A blog of month what's on guides, music features, gig reviews, artist interviews and CD reviews from independent Brighton-based music journalist Tom Sayer
Having been forewarned by the producer
that I might want to read the script and the foreward to the play before
attending the performance, I had an inkling that it was going to be a bit out
there: unsurprisingly I was right!
Werner Schwab’s last play before his early death, Dead At Last, No More Airis described as a
theatre-extinction comedy. Whilst I struggled to see the comedy in this piece
of postdramatic theatre, I do think that if all modern theatre works were
created in this vein, then the theatre for the common man would indeed be Dead At Last.
Call me old fashioned, but I like
a good story. After reading the synopsis of the show I thought that there would
be one, however I found that the playwright’s vile and vulgar verbose vocabulary
(ironically a sentence which could have fitted well into the script) was far
too self-indulgent to give any real chance to the story to take some of the
foreground.
With the actors shacked by a
terribly pretentious script, it is no wonder that the show left the audience
somewhat speechless at the end. As it was, they didn’t do a bad job at all,
with only a few very minor slips ups being more than understandable with such a
barrage of literary confusion thrust upon them in the script. The removal and
immediate reapplication of wigs in the middle of the dialogue seemed a little
bit pointless and happened quite a few times.
The staging was quite resourceful, if a little
sparse, but the creative use of the props should be commended.
Overall, I would say that this
play is only for a very select few who don’t mind swearing, crude sexual
references, long nonalogues (monologues without any real sense of purpose) and
are genuinely curious about the philosophical aspects of theatre, what it is
and what it means. For all other viewers, I feel that this might not quite be
the taste of the fringe that you are looking for.
After catching the end of a very
soothing soundcheck at The Hope in Brighton, I met up with Tom Hickox in a pub
around the corner to talk his music, merchandise and alternative career paths.
Did your parents’
background in classical music have any effect on your album? Are there any
particular records that you remember being played as a child?
Not specifically, no. I think that when you grow up
everything will have an influence on you, but any classical influences on my
album were not consciously made. I was not looking to make anything classical,
but with my background I guess you could say it’s an innate training, the music
is in my blood. I’m really grateful to have had that kind of upbringing.
In terms of
songwriting and orchestration, do you see these as separate things or do they
happen simultaneously?
I definitely keep the songwriting separate. I like to focus
on the key elements: the lyrics, melody and harmony first, to get the core of
the song down. Then I’ll think about the right ensemble to play it. I do the
majority of the orchestration and arranging myself but I think that it is
important not to get ahead of yourself: if you don’t give the song strong
foundations then it can never stand tall.
A lot of comparisons
are made between your voice and that of Leonard Cohen. How do you feel about
that? I personally think you more resemble Guy Garvey (Elbow) and Matt
Berninger (The National). Are you a fan of either of those?
I’m a big fan of Leonard Cohen. He has definitely been an
influence to me. You can tell within a millisecond if a song is his and that is
such a great thing. I think for artists it is so hard to find your voice, both
in the abstract and sonic senses but I am thrilled to be compared to such great
company. I really like Elbow and The National. They write beautifully crafted
music and have a lot to say. Recently one of my songs was played on Guy
Garvey’s radio show and he was very complimentary about it. It is so humbling
and surreal to have someone who you really admire become aware of your work and
become an advocate for it.
In terms of the album
artwork, it appears that you are having a conversation with yourself. Was that your
intention?
The main thing that I wanted the cover to convey was that I
was not just speaking from my point of view on the album; I was inhabiting
other people’s voices and telling their stories. I think that it is important to get the right
look for a record, taking care and effort to package it in the best way
possible. If the cover is symbiotic with the meaning of the record then it
really speaks to the people and transmits well.
You have quite an
interesting array of merchandise, including signed lyric handkerchiefs and
pocket mirrors? Are you aiming yourself at the middle-class or is it more a
style thing?
