Poet Nadine Aisha Jassat was on MC duties and opened with one of her own quaintly sensitive verses, before introducing Stout and Mackay to the stage. The fiddle and harp duo have deep folk roots, but a very modern musical sensibility, with strong jazz influences in their eclectic compositions. Fast flowing, often gentle, occasionally discordant as each went their own way and returned into harmony, frequently foot tapping. Very enjoyable..
Another poem from Jassat and Sermanni took her place before the mike. As cookie as ever, Rachel marked the Burns nater of the night with her own delicately phrased version of Ae Fond Kiss, following up with her own material. Eccentric introductions, an ethereal voice, smart guitar accompaniment and constantly fascinating lyrics, Sermanni is a distinctive and individual folk/pop voice that deserves a wider audience. She ended the show by inviting Jassat back on stage for a joint piece of guitar, song and spoken word, a beautifully sensitive end to the show.
Monday 27 January 2020
Sunday 26 January 2020
Lau Unplugged, Kings Place, London
A gig being run as part of Kings Place's Nature Unwrapped series, and no surprise that Lau were one of the chosen acts, given the number of their tunes that have been inspired by a sense of place.
It also meant an unusual support act, sonic but not musical. Chris Watson, artist in residence at KP, had made nighttime recordings of a beach on The Wash, in eastern England, and compressed them into a 25 minute sound sequence. He spent 10 minutes explaining what we were about to hear - thousands upon thousands of birds feeding on a fast diminishing beach as the tide came in leading to their sudden mass departure - and left us to it, lights dimmed to stimulate the aural presence. An interesting experience, both relaxing and almost scary at times. It's probably just me being weird, and a reflection of having watched way too many Scandinoir dramas, but I kept thinking of being trapped in a dark basement and having to work out where I was from the sounds outside! And don't get me started on Hitchcock movies...
'Lau Unplugged' suggests a return to a decade ago, when the trio first appeared with just the basics of accordion, fiddle, guitar and Drever's voice. But this is Lau and there's no looking back, they are always looking to progress and advance, both musically and performance wise. While those acoustic basics were there, they were augmented by a light sprinkling of electronica ("almost unplugged" as Martin put it), and have added a whole new dimension to their performance. More of which in a moment.
Anyone who has read these pages in the past will know I am a near-evangelical Lau fan, as evidenced in posts like this and this and this and this amongst others. So can we take it as read that the standard of musicianship and singing and arrangements and musical imagination is as high as ever? The opening number swiftly established all that, with empathetic ensemble playing where the melody constantly switched from instrument to instrument. Because I want to concentrate on what makes this show different to all their previous efforts.
There's always been a visual element to Lau. In the earliest days it was mostly concern for Martin Green as, in his more excitable moments, it appeared increasingly likely that he and chair were going to part company. The introduction of various electronic gadgets brought movement of a different kind as they tended to demands of these new friends, culminating in Macbeth's witches gathering round the sonic cauldron they named Morag. And then there have been acoustic sets with all three gathered around one mike.
To 'visual' we must now add 'theatrical'. After some shorter opening numbers the band launched into what turned into a continuous piece of almost 45 minutes, working through identifiable fragments from the back catalogue and into newer material. In doing so they made full use of the stage, moving from the seats on the raised platform into all corners, moving mike stands, tending to the giant cassette player and full of surprises. There was a wonderful comedy sequence involving 2 arm-waving musicians, 3 mikes and 4 gadgets made from coffee cups held together by gaffer tape. Chaplin would have been proud. A stunning achievement.
To end the show the band invited Watson back on to join them. He played a recording of the natural sounds of the Cromarty landscape as background to Gallowhill, one of Lau's oldest tunes. Hauntingly beautiful.
And after that there's only one question - what's next?
