VENUE OF THE WEEK : The Cross Keys
- Posted on May 8, 2007 6:17 PM
- 0 comments
The Cross Keys, King’s Cross
Wednesday 2 May
Review by Peter Coulston
The Cross Keys is a relatively new venue which caters for many leisure activities in addition to live music. Formerly known as the Backpackers, it has now transformed into a bar/ restaurant with a strong emphasis on entertainment. In addition to the bar area and tables outside, there is a large basement which is on the agenda for use as a music venue. The décor is quirky and very laid back with wooden tables and soft furnishings all blended in together. There was also a bicycle and a rocking horse laying around for no apparent reason. The owner is very keen to build on the restaurant side of the business with well prepared, unpretentious food at reasonable prices, and has made headway in this direction already. Located on York Way, it is close to King’s Cross and Euston tubes, which are served by most tube lines known to man and more buses than you can shake a stick at. Check out the website for details of future events.
I was actually prompted to visit by way of an invite from Fiona Bevan, who was performing there. I was pleasantly surprised to also find two thirds of Left With Pictures, a fine band that I heard at the 12 Bar, taking a very active part in the proceedings. This venue was like a trip back in time for me, as they use no microphones and no amps. This is raw acoustic folk, which took me back to my first experience of this music. Many years ago, I attended my first folk club and was in awe at what I heard. People playing five string banjos, twelve string guitars, delta blues, sea shanties and bluegrass. On my subsequent weekly visits, I heard Long John Baldry before he formed a blues band and gave Rod Stewart and Elton John their first musical jobs. I heard Luke Kelly sing his Liverpool Lullaby, before Cilla Black adopted it. I saw the Liverpool Spinners when it was still controversial to have a black man in your band. I sang there myself eventually, with people like Ralph McTell and Julie Felix, and all without mike and amps. It sounded just as good last Wednesday as it did back then.
The whole evening became a great singalong by the end, but, in the beginning, it was quite structured. Left With Pictures opened with a couple of their brilliantly well structured numbers including their single “Bows and Arrows”. Fiona Bevan did “Roots” and “Moths”, which I have reviewed before and which sounded very fresh in the acoustic setting that suited her voice very well. Tobias did some good rocky stuff and Alex proved himself to be a good songwriter in the old tradition. The Footage (or two fifths of them) had some good songs and reminded me a bit of Simon and Garfunkel. The compere and organiser of the gig , who’s name I did not get unfortunately, took over at the end and provided some very entertaining stuff with his talented friends and some help from Left With Pictures. A brilliant night, spent at a venue that promises to be innovative and fun on several fronts as it evolves. Check the website regularly as this will be one to watch.
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