Not at all. I think I’m not the sort of musician whose
supporters would want a t-shirt of. I just don’t think that it suits my style
of music. The lyric handkerchief is something I really like because I think it
hasn’t ever been done before. And the idea behind the pocket mirror is owner is
looking back on themselves through it. Also, from a boring practical point of
view, both are light items which are easy to travel around with when on tour.
They seem to be selling really well though. We only have about 10 handkerchiefs
left (prior to the gig).
How has the tour been
going so far? Do you enjoy playing all across the country?
It’s been fantastic. I am always surprised by how different
the crowds are in different cities. The venues vary each night too. Some of the
shows were sell outs which is great. Others were pretty close to capacity and a
couple were a little more chilled but we’ve had a great reception so far. We’re
finishing the tour with a full band show in London in a few days. It’s always
nice to end with a home show. I could walk home afterwards if I didn’t have my
keyboard!
Besides music, do you
have any other big interests/hobbies?
I’m interested in art and culture; films, books, pictures,
anything that I can get ideas from for songs really. I also spend far too much
time watching football on TV, but that’s not been much use for writing a song
just yet!
And finally, if you
couldn’t make music, what would your dream job be?
I’d be up front with Suarez, banging in the goals! That has
always been a dream of mine since I was little, to be a striker for Liverpool.
I enjoyed football from a young age but was never particularly sporty. But I am
so happy to be able to do what I love by making music. If I can keep making
more records with more amazing musicians, writing and recording music that I
really believe in and playing it to crowds who really appreciate it, then I
will be very happy indeed.
His stunning debut album War Peace and Diplomacy is out now.
I caught up with Canadian singer-songwriters Brenley
MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac, a.k.a Madison Violet, before their Americana Music Series gig at the PrinceAlbert, the Brighton of their recent UK tour, to talk to them about their upcoming
record, beautiful venues and floral preferences.
Firstly, I wanted to
ask you about the Canada folk scene. There seems to be a lot of Canadian songwriters
crossing over to the UK at the moment (notably Lindi Ortega and Basia Bulat in
the last few months). Is this a new thing?
I think there’s always been a pretty much non-stop export of
local artists from Canada coming over to the UK. In places like Toronto there
are a lot of international touring artists coming to play, so the music scene
there really thrives. Plus there are people like Bob Harris (BBC Radio 2) whose
show really gives the folk/Americana/roots music a platform to be heard from. If
there’s a market for it then people will come over and play the international
shows.
What is the main
difference between the audiences in Canada and America?
Well we don’t really play in America much, so the audiences
in Canada are a lot bigger! (They both laugh!) We had some trouble a few years
back trying to get into the US, which seems really silly because you can drive
it in a day. The Border Patrol between Canada and the US is really strict and
it can be hard to get work permits to cross, even to play a tour. It’s much
easier to come to Europe so we’ve just avoided the hassle. Of course, with the
new record when it comes out, there’s no reason that we’d avoid America. It
would be kind of hard to miss out because it’s such a big place!
What have you been up
to since your last studio album ‘The Good
in Goodbye’ back in 2011?
We recorded a live CD/DVD called ‘Come as You Are’ which we released in 2013. It was a filmed during a
show from our European Tour back in 2011, featuring 20 tracks played live in
concert. We recorded it in a beautiful church called Kulturkirche in Cologne.
After that we spent about 6 months on the new record, which we’ve taken 4
tracks from for this exclusive ‘Madison
Violet EP’ for the UK tour.
Speaking of the new
album, do you have any details for us about it yet? Title? Release date?
The title is tbc but it should be out in the fall in Canada
and the US and sometime just after in the UK and Europe. The record has 10 tracks
and has a lot more of an electronic influence. It’s got a kind of
vintage-modern sound, with a lot of layered vocals, even more tenor guitar and
more keyboards. Where we recorded there were piles of keyboards, like old JUNO’s
that we used on the record. The previous albums we only had a short time in the
studio, but this one we spent about 11 weeks getting it right, with a new
producer Tino Zolfo, who used to be in the band soulDecision which were pretty
big in America. We kind of felt like we were at our crossroads with our music
and we were looking for something new to do and Tino really helped us to change
what we were doing and the energy behind the record.
