LAST WEEK IN LONDON: South London Lovers & Lushes
- Posted on July 7, 2008 10:08 AM
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South London Lovers & Lushes
By Peter Coulston
Hello and welcome to the world of indie gigs after my weekend foray with the megastars. Yes, they may have been playing to tens of thousands in Hyde Park this weekend, but they all started out in places like the Half Moon in Putney. This venue was a springboard for so many of the rich and famous, and it is still playing host to the nation’s up and coming talent to this day. Monday night is acoustic night, and always a good showcase of talent to watch for. This week was no exception, not least the host and sound man, Redvers Bailey. I am starting to enjoy his rather quirky songs and his excellent vocal range and have an album to hand that I intend to listen to and write about when I get the chance. Meanwhile, he is on www.myspace.com/redversbailey.
After Redvers there was Peter Fong, a singer/songwriter with an earthy, soulful voice and some funky, chunky guitar. His dark, bluesy songs were pretty good and it’s all on www.myspace.com/petefong. I last saw Elliott Hall at the Water Rats in Kings Cross last January and noted then that his songs are rather depressing and his vocals an acquired taste. Well, I have to say that this performance was not exactly Carry On Laughing either, despite the addition of a girl on mandolin who also does backing vocals. “Walk With Kings” was a well structured song but the performance was less than inspiring. If you are interested, he’s on www.myspace.com/elliotthallmusic.
Tom Cameron is another singer/songwriter with a good voice and pretty OK songs who just may do well. He’s on www.myspace.com/tomcameron. Likewise, Steve O’Donoghue from Manchester writes good songs and performs them well, but is not doing anything noticeably different from so many others trying to crack the same market. Nice stuff, though; and it’s on www.myspace.com/steveodonoghue. Now, for something quite different, there is always Paul Liddell, an acoustic/alternative performer from Sunderland who not only uses loop station extremely well, he actually composes his songs around it. I first met Paul at Ginglik last October and checked him out again at the Bedford in April this year. Each time I was impressed by his performance and the quality of the material. “Dialling Tone” was his opener using the loop to tell a story about trying to make phone connections at international airports. “Caffeine Kick” just used acoustic guitar and was a classic road song about long journeys which reminded me of the 1970’s classic road movie “Vanishing Point”. “Hurricanes” used loop and open guitar tuning to stunning effect and certainly impressed the audience. Paul works a lot in the North of England, so, if you don’t find yourself up that way check him out on www.myspace.com/paulliddellmusic to see when he is back down here. He has good albums to buy and download as well. Next up was Hannah Clive, a very professional folk rock artist with more than a hint of country. “Knowledge Junkie” rocked well as did “10 Steps”, while “I Need a Beer” was more of a country ballad. Great voice and solid material, and she has a band. She’s on www.myspace.com/hannahclive.
Winners of the Best Indie band at the INDY Awards 2008, Brent Flood, closed the show with a set that made it obvious why they won. Opening with “Drunken Country”, this four piece did some well written songs, fleshed out with strong lead vocals and harmonies that could not fail to go down well. “Any Other Clothes” had interesting structure and “Steady Eddie” was just enjoyably rocky. All very clever stuff, guys. As their star rises, as it will, they may need to perk up their stage presence a little as they now perform seated. Good audience rapport though, so that’s a start. Check them out on www.mypsace.com/thebrentflood.
I have been trying to catch up with Gregoryz Girl since I first saw them last January at the 12 Bar Club, at which time I was impressed with the overall sound, particularly singer Leah Gregory. So, at last, here they are, back on Denmark Street, at the 12 Bar, launching an EP. It is called “Moving Mountains”, has four tracks, and the title track is available as a single. I chatted to the band before the show and Leah admitted to being very nervous, which is no bad thing. On the first song of the set, “Too Many Guns”, her vocal was a bit subdued, but she perked up for “All Along” and “You Know Who You Are (With Me) and never looked back. I will be covering the album alongside this review, so will concentrate more on songs that are not on it. Songs like the very catchy “Polly’s Song”, the ballad “Brain Damaged Heart” and the dark and rocky “Victim of the Night” were good vehicles for Leah’s powerful rock vocals, which by this time were on full throttle. A strong feature of this band is how Leah and lead guitarist Tom Burden work so well together, bouncing hooks and riffs off each other. Burden’s solo’s are sound and relevant and seem to slot in just as Leah’s vocals peak. The material is pretty commercial overall and there is a hint of that Baltic Beat in there that could be enhanced if and when the time is right. This is a band that could do very well with the right exposure and I really think that you should check them and the EP out on www.myspace.com/gregoryzgirl.
