VENUE OF THE WEEK : Electro Acoustic Club
- Posted on March 13, 2007 5:42 PM
- 1 comment
THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB, BARBICAN 12 March 2007
By Peter Coulston
The Electroacoustic Club at the Slaughtered Lamb pub is a venue that I have meant to visit for sometime, as it is open for live music from Sunday to Thursday each week. Located on Great Sutton Street near Old Street, you can get there on the Northern Line to Old Street tube or, even closer, Barbican on the Circle & Metropolitan Lines as well as Thameslink (if you happen to come from anywhere between Brighton and Bedford). There is also adequate parking outside. The pub itself is spacious and old fashioned, and serves food until closing, while the club is nicely tucked away in the basement. Subdued lighting and lots of comfy sofas and armchairs make this a very relaxing place to spend an evening. It’s £5 to go in, and, on this occasion, the audience were very friendly and quiet when they needed to be.
This particular evening was rather more acoustic than electro, with electric guitar only appearing on one number all night. It took me back to my folk club days when there was not a microphone or amplifier to be found. Oh yes, before Highway 61 Revisited reminded us that Faraday had in fact invented electricity some time before, we would spend our evenings listening to a mixture of blues, Irish ballads, Appalachian folk songs and sea shanties climaxed by a drunken rendition of “We Shall Overcome”. Unfortunately, the only thing my friends and I had to overcome in those days was a hangover, and far too frequently I might add.
The evening opened with Matt Kebbell, the resident singer/songwriter during March, who certainly set the standard for things to come. He has been compared to various artists in the past, but his dark, well structured songs reminded me of Ryan Adams in his own darker moments which, unfortunately, were not well received by his record company. Mr Kebbell’s songs were certainly well received last night, not least for his exceptional vocal talents which he used to good effect to present them. Steve Smith, another singer/songwriter, followed right along though with a much lighter but equally proficient style. Fluid guitar picking over fine songs such as “Mother and Father” and “Child Recover” gave us all a most enjoyable set.
Katy Carr certainly took me back to my folk club days as she ably performed her first song unaccompanied by either her own keyboards or the cello player that graced her other numbers. She started out in a very English folk vein but moved gradually to rockier ground with the excellent “Army” and “Berlin Ring”. The next song was in French and a little jazzy while “Belladona” was the most commercial. Unusual material, well presented with good use of backing tracks. She’s on myspace and has lots of gigs coming up, including Ginglik and the Bedford, which I recommend you check out. Parapar is a band with members in India and the UK which performs folk and blues tunes in Bengali mixing east and west influences in a fascinating way. Vocalist Moushumi Bhowmik writes the songs and is accompanied by Oliver Weeks on guitar, Rosalind Acton on cello, Ben Hillyard on double bass and Ed Snow on drums. The melodies are haunting and a joy to hear, though I am unable to comment on the lyrics. They are on myspace and will be at the Brady Arts and Community Centre in Shoreditch on 23 March.
I first saw Alice McLaughlin at the Day After Sunday in Muswell Hill some time last year and was very impressed with her energetic and passionate approach to her performance. Since then she has developed into a very professional performer while losing none of her energy and passion. She moves easily between strong and gentle and her songs never fail to touch a nerve. “We Could Do Things Properly” opened the set well and was followed by the angry outcry that is “End Of My World”. “Turn It Up” is new and built up to a real tour de force before giving way to “Moonblossom”, which highlighted Alice’s skills as a guitarist. “Dreams”, written for a friend, and “Seasons Change” both showed her softer side, while “I Could Love You” was a classic show stopper about loving the wrong guy. Alice, you just get better all the time and I cannot wait for the next time. She is on myspace and has some gigs soon, including Soho Revue Bar on 9 May and Green Futures, Glastonbury on 23 June.
The Electroacoustic Club is another fine venue in this fine town of ours that I am happy to recommend to you all. I hope to be back there real soon
Comments (1)
Ian McLaughlin
Alice McLaughlin is my daughter. If she was not I would still be a fan! She writes wonderful songs and sings with a passion that is wonderful to see and hear. Glad you feel the same. Her early stuff at the age of 16 when she did 'work experience' with CRIMINAL RECORDS still sounds great to me!!
Thanks again for the positives!!
Cheers,
Ian McLaughlin
Posted on March 16, 2007 8:42 PM
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