M1 Music

Gig Tapers Of The World Unite!

2010-11-22T12:20:00.001-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9210000/9210121.stm

Dot-To-Dot Festival - Nottingham - 30th May 2010

2010-06-06T04:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple more bands I caught at the Dot-To-Dot Festival in Nottingham over the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Lissie @ The Bodega Social Club Nottingham 30th May 2010

Setlist

01 Little Lovin'

02 Worried About

03 When I'm Alone

04 Bully

05 Oh Mississippi

06 In Sleep (Live Bodega Social Club Nottingham mp3)

Danny & The Champions Of The World @ The Bodega Social Club Nottingham 30th May 2010

Setlist

01 Henry The Van (Live Bodega Social Club Nottingham mp3)

02 Restless Feet

03 Lose These Rags

04 Instrumental Jam

05 Red Tree Song > My Girl

06 These Days > Dancing In The Dark

07 Follow The River

Lunar Youth @ The Bodega Social Club Nottingham 30th May 2010

Setlist

01 Venus In Blue Jeans

02 ??

03 ?Cars?

04 The Art Of Growing

05 ??

06 Lost Machine

07 Nighttime Diamond (Live Bodega Social Club Nottingham mp3)

Villagers - Dot-To-Dot Festival - The Bodega Social Club Nottingham - 30th May 2010

2010-06-06T03:08:00.001-07:00

Myspace

The Dot-To-Dot Festival takes place over three days across three cities; Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester. It aims to showcase new bands and as such sometimes it lucks out and finds that bands it has booked have broken through to the mainstream before the event. One such this year was Ellie Goulding. Thus while most festival goers were clogging the Rock City venue, I and about 150 likeminded individuals were enjoying some of the lesser known acts down the road at The Bodega Social Club in more comfortable, less crowded conditions.

Although bands continued to take the stage at The Bodega until 2am, Villagers were in effect the defacto headliners of the stage and attracted the biggest crowd of the evening. Villagers are the brand that songwriter Conor O'Brien trades under, and his debut album Becoming A Jackal released last month is one of the strongest debuts i've heard in many a month. Anyone who saw his performance on Later With Jools Holland might detect an earnest young man in the vein of Fionn Regan or Damien Rice, however amongst the wordplay there are moments of lightness of touch which would befit a more mature writer especially on The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever).

Conor has recruited a band to perform these songs live, and the performance is a revelation. This bands rocks The Bodega, driving the many album ballads to new uncharted territories. Conor comes across as confident and focused, none of the fake shyness that many singer songwriters use as a mask in their live performances. With only thirty minutes for the set, banter is kept to a minimum, while fans and newcomers digest material which cajoles you in, before taking you to heights especially in the coda to Pieces.

Setlist

01 The Meaning Of The Ritual

02 Home

03 Becoming A Jackal (Live Bodega Social Club Nottingham mp3)

04 Pieces

05 The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever)

06 Ship Of Promises

Update - Upcoming Shows Jun/Jul 2010

2010-06-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'll be posting a recording of a recent Dead Confederate show in the next couple of days. Following that there will be a short hiatus in full shows until near the end of June when i have a run of shows from bands who are o.k. with taping. If things go well expect to see recordings of the following artists in the next couple of months

The Hold Steady
Alejandro Escovedo
Jesse Malin
David Ford
Otis Gibbs

To fill the gap expect also to see another old recording posted on the site in the next fortnight

Neal Casal - The Maze Nottingham - 29th May 2010

2010-06-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

Website

This was my first time catching Neal Casal perform a solo headlining show in the UK. Previously I'd seen him perform with Ryan Adams in his band The Cardinals. Sometimes he took the opportunity to play a support slot, other times being limited to one or two songs in the main set. Looking at the decidedly younger mix of the audience on Saturday night compared to a usual Maze gig, it would appear that Neal certainly benefited from that liaison by exposing his music to a wider audience. Certainly I might never have been introduced to his music without it. While not having every album he's released in my collection, there is at least now a fair sprinkling, my favourite being No Wish To Reminisce which i remember being on heavy rotation on one particular road trip across the states.

Neal was accompanied on this tour by Jon Graboff who was mainly limited to a supporting role of acoustic guitar with the occasional backing vocal. As you will hear on the recording though Jon was certainly not without his fans on the night, and demonstrated his guitar skills on an impromptu refrain of Alice's Restaurant originally performed by Arlo Guthrie.

Neal mixed up the set including three new songs amongst better known material. The vibe was laid back with no real attempts at theatre, just letting the quality of the songs speak for themselves.

Unfortunately unlike the DADDY recording earlier in the week which apparently even the band liked, I set the levels on the recorder much too low. To boost volumes to a listenable level has meant there is background hiss on the recording. Its a bit like listening to an old C90 tape on a new stereo. As always support the artists and purchase the records, or go to gigs, or just spread the word. Neal continues is tour through Italy and Spain in the next couple of weeks. I know that there are some regular visitors to the site from those countries so check the website and if you can make the gig please do. Music is so much better live.

If you want a better sounding show from the current tour, the London gig is available HERE

A Full Show MP3 Download is available HERE

Setlist

01 Don't Mind The Black Clouds (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

02 Back To Haunt You (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

03 So Far Astray (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

04 Grand Island (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

05 Let It All Begin (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

06 The Cold & The Darkness (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

07 Need Shelter (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

08 Fell On Hard Times (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

09 Me & Queen Sylvia (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

10 Here By The Sea (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

11 The Losing End Again (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

12 Lost Satellite (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

13 Traveling After Dark (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

14 Chasing The Ghost (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

15 Bird In Hand - Attempt (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

16 Maybe California (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

17 On The Mend (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

18 Delaware Station (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

19 Sweeten' The Distance (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

A Full Show FLAC Lossless Version Is Available HERE

Mark Wynn - The Maze Nottingham - 29th May 2010

2010-06-01T10:20:00.001-07:00

Myspace

Mark Wynn was the support act for the Neal Casal show on Saturday back at The Maze in Nottingham. As always at The Maze there was a generally respective crowd willing to give the support act a listen. Mark performed a short set made up of a few originals and covers of Townes Van Zandt and Justin Townes Earle songs. On display was some impressive fingerpicking guitar work mixed in with folk and blues stylings and the kind of old time voice ideal for this medium. While the Townes Van Zandt song was played almost in imitation it was nice to see that Mark could move beyond mere homage with a different rhythm and scan to his Justin Townes Earle rendition compared to the original. The only thing which needed some work on was the in between song banter (what is it with youngsters and mumbling!). Grumpy old man rant over, you can purchase Mark's songs over at itunes or if you still covert a physical medium purchase the CD here.

Setlist

01 ?Brand New Automobile?

02 Duffel Bag And A Dream

03 ?We All Get What We Deserve?

04 Broke Body (Mindless)

05 I Don't Care (Justin Townes Earle Cover) (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

06 3 Chords, A Rhyme & A Verse

07 Dollar Bill Blues (Townes Van Zandt Cover)

08 ?Deleted Scenes?

DADDY - The Maze Nottingham - 27th May 2010

2010-05-29T03:05:00.001-07:00

Will Kimbrough Website

Tommy Womack Website

Until a few days ago when bluesmick posted a recording of their Prince Albert Brighton gig, i'd never come across DADDY or their members Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack. It's always great to be turned on to new music and musicians, and the regulars at the Cosmic American nights in Nottingham were able to fill me in on some of the background of the two performers.

The Cosmic American evenings seem to have a loyal following and there were 80-100 people present to watch the performance on Thursday night, compared to an estimate of 25 people at the Brighton show. With a support act of Dean Owens the format was amended also with rather than 2 sets, the performance following the more traditional headlining format, although we were not shortchanged with a show clocking in at 2 hours.

The two performers provide an interesting contrast as they traded songs from their careers. Will Kimbrough is the performer you immediately notice. As a previous winner of the Americana Instrumentalist of the Year award, his stunning guitar patterns raise eyebrows and garner appreciative applause during solos. His songs are of an high standard too, range from country ballads, to gospel, and pointing a route through the everyday mundane travails of love, work and washing.

At first Tommy Womack seems to take the backseat on this particular journey providing guitar and harmonica support. Once you start to get a feel for his songs however the talent rapidly emerges. Wry social commentary abounds in his writing, always emphasising the poignant and absurd, and always on the lookout for an amusing payoff line. This is one of the hardest tricks to pull off in the musical world and really until my discovery of Tommy this week , the only person who i'd say pulls this off as well is the great underated Dan Bern.

The total highlight of a great night though was my first hearing of Tommy's song The Replacements from his 2002 Circus Town album. After listening to music all my life sometimes it feels like i have a jaded palette, so when a song connects as much as this one its a great feeling of discovery. My later teenage years were spent almost obsessively listening to those twin pillars of the 80s american college music scene R.E.M. and The Replacements. As much as i listened though, almost as entertaining were the many stories that filtered across the atlantic in the music weeklies about The Replacements bizarre behaviour. The Replacements as a song is a tribute to all that was great about the band, while not shirking from hiding the bad, and the payoff line '...and when they were good, God got up to dance ', just makes me regret even more that I never caught this great band live.

A Full Show MP3 Download Is Available HERE

Setlist

01 Intro (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

02 Nobody From Nowhere (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

03 Early To Bed, Early To Rise (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

04 Wash & Fold (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

05 Play That Cheap Trick, Cheap Trick Play (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

06 Three Angels (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

07 Nice Day (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

08 Wings (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

09 I Went To Heaven In A Dream Last Night (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

10 He Ain't Right (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

11 Cold Wind (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

12 Love To Spare (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

13 The Replacements (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

14 Glory Be (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

15 Vicki Smith (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

16 You Make Your Bed (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

17 Cockroach After The Bomb (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

18 A Couple Hundred Miracles (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

19 Alpha Male & The Canine Mystery Blood (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

20 Piece Of Work (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

21 'Reading From Cheese Chronicles' (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

22 Janie Jones (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

23 Good Night Moon (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

24 Yo-Yo Ma (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version Of The Show Is Available HERE

Richard Hawley - Academy 3 Manchester - 14th November 2005 (Past Shows No. 13)

2010-05-27T09:39:00.001-07:00

Website

On June 8th Richard Hawley releases a new EP False Lights from the Land. Featuring four tracks including a new composition There's A Storm A Comin' and two covers with backing vocals from The Smoke Fairies , and clocking in at over 20 minutes of music its another must have release. Its available on digital download or for vinyl junkies like me on 10" wax with a bonus CD version .

While we are waiting for the new songs I thought i'd put up my first recording of Richard Hawley from long ago in the year 2005 when Coles Corner was just released and Richard talked in the show about his new single The Ocean. I'd like to say i was one of those afficionados who new about Richard's music before Coles Corner, but i'd be lying. Five years later though i've got 97 songs of his in my Itunes folder, and each new release is a must buy.

This is number 30 in my live show recordings, and as with many of my early attempts there are problems. Notably 25 minutes of the show missing when batteries died in the recorder, and some overpowering of the microphone creating distortion especially noticeable on the vocals. This is one not to listen to with the speakers turned to max! Anyway if your a completist or just want to listen to some songs which Richard rarely plays live now feel free to download. Thanks as always to Richard for the music and for being cool with those of us who pursue this strange recording hobby. As always if this is your first experience of the artist, check out his website where you can stream some studio quality tracks, buy the records and merchandise, and go to the gigs.

MP3 Download Of All Tracks Available HERE

Setlist

01 The Nights Are Cold (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

02 Coles Corner (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

03 Something Is... (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

04 The Ocean (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

05 Hotel Room (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

06 Just Like The Rain (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 You Don't Miss Your Water (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

Approx 25 minutes lost including definitely played

The Motorcyle Song

Born Under A Bad Sign
Darlin' Wait For Me
(Wading Through) The Waters Of My Time
Oh My Love

08 The Only Road (Part) (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

09 Run For Me (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

10 That's Alright Mama (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

A Full Show Lossless FLAC Download Is Available HERE

Update - New Autumn Tours & Downloads

2010-05-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Having nearly missed out on The National tour tickets, i'll be poised by the laptop this Friday when tickets for three more of my favourite bands go on sale. Bands are starting to announce their autumn tours following on from the festival season.

Grinderman

I was lucky enough to catch Grinderman at a theatre in Sydney Australia a couple of years ago. The pared down ensemble provided support for their other band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds . Stood on the front row, occasionally ducking out of the fire of Warren Ellis' discarded percussion pieces this was a fierce demonstration of sleazy garage rock. Nick Cave rampaged across the stage with manic energy, a zealot preaching to the converted. I can't wait to catch them again. Shows go on sale 9am Friday, details below.

25/09/2010 Rock City Nottingham
27/09/2010 University Leeds
28/09/2010 Barrowlands Glasgow
29/09/2010 Academy Manchester
01/10/2010 HMV Apollo London

EELS

Mark Everett returns to the stage with rumours of yet another album ready for release following on from End Times which i'm sure I only picked up a copy of in January of this year. Expect tracks from the new album, End Times and Hombre Lobo as well as old favourites. I've seen Eels perform in a number of guises over the years, so what awaits us this time only time will tell. Same drill as Grinderman, tickets on sale this Friday

24/08/2010 Academy Glasgow
26/08/2010 Academy Birmingham
01/09/2010 Academy Brixton
04/09/2010 Academy Manchester

Drive-By Truckers

I'll finally be seeing the Drive-by Truckers live for the first time this summer at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. These tour dates will then allow the full concert experience. Smaller venues have been announced compared to Eels & Grinderman which should make the experience even more intense. Friday 9am is the sale time for these as well.

10/11/2010 Oran Mor Glasgow
12/11/2010 Academy Manchester
13/11/2010 Academy Birmingham
14/11/2010 Shepherds Bush Empire London
15/11/2010 Concorde 2 Brighton

OTHER NEWS

I'll hopefully be catching another couple of opening taping bands over the next few days so all being well a couple of full show postings will follow shortly. I'll also try and post the only outstanding Richard Hawley show i haven't yet shared on this site to coincide with his new EP release False Lights From The Land.

Samuel Brookes - Royal Concert Hall Nottingham - 19th May 2010

2010-05-22T00:02:00.001-07:00

Website

Despite not yet having an album released, Samuel Brookes was given the role of opening for Ray Davies during the first few dates of his UK Tour. This was to be the last opening slot, as Sam was off into the studio to cut that debut album following the performance. Playing such a large venue might be intimidating for many new acts, but this performance had a quietly confident aura.

The music is a typical singer songwriter mix of blues and folk, delivered with a calmness that enables the lyrics to soak into the night, and the fingerpicking guitar style to resonate. Only on the last track Breathe Me In is the delivery more urgent, the guitar is attacked and the vocal talent let loose.

Setlist

01 ?Doors Begin To Appear?

02 ?Traveling Man?

03 Like A Butterfly

04 Platform 16

05 In Weeks

06 Running Strong

07 Forever Absent

08 ?The Design?

09 Breathe Me In

Ray Davies - Royal Concert Hall Nottingham - 19th May 2010

2010-05-20T03:20:00.001-07:00

Website

Its something of a mystery that while his contempories such as Paul McCartney, The Who and Brian Wilson can sell out arenas, Ray Davies performed to a half full Royal Concert Hall on Wednesday night. The Kinks back catalogue in my view exceeds that of most of his generation but for some reason we seem to have taken it for granted. Such is the fickle taste of the general public and we can only hope that at some point the opinion turns round and recognise the value of Ray Davies as in recent years that recognition came to the likes of Johnny Cash & Neil Diamond. Perhaps Rick Rubin should get together with Ray because despite the setlist being dominated by Kinks songs, there was evidence in newer songs such as In A Moment that Ray still possesses a songwriting talent that most bands today would die for.

There is an interesting article in the most recent Word Magazine about live performances in the rock era. Of particular interest is how certain artists of the 50s and 60s now phone in minimal performances, taking the money and run. This was emphatically not the case last night. 25 songs in under two hours, divided into an acoustic half, followed by a full band session. At Rays' age the fact that the initial stage setup featured stools for the acoustic session suggested a laidback vibe, however once the band were in place Ray showed he could rock with the vigour of youth. As thin as a racing snake, Ray danced and jumped across the stage and looked in much better shape than some of his grizzled contemporaries. Mick Jagger would have been proud of him.