Wednesday night saw me closer to home at The Bedford in Balham once again to take in some familiar faces and some new ones. One of the new ones was, Harry Collier, formerly bass player and vocalist for indie band Kubb. His solo material is dark, acoustic rock in a style not unlike Tony Joe White, with great guitar licks and well controlled but passionate vocals. “The Hermaphrodite” and “Little Miss Sunshine” were both dark rockers while “The Wall” started a little folkier with some fine finger style acoustic before moving into rockier seas. “Wicked Soul” was from Kubb’s 2005 debut album “Mother” and was as brilliant as his new stuff. Another artist that I intend to follow closely, which will be difficult right now as his myspace is not yet set up. For more details go to www.myspace.com/kubbmusic. One of the performers that I did know was Jon Allen, a very good singer/songwriter from Devon who has been doing quality stuff for a long time and is always worth a listen. “Happy Now” had a bit of a Baltic sound to it and “Goodbye Paradise” was a good example of Jon’s well above average songs. “Sleeping Soul” combined jazz and folk rather well and “Dead Man’s Suit” has a sound hook and some harmonica. Very professional set from Jon, which is available on www.myspace.com/jonallenmusic. Olivia Leisk is a talented young lady performing jazzy R&B accompanied by a guitarist and a percussionist. Her vocals are perfectly controlled and the songs well conceived, giving an overall impression of a class act. “She Should Know” was laid back, “Appetites” was more funky and “It’s Getting Old” and “I’ll Be Fine” were the sort of songs that would have been beyond the ability of many singers that I see. She keeps the audience’s attention throughout and I recommend that you find out why at www.myspace.com/olivialeisk.
To finish, there was something quite different from Earl Okin, who is, by his own admission, a musical genius and international sex symbol. He wears spats and a cravat, along with glasses that make him look like Peter Sellars in one of his pre Pink Panther roles. His act is a mixture of comedy and jazz but make no mistake, while he is very funny, he is also a fine musician and songwriter. He opened, as usual, with the innuendo laden “Come to my Room”, which included some excellent mouth trumpet, then moved on to some bossa nova with “Butterfies”. On a previous review I complimented him as a jazz guitarist, and he replied saying that he is actually a jazz pianist. On this occasion, he moved on to the keyboard for a waltzy ballad which confirmed his musical credentials in that area also. Another good Bedford evening, hosted professionally again, this time by Rita, so give the place a go next time you are South of the river.
On Thursday I stayed south of the river and visited The Half Moon at Herne Hill with Andy Lowe of the 12 Bar Club, where Dogfishtrombone were presenting Sandy Dillon, a blues alternative singer from America who is now based here in the UK. She played the lead in a musical based on the life of Janis Joplin on Broadway, and certainly took to the role in more ways than one. To open, a couple of indie rock chicks called The New Verb played some clever but not very accessible music. Omogen Goldie on guitar and vocals and Greta Eacott on drums are, musically, quite a formidable pair and I must admit that I enjoyed their set. However, music should be something to communicate with and, while their melodies and chord changes are impressive, many people expect to hear a chord change that they saw coming, at least some of the time. You have talent, girls, so lighten up a bit and reach out to a few more people and you will get the love back. Try them out on www.myspace.com/thenewverb.
In contrast, Hungry Dog Brand (no, it is not a misspelling) are a three piece doing quirky punky songs. Fronted by Hungry Dog on guitar and deadpan vocals, the songs cover such fun areas as mental health and incurable diseases and I will be covering their album “Boy Meets Dog” at a later date. In the meantime, they are on www.myspace.com/hungrydogbrand. The final act proved to be quite an experience in that she arrived on stage totally wasted. I know that Sandy Dillon is often compared to Janis Joplin and obviously likes to live up to the reputation in every respect, however, on this occasion she went beyond the call of duty and ended up more like Oliver Reed. Her first two songs were totally incoherent and were saved only by her great backing band, particularly Ray Majors on guitar and harmonica. By the third number, things were getting better and, miraculously, she was able to play some nice keyboards without even looking, despite being unable to sort the lyrics out. She improved with each song and, by the end of the set, was demonstrating how she earned her reputation as a blues singer. By the time she came back for the encore she was nearly on form and I started wishing that we could go back and start again. “I Saw You Fall” redeemed her somewhat and Ray Majors and saw player, David Coulter, held the show together whenever all appeared lost. Next time I go to see her, I’ll make sure that I’m wasted as well; any excuse. To hear what she should sound like go to www.myspace.com/sandydillonsnightgallery. So that’s it for another week. It’s been a long one and a good one and I am now off for a while to recharge my batteries on a beach with a bar. So keep gigging and stay safe and well.
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