It seems that in the
UK at the moment, there are a lot more solo and acoustic acts getting noticed.
Have you picked up on a change in musical climate?
To be honest, we’ve never been any good at following trends
and if that’s the way things are going then we’re going in the other direction.
The new record is a lot more of a band record rather than a stripped back folk
sounding one like the previous albums. In North America people seem to love
bands like The Shins and Mumford & Sons. There are still
people like Jake Bugg who are coming through, but the general scene is a lot
more band-dominated, particularly in North America. It’s all the swinging of a
pendulum though. I’m sure it will change again soon.
What is the most
beautiful venue that you’ve played at?
Probably Massey Hall
in Toronto, or some of the old theatres in Quebec. Well they’re not old like
things are over here, more like built in the 1960’s! Those and the Kulturkirche
in Cologne where we recorded the live album.
And finally, as you
are named Madison Violet, what are your favourite types of flowers?
Tulips really brighten up the room and we love sunflowers
and daisies.
For a review of Madison Violet's 4-track self-titled EP, and my What's On guide for the next week, check out my blog on thebestofBrighton here. Don't forget, for all updates to subscribe to my blog, or follow me on twitter @tomsayeruk.
If you take Edgar Allen Poe's 'Tell-Tale Heart' and cross it with the infamous scene from Hitchcock's 'Psycho', then you begin to get something which starts to resemble Ernest and the Pale Moon, the dark and eerie four-man show (actually two men and two women to be precise!) from the award-winning Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company.
The story is based around Ernest, a tall pale fellow who was recently institutionalised, and looks at how he ended up there from his apartment block on the 13th floor, 7 rooms along on the corner.
The script is very clever, using multiple narrators all talking in the third person and a non-linear structure which pieces the story together as the play develops, with a lot of overlapping events told from different perspectives, in a similar way to the films Vantage Point and Memento.
The performers were all strong actors as well as competent musicians on the side, playing on-stage instruments from the cello to the accordion, the harmonica to the glockenspiel, which added a real live suspense to the soundtrack.
The stage design was simple but very effective, with the platform bearing the asymmetrical door-frame being the centre-piece throughout the performance.The lighting was also spot on, creating the dark Gothic mood which the story called for, particularly with the uses of a lantern and torches on-stage.
The story was full of plot twists and at little over an hour in duration did not drag at all, if anything leaving you wanting more at the end. The final performance of the show at The Old Market is tonight (Thursday 22nd May) at 7:30pm, so why not spend an evening in the company of Ernest, and the faint glow of the pale moon, if you dare...
Things to do in Brighton & Hove - Friday 23rd May - Thursday 29th May
21st May 2014
Author: Tom Sayer
0 Comments
Friday 23rd May
Ashley Fripp A lunchtime recital of Beethoven and Lizst from the 'disarmingly precocious' award-winning British pianist. 1pm, £10 Brighton Dome – Church Street, BN1 1UE @brightdome
Mark Chadwick The former Levellers frontman performs a set of his solo folk work, with tracks from his new album 'Moment'. 8pm, £10 Prince Albert – 48 Trafalgar Street, BN1 4ED @levellermark
Flash Bang Band A late night show as part of the Fringe Festival with the death pop trio. Support from Clowns and Theives By Code. 11pm, £7/5 adv, The Warren – Russell Place, BN1 2RG @FLASHBANGBAND
Saturday 24th May
Bite2: YOUTH Poets vs. MCs Slam Returning for a second year, the young poets and rappers of Brighton get together to battle their words. 6:30pm, £5/2 conc. Brighton Youth Centre – 64 Edward Street, BN2 0JR
Philharmonia Orchestra Led by John Wilson, the orchestra will be performing works by Stravinsky, Bernstein and Ravel. 7:30pm, £10-30 Brighton Dome – Church Street, BN1 1UE @philharmonia
Sunday 25th May
