Return from Round the World adventure

I’ve been rather remiss in updating my blogs over the last 10 weeks or so… The reason has been my round the world adventure that has been the source of 20,000+ pictures that need proofing, and copious notes that will form the basis for many back dated entries in the coming weeks – and hopefully not months…. If you are reading this in June 2012 then hopefully there will be lots of posts that you’ve read illustrated by images of some of the sights I’ve enjoyed….

To give you a taster images from the start and end of my journey…..

Warming the freezing nights with great vocals

2nd February 2012 - HMV Next Big Thing 2012: Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny supported by Kyla La Grange and Olfar

Having been spoilt for choose, my first HMV NBT gig was Upstairs at The Garage – once initial confusion about the correct queue for the upstairs gig, rather than large downstairs gig in the same series - Reckless Love supported by Jettblack and The Treatment, we where allowed in, out of the freezing cold, as winter finally arrived – the perfect excuse for spending nights listening to live music…

From HMV NBT - Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny, Kyla La Grange, and Olfar

Olfar opened the night – playing without their backing band The Feral Pets – as a duet they gently warmed up the venue with a set that was more folky than their current album – available for the recession busting price of £1 from www.olfar.co.uk – great value – especially as you can listen before you commit to the download… It was a true duet – each member contributed to a great vocals to the opening of the NBT series…

The pace was then picked up by Kyla La Grange, cramming her backing band on to the ridiculously small stage. They then filled the small venue with a large sound – yet another slight British female vocalist with a surprisingly large voice. The highlight of the set, for me, was when Kyla forwent her guitar and let her vocals drive Vampire’s Smile. The set could do with the addition of a couple of more upbeat tracks as the theme is generally down beat – possibly a cover or two I’m sure Kyla’s voice would do the authors proud.

The set change before Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny could make the small stage their own had me trying to think of a “how many people does it take to” joke that was appropriate! I always look forward to bands that diverge from the standard – two or three guitars, keys and a drummer – the Hooves brought to the musical sound stage a violin and trumpet – always good additions to the standard formula. Taking the vocals up a couple of registers from Kyla, Beth has visual hints of Gwen Stefani and isn’t vocally dissimilar – less pop more rock. Taking technical problems in her stride – her music held its own – the jokes used as fillers while she fixed her guitar didn’t! The bands debut album launched on 6th February – one look out for…

HMV may be struggling to make a success of selling recorded music – but they can clearly select good live acts and promote them well – the venue appeared to be sold out – not something that happens easily on a freezing Thursday – especially since they themselves where providing alternatives at so many venues…

Set Lists

Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny	Kyla La Grange
Atlas Dodecahedron Your Holes Night Swimmer Lilliput Humble Digs (Super Cunt) Telephone Return STB (Medley)	Been Better Courage To Be Torn Sympathy Vampire Smile Lambs Catalyst

Big Band night at XOYO – at least in size….

25th January 2012 – Q Now: The Sessions – To Kill a King supported by Jamie N Commons and Jodie Marie

From Q Now - The Sessions - To Kill A King, Jamie N Commons, Jodie Marie

The night started as the previous one had ended – with a talented female vocalist from a home nation – this time from Wales. While her voice is not as powerful as Emeli Sandé, Jodie Marie’s mixes R&B with rock – and steers way from the traditional pop sound. When I last saw Marie she was supporting Nerina Pallot and her backing band only had one member – since touring Europe it has grown to three – and that added depth to the songs, although the best ones featured Marie taking the lead on her own guitar.

Jamie N Commons’ backing band numbered four – spread across the rather wide but narrow stage at XOYO… They brought up the folk level in the night’s music while maintaining the rock element – with an American twang – which brought to mind Johnny Cash or some other 60’s voice out of the west of America – possible re-enforced by his choice of a wide brimmed hat!

The theme of the night was clearly – “how many musicians can you get on the stage” – with To Kill a King supplementing their number with members of Professor Penguin to add brass to their sound, bring their number to eight at times… The sound moved more in the direction of folk, and adding elements of Jazz when the Penguins where contributing. The highlight for my was when Ralph Pelleymounter turned to his keyboard for some of the closing numbers of the set.

XOYO was a little more chilled out than it had been the previous evening with none of the stars having yet risen as high as the star of the series of gig presented by Q Magazine so far on Tuesday night….

