LAST WEEK IN LONDON
- Posted on August 28, 2007 12:27 PM
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From Folk To Philadelphia
By Peter Coulston
Apart from being the coldest August that I can ever recall, last week was pretty good; music wise that is. The week began well on Monday with an invite from Fiona Bevan, that beautiful and talented singer/songwriter, to join her guest list at the Cobden Club that night. I was not familiar with this venue, but the line up looked interesting and it would give me a chance to hear some of Fiona’s new songs that will be on her forthcoming album. It is located near Westbourne Park on the Hammersmith and City Tube Line and the club is actually called 4 Sticks Live. It is a very comfortable venue on the top floor of a Grade II listed building and has hosted Amy Winehouse and Lemar in the past.
This was very much an acoustic night, opening with Clayton, a country/folk/rock outfit with some very excellent material. Fronted by vocalist Lindsay Armaou, who was supported by two seasoned guitarists and a bass player, they set the high standards of the night. “Be Your Angel Tonight” was moving and “Whatever I Want” rocked. They can be found on myspace/officialclayton. Rebecca Rothwell from Manchester followed with her impressive vocals and good songs in the indie/folk/blues mode. I loved “America”, a very commercial number and her ode to the current political malaise in the UK highlighted by John Prescott’s shortcomings, which are far too numerous to mention.
Fiona Bevan was her usual enchanting self, performing new songs such as “Roots”, the latin sounding party style “Revel With The Devil” and “Moths”, which can be found on myspace/fionabevan. Check her out whenever and wherever possible. Island Line are Hazel and Ian and can best be described as urban folk. Hazel’s vocals are distinctive and Ian’s guitar playing is brilliant. They did Glastonbury this year (played there, that is!), and rocked my world with “Falling Down” among others. They are on myspace/islandline or hazelian. Whichever way, they are a class act. Last but not least was Samantha Marais, a South African with some very fine songs and a well rounded performing style. “The Sailor” and “All For Love” were well constructed and the cover of Don McClean’s “Castles In The Air” did it proud. For her single, “First Days Of June”, she was ably accompanied by Hazel and Ian. An excellent night at a venue that caters for many tastes; on the ground floor the guests at a hen night were getting very excited about a male stripper as I left. I hope his evening was as enjoyable as mine.
Wednesday found me in acoustic country again at the Tavistock Room on the top floor of the Bedford at Balham. This intimate venue is a contrast to the opulent Shakespeare Globe downstairs and caters for singer/songwriter sets on Wednesday nights when Burnsy’s Quiz Night takes over the Globe. It’s easy to get to on the Northern Line tube and Southern Main Line Trains and entry to the gig is free. Phil Scott from Glasgow opened with a good set of powerful songs in the acoustic/indie/Americana style. He has an effective voice and I would like to hear him with a band, which would really round out his very good songs. You can hear “Watching You”, “It Gets Harder” and “Mystery” on his myspace/philscottmusic. Fagan & Payne are an acoustic rock duo that I heard some time ago at the Half Moon, Putney, and who impressed me on both occasions. Kelly Fagan, originally from New York, has a voice to die for and her lyrics are spot on. She is ably complemented by the solid guitar licks of Lucho Payne, who co-writes. They move easily between up tempo and ballads, and opened with Kelly’s unaccompanied make on the traditional blues, “Trouble In Mind”, which led to the excellent “All Gone Tonight”. “Only the Lonely”(her song, not the big O’s) spoke for itself in volumes and “Story Of Me And You” was a joy. Check them out on myspace/faganandpayne. Dan James is an acoustic folk rocker with a record deal with Heavy Thinker Records and a classic singer/songwriter style. “Did You Think I’d Miss You” was great and you can hear the excellent “Easy When You’re Lost” on myspace/danjamesmusic or buy one of his CD’s. Alondra Bentley was visiting from Spain and gave us some gentle ballads with deep lyrics, none of which are on her myspace/alondrabentley. The songs that are on there are worth a listen for her clear vocals and competent guitar accompaniment. John Gallea was the most commercial act of the night, with good voice and keyboard. Hailing from Norwich he excels in all styles and you can hear the upbeat “Faded Popstar” and the slower “Cupid Shot Me Down” on myspace/johngalea. Despite having to drive both ways in the pouring rain and wind, it was well worth the effort. A good, solid venue that always delivers.
To finish the week, why not indulge myself in a bit of pop royalty in the perfectly constructed body of Prince. Given that the guy is at the O2 for 22 nights, I have no excuse to miss him. This is my second visit to this venue and I must say that it is impressive. As a south Londoner, I have always resented the prominence of Wembley as the one big venue for shows of this kind and am always glad to see some viable competition, especially south (well, only just) of the river. The complex is spacious, comfortable, with lots of food and drink, and easily accessible on the Jubilee Line to North Greenwich. There are also buses and cabs and you can even get a boat to Waterloo Pier until 1.30am. The show itself opened at 8pm with some solid Chicago rap which went down well with those people that were there. The man appeared at 9pm to a near capacity crowd and euphoria. To begin, we “Partied Like It’s 1999”, ironic given the venue’s jaded history, followed by “Cream” and “Play That Funky Music”, which ensured that the audience were on their feet and loving it. The show took on a medley style with bits of various old favourites; I certainly heard “Little Red Corvette”, “When Doves’s Cry” and “Diamonds and Pearls” in there while Prince showed off his considerable guitar and keyboard skills. His stripped down seven piece backing band were the coolest dudes around in their snazzy suits and the backing singers looked and sounded good. Not too sure about the dancers. The inclusion of “Purple Rain” was inevitable and welcomed by all, and the encore included “Nothing Compares 2 U”, with one of many searing alto sax solo’s, and “Kiss”. Farewell tour? Give me a break. Like the man said, lot’s of artists have been around as long as him, but he still looks the same. He does, and he sounds the same, too. I would have preferred more full length numbers and some stuff from the new album, but what can I say? Prince, you are a class act; you ain’t going nowhere.
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