Sussex Jazz Orchestra Modern Jazz Big Band based in Brighton playing the music of founder the late Ian Hamer and others including Paul Busby, Thad Jones and Kenny Wheeler. 6pm, free entry The Round Georges – 14-15 Sutherland Road, BN2 0EQ @SussexJazzOrch
Gabriella Cilmi Australian-Italian singer-songwriter Gabriella says there is still "nothing sweet about me" with her grown up new record, Sting. SUpport from Chris Simmons and Fools Empire. 7pm, £8 The Haunt - 10 Pool Valley, BN1 1NJ @gabriellacilmi
Dusty Limits: Psycho Internationally-acclaimed, award-winning cabaret star Dusty Limits sings songs of love and lunacy. 9pm, £10 Komedia – 44-47 Gardner Street, BN11UN @DustyLimits
Monday 26th May
Reggae All-Dayer Spend your bank holiday monday Jammin' with the best of them whatever the weather at Concorde's all day reggae marathon. From 2pm, free entry Concorde II – Madeira Drive, BN2 1EN @concorde_2
Tuesday 27th May
Pet Shop Boys Formed in the 80's and still going strong, the electronic pop duo come to Brighton as part of their Electric World Tour, promoting the record of the same name, released last year. 7:30pm, £33.50 Brighton Centre - King's Rd, Brighton, BN1 2GR @petshopboys
Hop Poles Open Mic A newly established open mic night with a chilled out vibe, that has already attracted a lot of Brighton's finest musical talent. With great drink promos, get down early if you want to play or get a good seat to watch! 8pm, free entry Hop Poles – 13 Middle Street, BN1 1AL @HopPolesBrighto
Wednesday 28th May
Decomposed Discover the awesome power of classical music in this hilarious and riotous ‘buddy-adventure’ on bunk-beds. 2pm, £8.50/7 The Old Market – 11a Upper Market Street, BN3 1AS @TOMvenue
Thursday 29th May
Tom Hickox Critically acclaimed songwriter Tom Hickox is receiving a lot great press at the moment, and rightly so! Check him out while you can: he is certainly going places! 8pm, £7.50 The Hope – 11 Queens Road, BN1 3WA @tomhickox
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EP REVIEW - Madison Violet
Canadian songwriting duo Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac mix things up with their new self-titled EP, exclusively created for their current tour, featuring four tracks from their forthcoming album (title tbc), which should be out in Autumn 2014. The new material shows a clear departure from their simple acoustic follk roots and a movement towards a more indie-pop sound, which they suit just as well. The opening track 'Under Fire' has a strong electronic influence fusing disco beats, blues guitar, a cornucopia of vocal harmonies and a boogie woogie piano part. 'These ships' opens up with a riff that wouldn't be out of place in an Ibiza club anthem, which feels slightly like a cross between Avicii's mega-hit song 'Wake Me Up' and Shakira's 'Hips Don't Lie' - not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. This is my favourite track from the EP with an instantly catchy sing-along chorus "Like I did like you did like we did, baby we weren't built for these ships". 'Operator' combines beeps and synths with a simple vocal and driving drums whilst the closing track 'Trouble' has a spacious otherworldly feel. Their live performance at Prince Albert on Monday was passionate yet restrained, with the addition of a drummer and bass player as well as the duo playing extra violin and synth parts, giving them a more band-like feel. The EP is a great taste of what the album has to offer and I look forward to hearing it towards the end of the year.
It was the best thing I could do
I took your charms with open arms
And travelled miles for you
Now it's a slow train but it gets me there
I'd travel through the night
A few more stops til I get off
To take in all the sights
The streets ahead are empty,
And the way behind's a blur
There's no place I would rather be
Than welcomed back by her
Her crooked smile still warms me
And tells me it's alright
I've got no words that she's not heard
But I've still so much to write
And when once again I'll leave you
I know it's not for long
Soon I'll return, to live and learn
In a place where I belong
Take the world famous BBC Concert
Orchestra, throw in the highly esteemed Guy Barker Big Band and to top it off,
serve with a sprinkling of two great American jazz singers and an award-winning
British vocalist and you have your explanation for why ‘Friday Night Was Music Night’!