What was most impressive was the clear thought that had been put into the performance, offering more than just a straight resume of the hits. Whether reading an extract from his book X-Ray, to segues into old instrumentals such as Apache during Vietnam Cowboy, Ray clearly was looking to engage with the audience and make them feel part of the spectacle.

Of course the Kinks were famous for their internal fighting and despite the generally positive vibe there were still a couple of examples of that fractious nature, whether having a sly dig at other ex-Kinks trading on the band name, or telling his roadies that he'd setup the stage in future due to some layout issue which was certainly not noticeable from the audience. However, while Ray's fractious relationship with his brother Dave may be famous, the most touching point of the night was his brotherly outrage at Dave being excluded from the recent BBC show on greatest rock guitarists. Sometimes family comes first.

The show came to a notable climax with a run of six Kinks classics including a full rock workout on All Day and all of the Night, and a touching take on Days, opening with just Ray on acoustic guitar before building into a band crescendo. To hear this songs still sounds special and vital after all these years.

Setlist

01 This Is Where I Belong

02 I Need You

03 Where Have All The Good Times Gone

04 Autumn Almanac

05 In A Moment

06 Dedicated Follower Of Fashion

07 See My Friends

08 I'm Not Like Everybody Else

09 Nothing In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' Bout That Girl

10 Too Much On My Mind

11 Well Respected Man

12 Sunny Afternoon

13 Victoria > X-Ray Reading > 20th Century Man

14 The Tourist

15 Come Dancing

16 Vietnam Cowboys

17 Celluloid Heroes

18 Workingmans' Cafe

19 After The Fall

20 So Tired

21 Set me Free

22 Waterloo Sunset

23 All Day And All Of The Night

24 Days

25 Lola

Update - New Micah P Hinson Album

2010-05-17T11:12:00.001-07:00

Website

In this internet age, news of album releases seems to appear much closer to actual release date than what i remember from the bygone non-digital age. Whether this is related to digital piracy or just the fact that so many bands now work outside the record company framework, you've got to be on your toes to keep a look out for what artists you like are up to.

Every Micah P Hinson album sits in my record collection and no doubt the new one who's cover image is above (Micah P Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs) will shortly follow. If you want to get ahead of the game follow the website link above to pre-order including the option of getting some Pioneer Saboteur playing cards thrown in. This pre-order will supposedly ship a month before the general release date giving you some time to digest his new songs before catching one of his forthcoming UK shows

02/06/2010 Union Chapel London

03/06/2010 Ruby Lounge Manchester

04/06/2010 Stereo Glasgow

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves - Academy 3 Manchester - 12th May 2010

2010-05-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Website

I first came across Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and his band at a festival in the USA a couple of years ago. At the time they were promoting their album Roll With It, a combination of soul and blues which showcased Eli's powerful vocals. From a mid-afternoon slot on a small stage at that festival things have certainly come a long way in the last two years. This show was showcasing his first major label release Come And Get It , which at the same time was being played as album of the week on the UK's most listened to radio station BBC Radio 2.

It's not hard either to see why a major label would see possibilities in Eli 'Paperboy' Reed given the large sales that others have enjoyed mining the soul groove such as Amy Winehouse and Duffy. A cynic might also see that ambition married in the band themselves. Listen to their first release Walkin & Talkin, and blues songs dominate the recording. By Roll With It the transformation to Soul is well underway, Come And Get It completes the journey.

There's nothing wrong with ambition, and that major label push and airplay generated a packed crowd for the show at the Academy 3 last wednesday. The attendence was rewarded by a show that while featuring every cliche of a soul revue, still felt fresh and joyful. Despite Eli suffering with a cold which on occassions turned is vocals into a rasp, there was no attempt to alter the plan. All the members of the band were given the chance to shine, but the standout tracks were perhaps those where the band was stripped down for Am I Wasting My Time and Pick Your Battles.

Eli himself came across as an engaging character, willing to laugh at himself when his spin and grab the mike trick went pear-shaped on the opener Satisfier. There may be nothing knew in the musical style being followed by the band, but while both they and the audience are enjoying themselves so much does it really matter.

Setlist

01 Introduction

02 The Satisfier

03 Name Calling

04 Help Me

05 ?Get Even With Womankind?

06 It's Easier (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 I'm Tired Of Wandering

08 Tell Me What I Wanna Hear

09 Twisting The Night Away

10 Just Like Me

11 Instrumental Break (True Loves)

12 Am I Wasting My Time

13 Pick Your Battles

14 You Can Run On

15 Time Will Tell

16 Young Girl

17 Come And Get It

18 (Doin' The) Boom Boom > Band Introductions

19 (Am I Just) Fooling Myself

20 Explosion

Delta Maid - Academy 3 Manchester - 12th May 2010

2010-05-15T01:05:00.000-07:00

Myspace

There's something inherently amusing about artists whose singing voices are totally at odds from their spoken voice. James Hunters' sweet Sam Cooke delivery transforms into his broad essex accent, while Delta Maids' voice reminds me of Shawn Colvin, before retreating into a scouse accent between songs. While the scouse accent is enough to win over the majority of the Manchester audience, Delta Maid demonstrates that there is substance with a series of vignettes about love and life.

There is a simplicity to her writing which is very much part of the Country and Blues history, from Hank Williams to Robert Johnson. Sometimes its not necessary to write reams of lyrics to get a message across and Delta seems to have taken this to heart. Seven songs are completed in a little over 23 minutes in a confident performance with just her acoustic guitar for accompanyment.

Setlist

01 ?When It Comes To Loving Me?

02 Anyway I Want To

03 All I Dreamed

04 Don't You Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down

05 ?Dance With My Broken Heart?

06 ?Stop Worrying Baby?

07 Spend A Little Time (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

Update - The National UK Tour

2010-05-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

Website

If you want to catch The National on their UK tour this autumn you better hurry. Tickets went on sale today and already a number of venues are sold out. Tickets will no doubt be up in force on ebay shortly. I received my vinyl copy of their new album High Violet yesterday and already it feels a step on from Boxer and Alligator. The National are heading for number 1 in the US album charts this week so this may be your last chance to see them in medium sized venues before they make the crossover to arenas. Listed below are the tour dates so far. If like me you're thinking of going to the Warwick Arts Centre show i highly recommend going to the venue website to purchase tickets. Unlike the usual distributors (seetickets/ticketmaster etc.) the booking fee charges are always much lower via their own website. A fact in itself which makes it worthwhile to support this excellent Midlands venue

24/11/2010 Academy Bristol

25/11/2010 Arts Centre Warwick Tickets

26/11/2010 Academy Glasgow

27/11/2010 Academy Manchester

30/11/2010 Brixton Academy London

01/12/2010 Brixton Academy London

Update - Jerzey Street Band

2010-05-14T09:34:00.001-07:00

Myspace

If you recall, a set from Jerzey Street Band was the first show shared on this website last June. Subsequent to that the band have released their self-titled debut album which if you haven't purchased yet you need to rectify urgently. Its available on itunes or any of the usual CD online shops. If you still need convincing however the band have given you an opportunity which will cost you nothing to preview many of the songs from the first album and some from the next album by making available to download for free 9 tracks from various recent radio sessions. Head over to the bands' page on reverbnation and click on the download music button to access the free tracks. Mersey Angel and Holly Grove are particular faves. If you like what you hear do the right thing and pony up for the album.

Jerzey Street Band play the Bearded Theory Festival in Derbyshire this sunday 16th May

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express - Brudenell Social Club Leeds - 10th May 2010

2010-05-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

Website

So to my third Chuck Prophet gig in the last six months. Following his solo appearance in Nottingham last month, Chuck was back with his band The Mission Express in Leeds, and in rampant form as you come to expect with this performer. An healthy crowd turned out in the inner suburbs of Leeds on a monday night and they were served up a treat. Even an unruly member of the audience who had to be escorted out failed to put much of a dampner on proceedings although the incident can be heard refered to during You've Been Gone.

Chuck was as funny as ever, referencing not only the Sex Pistols, but his previous support act Otis Gibbs who perhaps would be best not to listen to Chuck's critique of his blues credentials.

Highlights included an acoustic interlude featuring Summertime Thing and Let Freedom Ring, while the guitar interplay between Chuck and James Deprato is truly mesmerising.

There are a number of shows from the current tour circulating details below

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express @ Chelsea Bar, Vienna 29th Apr 2010 LINK

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express @ Q-Bus Leiden 4th May 2010 LINK

Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express @ Durbacher Offenburg 1st May 2010 LINK

A Full Show MP3 Dowbload can be found HERE

Setlist

01 Doubter Out Of Jesus (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

02 Just To See You Smile (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

03 Balinese Dancer (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

04 Always A Friend (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

05 Hot Talk (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

06 Lucky (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

07 You've Been Gone (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

08 Dying All Young (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

09 Good Time Crowd (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

10 Sonny Liston's Blues (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

11 You And Me Baby (Holding On) (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

12 Summertime Thing (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

13 Let Freedom Ring (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

14 Queen Bee (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

15 Storm Across The Sea (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

16 You Did (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

17 Bangkok (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Christopher Rees - Brudenell Social Club Leeds - 10th May 2010

2010-05-11T06:42:00.001-07:00

Myspace

If ever i needed proof that in this internet age there is simply too much great music around to be aware of everything, it was demonstrated superbly by Christopher Rees last night in Leeds. A quick wikipedia search shows that Christopher Rees has been treading the stages of this country and the world since the 1990s, but had never once crossed my radar in all that time. Last night i discovered a talented singer-songwriter hailing from South Wales who genre hopped from 50s style rockabilly in his opener What Walks Outside My Window, through murder ballads on songs such as Mary Lee, and hints of soul and gospel on Heart On Fire and Take My Hand respectively.

Performing alone on electric and acoustic guitar and banjo, the years of performance showed a command of his environment, the right balance of chat and songs, and the ability to hold the attention of the crowd. If you see Christopher Rees listed on your local gig listings i'd recommend wholeheartedly checking him out.

Setlist

01 What Walks Outside My Window (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

02 Heart On Fire

03 Mary Lee

04 Bottom Dollar

05 Prescott's Confession

06 Take My Hand

07 All Our Beds Are Made

08 Karma Found

09 How Did You Sleep Last Night

Deathretro - Academy Leeds - 7th May 2010

2010-05-09T01:12:00.000-07:00

Update: Thanks to Ben from the band for the pictures and the o.k. to post the rest of the show

Website

The night before the big match and i'm in the Academy Leeds (or Town & Country Club to us old timers). I'm struggling to get over the fact that Deathretro are not a metal band. Surely there is an unwritten rule that any band that has 'Death' in their name should be disciples of the Kerrang sound. It turns out though that Deathretro are more NME than Kerrang. A combination of guitar riffs, and pulsing keyboards, has the desired effect of your head nodding and foot tapping at the same time. For some reason i am reminded of Joy Division, not least because the guitarist from my distant vantage point looks the spitting image of a young Bernard Sumner. The lead singer also seems to combine the manic energy of Ian Curtis with the occasional stadium moves of Chris Martin, or perhaps its just his keyboard playing front and centre that reminds me of Mr Coldplay. Hailing from Cumbria the band race through a seven song set which makes a solid impression. I may spend most of my time now listening to Americana but sometimes they're is a certain simple joy in revisiting the Indie scene which made up the majority of my gig going time in my youth. If you like 80s and early 90s Indie / Grunge you could do worse than check this band out. It ain't britpop though!

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 Seven Stitches (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

02 Edge Of Nothing (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

03 Waveshifter (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

04 Sound Of Sirens (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

05 Satellites (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

06 Black Lights (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

07 Pistols (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

Leeds are going up! - About Time Too!

2010-05-08T14:56:00.001-07:00

Normal service will be resumed shortly, once i sober up!

Jesse Malin - UK Tour Announced

2010-05-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Website

Another M1Music favourite Jesse Malin returns to the UK in June on tour. Expect to hear songs from his new album Love It To Life as well as 'hopefully' new funny stories from his days in New York. Obviously if you've never seen him live before which stories he tells won't really matter, so you'll laugh either way. Not sure yet whether these will be solo shows or full band, either way Jesse knows how to engage with his audience, including sometimes literally joining them in the crowd. Dates are listed below, hopefully a recording will be posted from one of the gigs.

23/06/2010 Thekla Bristol

25/06/2010 Academy Birmingham

28/06/2010 Rescue Rooms Nottingham

29/06/2010 Academy Newcastle

30/06/2010 Cabaret Voltaire Edinburgh

01/07/2010 King Tuts Glasgow

05/07/2010 Academy Liverpool

06/07/2010 Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff

07/07/2010 Ruby Lounge Manchester

08/07/2010 Academy Islington

Jens Lekman - New UK Tour Date

2010-05-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Website

If I was to list my favourite songwriters, up near the top of that list would be Jens Lekman. The swedish songwriter, currently residing in Australia is an infrequent visitor to our shores, and i've only caught his wonderfully entertaining live shows a couple of times over the years. Following his last headline tour of the UK a couple of years ago he was disparaging in his criticism of how UK promoters treat bands, and i was half expecting him not to return. Finally though we have a new date, which typically coincides with a summer holiday I booked a week ago. Perhaps Jens was just waiting to make sure i wouldn't be in the country before annoucing the date.

As its only a single show it will no doubt sell out very quickly. Tickets go on sale from your usual online rip-off merchants (Ticketmaster/Seetickets/Ticketweb etc) this Friday at 9am. I won't be there, but if you can get to London you'd be a fool to miss this.

Jens Lekman Union Chapel London Tuesday 3rd August 2010

Laura Gibson - The Deaf Institute Manchester - 3rd May 2010

2010-05-04T10:52:00.001-07:00

Myspace

Providing support on monday night was Laura Gibson from Portland, Oregon. She was given a solid 45 minutes to impress and made the most of it. First impressions of a simple acoustic guitar and vocals slot were quickly put to one side as she was joined on subsequent songs by a duo of backing musicians playing all kinds of percussion to great effect, giving a depth to the songs they surrounded.

Before this evening i had no idea who Laura Gibson was. In fact the Deaf Institute website listed her as 'Laura Gisbon' making all pre-gig searches for background such as spotify unsuccesful. Once i finished the 'she sound like' game (vocally like Zooey Deschanel of She & Him), the focus moved to the performance which despite the small crowd was an inspiring example of how to make something out of what was probably not a very motivating scenario for the performer. I've often seen support acts try to garner some audience participation, often unsuccesfully, but to pull the trick off three times in a 10 song set was very impressive.

The music itself seemed almost of another era, hard to categorise but it seemed totally in the right place resonating through the old hall of the institute. It felt traditional and timeless, reminiscent in some ways of the direction that Gillian Welch has mined for many years. Yet at the same time the band were happy to push this music out beyond its folk origins to wherever it may lead.

In some respects this audience was probably ideal for a Laura Gibson support slot. I'm not sure the music would translate to a bigger audience waiting for the main act. In those scenarios i've seen support slots drowned out by an ocean of chatter. Last night anyone talking would have stood out and attentiveness was almost a prerequisite of the situation. Perhaps Laura should wait until she's the headliner to venture out into the larger venues and the challenges that produces.

Setlist

01 All The Pretty Horses

02 Come By Storm

03 Hands In Pockets

04 Shadows On Parade

05 Funeral Song (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

06 Nightwatch

07 Where Have All Your Good Words Gone?

08 Sweet Deception

09 Spirited

10 ?? Trembling ??

Woodpigeon - The Deaf Institute Manchester - 3rd May 2010

2010-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Myspace

Woodpigeon are a band based in Calgary, Canada. In their present touring form they consist of a five piece featuring Mark Hamilton on vocals and lead guitar, who is also the lead songwriter. Obvious comparisons are with the sound of Sufjan Stevens, including the focus on convuluted song titles. Live however Woodpigeon are certainly more robust than their recorded self, with drums, bass and guitar driving the music to crescendos more typical of the likes of Band Of Horses or The National. Flute, violin and keyboards add nuances to the soundscape which on a couple of tracks edged towards a dance undertow, which was reinforced with a stripped down version of an ABBA classic.

This trip to the Deaf Institute was part of a promotional tour for their new album Die Stadt Muzikanten. Unfortunately on an English Bank Holiday only about 60 people chose to spend the evening with Woodpigeon. A real shame as their sixty minute set demonstrated that they deserve to be up their with the 'name' bands which regularly receive favourable press in the likes of Word and Uncut. If you like anything in the choral folk americana vein you should definitely check this band out.

