals were almost incomprehensible- in fact Mike was so distant from the main band (being placed about 5 meters to the back of the stage) that he seemed to be almost a session player…. I recommend he gets moved forward in future gigs to get to participate more.

As well as the complete ‘Stand your Ground’ album (played over two halves) the band also proudly showed off their new song ‘The Fine Line’ which demonstrated all that is good about this group – the rhyme schemes, gritty patterstyle blocks of percussion, loopy and sprightly guitar licks and a low thumping bass sound. And with a hard-core edge too!. Jolly good work.

With the alternating and entwining tempos, punk style choruses (plus angry shouts) a clean sax and a lead guitar sound that leans towards such ska punksters as Reel Big Fish etc. I really enjoyed this gig. It was more skafull than the Bosstones and more slap-funky than early Incubus. Get the idea? You should do… catch ‘em live soon or nag them for a copy of their album.

Link:

www.myspace.com/abstractgeniusuk

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5 Things – This Week in Staines

April 13, 2009

by Neil Mach © . Folk, gigs, Guildford, Hobgoblin, live dates, live music, middlesex, music, rock, spelthorne, staines, Surrey . ascot, Ben Dew, Beverley Knight, Big Joe Louis, Bob Kirkpatrick, BRAINCHILD, chinners, Conversational Tennis, Dave Meyers, David Gibb, Dean Barnes, Dr Feelgood, East Molesey, Electric Light Orchestra, Elly Lucas, Fabulous Thunderbirds, fleetwood mac, Folk, gig guide, gigs, Hairy Bikers, hob, hobgoblin, Ian Hunt, jagz, Jimmy Nelson, Joe Louis Walker, Julian Butt, live msuic, Long John Baldry, Magnitones, Martin Smith, Nine Below Zero, Paul Simon, Pete G, Peter Green, pop, Poyntz, Raging Horns, Si King, Small Faces, staines, Steve Cropper, Sugar Ray Norcia, Surrey, The Blockheads, The Blues Kings, the Bluetones, The Cornbury Music Festival, Tom Petty, Toots & The Matals, whats on, william clarke

Pop / Folk in Staines

David Gibb at Staines

David Gibb
Apr 19 2009
Hobgoblin
Staines

Off the back of an astonishing Rockgoblin festival Summer 2008, Buckle David Gibb - (Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Harmonica, Vocals) plays his invigorating and enjoyable folk songs along with a cheeky threesome including Julian Butt – Accordion, Piano; Elly Lucas – Violin and Ben Dew – Percussion.

Links:

www.myspace.com/davidgibb

Buckle Up Staines

http://www.buckleuppromotions.com

6 Piece Classic Soul & Funk Live at Ascot

Raging Horns - Jagz Ascot

Raging Horns
Apr 18 2009
Jagz
Ascot

The Raging Horns (oooh matron!) is a fantastic six-piece horn section, four great singers and a magnificent rhythm section, playing classic soul, funk and pop covers with a raw energy guaranteed to get everyone up on their feet. For over a decade, The Raging Horns have brought the house down at weddings, parties, special events and corporate functions right across the UK. The band’s mix of enthusiasm, youth and professionalism continues to leave audiences pounding their feet and screaming for more.

Here is their Funk Manifesto:

What We Do
It’s simple – we entertain, and we’re very, very good at it.
There’s really nothing quite like having brilliant musicians on stage playing songs you somehow know every single word to and we do this with an energy and style that’ll leave you breathless.

Why?
Because we love doing it. For us, nothing matches the excitement of having an audience in the palm of our hands – the sheer thrill of performing live is what we enjoy and what we’re all about.

Who We Are
We’ve been performing right across the UK for over a decade and having started young, have established a unique mix of youth and experience.
Great musical skill combined with varied backgrounds in professional careers leave us with all the right tools to deliver an evening to remember.

What We Play
Classic soul, funk and pop are what we love and that’s what we play. From Tom Jones to Robbie Williams, there’s genuinely something for everyone.

Upcoming shows

Saturday, 18th April JAGZ ASCOT
Show will start at 8.45
Ticket cost: £8.00
Doors open from 7.30pm. £26 for 2 courses and entrance (£30 for 3 courses). Entrance for the bands is £8 but is strictly limited and on a first come first served basis. Entrance for dining or just the band INCLUDES free entrance to the nightclub

Link:

http://www.raginghorns.co.uk/

Exciting Classic Rock – Live in Hampton

Brainchild at Royal Oak Hampton

Brainchild
Apr 17 2009
Royal Oak
Hampton

THE BRAINCHILD have just completed & Mastered their outstanding Debut album ‘Conversational Tennis’, produced by the brilliant Martin Smith (Electric Light Orchestra), Which will soon be previewed to National Radio and TV prior to its
release early in April 09. The Brainchild�s ecstatic reception @ The Cornbury Music Festival this year (Beverley Knight, Toots & The Matals, Paul Simon) has led to an invitation for them to return on the main stage next year. The Festival Director said they were one of the best bands he had seen for many years with disparate elements akin to the Small Faces, Tom Petty & The Blockheads but overall totally original.

The Hairy Bikers, Si King & Dave Meyers have asked them to headline some special dates in the new year and hope to use them as their surprise �house band� on some of their forthcoming new TV series in 2009.

Links:

www.myspace.com/brainchild44

Outstanding Vocals & Guitar - East Molesey

Ian Hunt The Poyntz, East Molesey: Duo with Dean Barnes

Ian Hunt
Apr 17 2009
The Poyntz
E Molesey

IAN HUNT has long been regarded as one of the finest male rock vocalists in the UK. His vocal and guitar style are much in demand from the large advertising corporations such as Nescafe, Rover, Bounty, Rock Circus, National Express, Suchard, American Express, Cadbury’s and numerous others. Ian currently divides his musical works between live gigs in and around London and hosting a guitar class and a Jam Night/Open Night. He has released two CD albums, the most recent in 2007. CD’s are available at Gigs.

On Friday 17th April he is playing The Poyntz, East Molesey: Duo with Dean Barnes

Link:

www.myspace.com/ianhuntguitarpicker

5.

Fine R&B - in Godalming

Pete G_The_Magnitones at SCRATCHERS (THE THREE LIONS),Meadrow, Farncombe, Godalming,

Pete G and The Magnitones
Apr 19 2009
The Scratchers
Godalming

Pete G And The Magnitones have gained recognition as one of the very finest R’n’