The packed Big Top was in good
spirits and ready for a great night of live music, which was being broadcast
live on Radio 2 for those who weren't fortunate enough to be there.
The show began with an
unannounced voice-over reading the news, live from Radio 2, which signalled to
everybody to take their seats, sit down and strap themselves in for one hell of
a ride!
The show was narrated by BBC
journalist and news reporter Jeremy Vine, who told the story of the American
prohibition in the 1920’s and 1930’s and through a programme of classic songs
from this era, he took the audience back to the sleazy days of under the table
drinking, gangsters and most importantly, some of the finest music written in
the first half of the twentieth century.
The show started in grand form,
with the classic wailing brass and speakeasy sound of ‘Sing Sing Sing’ closely followed by the introduction to the first
singer of the night, Liane Carroll, whose performance of the Ethel Water’s hit
song ‘Stormy Weather’ was both
playful and emotive, showing off her exceptional vocal control as well as her
outgoing personality.
Kurt Elling made his Cheltenham
Jazz Festival debut smoothly with a fusion of Irving Berlin’s ‘Blue Skies’ with Thelonious Monk’s ‘In Walked Bud’. Completing the trio of
vocalists, Curtis Stigers sang the Louis Armstrong hit ‘Someday You’ll Be Sorry’, dressed
sharply and with a stunning vocal performance to match.
From the first four tracks alone,
it was already lining up to be a fantastic night and definitely one of the
highlights of the festival this year, keeping up the fine form of previous performances.
Elling told the audience that ‘I Can’t
Give You Anything But Love’ was “…definitely the one I came to sing”,
saying mid-song “…that feels good don’t it? That’s right!”
The three singers all leapt to
their microphones with great enthusiasm for each song, with performances which
weren’t just vocally impressive but also engaging, fun and demonstrative of how
much they were all enjoying being there; during Kurt Ellis’ performance of ‘Minnie the Moocher’, Liane and Curtis
were having a great time dancing hand in hand on the side of the stage.
The songs featured many solos,
all of which were played with a high degree of virtuosity without going too
over the top, keeping it all very family friendly, which is often a potential
trip hazard for a lot of contemporary jazz acts.
Guy Barker led the orchestra and
the band expertly, no less than expected and the final applause after Jeremy
Vine informed the audience that “…we’re off the air now!” was rapturous. As an integral part of the Cheltenham Jazz
Festival programme, the questions that will be on everyone’s lips will be “what
will the theme be for next year’s show and when can I book my tickets?”
Following up her successful show
at the Jazz Arena last year, Laura Mvula returned to Cheltenham Jazz Festival
this year with a bigger stage, bigger voice and (if possible) a bigger heart
than before.
Selling out a 1300-seater venue
is one thing, but being able to give a powerful yet delicate performance that
makes each listener feel like they are having a private concert in the comfort
of their own home is another.
For the vast majority of the
performance, the audience remained pin-droppingly silent until ‘Green Garden’ pivoted things around to a more
energetic groove, with her open invitation to the audience to dance, clap their
hands and join her on stage if they wanted (“I’m not joking” she assured them)
was met with around 20 energised participants getting up on stage with her band
and dancing, clapping their hands and not believing their luck!
The stage was quite bare compared
to Jamie’s big band ensemble playing the same venue yesterday, with her accompaniment
of strings, harp and drum melting into a beautiful wash of sound, which often
hinted at a fairy tale world that she might be singing about, particularly in ‘Like
the Morning Dew’ and ‘Can’t Live With the World’.
With her knee-length vintage floral
dress, a long black wig and high heels, Laura’s appearance demanded the
attention of the audience, and her music had them captivated from start to
finish; the exposed vocals leading up to the first chorus of ‘Sing to the Moon’
were delicate and poised, certainly bringing goose bumps all over.