Setlist

01 Songbook / The Sound Of Us Playing Together

02 Woodpigeon vs Eagleowl (Strength In Numbers)

03 Knock Knock

04 My Denial In Argyle

05 ??

06 Home As A Romanticized Concept Where Everyone Loves You Always And Forever

07 Morningside

08 I Live A Lot Of Places

09 Lay All Your Love On Me (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

10 ??

11 The Saddest Music In The World

12 And As The Ship Went Down, You'd Never Looked Finer

Jaymay - Academy 3 Manchester - 19th May 2008 (Past Shows No. 12)

2010-04-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Website

I was looking through the Live Music Archive and was surprised to discover that Jaymay's shows were posted there. I guess I associate the LMA more with Jambands than female singer songwriters. When I saw the name i remembered i'd taped Jaymay supporting Jens Lekman in Manchester a couple of years ago. At the time I posted the show on Dimeadozen with the following comments.

" American Singer Songwriter. Like a lot of female singer songwriters this performance swept over me at the time. On second listening however there are some quite interesting songs lurking. I may investigate further. As with any support slot the crowd can be quite chatty at times but still listenable quality. Interesting that only two of the songs are from her first album released late last year(2007) "

That first album now sits on my ipod courtesy of a CD purchase shortly after this was written.

Full show mp3 download available HERE

Setlist

01 Song For Paul (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

02 Sea Green, Sea Blue (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

03 40 Hours Ago (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

04 One May Die So Lonely (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

05 Lonely Men Built Lonely Cities (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

06 Corduroy (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 Marigolds (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

08 Gray Or Blue (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

A FULL LOSSLESS FLAC version of the show can be found HERE

Update - Richmond Fontaine FLAC Re-post

2010-04-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

I've had a request to re-post the FLAC files for the Richmond Fontaine show i recorded at the Academy 3 Manchester in September 2009. If you haven't previously grabbed this show, the FLAC files can be found HERE

Please note the link on the original post of this show no longer works. If you just want the mp3s, download the FLAC files and then use the program 'Traders Little Helper' to convert. If anyone wants any other show reposted just email me, however please note re-posts will be FLAC only as my storage allowance for mp3s gets used up pretty quickly each month

Update - List Of Recordings 2010

2010-04-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Full Shows
02/07/2010 David Ford @ Academy 2 Birmingham
02/07/2010 The Low Anthem @ Academy 2 Birmingham
03/05/2010 Richmond Fontaine @ Whitworth Centre Darley Dale
03/25/2010 Josh Rouse @ Club Academy Manchester
04/09/2010 Chuck Prophet @ The Maze Nottingham

Samples
03/16/2010 Babybird @ The Rescue Rooms Nottingham
03/25/2010 Alondra Bentley @ Club Academy Manchester
04/20/2010 Danny And The Champions Of The World @ The Rescue Rooms Nottingham
04/20/2010 The Duke & The King @ The Rescue Rooms Nottingham

'Old' Full Show
09/16/2007 Ben Kweller @ ACL Festival Austin

'Old' Sample
08/07/2009 April Smith And The Great Picture Show @ Lollapalooza Chicago

The Duke & The King - Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 20th April 2010

2010-04-22T10:31:00.001-07:00

Website

One of the perils of my job is that i sometimes have to miss gigs because of work commitments. Probably my biggest gig-going disappointment of 2009 was having to bale out of the Duke And The King gig in Manchester in November. Four months later however and Nottingham provided the venue to right that particular wrong. What I saw Tuesday night proved that i had not been wrong in my anticipation of the previous show. This is a band that know how to put on a show in fine style. Country Soul may be the maxim which is used most often to describe their sound, but the reality is something a lot more skewed featuring both Gospel and Folk. Three cover versions of Sam Cooke, Neil Young and Pink Floyd demonstrate the diversity of the collage, and while members of the band may come and go from the stage from song to song it was perhaps most heartening to see them take the opportunity to watch their colleagues perform from the wings. This is truly a tight gang bringing their music to the towns of the UK.

With only one album behind them the set was extended with songs from Simone Felice's Felice Brothers history to go alongside the covers. Highlights were the playfulness of Suzanne with Bobby Bird's vocals and Simi Stone's violin producing an hilarious duel, and the cover of Brain Damage where Simone Felice's manic stare suggested he might be the lunatic character of the lyrics. What really brought that house down though was Reverend Loveday's accapella rendition of A Change Is Gonna Come, worth the admission price alone.

Setlist

01 If You Ever Get Famous

02 The Morning I Get To Hell

03 'Keep On Trucking' Jam

04 Don't Wake The Scarecrow

05 Summer Morning Rain

06 I've Been Bad

07 Suzanne

08 A Change Is Gonna Come

09 Union Street

10 The Devil Is Real

11 Radio Song (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

12 Helpless

13 One More American Song

14 Brain Damage

15 Hoedown Outro

Danny And The Champions Of The World - Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 20th April 2010

2010-04-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Myspace

The way things are going Danny And The Champions Of The World could be my most seen band of 2010. Following a support slot with Fionn Regan, the band were scheduled as the support act for the April David Ford gigs which i had tickets for. Last night to cap it off they provided support for The Duke & The King at The Rescue Rooms in Nottingham. While in Manchester Danny Wilson had a full band to provide accompanyment, last night his band included just Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou who had performed a few songs of their own before this set. The performance was therefore stripped down, but none the worse for this. No Rhythm section meant the nuances of the songs and lyrics were more evident in pieces driven along by acoustic guitar, banjo and mandolin.

While a number of songs were common to both the Manchester and Nottingham shows the impact and underlying strength of these songs came across in both settings. By the end of the set a sizeable audience had assembled and it was clear that a good impression had been made. Danny Wilson may be consigned to playing a supporting role now for up and coming bands, but his own songwriting talent should not be ignored, or an opportunity will be wasted.

Setlist

01 Parakeets

02 Follow The River

03 Streets Of Our Time

04 Red Tree Song (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

05 Truest Kind

06 Wandle Swan

Chuck Prophet - The Maze Nottingham - 9th April 2010

2010-04-11T01:12:00.001-07:00

Website

Although I have tickets for Chuck's full band tour in May, I was expecting to miss out on this solo show. However, some blagging at work, and a manic drive up the always congested M1 on a Friday night meant I arrived at The Maze in Nottingham just before Chuck kicked off his headline set. The good news is that a solo set gives Chuck even more opportunity to have some fun both in his performance and banter. As he says at one point, 'If you can't laugh at yourself, laugh at the audience.' After a slow start the show really kicked in as Chuck found the tone of the audience, and flew off at tangents ranging from Lucinda Williams' love life to the Antiques Roadshow. He proved receptive to requests which meant the show delved deeper into his backcatalogue than a band show would normally go. Chuck seems to have established a solid following in Nottingham and all this was lapped up by the crowd who no doubt will be back in force in May. While Chuck may be fine with taping, it doesn't mean that he won't take the opportunity to incorporate it into his performance. So while i stood safely near the back of the venue, another taper on the front row had their recorder seized by Chuck so he could then play the recording into his mike at the end of Summertime Thing, incorporating some mixing at well. This rather psychedelic moment is captured on the recording. With a mischievous smile Chuck then pretended to confiscate the tape before returning it to the owner. Moral of the story being that if your taping Chuck in the future stand well back or prepare to be part of the act.

Chuck really is one of the best live performers i've seen in twenty odd years of gig going. He seems at home and alive on the stage and its incredible to think that recently I read that at a Florida show less than twenty paying customers turned up to see him. If you live in the UK he's touring in May and you should make the effort to see him. Dates are below:-

5th May 2010 The Railway, Winchester
6th May 2010 The Phoenix, Exeter
7th May 2010 The Met, Bury
8th May 2010 The Tunnel, Bristol
9th May 2010 Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
10th May 2010 Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
11th May 2010 The Maze, Nottingham
12th May 2010 King Tuts, Glasgow
13th May 2010 Town Hall, Gateshead
14th May 2010 Borderline, London
15th May 2010 Village Hall, Tingewick

Full Show mp3 download is available HERE

Setlist

01 Intro (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

02 Let Freedom Ring (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

03 Break The Seal (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

04 Rise (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

05 Chat - Intro to Would You Love Me (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

06 Would You Love Me (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

07 Doubter Out Of Jesus (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

08 Chat - Intro to Barely Exist (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

09 Barely Exist (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

10 Chat - Intro to Lucky (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

11 Lucky (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

12 Whole Lot More (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

13 Heart Breaks Like The Dawn (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

14 Balinese Dancer (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

15 New Years Day (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

16 Pin A Rose On Me (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

17 Chat - T-Shirts, CDs & Antiques Roadshow (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

18 You And Me Baby (Holding On) (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

19 Credit (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

20 Diamond Jim (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

21 Summertime Thing (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

22 Chat - Thanks, Indie Landfill & Dan Stuart (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

23 Time Ain't Nothing (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

24 You Did (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC recording fo the show can be found HERE

David Ford - Update

2010-04-01T11:45:00.001-07:00

Anybody like me who had tickets for one of the three UK shows in April, will now have to make new arrangements for July instead as the current dates have been postponed. Luckily my diary in early July is pretty free, so fingers crossed a trip to the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds still awaits, and barring my occasional recording incompetance, a post featuring the mp3 will follow.

Alondra Bentley - Club Academy Manchester - 25th March 2010

2010-03-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Myspace

Alondra Bentley provided support for Josh Rouse on his UK tour. With a cut glass english accent it was only a couple of lapses in her chat which gave a clue to her part spanish/part english heritage. Alondra's music would probably be classed as folk, and in her writing style her songs very much reminded me of Nick Drake. Josh's backing band provided a backdrop for her songs, while her lyrics were in turn haunting, childlike and rich in imagery. What really won me over though was her willingness to namecheck Nottingham streets in one of her songs. Maid Marion Way and Lenton Avenue may never sound as cinematic as Thunder Road, but its nice sometimes to feel a bit of parochial pride!

Setlist

01 Some Things Of My Own

02 Sunglasses

03 Star For Mummy

04 Sugarman

05 Still Be There

06 The Petal House

07 Meltdown

08 Dot Dot Dot (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

Josh Rouse - Club Academy Manchester - 25th March 2010

2010-03-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Website

Josh Rouse came to the Club Academy in Manchester last thursday to promote his latest album El Turista. The last time i caught his show the performance was somewhat perfunctory although explained by illness through which he soldiered on. Last Thursday the contrast was total. I've never seen Josh appear so contented and at ease on the stage. He seemed like a performer feeling part of a new gang with his new backing group of spanish musicians, and was clearly happy to see the positive response of the audience to the latin flavoured sounds of his new album. In fact the live version of Valencia received probably the loudest applause of the night, and demonstrated that its even possible to generate a singalong in England to a song of spanish lyrics if presented in the right way.

In truth the show was a nice mixture of old and new, and showcased some lesser played songs from his back catalog including Flight Attendent and James. The new song I will Live On Islands proved to be a fun addition to the live show, with a story from Josh of how he'd come to write the track. The final seal on the performance was the addition of impromptu harmonies from the audience on Sparrows over Birmingham, and the full band romp through It's The Nighttime.

There's a nice interview this month with Josh in American Songwriter where he indicates that he felt his albums were becoming formulaic and it was time to step out in a new direction. This new direction seems to have given a new vigour and joy to his performance, and the acceptance of this change by the audience last night must have acted as at least partly a validation of this step change.

A Full Show MP3 Download is available HERE

Setlist

01 Duerme Mobila (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

02 Lemon Tree (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

03 The Man Who (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

04 I Will Live On Islands (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

05 Sunshine

06 Las Voces

07 Sweet Elaine

08 James

09 Hollywood Bass Player

10 Flight Attendent (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

11 Winter In The Hamptons

12 Sweetie

13 His Majesty Rides

14 Summertime

15 Valencia

16 Cotton Eye Joe

17 Quiet Town

Encore

18 Sad Eyes (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

19 Sparrows Over Birmingham

20 1972

21 It's The Nighttime

A FULL FLAC LOSSLESS VERSION OF THE SHOW IS HERE

April Smith And The Great Picture Show - Lollapalooza Chicago - 7th August 2009

2010-03-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

Website

Without doubt my favourite album of 2010 so far is Songs For A Sinking Ship by April Smith And The Great Picture Show. Every track on the album is a keeper, powered along by April's voice and personality. Its the range of the songs that particularly impresses, from standard singer songwriter, through music hall, to dark speculations on Terrible Things. Of course I wouldn't be aware of this band without the invention of the festival circuit. Wandering between stages I caught a segment of their set at last years' Lollapalooza Festival, and if anything this band sound even better live than on record. In an internet marketplace where there are hundreds of albums released each week its very difficult to stand-out, but this is one band that deserves to.

Can't Say No (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

Wow And Flutter (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

Update - Upcoming Shows 2010

2010-03-21T01:54:00.000-07:00

I have the following shows lined up before the end of June 2010. Those marked with *** will be recorded and posted unless i'm made aware of a change in the taping policy of the artists concerned

Emma Pollock / Josh Pyke
Josh Rouse ***
David Ford ***
The Duke & The King
James Hunter
Chuck Prophet ***
Eli 'Paperboy' Reed
Micah P Hinson
Band Of Horses ***
Neal Casal ***
The Gaslight Anthem
The Proclaimers
The Hold Steady ***

I may also be able to catch one of the Josh Ritter / Joe Pug Irish shows in April, both of whom of course are taper friendly.

Ben Kweller - Austin City Limits Music Festival - 16th September 2007 (Past Shows No. 11)

2010-03-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Website

Here's a recording I made of Ben Kweller performing on the AT&T Stage on a typically hot afternoon at the ACL Festival in Austin, Texas. Ben's performance was a return visit to the festival after cutting short his set the previous year due to a nosebleed of epic proportions. Ben makes reference to the incident during the performance, which featured many of his trademark powerpop classics. The set also gave a first glimpse of the new country direction which would become apparent with the release subsequently of his Changing Horses album.

A Full mp3 download of the show is available HERE

Setlist

01 Commerce, Tx (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

02 I Need You Back (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

03 I Don't Know Why (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

04 My Apartment (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

05 Old Hat (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

06 Fight (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

07 Thirteen (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

08 In Other Words (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

09 The Rules (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

10 Sundress (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

11 Red Eye (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

12 Penny On The Train Track (Live ACL Festival 2007 mp3)

A Full FLAC Lossless version of the show can be found HERE

Babybird - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 16th March 2010

2010-03-17T11:03:00.001-07:00

Website

There used to be a time in the 90s when Babybird was at the centre of my record collection. Candy Girl, Cornershop and the ubiquitous You're Gorgeous all regularly featured on my CD player. Time passes though and with large gaps between releases Stephen Jones became just another artist whose career i'd lost track of. In fact it was only because a friend mentioned this gig a few days ago that I found myself at the Rescue Rooms last night. Clearly I was not alone in this as the 'crowd' was one of the smallest i'd seen at the venue, at best numbering 100.

Those making the effort though were rewarded with an entertaining set, mixing tracks from his new album Ex-Maniac with old favourites. A five-piece band gave the songs a muscular presence while Stephen stalked the stage waiting for the vocal moments. To say the musician likes to engage with the crowd would be an understatement, in fact you suspect he would get a starring role on an x-rated version of Grumpy Old Men. God, Jade Goody and Jon Venables were amongst his targets last night. The new songs seemed as familiar on first hearing as the classic songs, a sure sign of a great songwriter. The old contrariness though was present with song titles including Unloveable and Bastard. When you hear songs such as The Way You Are and The Little Things though you suspect that behind the grumpy old man lies a soppy git.

You're Gorgeous is saved for the encore and is only played by audience demand, as Stephen plays the pantomime villain, insisting someone shout out the title as a request. While the song may to some extent be a millstone round his neck, its also an introduction to an artist with a fascinating back catalogue. Another old single Goodnight appropriately ends the performance.

Leaving the venue it feels good to be reacquainted with a very singular songwriter whose songs will be freed from CD storage and added to my ipod over the coming days. Babybird are touring the UK over the next couple of weeks. An evening spent with Stephen Jones and his band is highly recommended.