It also meant an unusual support act, sonic but not musical. Chris Watson, artist in residence at KP, had made nighttime recordings of a beach on The Wash, in eastern England, and compressed them into a 25 minute sound sequence. He spent 10 minutes explaining what we were about to hear - thousands upon thousands of birds feeding on a fast diminishing beach as the tide came in leading to their sudden mass departure - and left us to it, lights dimmed to stimulate the aural presence. An interesting experience, both relaxing and almost scary at times. It's probably just me being weird, and a reflection of having watched way too many Scandinoir dramas, but I kept thinking of being trapped in a dark basement and having to work out where I was from the sounds outside! And don't get me started on Hitchcock movies...
'Lau Unplugged' suggests a return to a decade ago, when the trio first appeared with just the basics of accordion, fiddle, guitar and Drever's voice. But this is Lau and there's no looking back, they are always looking to progress and advance, both musically and performance wise. While those acoustic basics were there, they were augmented by a light sprinkling of electronica ("almost unplugged" as Martin put it), and have added a whole new dimension to their performance. More of which in a moment.
Anyone who has read these pages in the past will know I am a near-evangelical Lau fan, as evidenced in posts like this and this and this and this amongst others. So can we take it as read that the standard of musicianship and singing and arrangements and musical imagination is as high as ever? The opening number swiftly established all that, with empathetic ensemble playing where the melody constantly switched from instrument to instrument. Because I want to concentrate on what makes this show different to all their previous efforts.
There's always been a visual element to Lau. In the earliest days it was mostly concern for Martin Green as, in his more excitable moments, it appeared increasingly likely that he and chair were going to part company. The introduction of various electronic gadgets brought movement of a different kind as they tended to demands of these new friends, culminating in Macbeth's witches gathering round the sonic cauldron they named Morag. And then there have been acoustic sets with all three gathered around one mike.
To 'visual' we must now add 'theatrical'. After some shorter opening numbers the band launched into what turned into a continuous piece of almost 45 minutes, working through identifiable fragments from the back catalogue and into newer material. In doing so they made full use of the stage, moving from the seats on the raised platform into all corners, moving mike stands, tending to the giant cassette player and full of surprises. There was a wonderful comedy sequence involving 2 arm-waving musicians, 3 mikes and 4 gadgets made from coffee cups held together by gaffer tape. Chaplin would have been proud. A stunning achievement.
To end the show the band invited Watson back on to join them. He played a recording of the natural sounds of the Cromarty landscape as background to Gallowhill, one of Lau's oldest tunes. Hauntingly beautiful.
And after that there's only one question - what's next?
Thursday 16 January 2020
Christy Moore, Vicar Street, Dublin
Ireland's Greatest Living Musician (as voted for in 2007, and what's changed since?) and an expectant, knowledgeable home crowd, a recipe for a special occasion. 74 years old and showing little sign of slowing down, Moore was onstage without a break for 2 hours and sounding as strong and passionate as ever. He was accompanied by regular co-conspirator and strings virtuoso Declan Sinnot, who worked his way through a shelf load of guitars, plus a guy on fiddle, banjo and mandolin, a percussionist and a backing singer. Together they worked their way through a host of Moore favourites, with some newer material thrown in.
It was straight into the singing for the first three numbers, but none of the oldies he sang needed any introduction to this sold out audience. When he did start talking it was with all the old fluency, thought, humour and political conviction, while also demonstrating an effective line in putting down the odd drunken heckler. And it was good to hear an outsider looking in at the blind stupidity of brexhshit.
Sinnott has long been one of Ireland's greatest ever guitarists, and his clever accompaniments and fluid solos complement the stolidity of Moore's approach. The rest of the band were a solid match, including some fiery banjo playing. They were joined by the 'choir' on many of the choruses, invited or otherwise. This was a room full of dedicated Moore fans and he would never get away with missing out Lisdoonvarna.
Rousing stuff, funny, engaging, involving, Moore remains one of the great live acts of the folk world.
Monday 6 January 2020
Edidi Reader, Old Dr Bells Baths
A strange experience personally, going to a gig in the place where I first learned to swim (many, many decades ago...), but they've done a good job of converting the building into an interesting and characterful venue.