Laura talked comfortably to the
audience, her audience, as if they were far fewer in number, introducing her
songs with comments about the things that she missed on tour in America: “grey
clouds, cool air and warm faces”, and how she appreciated an audience that
really listens and doesn’t just sit there drunk shouting out “Play Green
Garden!”
Her set showcased her vocal abilities, as well
as what can be done with a simple string accompaniment, which was both emotive
and mesmerizing in places. Her gentle piano playing and soft vocal delivery in
‘Diamonds’ still filled the arena to the back, whilst the shuffle beat in ‘She’
had a real swing to it which contrasted with the overall stripped back sound.
One thing is for certain; she will surely be welcomed back to Cheltenham with
wide open arms!
Jamie Cullum opened up the
proceedings for Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2014 with an explosive double-bill
performance in the large circus-style Big Top Arena, located in Montpellier
Gardens.
With a full day of sunshine in
preparation and the on-site bar and restaurant open before the show, the
audience were in good spirits as they took their seats. One gentleman told me
before the show that the last time he had seen Jamie perform was in an audience
of around twenty people back when the young jazz singer/pianist was just 19. It
would seem that a lot has changed in the fifteen years since his days of
producing jazzy piano/vocal renditions of popular songs and jazz standards.
For starters, where he was once a
solo performer with perhaps with a drummer and bassist in tow, now he came with
an army of friends; a string quartet, double bassist, guitarist, pianist,
drummer and a Musical Director to help conduct the full-sized big band brass
section.
The show began with a bang, with
a brass heavy version of his hit single “Get Your Way”, with the backing band
allowing Jamie to free himself from the piano and lead from the front of the
stage. This showed a massive departure from his rough around the edges vocal
style of his earlier material and a development into an outstanding vocalist,
who just happens to be a world-class jazz pianist too!
Jamie’s performance was engaging,
energetic and enthusiastic, throwing his smartly dressed self across the stage
whilst enjoying the extended brass solos. Some old habits like tapping on the
piano lid have been replaced by full-on piano acrobatics, which needed two men
to fix the piano afterwards, and running into the crowd with a megaphone, which
was a particular highlight for many the near-capacity audience.
Jamie’s new material with the big
band demonstrated a significant development in his songwriting style which
seems to have evolved from album to album. As a big supporter of upcoming jazz
artists, Jamie hosts a popular Radio 2 show every Tuesday night at 7pm, which
has introduced him to many of his recent collaborators, including Ben Lamdin
from Nostalgia77, with whom he has recorded his upcoming album, due to be
released later this year, which Jamie describes as “the first actual jazz album
I’ve ever made”.
The arrangements were varied and
dynamic whilst the performance was exhilarating in places and quite moving in
others, particularly his covers of Sufjan Stevens’ “The Seer’s Tower”, which
opened with the haunting string quartet introduction, his favourite Randy
Newman track “Losing You” and his smooth and sultry version of Pure
Imagination, from his last album Momentum.
The pièce de résistanceof
the performance was the encore, during which Jamie asked the audience who had
already all stood up to applaud the show to stay risen, clap their hands and
jump up and down to the music. Anybody with a lesser presence would have surely
been met with raised eyebrows, particularly from the more senior or reserved
audience members, but on his command the entire audience seemed to move as one,
creating a sea of heads from the back of the tiered seating all the way to the
front row of the stalls, creating an atmosphere that you might expect during a
Glastonbury headliner, but not during a jazz gig in April. Once again Jamie has
shown that there are no boundaries between pop, rock and jazz that cannot be
crossed.
The last thing I heard leaving
the arena from a smartly dressed lady in a red dress was “I am in pure bliss”.
Let’s hope that Sophie Dahl doesn't hear about this else Jamie’s earlier
warning to the audience member who shouted out “I love you Jamie” that his wife
would “kick her arse” may come to fruition.