Setlist

01 Black Flowers

02 Failed Suicide Club

03 Like Them

04 Eyes In The Back Of My Head

05 Out Of Sight

06 Drug Time

07 Bastard

08 Unloveable

09 Cornershop

10 All Men Are Evil

11 Send Me Back My Dreams

12 The Way You Are

13 Bad Old Man

Encore

14 The Little Things (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

15 You're Gorgeous (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

16 Goodnight (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

Update - List Of Recordings

2010-03-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

New Recordings
03/05/2010 Richmond Fontaine - Whitworth Centre Darley Dale
02/07/2010 The Low Anthem - Academy 2 Birmingham
02/07/2010 David Ford - Academy 2 Birmingham
11/07/2009 Yo La Tengo - Academy 2 Manchester
10/28/2009 David Ford - Rescue Rooms Nottingham
10/20/2009 AA Bondy - Academy 3 Manchester
10/17/2009 Richard Hawley - Philharmonic Hall Liverpool
10/11/2009 Richard Hawley - Albert Hall Nottingham
09/24/2009 Chuck Prophet - The Maze Nottingham
09/24/2009 Otis Gibbs - The Maze Nottingham
09/16/2009 Richmond Fontaine - Academy 3 Manchester
09/16/2009 Al James - Academy 3 Manchester
09/13/2009 Josh Ritter - Bridgewater Hall Manchester
09/12/2009 Ray Lamontagne - City Hall Sheffield
09/10/2009 Okkervil River - Rescue Rooms Nottingham
09/07/2009 Josh Ritter - Brudenell Social Club Leeds
09/06/2009 The Low Anthem - The Deaf Institute Manchester
09/04/2009 Okkervil River - Club Academy Manchester
08/08/2009 Joe Pug - Lollapalooza Chicago
07/23/2009 Hot Club Of Cowtown - Academy 3 Manchester
07/17/2009 Derek Trucks Band - Academy 2 Birmingham
06/23/2009 Jason Isbell - The Maze Nottingham
06/17/2009 Jerzey Street Band - Academy 3 Manchester

Frightened Rabbit - Academy 2 Birmingham - 12th March 2010

2010-03-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

Myspace

Of course Airship could learn a lot about putting on a show just by watching Frightened Rabbit. Sure the headliners have the advantage of a crowd more familiar with the songs. Sure there is nothing particularly unique about the performance. In 20 years of gig going i've seen countless frontmen reappear for the encore with just an acoustic guitar to perform the well known ballad for the fans to sing along. But like all good live bands Frightened Rabbit connect. For an hour they take you to a better place. Helped along by good set pacing, and a series of songs more robust live than on record, the new songs are mixed in with the better known songs from The Midnight Organ Fight. The band most remind me of Band Of Horses in the way each song builds to a crescendo without taking the focus away from lyrics which are often witty, Heartfelt and knowing. Highlights include the new song Swim Until You Can't See Land inspired by a film starring one of the Olson twins, and set closer Good Arms Vs Bad Arms which gets the dancefloor bouncing as it approaches its anthemic peak.

Setlist

01 Skip The Youth

02 The Modern Leper

03 Old Old Fashioned

04 The Lonesliness And The Scream

05 The Wrestle

06 The Twist

07 Swim Until You Can't See Land

08 FootShooter

09 Backwards Walk

10 Nothing Lile You

11 Heads Roll Off

12 Good Arms Vs Bad Arms

Encore

13 Poke

14 Living In Colour

15 Keep Yourself Warm

Airship - Academy 2 Birmingham - 12th March 2010

2010-03-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Myspace

Where to start with Airship? I suppose we start at the end, the last song of the set is complete, no thanks ensue, the band simply start packing up the gear to the sound of indifference. Listen to the tracks on the band's myspace page, and an interesting mix of sounds is evident. Live unfortunately the band are one paced with songs blending into each other. The first single is played and nothing distinctive appears to be at work. A two guitar, bass and drums attack, augmented with keyboards on occassion should enable an impression to be made. Instead vocals are drowned in the mix, the singer could be reciting the phone book or the bible for all we can tell. If this live performance is all you had to go on then another case of landfill Indie would be prescribed. But the myspace tracks offer more. I'll put this down to a yound band learning their trade, but they need to think more about their live act. Learn to engage with the crowd, plan the setlist, vary the tempo, get the mix right otherwise..........

Setlist

01 Kids

02 ??

03 ??

04 ??

05 This Is Hell

06 Algebra

07 ??

Goodnight Lenin - Academy 2 Birmingham - 12th March 2010

2010-03-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

Myspace

On a Friday night in Birmingham, sometimes you know its going to be a good night. Having miraculously managed to drive 38 miles in 40 minutes during the rush hour to arrive for the early curfew Frightened Rabbit show, I was also able to catch both support acts. First up were a group of local kids going by the name of Goodnight Lenin, and much to my surprise they were very, very good. An opening number propelled by mandolin, and including an accapella harmony segment immediately made my roots loving ears prick up. Sure they've clearly been ransacking the back catalogues of The Byrds / Fleet Foxes / Low Anthem /CSNY , but their take on it was distinctive and certainly held the attention of the crowd. All the songs were less than three minutes and didn't outstay their welcome, while there seemed a natural confidence to engage with the audience. Hopefully such a young band will find their own take on americana and lets hope putting 'down bleecker street we roam' is an homage rather than the natural danger of derivation in an american band dominated segment of the market. Mumford and Sons show that there is scope for the British too. Goodnight Lenin have quite a few slots lined up over the coming weeks so catch them if you can, because from what i heard last night if they stick together they could develop quite a following.

Setlist (Mostly guesses!)

01 Ragged Schools

02 Crook In The Creek

03 The Mannequins??

04 Wenceslas Square

05 You're Not Coming Home Tonight (First Aid Kit cover)

06 Spokes On The Wheel??

07 My Soldier Friend??

08 Broken Bricks

09 Ebb And Flow

10 I Know Why??

Richmond Fontaine - Whitworth Centre Darley Dale - 5th March 2010

2010-03-07T02:28:00.000-08:00

Myspace

So five months after I saw Richmond Fontaine in a venue i've probably seen more bands in than any other (Academy 3 Manchester), last friday found both the band and myself on virgin gig going territory. The Whitworth Centre is basically an upscale village hall with the performance room upstairs. As a venue it actually ticks all the right boxes apart from its rural location in the peak district. The large crowd was probably a vindication for the promoters who usually focus on Nottingham based gigs. The only downside was the impression that a significant proportion of the audience were locals only there out of the novelty which resulted in a proportion of the crowd more interested in talking than listening to the music.

This issue certainly didn't seem to come across to Willy Vlautin. Having seen the band for a second time its apparent that Willy is one of those artists who enjoys being on stage with a smile on his face. He's never going to be the happiest man in music whose title surely goes to Josh Ritter , but both he and the band went with the flow of the evening, particularly enjoying the front row drunken dancing teenagers. The band also know how to mix the set up, featuring several songs not performed a week previously at the Leiden gig available online. The contrast in setlist was even more pronounced with the last show i caught even though there was no new album to promote.

Richmond Fontaine may be blessed with the americana tag, but in reality they know when to rock out, a fitting background for many of the stories encapsulated in the lyrics centering around the underclass and fringes of the american dream. Polaroid and Two Alone in particular making a great way to close the main set.

A Full MP3 Download of the show is available HERE

Setlist

01 Out Of State (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

02 The Longer You Wait (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

03 The Boyfriends (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

04 43 (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

05 Laramie, Wyoming (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

06 Capsized (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

07 Moving Back Home #2 (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

08 El Tiradito (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

09 Water Wars (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

10 Lonnie (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

11 You Can Move Back Here (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

12 Harold's Club (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

13 Allison Johnson (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

14 Through (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

15 Polaroid (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

16 Two Alone (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

17 Dear Pete... (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

18 Two Broken Hearts (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

19 Always On The Ride (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

20 Living In A Van (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

21 Post To Wire (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

22 Four Walls (Live Whitworth Centre Darley Dale mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Peter Bruntnell - Whitworth Centre Darley Dale - 5th March 2010

2010-03-07T02:10:00.000-08:00

Myspace

Peter Bruntnell was probably the first professional musician to step onto the stage of the Whitworth Centre in Darley Dale for many years when he provided the support for Richmond Fontaine on friday night. Accompanied by a bass player and guitarist/harmonium player the slot was one that showcased his considerable songwriting talents. The songs while appearing introspective in lyrical content where dispatched with a diversity of sonic accompaniments from straight acoustic guitar, to a couple of rocking numbers. It was only a pity that we learned more about the artist from Willy Vlautin during the Richmond Fontaine set than from the man himself. Peter clearly believes the songs should stand on their own merit, and banter his for other musicians.

Setlist

01 Saint Christopher (New Song)

02 Black Mountain UFO (New Song)

03 Cold Water Swimmer

04 Hash Dream Craving

05 False Start

06 Clothes Of Winter

07 Still Won't Believe?? (New Song)

08 John

09 Devils Good Son

Tom McRae - Club Academy Manchester - 27th February 2010

2010-03-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

Website

Yes! It's Tom McRae with a full band. About time too. Delaying the tour appears to be a masterstroke from Mr McRae as the Club Academy turns into a relatively packed environment, something that has been sadly lacking the last couple of times i saw Tom perform in Nottingham and Sheffield. The attendance tonight combined with a couple of sellout crowds in Glasgow suggests perhaps some of the old momentum is being regained with the new album Alphabet Of Hurricanes. The show opens with the song of the same name which remains officially unreleased, although quite familiar to anyone who has seen Tom perform in the last couple of years. Me & Stetson follows and allows the band to show their chops for the first time. Brian Wright in particular stands out throughout the night with his guitar playing. The gig develops a pattern of new album songs mixed with old favourites. Slow songs followed by full band workouts. The only surprise and perhaps missed opportunity is the slower version of the new single Please. It seems almost perverse to play a song which may have drawn in some of the audience in such an unfamiliar manner. Musically and vocally it may work, but as an audience experience the faster version has the potential to be a centre of the show like End Of The World News has been for many years.

Really though thats only a minor quibble from a fan who wants Tom to be more succesful and therefore to be able to tour with a band more regularly. Of the new songs Still Love You works particularly well inspiring the crowd to some harmony whistling, while Out Of The Walls is a moving opening to the encore, just Tom at the piano. For me the best moment of the show follows, just Tom with his guitar, and my favourite song of his My Vampire Heart. Its all about the words and the moment but this song hits me every time. Boy with the Bubblegum appears to wrap up the encore with the extended instrumental section as seen on the Live 2007 CD. Deserved applause results in a second encore of Bloodless to round off another memorable show.

The new album is great, there are plenty more UK dates on the tour. What are you waiting for?

Setlist

01 Alphabet Of Hurricanes

02 Me & Stetson

03 For The Restless

04 Summer Of John Wayne

05 End Of The World News

06 American Spirit

07 A&B Song

08 Please

09 One Mississippi

10 Walking 2 Hawaii

11 Still Love You

12 Silent Boulevard

Encore 1

13 Out Of The Walls

14 My Vampire Heart

15 The Boy With The Bubblegun

Encore 2

16 Bloodless

Brian Wright - Club Academy Manchester - 27th February 2010

2010-02-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

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Third gig of February saw me back in Manchester for the rescheduled Tom McRae gig originally planned for September 2009. Despite the change in dates Brian Wright remained the tour support. This was my first time seeing Brian in action having missed the Hotel Cafe tour which he participated in with Tom back in 2008. It was nice to see the support act for once given a decent slot of 45 minutes to demonstrate their ability to the audience. Too often these days the support act is rushed on for 5 songs. This is great when the performer doesn't strike a chord with you, but when you are starting to appreciate the support act it can make for an unsatisfying situation. There is clearly a mutual respect between Tom and Brian, and that was probably reflected in the time given.

The set was the usual challenge for a solo performer of how to maintain attention from a crowd unfamiliar with their material. Mixing it up with a couple of songs on banjo and piano aided this, but really the key to the reception was a combination of excellent songwriting and interaction with the crowd from gestures and sly banter. If a crowd is going to stand around waiting for the main act why not get them involved with vocals and clapping accompanyment. The level of background noise was certainly less than normal and seemed to win the crowd over.

Highlights of the set for me were Junk Queen which is available on a Catherine Feeny CD although written by Brian. It was also nice to be familiarised with another Blaze Foley song Clay Pigeons. Having loved Lucinda Williams tribute to Blaze in her song Drunken Angel, it seems the right time to check out this artists back catalogue, which surely is the whole point of cover versions.

Setlist

01 Radar

02 Former Queen Of Spain

03 Morning Cigarettes

04 Junk Queen

05 Clay Pigeons

06 Still Got You

07 Accordion

08 Downtown Eloise

09 Falls County

Fionn Regan - Academy 3 Manchester - 17th February 2010

2010-02-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

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When your looking for an angle for a review of Fionn Regan's second album The Shadow Of An Empire the lazy option is to jump on the bandwagon declaring this folkie has gone all electric for his sophomore album. Usually this is topped off with a mention of Bob Dylan for added gravitas. Of course once you get past the first three or four tracks on the new album, the feel is surprisingly reminiscent of that acoustic first album. Nothing therefore to be scared off if you loved the mercury nominated The End Of History.

The resultant live show is a blend of the old and new, and while only two songs are played solo, many of the other tracks are given sympathetic backing from the band. The sound only goes astray on the faster electric tracks such as House Detective and Genocide Matinee where the vocals are too low in the mix. Despite being a noted lyricist, Fionn is not a natural raconteur, and a perfuntory 'thanks' is the limit of his between song banter. The setlist is rattled off at a pace with band intros and the encore all being completed in less than an hour. For a man with two albums worth of material and a good 1/3 remaining unperformed this evening, a sense of disappointment hangs over the occassion as the house lights come on 45 minutes before curfew. This was only the fourth show of a long tour, and the setlist might expand as the band get more time to get acquainted, but for a night in Manchester there was perhaps a feeling that this was a lost opportunity.

Setlist

01 Hey Rabbit

02 House Detective

03 Coat Hook

04 Catacombs

05 Lines Written In Winter

06 The Underwood Typewriter

07 Put A Penny In The Slot

08 Violent Demeanour

09 Hunters Map

10 Protection Racket

11 Genocide Matinee

12 Lord Help My Poor Soul

Encore

13 Be Good Or Be Gone

Danny And The Champions Of The World - Academy 3 Manchester - 17th February 2010

2010-02-18T10:06:00.001-08:00

Website

In this internet age it sometimes feels that we are bombarded by so much music that we can often lose sight of bands quickly. That feeling came to me as I watched Danny and the Champions of the World supporting Fionn Regan at the Academy 3 in Manchester. I wasn't aware of the band or its music but there was something vaguely familiar about the lead singer. A quick search when i arrived home revealled all, bringing back memories of Grand Drive whose album Road Music I loved. Danny Wilson was one of the brothers who formed the core of Grand Drive, a band I saw live a couple of times back in the early noughties, and now is the lead singer of this new ensemble.

As well as performing the support slot, the band acted as the band for Fionn Regan's headline slot. While the band name may have changed, the music performed remained a mix of americana, country rock and folk that was the trademark of Grand Drive. Most of the tracks performed were from the new album Streets Of Our Time. The set appeared to be well received by the sizeable audience, although the dreaded crowd chatter so hated by support bands looked like it might engulf the band during the slower Red Tree Song. A segway into the old chestnut of My Girl, got the crowd back on side before a couple of more propulsive numbers got the band to the finish line.

Setlist

01 Henry The Van

02 Restless Feet

03 Lose These Rags

04 'Instrumental Jam'

05 Red Tree Song/My Girl

06 These Days

07 Follow The River

The Low Anthem - Academy 2 Birmingham - 7th February 2010

2010-02-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

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The Low Anthem returned to the UK for their fifth tour in support of the critically acclaimed album OMG, Charlie Darwin. They will play their largest ever gig on this tour at the 2,000 capacity Shepherd's Bush Empire in london. The crowd last sunday in Birmingham was smaller, but every bit as attentive as when I saw the band on their last tour at the Deaf Institute in Manchester. A number of new songs were performed, as well as covers ranging from the oft-covered traditional Moonshiner, to the Robbie Robertson penned Evangeline. All members of the band demonstrated their musical dexterity as they sought new nuances from much of the familiar music. The recording suffers from the usual challenge of taping the band with the dynamic range between the quiet songs and the loud meaning getting an happy medium is difficult. While the sound on the individual songs is fine you will probably have to experiment with the volume control.