Two support acts tonight, both singer/songwriters offering very different approaches to the craft. Wullie Douglas was full of energy, with a decent enough voice and guitar work, clever lyrics and imaginative arrangements. It's a shame he didn't talk more as it would have been interesting to learn something of the background to his material, but he proved a good warm up. Mixed up the tempoes from gentle ballad to something much rockier, some amusing songs (The Loneliest Guy in the World stood out), and a bit of call and response to get the audience involved. An excellent start to the evening.
He was followed by Aaron Wright who had a more distinctive vocal style, but poor diction which made it hard to grasp what the songs were about, and as he too didn't provide much by way of introductions it's not easy to say what they were about. Nice variety of styles, from folk to blues, and smart guitar arrangements. Amusing pleasant, he could do well as a Lewis Capaldi type.
But the sell out crowd was there to see one woman, and her excellent band. Eddi remains a one-off, an eccentric and often hilarious communicator, passionate about her beliefs, an uninhibited mover, unstructured and unpredictable, and possessed of a voice of soaring abilities which she uses in her own unique phrasing. The band line up is the one she's had backing her for several years now, with a mix of folk and pop backgrounds and influences. Accordion, guitars, ukulele, double bass and the excellent Steph Geremia on flute, whistles and vocals (including taking the lead on one number).
Mostly well known material, singalong at times, with a few new numbers thrown into the mix, and the talismanic Perfect to end on. There's no new ground being broken, and there's no need for it. Reader is as near perfect as she needs to be.
Two support acts tonight, both singer/songwriters offering very different approaches to the craft. Wullie Douglas was full of energy, with a decent enough voice and guitar work, clever lyrics and imaginative arrangements. It's a shame he didn't talk more as it would have been interesting to learn something of the background to his material, but he proved a good warm up. Mixed up the tempoes from gentle ballad to something much rockier, some amusing songs (The Loneliest Guy in the World stood out), and a bit of call and response to get the audience involved. An excellent start to the evening.
He was followed by Aaron Wright who had a more distinctive vocal style, but poor diction which made it hard to grasp what the songs were about, and as he too didn't provide much by way of introductions it's not easy to say what they were about. Nice variety of styles, from folk to blues, and smart guitar arrangements. Amusing pleasant, he could do well as a Lewis Capaldi type.
But the sell out crowd was there to see one woman, and her excellent band. Eddi remains a one-off, an eccentric and often hilarious communicator, passionate about her beliefs, an uninhibited mover, unstructured and unpredictable, and possessed of a voice of soaring abilities which she uses in her own unique phrasing. The band line up is the one she's had backing her for several years now, with a mix of folk and pop backgrounds and influences. Accordion, guitars, ukulele, double bass and the excellent Steph Geremia on flute, whistles and vocals (including taking the lead on one number).
Mostly well known material, singalong at times, with a few new numbers thrown into the mix, and the talismanic Perfect to end on. There's no new ground being broken, and there's no need for it. Reader is as near perfect as she needs to be.
Sunday 5 January 2020
Dean Owens and the Southerners, Traverse
Owens now traditional end of year gig in the Traverse, complete with traditional sell out crowd. This year he was accompanied by the Southerners, with Jim Maving on guitar and mandolin and Tom Collison on keyboard and electric bass (sometimes both at once, most impressive!). They were joined for a few numbers by one of Dean's regular partners, Amy Geddes fiddling as fine as ever and adding her excellent vocal talents.
While the set list was packed with many of Owens' best known material there was also some more recent material from his Buffalo Blood collaboration (giving Dean a chance to show what a fine whistler he is) and an excellent interpretation of a Gerry Rafferty classic. Vocally he remains as interesting as ever, proves himself to be a good storyteller between numbers, and has a laugh with his home crowd. The night ended with the crowd joining him in Raining in Glasgow to close an evening that could easily have gone on another hour. Roll on next December.