Set Lists

To Kill a King	Jodie Marie
Cold Skin Wrecking Crew Fictional State Moon Envy Gasp Rays I Work Nights Wolves Bloody Shirt Funeral Cannibal with Cutlery Family	Numb On the Road Single Blank Canvas I Got You Greeney-Blue Remember Me

1st of 2012 Brit Award winners play XOYO

24th January 2012 – Q Now: The Sessions – Emeli Sandé supported by Michael Kiwanuka

Michael Kiwanuka probably had the hardest job for a support act at this series of gigs – opening for Emeli Sandé, already highly recognised by being the Brit’s Critics Choice and nominated for the British Breakthrough Act – but his own placing of 3rd in the critics choice meant he came highly recommended. In a fairly low key set his mix of soul and folk enveloped the filling venue, preparing the audience for the upcoming vocal display.

From Q Now - The Sessions - Emeli Sanda plus Michael Kiwanuka

As the audience waited for Emeli, the anticipation built as the tempo of the tracks being played by the DJ increased… With a smooth backing band behind her and occasionally on the keys, Emeli’s vocals resonated through the venue – possibly a little too big for such a confined space – she could easily blow away a venue such as the Royal Albert Hall. The highlight of the evening, for me, was a medley of her collaborations with house hold names that has already seen Emeli in the charts for most of 2011. Surely the days of Emeli playing intimate venues such as XOYO and Borderline for the HMV Next Best Thing series in February are numbered – the larger venues that her voice demands beckon. Surely no one in the audience left without knowing they had been privileged to hear Emeli in such close proximity.

Has this series reached it’s high point? To Kill a King, Howler and the Rizzle Kicks will attempt to raise the bar again on the next three nights.

Set Lists:

Emeli Sandé	Michael Kiwanuka
Tiger Where I Sleep Suitcase Lifetime Clown Next to me Breaking The Law Hope Medley Montage! Maybe Daddy Mountain Heaven My kind of Love	I’ll Get Along I’m Getting Ready Rest Tell Me a Tale “Lasan” Home Again I Don’t Know

Subtly rocking the XOYO for Q

23rd January 2012 - Q Now: The Sessions – Dry The River supported by Clock Opera & Rae Morris at XOYO, London

I returned to XOYO for the first time in 2012 – having experience a wide variety of great live music there in 2011 – as usual they were running late and the bands hadn’t finished sound checking when the doors should have opened… The cold chill of January in London wasn’t a problem as they now have a bar upstairs to wait in…

From Q Now - The Sessions - Dry The River, Clock Opera, Rae Morris

The first act on the programme was 18 year old Rae Morris – from Blackpool – offering to advise on the best places to get fish & chips in that locale should any of the audience be in the area… Rae appeared to be very nervous – but she had no need to be – it is acts like hers that are the reason to get to gigs for all the support acts. Rae opened without introduction with a new song Back to Front – then confessed she’d gone straight into that number otherwise she’d have not had the courage to perform it. Her set of six songs was perfectly formed – she filled the room with a mature sound that could have graced any venue in London and not been out of place – Q have definitely found a potential new star to join the group of great female vocalists representing the UK in the world of music.

Clock Opera certainly had a high bar set for them vocally… The foursome added guitars and drums plus a tray, tankard and what looked like a milk or sugar jar from a tea set!  As you’d expect from a band who have been performing for 3+ years the wasn’t any sign of nerves caused by selection by Q as one to watch this year – they took the sound up a level and filled the basement of XOYO with an eclectic mix of rock, electronic, indie and ambient sound – really hard to pigeon hole them into one genre. It certainly warmed the audience up after the relaxing opener from Rae.

From the appearance of Dry The River, I thought I was in for another night when the promoters haven’t managed to find a set of artist all of whom would appeal to the same audience – but that impression only proved that you shouldn’t judge a book/band by its cover/appearance – I’d just expected more of a rock/metal sound from a group of 5 guys sporting tattoos and long hair!  The give away should have been the presences of a violin on stage – always a good indication that you are going to get something more complex than the normal 4/5 guys with drums, guitars and a keyboard… That’s not saying that Dry The River didn’t have a number of songs in their set that would have been very at home during a night of rock/metal – they did – but they also have a repertoire songs that display subtly that you’d not expect from a “rock band” – particular impressive was when they choose to “go unplugged” – bring quiet to a venue far more used to the loud sound of a fully amped band…

Q have kicked of this short series with a great evening of music – the expectation have been set high for the other participants that follow this week – anyone looking to hear some of the likely new sounds of 2012 are highly advised to arrive early to make sure they catch the support bands as well as some of the better know headliners…