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 To The Ghosts Who Write History Books (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

02 Apothecary (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

03 Charlie Darwin (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

04 Sally Where'd You Get Your Liquor From (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

05 Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

06 Home I'll Never Be (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

07 New Song (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

08 Ticket Taker (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

09 This God Damn House (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

10 Ghost Woman Blues (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

11 Evangeline (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

12 Cage The Songbird (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

13 To Ohio (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

14 The Horizon Is A Beltway (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

15 Moonshiner (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

16 Dreams Can't Chase You Down (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

David Ford - Academy 2 Birmingham - 7th February 2010

2010-02-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

Website

So long time, no post. Well partly thats a result of the usual UK downturn in gigs over the Xmas / New Year period, and partly that there haven't been any attractive shows, to leverage me from my Winter slumbers. All that changed though with the advent of February and the arrival of a new album to promote by David Ford. While I wait for the deluxe version of the album to land on my doorstep, I was able to catch some of the new songs at David's support slot for another of my favourites, The Low Anthem at the O2 Academy 2 Birmingham. David was actually the second act on stage following another Rhode Island group Brown Bird who play in a similar vein to The Low Anthem, but perhaps with a more bluegrass tinge. Second up and with a 30 minute slot, David didn't waste a second. A mixture of old and new, with State Of The Union in play to demonstrate his looping skills to the uniniated, the set was well received as you would expect. The only downside was the lack of time meant there was less banter than usual between songs. Whether support slots like these help gather greater crowds to your headlining shows I do not know. All I know is that paying £11 to see The Low Anthem and David Ford is a bargain of the highest order.

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 Nothing At All (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

02 I Don't Care What You Call Me (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

03 To Hell With The World (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

04 Train (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

05 State Of The Union (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

06 Stephen (Live Academy 2 Birmingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

My earlier David Ford Post can be found HERE

Tom McRae - Leadmill Sheffield - 14th November 2009

2009-11-18T02:47:00.000-08:00

Website

As Tom McRae is a user of Google Alerts I better start off by saying Hi to the man himself. Last Saturday at the Leadmill in Sheffield, Tom appeared for a one-off solo acoustic show. Attending a Tom McRae gig usually involves a trial of some sort for me, whether driving around Nottingham in desperation looking for the most obscure venue ever used for a gig, or in this case joining the M1 for a short four junction journey, only to find the motorway closed. On finally arriving at the venue the attendees (probably about 100 -150) were directed to the smaller performance room, as the main room was being prepared for the saturday night club. This was the first gig i'd seen in the smaller room and it works quite well as a setting with good viewing points throughout the room.

Support for the evening came from Anna Haigh and Neil McSweeney , both local Sheffield musicians. While Neil is further ahead in his career with a couple of record releases already in the bag, I probably enjoyed Anna's slot more. Vocally she reminded me of Shawn Colvin, and she seemed to engage more with the audience. With two support slots and an early finish because of the club night, the main act was left with just over an hour to perform.

One of the reasons I enjoy a Tom Mcrae live show is because amongst the consistently high quality songs, you can also expect to witness his slightly evil, mischievous streak. One audience member learned an harsh lesson that tweets visible to Tom may be used in evidence against you at the gig, while the Sheffield University reviewer who left early probably learned an early lesson in their journalistic career.

The gig gave Tom an opportunity to showcase a number of songs likely to appear on his new album scheduled for February. Tom promised that the album would be supported by a full band tour which while a challenge financially in these times for Tom will be highly recommended to catch for fans. Dates can be found here. Mixed in with the newer songs, including one played on ukelele and another on keyboards, were some of Tom's more well known songs. Tom seemed in good spirits and responded to some bad harmonising from the audience during one of the new songs with a burst of the Ting Ting's 'Thats Not My Name'. Tom was allowed to go beyond the curfew to leave us with 'My Vampire Heart'. It was clear that the audience felt the evening had ended far too soon, and as is often the case these days, I left scratching my head why such talented musicians as Tom, David Ford and Colin MacIntyre who i've seen recently can only attract such a relatively meagre number of attendees to their always entertaining shows.

Setlist

01 Alphabet Of Hurricanes?

02 For The Restless

03 Got A Suitcase, Got Regrets

04 Belly Of A Whale?

05 The Only Thing I Know

06 Nothing Good Lasts Forever?

07 One Mississippi

08 Wake Up, Love?

09 I Still Love You?

10 The Boy With The Bubblegun

11 End Of The World News

12 My Vampire Heart

Update - Downloads

2009-11-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

Following the Felice Brothers debacle (Band o.k. with taping/Management Not). I've just had a second set of correspondance regarding a show i posted a couple of months back. I've therefore temporarily taken all mp3 downloads down as they are within my control. The FLAC links i've left in as once a seed is completed its outside my control to stop any more dissemination. Going forward i'll only be posting shows where i have express permission from the Band Management rather than relying on third hand information from other tapers or band forums, or even word of mouth from the band themselves. As you can imagine this will involve a lot more pre-gig work from myself in terms of time which i'm not sure i can commit at the moment. If your a regular visitor to the site therefore i suggest you link via the RSS feed, then rather than checking back you will be alerted as and when a new show is posted. However, in general expect the amount of posts on the website to be a lot less than previously.

Yo La Tengo - Academy 2 Manchester - 7th November 2009

2009-11-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Website

I first discovered Yo La Tengo recently via the brilliant taping blog http://www.nyctaper.com/ , which is a bit embarrassing considering the band has been about for the best part of 25 years. Often when you discover bands that have been around that long it can be difficult to know where to start, getting overwhelmed by the amount of music on offer. Live shows can often therefore provide an alternative career retrospective for the newcomer, this show being a case in point mixing songs from the new album Popular Songs (which i picked up a sweet double vinyl version of at the show) with songs from throughout the career. When a band has been around as long as Yo La Tengo it becomes increasingly difficult to categorise their music. This live performance seemed to range between the quiet songs often with Georgia Hubley on lead vocals, to scuzzy guitar jams extending over several minutes which on one occassion reminded me of an old Stone Roses groove. The band hit their stride through several songs, before saying hello to the fans, only to be greeted by cries of 'freebird'. I've lost count of the number of times I hear this at Manchester shows, but never elsewhere, perhaps its the same idiot at every show. The band took it all in good part and were open to suggestions when hitting the encore. The encore included a cover of an old Bob Dylan song, because they couldn't think of any Manchester bands to cover (well did we really want another Oasis cover by a touring band?). All in all an excellent performance and for my first ever Yo La Tengo show i left very impressed.

Now the bad news. Unfortunately rarely in the UK do we have the option to Open tape bands, with stands and microphones up high. Most venues have no experience of this type of taping. Usually therefore we have to tape 'low pro' which for a show like saturday night when sold out means picking a spot, sticking to it, and hoping the people around you are attentive to the show and don't TALK that much. On saturday i obviously had bad karma. I ended up stood next to an Ian Brown dancing impressionist, which wasn't too bad until he turned round to ask whether i minded his dancing VERY LOUDLY. Even worse was to follow when a few songs later he stopped the loudmouth in the audience (see rabid Euros Childs fan below, it was the same person) for a chat. The recording therefore contains a warning that at some point you will be treated to 30 seconds of the inane chatter of these two individuals over the music. I suggest as soon as you hear the conversation start you hit the fast forward for 30 seconds! And if you insist on knowing the outcome of the conversation, yes he eventually found a pen, but no his request wasn't played by the band!

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 Decora (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

02 All Your Secrets (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

03 More Stars Than There Are In Heaven (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

04 Avalon Or Someone Very Similar (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

05 Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1) (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

06 The Weakest Part (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

07 If It's True (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

08 Here To Fall (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

09 Don't Have To Be Sad (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

10 Black Flowers (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

11 When It's Dark (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

12 Sugarcube (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

13 Periodically Double Or Triple (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

14 Tom Courtenay (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

15 Nothing To Hide (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

16 Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

17 Shaker (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

18 I Wanna Be Your Lover (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

19 You Can Have It All (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Euros Childs - Academy 2 Manchester - 7th November 2009

2009-11-09T04:51:00.000-08:00

Website

Myspace

The former member of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci provided support for Yo La Tengo saturday in Manchester. I wouldn't claim to be that familiar with the music of Euros Childs, but having sampled his support slot I'd describe it as marmite music, you either love it or hate it. With Euros on keyboards, complimented with a bass player and drummer, the music would probably be categorised as indie-pop, however its the lyrics which will probably divide opinion. In particular an ode to Bread, co-written with Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub fame brought some signs of bafflement from sections of the crowd, while others seemed to warm to the quirky lyrics. Euros Childs has presented a great opportunity for people to make their own minds up by providing a free download of his latest album, Son of Euro Child. If you can't catch him on tour, take advantage of this offer and you may become as rabid a fan as the guy in the front row at Manchester who drunkenly professed his love for the music at the end of the set.

Setlist

01 ??

02 Tete A Tete (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

03 How Do You Do

04 First Time I Saw You

05 ?? 'Spin That Girl Around'

06 Outside My Window

07 Like This? Then Try This

08 Bread

09 My Baby Joy

Joe Pug - BMI Stage, Lollapalooza Chicago - 8th August 2009

2009-11-08T02:20:00.000-08:00

Website

Myspace

So i've been trawling through some of my recordings that i've never got round to sorting out. I came across this recording of Joe Pug on one of the minor stages at Lollapalooza in Chicago. I came across this set on the day by chance. The BMI stage was offering some nice shade on an hot Chicago day. I had no previous knowledge of Joe Pug, but when Joe and his band came out to setup and soundchecked into a version of one of my favourite songs, Someday by Steve Earle I was sold. The set was a mix of band and acoustic solo offerings and it was clear that the performance went down well with all those in attendance. I wasn't aware until the performance that Joe is based out of Chicago, so a little hometown solidarity helped the occassion. Anyone familiar with Joe Pug in this early part of his career will be aware that he already has an enlightened attitude to sharing his music. His live performances are already authorised to be stored at the archive.org ,While he has also proved very generous in sharing his music with fans, including a free EP download available at his site. Please support this excellent artist when he next passes through your town. He's currently touring North America but will be back in Europe shortly, provide support for Steve Earle.

Full Show mp3 Download available Here

Soundcheck

01 Someday (Steve Earle) - Partial (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

Setlist

01 Nobody's Man (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

02 Messanger (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

03 I Got Wise (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

04 First Time I Saw You (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

05 Bury Me Far From My Uniform (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

06 Hymn #35 (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

07 I Do My Fathers' Drugs (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

08 Speak Plainly Diana (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

09 Nation Of Heat (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

10 Hymn #101 (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3 )

A Full Show Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Wilco - Academy Leeds - 3rd November 2009

2009-11-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

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Myspace

Wilco came to the Academy Leeds (formerly the Town & Country Club) on a wet Tuesday night in November. Despite the limited americana/alt-country fanbase of Yorkshire having to choose between Wilco and Steve Earle both playing Leeds on the same night, the Academy was pretty near capacity, although not quite enough for the touts outside to be selling tickets off cheap. Wilco were supported by Clientele whose set i missed most of due to the struggle in finding anywhere in Leeds to park. What i heard of a couple of songs reminded me of Teenage Fanclub and Daniel Wylie so i may try catching them again when they're next in the area.

Wilco hit the stage just after 8.30pm and proceeded to perform for just over two hours including two encores. The majority of the early part of the set was made up of tracks from the last couple of albums before branching out into the back catalogue. The band focused on the songs initially, until eventually Jeff Tweedy seemed to relax into the show, and got progressively more chatty. Highlights of the show included a crowd singalong to Jesus, Etc. , and the band's ferocious assaults on Spiders and Handshake Drugs. By the end of the show, Jeff was thanking the crowd and promising to come back more often in future, before offering up a choice of songs from AM or Summerteeth. With Summerteeth winning Jeff mockingly decried the fact that there was never any love for AM. I'd like you to be able to hear Jeff & the band in such a fun performance, but unfortunately their professionalism was only matched by my amateurism in forgetting to change the batteries in my audio recorder. Unfortunately, the recorder died after four songs so thats all i can offer up below. Thanks go to the various Wilco forums for filling in the setlist details.

Setlist

01 Wilco (The Song) (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

02 A Shot In The Arm (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

03 Bull Black Nova (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

04 You Are My Face (Live Academy Leeds mp3)

05 One Wing

06 I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

07 Muzzle Of Bees

08 Radio Cure

09 Impossible Germany

10 I'll Fight

11 Handshake Drugs

12 Sonny Feeling

13 Jesus, Etc.

14 Theologians

15 I'm The Man Who Loves You

16 Hummingbird

17 Poor Places

18 Spiders (Kidsmoke)

19 Hate It Here

20 Walken

21 Heavy Metal Drummer

22 Can't Stand It

23 I'm A Wheel

Ryan Adams - Academy Manchester - 28th September 2006 (Past Shows No. 10)

2009-11-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

Website

Fan Site

I worked out recently that i've seen Ryan Adams with or without The Cardinals 31 times since I first caught him at The Maze in Nottingham. Add to that all the records and other merchandise purchased and Mr Adams has probably been second only to Bob Dylan in my musical expenditure. Despite all the stuff you will read online about meltdowns, I don't recall ever being disappointed by one of those 31 shows. I do however recall walking out of Rock City in Nottingham during the Rock 'n' Roll tour with two guys on my right discussing how unprofessional the show was, while two girls on my left were agreeing that it had been the best show they'd ever been to. Each to their own I suppose. This show is from the first Cardinals tour of the UK featuring Neal Casal on guitar and Chris Feinstein on bass. I was lucky enough to catch the Cardinals in the USA in 2005 when the band featured JP Bowerstock and Catherine Popper. While those shows were great, I think i enjoyed the 2006 UK shows more. In particular the first 25 minutes of the Rock City Nottingham show available HERE, would rank in the top 5 performances of any of the hundreds of concerts i've been to. While the Academy Manchester show doesn't reach those heights, it was still excellent. I taped this show from the front row at the right side of the stage. I had a couple of emails following a post of Neal Casal's support slot indicating that this show hadn't been circulated in either Soundboard or audience format, so if you were at this show I hope you enjoy the listen, and if someone has a soundboard version please post it somewhere please.