Persona Non Grata, French Film Festival, Dominion
Fortyish and frustrated in their ambitions, José (Nicolas Duvauchelle) and Maxime (Raphaël Personnaz) hire Moise (Roschdy Zem) to kill their boss Eddy so they can take over the company and live the lives they feel entitled to. Pay the murder off and they have the control they desire and an easy life ahead of them.
Except that, unfamiliar with the criminal world, they have grossly underestimated Moise's intelligence and abilities. When he starts turning up at their offices and ordering people about there's not a lot the guilty pair are able to do about it. With Moise dating, and manipulating, Eddy's teenage daughter the situation gets ever more complicated and the efforts of José and Maxime to buy off the hitman only dig them into an increasingly deeper hole. Something has to give...
Zem also directed and it's his character who is the most interesting and convincing. He's callous, violent and evil, but in such an open manner that he's almost likeable. Certainly more than the hapless and twisted couple who hired him, and don't always feel like three dimensional characters. However the tension is well constructed, scene by scene, with some oddball comedy thrown in for light relief (Moise gets his patsies to finance the career of an appallingly bad rapper at one point), and it's enjoyable in a predictable way. PNG is no classic, but has enough in it to provide an entertaining ninety minutes.
Except that, unfamiliar with the criminal world, they have grossly underestimated Moise's intelligence and abilities. When he starts turning up at their offices and ordering people about there's not a lot the guilty pair are able to do about it. With Moise dating, and manipulating, Eddy's teenage daughter the situation gets ever more complicated and the efforts of José and Maxime to buy off the hitman only dig them into an increasingly deeper hole. Something has to give...
Zem also directed and it's his character who is the most interesting and convincing. He's callous, violent and evil, but in such an open manner that he's almost likeable. Certainly more than the hapless and twisted couple who hired him, and don't always feel like three dimensional characters. However the tension is well constructed, scene by scene, with some oddball comedy thrown in for light relief (Moise gets his patsies to finance the career of an appallingly bad rapper at one point), and it's enjoyable in a predictable way. PNG is no classic, but has enough in it to provide an entertaining ninety minutes.
Wednesday 1 January 2020
Le Brio, French Film Festival, Dominion
Neila (Caméla Jordana) is young working class Arab woman who sees gaining a law degree as her way out of the depressing Paris suburb she's being brought up in. But her first day at university is ruined when Professor Mazard (Daniel Auteuil) publicly attacks her in racist, misogynistic rant. He finds himself in trouble with his boss when a video of the incident goes viral. To make amends he must find a way of building a relationship with Neila to prove he's not the racist the world sees him as (even though he is), so he ingratiates himself to give her training in rhetoric and become a competitive debater.
The storyline is largely predictable - she takes time to adapt to his 'tough love' methods of tuition, but comes to respect him and becomes the university's star debater. When she finds out about Mazard's motivation for taking her on they fall out, but a form of reconciliation brings closure. A familiar tale, but the dialogue, acting and chemistry between the two leads makes this a far better movie than the above suggests. Mazard's methods offer plenty of opportunity for comedy, there are some interesting sub plots going on. Although the ending is a bit too-good-to-be-true the characters remain honest. Neila knows that their friendship is superficial and Auteuil does a wonderful job of ensuring Mazard stays unlikable - he'll always be a bit of a prick.
The storyline is largely predictable - she takes time to adapt to his 'tough love' methods of tuition, but comes to respect him and becomes the university's star debater. When she finds out about Mazard's motivation for taking her on they fall out, but a form of reconciliation brings closure. A familiar tale, but the dialogue, acting and chemistry between the two leads makes this a far better movie than the above suggests. Mazard's methods offer plenty of opportunity for comedy, there are some interesting sub plots going on. Although the ending is a bit too-good-to-be-true the characters remain honest. Neila knows that their friendship is superficial and Auteuil does a wonderful job of ensuring Mazard stays unlikable - he'll always be a bit of a prick.
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