Full Show mp3 download available HERE

Setlist

01 Magnolia Mountain (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

02 Tears Of Gold (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

03 Please Do Not Let Me Go (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

04 A Kiss Before I Go (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

05 Let It Ride (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

06 Goodnight Rose (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

07 To Be Young (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

08 Stella Blue (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

09 Cold Roses (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

10 Bartering Lines (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

11 Beautiful Sorta (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

12 Blue Hotel (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

13 DJ Reggie Rap (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

14 What Sin (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

15 29 (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

16 Trains (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

17 Dear John (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

18 Nightbirds (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

19 Shakedown On 9th Street (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

20 Caribbean Queen (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

21 Holy Diver (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

22 The End (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

23 I See Monsters (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Update - List Of Recordings

2009-11-01T02:04:00.000-08:00

New Recordings
28/10/2009 David Ford - Rescue Rooms Nottingham
20/10/2009 AA Bondy - Academy 3 Manchester
17/10/2009 Richard Hawley - Philharmonic Hall Liverpool
11/10/2009 Richard Hawley - Albert Hall Nottingham
24/09/2009 Otis Gibbs - The Maze Nottingham
24/09/2009 Chuck Prophet - The Maze Nottingham
16/09/2009 Richmond Fontaine - Academy 3 Manchester
16/09/2009 Al James - Academy 3 Manchester
13/09/2009 Josh Ritter - Bridgewater Hall Manchester
12/09/2009 Ray Lamontagne - City Hall Sheffield
10/09/2009 Okkervil River - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham
07/09/2009 Josh Ritter - Brudenell Social Club Leeds
06/09/2009 The Low Anthem - The Deaf Institute Manchester
04/09/2009 Okkervil River - Club Academy Manchester
23/07/2009 Hot Club Of Cowtown - Academy 3 Manchester
17/07/2009 Derek Trucks Band - Academy 2 Birmingham
23/06/2009 Jason Isbell - The Maze Nottingham
17/06/2009 Jerzey Street Band - Academy 3 Manchester

Samples
17/10/2009 Smoke Fairies - Philharmonic Hall Liverpool
11/10/2009 Smoke Fairies - Albert Hall Nottingham
13/09/2009 Ethan Johns - Bridgewater Hall Manchester
06/09/2009 The Goldheart Assembly - The Deaf Institute Manchester
04/09/2009 Dawn Landes - Club Academy Manchester
10/08/2009 Shearwater - Pritzker Pavilion Chicago
08/08/2009 The Low Anthem - Lollapalooza Chicago
23/06/2009 Owen Harvey - The Maze Nottingham
17/06/2009 Jon Allen - Academy 3 Manchester
17/06/2009 The Moods - Academy 3 Manchester

Past Shows
08/02/2008 Richard Hawley - Academy Manchester
30/11/2007 Josh Rouse - Academy 2 Manchester
16/11/2007 Josh Ritter - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham
20/01/2007 Jesse Malin - Barfly Birmingham
28/09/2006 Neal Casal - Academy Manchester
22/05/2006 Jason Mraz - Academy Manchester
18/11/2006 Ben Kweller - Barfly Birmingham
04/05/2005 Ray Lamontagne - Academy 2 Manchester
12/05/2007 Elvis Perkins - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham

Reviews
24/10/2009 The Proclaimers - Arts Centre Warwick
23/10/2009 Colin MacIntyre - Rescue Rooms Nottingham
20/10/2009 Felice Brothers - Academy 3 Manchester
30/07/2009 Lucinda Williams - Bridgewater Hall Manchester
29/06/2009 M Ward - Club Academy Manchester

David Ford - Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 28th October 2009

2009-10-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

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It's criminal really how so many great British songwriters seem to float below the level of awareness of the great british public. After seeing Colin McIntyre in front of 40 people in Nottingham last week, on wednesday I saw David Ford at the main Rescue Rooms venue. While the attendance was much healthier, it was still by no means packed out, as the majority of city centre revellers seemed to be heading for halloween parties or simply drunken oblivion. Those who did attend were treated to a masterclass in how to make a one-man show into a varied visual and musical experience. The stage was littered with a variety of junkyard instruments which when combined with his loop machine allowed the performance to become a real band show. Audience participation was encouraged, banter was exchanged, and poignancy reigned on the stunning new song Stephen. While his looping may build a wall of sound, to me David's genius lies in his lyrics, whether making Sheffield as cinematic as any town in a Springsteen song (Song For The Road) or in his state of the nation addresses (Requiem / State Of The Union). Taping this show proved challenging due to the volume changes between the solo acoustic guitar songs and the full band looping songs, however it gives a decent reflection of the performance. If you like what you hear, please purchase the merchandise and go to the gigs.

Full Show MP3 Download available Here

Setlist (Set 1)

01 Nothing At All (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

02 Springtime Has Come (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

03 Surfin' Guantanamo Bay (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

04 Hurricane (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

05 Train (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

06 Stephen (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

07 To Hell With The World (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

08 State Of The Union (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

Setlist (Set 2)

01 Brother Can You Spare A Dime (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

02 Panic (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

03 A Long Time Ago (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

04 Song For The Road (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

05 Requiem (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

06 A Short Song About Shoes (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

07 Cheer Up (You Miserable Fuck) (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

08 A Call To Arms (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC version of the show is available HERE

Update - Downloads

2009-10-29T02:30:00.000-07:00

Just a note to say that my bandwidth download space on Box.net has been fully used for October. Hence if you're trying to download the Richard Hawley / Smoke Fairies mp3's check back Nov 1st when the allowance should automatically reset to maximum allowance.

Update - Jerzey Street Band

2009-10-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

Jerzey Street Band who i taped in June are gearing up for the release of their first album. For a free download of an acoustic track Gypsy click on the widget on the right. To get the track all you have to do is sign up to the mailing list. There are also samples from the other tracks on the album. Live dates are lined up as follows:

30/10/09 Dry Bar Manchester
19/11/09 Picturedrome Holmfirth (supporting Southside Johnny)
28/11/09 Water Rats London

The Proclaimers - Arts Centre Warwick - 24th October 2009

2009-10-25T04:09:00.001-07:00

Website

I love going to see The Proclaimers in concert. There is no pretence or posing, the lads sole objective seems to be to deliver an entertaining set with all the familiar songs. There is none of the stuff you get from some artists where they say they don't play old songs, its all about the new ones. The Proclaimers are not so precious to realise that the majority of the people have come to hear the old songs, so while they'll mix in the best songs from their new album Notes & Rhymes, they'll also play I'm on My Way and dedicate it to the new generation of fans who its appearance in Shrek has brought to the fold. During the most popular songs such as 500 miles, the Arts Centre seemed to be literally shaking with the mass singalongs. Thats not to say the fans don't recognise and appreciate the more thoughful lyrics whether covering religion (The Light) or War (I know). Even the most challenging lyrics such as Cap In Hand are soaked in the rich harmonies of the Reid brothers. An interesting addition to the usual soundscape was Erica Nockalls playing violin. Erica was part of the support act with Miles Hunt formally of The Wonderstuff. She contributed to three songs driving the rhythm of the new song Wages of Sin, while providing a beautifully poignant interlude on Sunshine On Leith. The only song i'm not sure it worked on was My Old Friend The Blues, like many Steve Earle compositions i feel this song is best when stripped down to just the bones of vocals and acoustic guitar. No doubt it'll be a couple of years before The Proclaimers tour the UK again, but i've no doubt that the vast majority of the audience will be back for more when they do.

Setlist

01 Notes & Rhymes

02 Born Innocent

03 What Makes You Cry

04 Letter From America

05 Cap In Hand

06 Let's Get Married

07 Three More Days

08 The Light

09 Sweet Little Girls

10 Love Can Move Mountains

11 I Know

12 I'm On My Way

13 Sean

14 One Too Many

15 Sunshine On Leith

16 There's A Touch

17 I Met You

18 Life With You

19 I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

20 My Old Friend The Blues (Steve Earle)

21 Wages Of Sin

22 Joyful Kilmarnock Blues

Colin MacIntyre - 'Red Room', The Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 23rd October 2009

2009-10-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

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Colin McIntyre (AKA Mull Historical Society) appeared in the smaller performance room at the Rescue Rooms Nottingham on Friday Night. On first arriving i thought the attendance was going to break the record for the smallest gig i'd ever seen (23 people @ Ron Sexsmith), however eventually a crowd of about 40 people materialised. Support was from a local singer Will Jeffrey with a deep bluesy voice who included a nice cover of M Ward's Sad Sad Song in his set. Although previous gigs on the tour have been full band sets, Colin appeared solo at this gig with just a couple of acoustic guitars. As I stated in my review of Jon Allen in July when a singer is exposed to a solo situation the enjoyment of the gig unless you are an uber-fan can depend on how the singer bonds with the audience. Initially it appeared that we might be treated to a Singer strop as there were apparently sound problems with the on-stage monitor, although the audience sound was found. Once this hurdle was surpassed however Colin proved to be a most engaging performer, with an easy interaction with the audience, and nice, often poignant stories on the origins of the songs performed. Many seemed to revolve around the extended family and the struggles they had faced. Band performances can often restrict the variety in songs performed, however Colin was happy to take requests which meant I got to hear one of my favourite songs of his Peculiar. Another highlight of the set was You're A Star. Colin was battling the dreaded lurgy so while the performance was technically not perfect, there was no lack of effort in attempting to give a full value performance. Hopefully it won't be long before Colin appears in Nottingham again.

Setlist

01 Camelot Revisited

02 The Long Road To Me

03 The Edge Of Nearly

04 The Final Arrears

05 Out Stealing Horses

06 Simon Dempster R.I.P.

07 Be My Saviour

08 Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

09 Animal Cannabus

10 No Ordinary Queen

11 Treescavengers

12 Faith No. 2

13 Watching Xanadu

14 Peculiar

15 Cape Wrath

16 Paper Houses

17 You're A Star

18 Ned's Song (Brother)

The Felice Brothers - Academy 3 Manchester - 20th October 2009

2009-10-22T10:26:00.001-07:00

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The Felice Brothers are now officially my favourite live band, replacing The Hold Steady. The set at the sold out Academy 3 on Tuesday night was amazing from start to finish. The energy of the band was everywhere, resulting in communal singing from the mainly student crowd on many songs such as Frankie's Gun and Whiskey in my Whiskey. Every inch of the stage was used to project to the audience, while the Drum Kit in particular took a pasting from every angle. The Felice Brothers remind me of The Basement Tapes at their most ramshackle and bawdiest especially on songs such as Ballad of Lou The Welterweight. Vocal responsibility was shared amongst the protagonists while AA Bondy joined in with some percusson and guitar work. The concert was recorded from the front of the crowd, left of the stage. Overall its a pretty good representation of the show

*** MP3s removed at request of Felice Brothers Management. I received a polite email from Todd of the Management company asking to remove the mp3's which i was happy to respond to immediately. I've suggested to Todd that it would be useful if the band clarified their position on taping, as i've read plenty of comments from other tapers where they have been o.k. to tape, there even being a circulating soundboard of the recent Cologne show! Anyway as you can't listen to the show, even more reason to go out and catch the band live next time they are touring nearby as they are brilliant live ***

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 Marlboro Man (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

02 Greatest Show On Earth (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

03 Murder By Mistletoe (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

04 Love Me Tenderly (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

05 Chicken Wire (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

06 Hey Hey Revolver (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 Step Dad (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

08 River Jordan (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

09 Frankie's Gun (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

10 Little Ann (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

11 Swine Flu (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

12 ?? (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

13 ?? (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

14 Cooperstown (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

15 Helen Fry (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

16 Ballad Of Lou The Welterweight (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

17 Roll On Arte (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

18 ?? (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

19 Whiskey In My Whiskey (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

20 Run Chicken Run (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

21 St Stephen's End (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

AA Bondy - Academy 3 Manchester - 20th October 2009

2009-10-21T10:50:00.001-07:00

Myspace

AA Bondy has been supporting The Felice Brothers on their current European tour. He was supported by a stripped down unit of drummer and bass player playing towards a pretty large crowd arriving early for the sold out show. Yet another performer who has had the new Bob Dylan mantra thrown at him, Bondy projected a laid back persona at ease with his fellow musicians, but not really attempting to bond with the audience. He was given the opportunity of a longer than normal support slot of 45 minutes, but struggled to hold the attention of the audience despite the clear strength of the songs being presented. The issue centred more around the slow intros to many of the songs which were played out with background chatter which is evident on the recording despite being near the front of the crowd. The resulting tape is listenable but perhaps best enjoyed using speakers rather than headphones unless you want to enjoy some of the crowd conversations.

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 Mightiest Of Guns (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

02 A Slow Parade (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

03 There's A Reason (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

04 I Can See The Pines (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

05 Black Rain Black Rain (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

06 Killed Myself When I Was Young (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 When The Devil's Loose (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

If you want the Full show Lossless FLAC version of this show please email me for the link to the files

Richard Hawley - Philharmonic Hall Liverpool - 17th October 2009

2009-10-18T04:02:00.000-07:00

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The things you do for a decent tape. I wandered into the Philharmonic Hall flush with the knowledge I had a second row seat in the stalls. On checking out the seat i found it was pretty much directly in view of the venue staff. Even some Jedi Mind tricks wouldn't have stopped my taping being noticed, so I abandoned the seat and blagged my way into the balcony where I was able to setup without any hazzle. I hope someone else took advantage of my first seat! Anyway Richard was on fine form again, and the crowd seemed much more into it than at the Nottingham show. With no curfew restrictions there was a full encore including a sweet version of Coles Corner leading into The Ocean. My personal favourite remains the new version of Run For Me. One note of caution on the recording, as I mentioned in the Smoke Fairies recording this was the first time using my new Edirol R-09HR. As such I checked the recording levels a few times during the show and so there is some recognisable noise at these points. Otherwise its a pretty fair representation of the show.

Full Show MP3 download available HERE

Setlist

01 As The Dawn Breaks (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

02 Ashes On The Fire (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

03 Lady Solitude (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

04 Hotel Room (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

05 Soldier On (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

06 The Sea Calls (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

07 Tonight (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

08 Open Up Your Door (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

09 For Your Lover Give Some Time (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

10 Remorse Code (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

11 Run For Me (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

12 Don't You Cry (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

13 Don't Get Hung Up In Your Soul (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

14 Coles Corner (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

15 The Ocean (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Smoke Fairies - Philharmonic Hall Liverpool - 17th October 2009

2009-10-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

Myspace

So on to my second gig of the Richard Hawley tour at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool. I'd only previously been to this venue once before to catch Ryan Adams, but recalled the great acoustics of the venue. The fine sound was in evidence again as soon as the Smoke Fairies came on stage. Unlike Nottingham I was able to catch the full six song set this time. This mixture of what I would describe as English Folk mixed with blues is not really my cup of tea, but the performance was excellent, and the reception received by the band was respectable with less of the chat evident when many support acts are playing. In this respect the venue helped having a bar outside the performance hall. This was my first night recording with my new Edirol R-09HR recorder and i'm pretty happy with how it came out, despite having the normal panics about which settings you be placed where. If anybody knows the full setlist i'd be very interested in what were the unidentified songs. Please drop me a post if you know.

Setlist

01 Frozen Heart (Live Philharmonic Hall Liverpool mp3)

02 Living With Ghosts

03 ??

04 ??

05 ??

06 Sunshine

Update - Slaid Cleaves

2009-10-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Quick update. Slaid Cleaves are touring the UK at present and are taper friendly. I've been pretty ill last couple of days, but i've given my mate Steve a quick tutorial in taping and he's gonna have a go at taping a show. Fingers crossed therefore I might be able to post a recording from the UK tour shortly. If i'm feeling better by the weekend, i'll be heading out to another Richard Hawley show, so there's a chance a second recording will appear here also.

Richard Hawley - Albert Hall Nottingham - 11th October 2009

2009-10-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

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If you stopped by at the merch table before the concert on Sunday, you could have had no better indication of what was to come but from the T-Shirt on sale with 'Let's Ballad' resplendent on the front. Those who already have a copy of the new album Truelove's Gutter (some of us are still waiting for the bloody vinyl version , PLEASE Amazon) will know that all the songs are of a gentler pace than some of Richard rockabilly tendancies, often darker and sonically more challenging. The concert was designed to showcase the new songs, and the older songs mixed in suited the mood to give a consistent sonic experience. I especially loved the slowed down Run For Me, while there can be no finer moment in music than watching Richard let loose on the instrumental section of The Ocean. It was good to see the new songs getting a good response, as I would guess any performer is nervous of the response to new material. The Albert Hall was an amazing setting for the gig, and like quite a few people despite knowing Nottingham quite well, I had no idea it existed. The only disappointment was that a strict 10pm curfew meant that we were restricted to a thirteen song set. Nevertheless the journey home was spent enjoyably recalling some of Richard's between song banter. I'm pretty happy with the recording of the show, there are a few minor pops, scrapes on some songs, where I had to get up so people could leave their seats (can't people sit still for a couple of hours these days!). Also on Lady Solitude there were some minor PA issues which you may pick up. Thankfully these were quickly solved by the crew, and as always for a Richard Hawley show the sound balance in the venue was excellent. Having been deafened at a recent Okkervil River show, and then struggled to hear the music at a Ray Lamontagne show, perhaps these guys could run some coaching courses in how to get it right.

A Full Show MP3 Download is available HERE

Setlist

01 As The Dawn Breaks (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

02 Ashes On The Fire (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

03 Lady Solitude (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

04 Hotel Room (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

05 Soldier On (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

06 The Sea Calls (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

07 Tonight (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

08 Open Up Your Door (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

09 For Your Lover Give Some Time (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

10 Remorse Code (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

11 Run For Me (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

12 Don't You Cry (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

13 The Ocean (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Smoke Fairies - Albert Hall Nottingham - 11th October 2009

2009-10-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Myspace

Thanks to the combined genius of ticketmaster and the royal mail, my tickets for this concert arrived the day after the concert. I arrived at the Albert Hall to find that Seetickets had done just as good a job and therefore most attendees were queueing up at the entrance to get tickets. The resultant delay meant that I only caught a couple of the songs from the support act the Smoke Fairies. From my seat at the rear of the venue, the initial surprise was that unlike the last couple of times i've seen Richard Hawley, his support act could not be classed as rockabilly. Instead the Smoke Fairies seem to be part of a new wave of folk artists which are getting wider exposure. Courtesy of the lady sat in front of me, I believe they did six songs (who counts songs???). I was able to capture their last song in setting my levels for the main act. This is their new single available online in the next week of two. Follow the myspace link above and you can get a better feel for the style of the group as well as listening to a stream of six songs. If you want to check out a full set, the Holmfirth Picturedome show is available for download HERE.

Setlist

01 - 05 Unknown

06 Sunshine (Live Albert Hall Nottingham mp3)

Update - Upcoming Shows 2009

2009-10-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

So i'll be back in the UK soon and these are Taper Friendly shows i've got lined up through Xmas

Richard Hawley
The Felice Brothers
AA Bondy
David Ford
Wilco
Yo La Tengo
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears (although there is a question mark over whether he allows sharing... taping he's fine with)
The Antlers
The Duke & The King
Deer Tick

I'm also going to see The Proclaimers & Colin McIntyre, but they don't seem to have a taping policy so i'll just post a review & setlist if i remember to take pen and paper

I'll also try to post The Low Anthem Lollapalooza show in full as there has been nothing on the Lollapalooza site about itunes sets from the Festival

ACL Festival Austin Texas - Day 3

2009-10-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

From the top.... State Radio, Arctic Monkeys, White Lies, B52's, Here We Go Magic, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Alela Diane.

ACL Festival Austin Texas - Day 2

2009-10-04T07:25:00.001-07:00

From the top... Bell X1, Cotton Jones, The Felice Brothers, Henry Clay People, Dr. Dog, Dexateens................and then it rained, and rained, and rained!

Update - Richard Hawley Tour

2009-10-03T14:32:00.001-07:00

When i get back to the UK i'll be taking in one of Richards' shows promoting his new album Truelove's Gutter. If you can't wait for my recording, check out this show on dime, a recording of the first show of the tour by moz666. I havent had a chance to listen to it yet, but it'll be nice to hear the new songs in a live environment

Full Lossless FLAC download HERE courtesy of moz666

ACL Festival Austin Texas - Day 1

2009-10-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

From the top - The Walkmen, Dr.Dog, The Avett Brothers, Blitzen Trapper, Sarah Siskind, The Low Anthem, Leatherbag

Otis Gibbs - The Maze Nottingham - 24th September 2009

2009-10-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

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Otis Gibbs proved to be another excellent support act when backing up Chuck Prophet at The Maze in Nottingham. With just an acoustic guitar in tow, and a set of amusing stories, Otis excelled in giving glimpses into his work and his life. I'm not sure whether he trots the same stories out at every show (like Jesse Malin), but they were clever, funny and allowed him to retain the attention of the audience which can often be a challenge for a support act. Otis has a new album out Grandpa Walked A Picket Line, but his selections seemed to range across all areas of his career.

UPDATE: Responses from other tapers on the tour indicate that Otis is fine with taping. Therefore i've added the rest of the mp3's and a link to FLAC files will be added later today

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 Small Town Saturday Night (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

02 Preacher Steve (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

03 Caroline (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

04 ?? (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

05 The Peoples' Day (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

06 Ain't Nothing Special (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

07 Everyday People (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

08 Ballad Of The Highway (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Update - List Of Recordings

2009-09-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

New Recordings
24/09/2009 Chuck Prophet - The Maze Nottingham
16/09/2009 Richmond Fontaine - Academy 3 Manchester
16/09/2009 Al James - Academy 3 Manchester
13/09/2009 Josh Ritter - Bridgewater Hall Manchester
12/09/2009 Ray Lamontagne - City Hall Sheffield
10/09/2009 Okkervil River - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham
07/09/2009 Josh Ritter - Brudenell Social Club Leeds
06/09/2009 The Low Anthem - The Deaf Institute Manchester
04/09/2009 Okkervil River - Club Academy Manchester
23/07/2009 Hot Club Of Cowtown - Academy 3 Manchester
17/07/2009 Derek Trucks Band - Academy 2 Birmingham
23/06/2009 Jason Isbell - The Maze Nottingham
17/06/2009 Jerzey Street Band - Academy 3 Manchester

Samples
13/09/2009 Ethan Johns - Bridgewater Hall Manchester
06/09/2009 The Goldheart Assembly - The Deaf Institute Manchester
04/09/2009 Dawn Landes - Club Academy Manchester
10/08/2009 Shearwater - Pritzker Pavilion Chicago
08/08/2009 The Low Anthem - Lollapalooza Chicago
23/06/2009 Owen Harvey - The Maze Nottingham
17/06/2009 Jon Allen - Academy 3 Manchester
17/06/2009 The Moods - Academy 3 Manchester

Past Shows
08/02/2008 Richard Hawley - Academy Manchester
30/11/2007 Josh Rouse - Academy 2 Manchester
16/11/2007 Josh Ritter - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham
20/01/2007 Jesse Malin - Barfly Birmingham
28/09/2006 Neal Casal - Academy Manchester
22/05/2006 Jason Mraz - Academy Manchester
18/11/2006 Ben Kweller - Barfly Birmingham
04/05/2005 Ray Lamontagne - Academy 2 Manchester
12/05/2007 Elvis Perkins - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham

Chuck Prophet - The Maze Nottingham - 24th September 2009

2009-09-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Website

Myspace

So my final gig of the month was seeing Chuck Prophet and his band The Mission Express at The Maze in Nottingham. This was my first time seeing Chuck live, and to be honest of all the gigs i've seen this year I was probably less aware of Chuck's music than any other. Having now seen Chuck live I can honestly say that whenever in future he tours the UK I'll be buying a ticket. Chuck is funny, articulate, a natural frontman, and plays a mean guitar. Some of the many highlights of the show revolved around his guitar duels with sideman James Deprato. It was great to see a band actually enjoying themselves on stage, to such an extent that the show finished 10 minutes after official curfew. The recording is up there with the Richmond Fontaine show as probably my best of this month. Some crowd talking is noticeable between songs, but the capture of the music and stories is something i'm really pleased with. There is the added bonus of covers of Bruce Springsteen and Yardbirds songs. The demand for mp3 downloads has been such that i've exceeded my monthly allowance on box.net so i'm trialling using 4shared.com for this set.

Full Show MP3 Download available HERE

Setlist

01 Tape Intro (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

02 James Intro (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

03 Sonny Listons' Blues (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

04 I Bow Down And Pray To Every Woman I See (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

05 Always A Friend (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

06 Hot Talk (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

07 Would You Love Me? (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

08 Doubter Out Of Jesus (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

09 For You (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

10 You And Me Baby (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

11 Let Freedom Ring (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

12 Summertime Thing (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

13 We Had It All (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

14 'Stephanie Finch Song' (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

15 Automatic Blues (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

16 Barely Exist (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

17 Look Both Ways (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

18 You Did (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

19 Good Time Crowd (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

20 Freckle Song (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

21 I'm Not Talking (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

22 For Your Love (Live Maze Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of the show is available HERE

Al James (Of Doloreon) - Academy 3 Manchester - 16th September 2009

2009-09-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

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I don't usually put up full shows without either the band website clearly indicating they are o.k. with taping, or other tapers having received permission in the past, or evidence on band forums of open discussion regarding available tapes. With Al James, however, i'm going to take the word of a couple of emails, and comments on my Richmond Fontaine show, from fans indicating that he is o.k. with taping. Clearly, if you represent Al or Doloreon and this is not actually the case, let me know and i'll take the songs down immediately.

Al was supporting Richmond Fontaine on part of their European tour, finishing up in Amsterdam. The setlist comprised of seven songs, including some new ones which should appear on his new album scheduled for release next year. The titles to some of the songs are guesses. If you know the actual titles please let me know. I believe Al was selling an acoustic CD of these new songs at the merch table, however i didn't get a chance to pick up a copy.

Full Show MP3 Download HERE

Setlist

01 Burgundy Blues? (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

02 Heather Remind Me Why This Ends (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

03 Hey, What A Sweet Boy? (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

04 No Place To Land? (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

05 Violence In The Snowy Fields (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

06 Cluttered? (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 Hannibal, Missouri (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version of this show is available HERE

Richmond Fontaine - Academy 3 Manchester - 16th September 2009

2009-09-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

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This was my first time seeing Richmond Fontaine live. While I have a couple of the albums I wouldn't provess to being an obsessive, so I had no real idea what to expect. What I experienced was a reverential audience, which while not making it a standout live gig, allowed me with my passing knowledge of the band to soak in Willy Vlautin's stories of outsiders told in 3 minute vignettes. And really thats what Richmond Fontaine are about, the stories. Willy paints universes with plot twists and surprises which you immerse yourself in. In the background you may notice that the guitarist has the musical chops and in looks could be a double for Rick Parfitt in Status Quo, and that there seems to be an easy familiarity amongst the band members built up from years playing together. However when all is said and done, the music provides the base for Willy's lyrics to shine forth. I'm really happy with this recording. I was located to the left of the stage about three rows back in a direct line with the speakers. Very little crowd chatter as well, so enjoy. On a side note for anyone like me who likes to buy vinyl still, Richmond Fontaine's latest album will shortly be available on vinyl from here.

Full Show MP3 download available HERE

Setlist

01 White Line Fever (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

02 We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

03 You Can Move Back Here (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

04 The Boyfriends (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

05 43 (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

06 The Pull (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

07 Maybe We Were Both Born Blue (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

08 Lonnie (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

09 Hallway (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

10 Lost In This World (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

11 Instrumental (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

12 Post To Wire (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

13 The Gits (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

14 Making It Back (Live Academy Manchester mp3)

15 Two Alone (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

16 Ruby And Lou (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

17 Winner's Casino (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

18 Evergreen Power Lines (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

19 Song For Dead Moon (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

20 Barely Losing (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

21 Western Skyline (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

22 Four Walls (Live Academy 3 Manchester mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC version of the show is available HERE

Update - Upcoming Shows / FLAC locations

2009-09-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

My recording of Richmond Fontaine on the 16th September will be posted shortly. In my opinion its easily my best one of September. Respectful crowd and good location equals good recording. Al James of the band Doloreon was supporting. If anybody knows whether he has a taping policy please let me know.

Unfortunately I won't be able to record 'The Duke & The King' tonight. I'm bitterly disappointed, but sometimes life gets in the way of this hobby. My final taping in September therefore will be Chuck Prophet. I believe Otis Gibbs is supporting. Again if anyone knows whether Otis is o.k. with taping please let me know. If I get a response in the affirmative I'll try to get there early and tape him as well.

In October I'll be attending the ACL Festival in Texas. I have tickets also to an aftershow featuring the Felice Brothers. Therefore hopefully in October I will have taping opportunities lined up as follows:-

Felice Brothers x 2
Richard Hawley x 2
David Ford

I will also be seeing 'The Proclaimers' and Colin Mcintyre (AKA Mull Historical Society) in October. If anybody can confirm a taping policy for either act please let me know, otherwise i will leave the gear at home and just post a review

I'd like to thank everyone who has emailed or left comments. I've had a few people ask whether the FLACs can be located somewhere else than Dimeadozen due to membership issues. Therefore from the Josh Ritter Manchester show i'll be posting shows at 'www.thetradersden.org' instead, as currently there are no membership restrictions. If you don't visit that site regularly you may wish to RSS the blog so you don't miss any recordings

Josh Ritter - Bridgewater Hall Manchester - 13th September 2009

2009-09-18T11:21:00.001-07:00

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If you are the headliner watching a Josh Ritter support slot from the side of the stage, you must scratch your head. If you noted the ecstatic reception received following Josh's slot you would probably be wondering why he isn't a major star. You'd probably also be thinking 'how the **** do i follow that'. It's an interesting dilemma for Ray Lamontagne. On one hand if your a fan of both artists like me, its a great value for money show. On the other Ray's slightly detached presence in concert can only come across adversely compared to the natural warmth that Josh exudes. I've watched numerous shows at the Bridgewater Hall and I can honestly say i've never before seen anything approaching the magnitude of applause for a support act that Josh garnered. The amazing acoustics of the Bridgewater Hall allowed the nuances of the performance to shine through to the audience. Not surprisingly the merch table was doing brisk business during the interval. Hopefully one day Josh will be able to perform at the Bridgewater as the headliner. The recording is not the best. I had seats in the Upper Balcony, and the quieter songs proved a challenge to capture. The louder songs such as Right Moves and Harrisburg shine through.

Full Show MP3s are available HERE

Setlist

01 In The Dark (Live Bridgewater Hall Manchester mp3)

02 Right Moves (Live Bridgewater Hall Manchester mp3)

03 Girl In The War (Live Bridgewater Hall Manchester mp3)

04 Roxi Anne? (Live Bridgewater Hall Manchester mp3)

05 Not Afraid Of The Dark? (Live Bridgewater Hall Manchester mp3)

06 Harrisburg (Live Bridgewater Hall Manchester mp3)

07 Kathleen (Live Bridgewater Hall Manchester mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC version of this show is available HERE

Dawn Landes - Club Academy Manchester - 4th September 2009

2009-09-17T09:04:00.001-07:00

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With an album called 'Sweetheart Rodeo', and coming from Kentucky, prejudices suggested I expect straight ahead country from Dawn Landes when I saw her supporting Okkervil River at the Club Academy in Manchester. The reality suggested a much wider palette of styles. While there was a basis of singer songwriter country staples, there were underlying evidence of electronica, and backed by a drummer and bass player, on a couple of tracks Dawn rocked out. Her voice reminded me in places of Cat Power & Suzanne Vega, while she appeared to have an engaging personality which soon won over the early attendees. Her second album has just been released in the UK, and this formed the basis for the setlist, which was modified to a certain extent when I subsequently saw Dawn a few days later at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham. On that occassion a cover of 'Southern Accent' by Tom Petty was thrown in for good measure. While I always try to arrive in time to catch the support acts, i'm rarely won over by initial performances. On this occassion though the performance was such that i've bought both Dawn's releases over the last few days, and would highly recommend both.

Setlist

01 Wandering Eye

02 Clown

03 Love

04 Money In The Bank

05 Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

06 Bodyguard (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

07 Young Girl

08 Kids In A Play

Ethan Johns - Bridgewater Hall Manchester - 13th September 2009

2009-09-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

So Ethan Johns. He's that producer. Yes, the one who produced many of my favourite albums of the 2000s. Heartbreaker, 29, Trouble etc. Well, on Ray Lamontagne's tour of the UK, he's also been doing an early support slot. At Sheffield the sound was so bad you could barely hear a word he said (same for Josh Ritter). Thankfully at the Bridgewater Hall it was much better and he got a pretty good response from the crowd. I wasn't planning on taping his set, but i'm sat there enjoying anyway, when after the third song, he announces that none of his music is available, so if anybody is enjoying his music and wants to hear it again they better have a recording device on them!! Well it may have been tongue-in-cheek, but i didn't need a second invitation, and rushed to press 'REC' on my Edirol R-09. So presented below for anyone wondering what Ethan Johns sounds like is his final track of the set. And before anyone asks, no i haven't got the complete set, just the track below and about 2/3rds of track 4.

Setlist

01 Long Way Down

02 Rally

03 Hello Sunshine

04 Crying All These Years?

05 21st Century Paranoid Blues (Live Bridgewater Hall Manchester mp3)

Ray Lamontagne - City Hall Sheffield - 12th September 2009

2009-09-13T01:35:00.000-07:00

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Ray Lamontagne seems to be at a crossroads in his career. While the 2400 capacity City Hall was probably 85% full for this show, that was in contrast to his last visit which produced a sellout. Ray himself was highly critical during the show of the support he is receving from his record company, an all too familiar dilemma in this age of instant downloading. The show did demonstrate however that there is still an enormous amount of goodwill towards Ray and his music. What was also great to see for someone who has seen Ray performing for a few years now, was that Ray finally seems to be comfortable in the performing role. He was positively chatty during the show, and witty with that. The setlist focused on a mixture of his most well known debut album, and select cuts from his latest album 'Gossip In The Grain'. There was also a nice Bob Dylan cover thrown in during the encore. Ray's voice still continues to astound when it soars during songs such as 'Let It Be Me' while his band provide empathetic background and textures to his repertoire. The past show recently posted on this blog demonstrates the strides Ray has made in a few short years.

A Full mp3 downlaod of the show is available HERE

Setlist

01 Meg White (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

02 Hold You In My Arms (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

03 Achin' All The Time (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

04 Let It Be Me (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

05 You Can Bring Me Flowers (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

06 Empty (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

07 Narrow Escape (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

08 Sarah (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

09 Winter Birds (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

10 Henry Nearly Killed Me (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

11 Old Roses And Cigarettes (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

12 Hey Me, Hey Mama (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

13 Trouble (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

14 Shelter (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

15 You Are The Best Thing (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

16 The Man In Me (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

17 Jolene (Live City Hall Sheffield mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC version of the show is available HERE

Okkervil River - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 10th September 2009

2009-09-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

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I was lucky enough to catch Okkervil River for a second time on their UK tour at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham. While the set was a shortened 85 minutes compared with Manchester, the intensity of the playing was duplicated. I'm not sure why the set was shorter but there was loud chatter from the back of the crowd in comparison to the Manchester show, and perhaps this fed some negative vibes back to the band. In reality anybody in the crowd focusing on the music could only recognise again what a talented ensemble this is. The setlist was similar in composition to the Manchester show available below, except for a couple of old songs brought out in response to requests during the encore. I was much closer to the band and speakers for this recording which i would rate of an higher quality than the Manchester recording. The only health warning being the two girls who barged in front of me during Pop Lie who then proceeded to chat loudly, and speak to people on their cellphones. Thankfully they decided the view was better elsewhere and disappeared again during the following song.

A Full MP3 Show download is available HERE

Setlist

01 A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

02 Singer Songwriter (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

03 Black (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

04 The Latest Toughs (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

05 A Girl In Port (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

06 Pop Lie (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

07 A Stone (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

08 John Allyn Smith Sails (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

09 For Real (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

10 Lost Coastlines (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

11 Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

12 Unless It's Kicks (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

13 Love To A Monster (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

14 Last Love Song For Now (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

15 Westfall (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless Flac Version of this show is available HERE

Goldheart Assembly - The Deaf Institute Manchester - 6th September 2009

2009-09-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

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Goldheart Assembly are a new band from London who had the support slot on the Low Anthem tour. So far they have just one single behind them, but a quick internet search suggests that they are getting quite a bit of press attention, including write-ups in the Guardian, and sessions on the Steve Lamacq show despite at the time being unsigned. Initial impressions at this gig were favourable, they clearly have the musical chops, and the songs themselves suggest great potential. While the Guardian may compare them to Fleet Foxes, to my ears the prevailing mood was more upbeat verging into the territory that 'The Band' explored. Looking at their website there is an album launch show in October so it won't be long before everyone will be able to make their own judgement. In the meantime check-out the setlist and a cover of the Tom Waits song 'Clap Hands'

Setlist

01 Clap Hands (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

02 ??

03 The Jesus Wheel

04 Wolves And Thieves

05 The Last Decade

06 So Long St. Christopher

07 Little Minds On Fire?

The Low Anthem - The Deaf Institute Manchester - 6th September 2009

2009-09-11T04:58:00.000-07:00

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So as i indicated in an earlier post, the recording of the excellent Low Anthem show in Manchester didn't work out as I was hoping. I suspect mainly as a result of setting the volumes too low and/or a loose cable connection. I've decided to make the mp3 available below for completists or people who might want to try individual tracks. As a general guide the quality of the louder tracks is acceptable (try Home I'll Never Be), while the background hiss on the quieter tracks is the big issue. If your thinking of wanting the full show, try downloading Ticket Taker which is about the worst quality track. If you find that acceptable go for the full download.

The show itself was excellent from start to finish. It was apparent that the band were overwhelmed to find the venue sold out on their first ever visit to Manchester. The communal feelgood atmosphere permeated the whole show, with even the non-album tracks met with both a quiet respect from the audience during the songs, and euphoric applause between. The band fully engaged with the audience with an openess that is not often seen with more veteran bands. Stories of poor early gigging, and the quality of songwriting were used in a self-depracating way to build the connection between group and audience. Positive notices for all the UK shows can be found across the net, and I would expect larger venues would be needed when The Low Anthem tour the UK next.

Full Show MP3 download available HERE

Setlist

01 Charlie Darwin (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

02 To The Ghosts Who Write History Books (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

03 Ticket Taker (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

04 Senorita (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

05 Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

06 This God Damn House (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

07 Cage The Songbird (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

08 Smoke Yourself To Sleep (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

09 Home I'll Never Be (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

10 Sally, Where'd You Get Your Liquor From (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

11 ?? (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

12 The Ballad Of The Broken Bones (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

13 To Ohio (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

14 Blind Walk The Blind (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

15 Cigarettes And Whisky, And Wild, Wild Women (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

16 Don't Tremble (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

17 Yellowed By The Sun (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

18 New Song (Live Deaf Institute Manchester mp3)

Josh Ritter - Brudenell Social Club Leeds - 7th September 2009

2009-09-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

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I've seen Josh Ritter perform on a number occassions in various line-up formations from solo to full band. On Monday at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds he was supported by Zack Hickman and Mark Erelli. This was an headlining show amongst a number of spots supporting Ray Lamontagne in larger venues. Although not a full line-up there was still an high level of variety in instrumentation and attack on the songs. As always Josh was enjoying every minute of a performance that allowed him to try out some new songs, including one 'The Curse' which was immediately captivating on first listen. Mark Erelli performed one of his own songs, and there were covers of Lady Writer by Dire Straits and Kings Highway by Tom Petty thrown in for good measure. The Recording is on the low side, so you will need to have your speakers quite high to appreciate. As always Josh performed one song off-mic and so although not well captured its retained for continuity.

Full Show MP3s available HERE

Setlist

01 Bright Smile (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

02 In The Dark (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

03 Rumors (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

04 Me And Jiggs (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

05 Wolves (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

06 New Song #1 (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

07 New Song #2 (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

08 Rainslicker (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

09 The Curse (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

10 Harrisburg (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

11 Lillian, Egypt (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

12 Kings Highway (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

13 The Temptation Of Adam (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

14 Another New World (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

15 Not Alone - Mark Erelli (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

16 Right Moves (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

17 Kathleen (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

18 To The Dogs Or Whoever (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

19 Snow Is Gone (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

20 Lady Writer (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

21 Empty Hearts - Off Mic (Live Brudenell Social Club Leeds mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC version of this show is available HERE

Update - The Low Anthem - The Deaf Institute Manchester - 6th September 2009

2009-09-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately there seems to be a problem with my recording of the Low Anthem Manchester show. I'm currently doing some experimentation in Adobe Audition to try and salvage all or part of the recording. I'll give an update as and when i reach a conclusion so stay tuned

Okkervil River - Club Academy Manchester - 4th September 2009

2009-09-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

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So I kicked off a run of September gigs last night at the Club Academy venue in Manchester. Despite only flying into the country on Thursday, Okkervil River demonstrated no signs of jet lag and lit up the proceedings with an intensity of performance which can be lacking in many groups. Will Sheff never phones in his performance, digging deep to produce a show which at times verged on the shamanistic. He is ably accompanied by a five strong supporting cast who through their instrumental virtuosity presented a full flavour of the band's recorded caterlog.

It was great also to see a crowd so fully into the bands' music, which almost produced a mosh pit during Westfall, not exactly a common occurrence for a band whose genre would probably be classified as literate folk rock. Even the quietest sections of the set were respected by the vast majority of the crowd. The setlist ranged across all of the bands' recorded oeuvre. I'm really pleased with this particular recording as the mics had a direct line to the speakers. Hope you enjoy.

Full Show MP3s available HERE

Setlist

01 Plus Ones (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

02 Singer Songwriter (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

03 A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

04 The Latest Toughs (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

05 A Girl In Port (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

06 John Allyn Smith Sails (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

07 Pop Lie (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

08 A Stone (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

09 Blue Tulip (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

10 For Real (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

11 Lost Coastlines (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

12 Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

13 Unless It's Kicks (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

14 Maine Island Lovers (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

15 Black (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

16 Westfall (Live Club Academy Manchester mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC version of this show is available HERE

Shearwater - Pritzker Pavilion Chicago - 10th August 2009

2009-08-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

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While most people headed straight out of Chicago after Lollapalooza, I decided to stick around for a couple of days for a bit of sightseeing. I was rewarded for this foresight with the opportunity to catch Shellac & Shearwater performing a free concert at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium park. This was apparently part of a series of free concerts that take place through the summer. The venue itself is magnificent, with the Pavilion backing onto lawns where people could lay back and enjoy the evening's entertainment. I've seen similar venues in Charlottesville and Ravinia in the US, and its an idea that would be nice to see replicated in the UK, even with our temporamental weather.

I was aware of the name Shearwater from their links with Okkervil River, but had little idea of what to expect in terms of the music. What i heard was a pleasant surprise, as the group ran through several songs from their previous releases, as well as two songs expected to appear on their forthcoming new album. The music Shearwater present is hard to categorize, and all the better for that. Close your eyes and what emerges is a cinematic landscape of haunting melody. With help from the Shearwater forum the setlist for the show is detailed below as well as a sample of one of the tracks. Shearwater tour the UK in early September and an evening in their company is recommended

Setlist

1. Hail, Mary

2. Rooks

3. Leviathan, Bound (Live Pritzker Pavilion Chicago mp3)

4. Black Eyes

5. Century Eyes

6. White Waves

7. Hidden Lakes

8. Red Sea, Black Sea

9. Snow Leopard

10.Seventy-Four, Seventy-Five

11.Home Life

Richard Hawley - Academy Manchester - 8th February 2008 (Past Shows No. 9)

2009-08-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

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I thought that as Richard Hawleys' new album will shortly be upon us (Truelove's Gutter Sept 21st), now would be a good time to put up one of my old recordings from the Academy in Manchester. I'll be catching a show on Richard's tour in October which hopefully will appear here shortly after the show. While many of Richards' songs may exhibit a melancholic romanticism, his live shows are much more upbeat. His bands excellent musicianship often battling with Richard's urge to turn into a Northern club comic. Anyone seeing Richard more than once will recognise some of the jokes as old friends adapted to the different venue requirements. The setlist below focuses on his two most recent releases 'Lady's Bridge & Coles Corner', both of which are highly recommended.

Full Show or Individual Song Downloads are available HERE

Setlist
1. Valentine
2. Roll River Roll
3. Just Like The Rain
4. Dark Road
5. Coles Corner
6. Tonight The Streets Are Ours
7. Lady's Bridge
8. Hotel Room
9. Serious
10.Lady Solitude
11.Our Darkness
12.The Sea Calls
13.Born Under A Bad Sign
14.Something Is
15.I'm Looking For Someone To Find Me
16.Lonesome Town
17.I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
18.Oh My Love
19. The Ocean

A Full Lossless FLAC version of this show is available HERE

Update - David Ford Tour

2009-08-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

David Ford has announced a UK tour in late October and November. David is supportive of taping and friends who've taped him in the past have spoken highly of his helpfulness in this regard, as well as the live show itself. I've already bagged tickets for one of the shows, and if the tape comes out o.k. the show will appear here at some point in the future.

Autumn Shows lined up so far:-
Okkervil River
The Low Anthem
Josh Ritter
Ray Lamontagne
Richmond Fontaine
The Duke & The King
Richard Hawley
The Felice Brothers
David Ford
Wilco

Josh Rouse - Academy 2 Manchester - 30th November 2007 (Past Shows No. 8)

2009-08-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

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I've probably taped Josh Rouse on more occassions than anyone apart from Ryan Adams. I discovered Josh like many people around the time of the '1972' album and wrote to his manager Christopher Moon who indicated that Josh was fine with taping. As well as the show below you can find many more great recordings at this fansite . Josh's website is one of the most innovative around, offering monthly downloads that showcase his experimentation and give glimpses into where his music is heading. This show was part of the tour to promote his last studio release 'Country Mouse, City House', although like every Josh show he pulled out songs from across his career. A three piece backing band of James Haggerty, Mike Cruz & Marc Pisapia add additional punch to the show in contrast to some of the solo shows i've seen Josh perform. The show was taped from about 20 feet back in the Academy 2 in line with the right speakers. Josh has a new LP in line for release early next year, and hopefully he'll reappear in Manachester at that time. I for one will be there.

Full MP3 Download Here

Setlist

1. God Let Me Please Go Back (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

2. Hollywood Bass Player (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

3. Givin' It Up (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

4. Comeback (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

5. It Looks Like Love (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

6. Why Won't You Tell Me What (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

7. 1972 (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

8. Love Vibration (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

9. Middle School Frown (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

10.Nice To Fit In (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

11.Quiet Town (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

12.Directions (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

13.Snowy (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

14.Sad Eyes (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

15.Sweetie (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

16.It's The Nighttime (Live Academy 2 Manchester mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC version of the show is available HERE

The Low Anthem - Lollapalooza Chicago - 8th August 2009

2009-08-16T07:04:00.001-07:00

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One of my favourite sets at Lollapalooza this year was the Low Anthem. They had one of the early slots on saturday on the Vitaminwater Stage, and were a nice laid back entry into the music that day. The performance was partly spoiled by some noise bleed from another stage, which was commented on at one point from the stage, but it was still possible to enjoy a group who are starting to get a lot of critical attention. I'll be catching the Low Anthem in Manchester in September and will hopefully record a full set from the band. In the meantime enjoy an mp3 of one of the songs from Lollapalooza. Traditionally Lollapalooza release a lot of sets as mp3's on Itunes. If the full set doesn't surface this way, i'll post the full show at a later date.

Setlist

1. Cage The Songbird

2. The Ballad Of The Broken Bones

3. Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around

4. This God Damn House

5. Yellowed By The Sun (Live Lollapalooza Chicago mp3)

6. Home I'll Never See

7. 'New Song'

8. Sally Where'd You Get Your Liquor From?

Josh Ritter - Rescue Rooms Nottingham - 16th November 2007 (Past Shows No. 7)

2009-08-14T05:43:00.000-07:00

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The thing I love about Josh Ritter is that whenever i've seen him live, he seems to be as excited about the show as the audience. His infectious feel good attitude permeates the venue and draws everyone in. At this show even the bar staff were applauding at the end of the show, and i don't remember ever seeing that before at the Rescue Rooms.

Taping a Josh Ritter show is not the easiest. Setting the volume to cover both full band and acoustic songs, while knowing at some stage he will do an acoustic song off mic, meant there was some on the fly volume adjustments to try and cope. Of course with the need to ramp up the volume for the off mic song the noise flooris much more noticeable on this song. While not nearly as popular as in Ireland, Josh is becoming much better known in the UK and the Rescue Rooms were crowded for this show. Unfortunately this meant my mic was knocked on a couple of occassionsand i had to re-position it at one point. You can hear this during the gap between Harrisburg and Idaho. I originallyplanned to cut this out of the final recording, but Josh was talking and so his story would make no sense if those20 seconds had been ditched. For those wanting the full lossless show, a link is available following the setlist.

Full Show mp3 download HERE

Setlist

1. Naked As A Window (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

2. Mind's Eye (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

3. To The Dogs Or Whoever (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

4. Good Man (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

5. Open Doors (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

6. Monster Ballads (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

7. The Other Side (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

8. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

9. Harrisburg (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

10.Idaho (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

11.The Temptation Of Adam (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

12.Wolves (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

13.Rumors (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

14.Right Moves (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

15.Real Long Distance (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

16.Still Beating (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

17.Wildfires (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

18.Naked As A Window - Reprise (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

19.Empty Hearts (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

20.Kathleen (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

21.Lawrence, KS (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

22.Girl In The War (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

23.Lillian, Egypt (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

24.Snow Is Gone (Live Rescue Rooms Nottingham mp3)

A Full Lossless FLAC Version is available HERE

Lollapalooza - Part 3

2009-08-10T13:24:00.001-07:00

From the top: Band Of Horses, Kaiser Chiefs, The Greencards, Portugal. The Man, Friendly Fires, Sam Roberts Band, Mike's Pawn Shop

Lollapalooza - Part 2

2009-08-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

From the top........... Arctic Monkeys, Joe Pug, Langholme Slim, The Constantines, The Low Anthem & The Decemberists

Lollapalooza - Day 1

2009-08-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Gaslight Anthem (Top), Gringo Star (Middle), April Smith & The Big Picture Show (Bottom)

Update - Lollapalooza Chicago

2009-08-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

I've off to the Lollapalooza festival this coming weekend in Chicago, so there will be no new shows posted for the next 10 days or so. Expect a couple of old shows after that, probably Josh Rouse and Ryan Adams, before the glut of new shows in September kicks in. I'll probably also post some pictures from the festival also.