On arrival at the basement of Heebie Jeebies I was welcomed by what seemed liked a grotto. The arches were adorned with fairy lights and long chain like decorations with paper planes hanging from them. There was a general buzz in the room with a calming friendly atmosphere. I introduced myself to Shannen, The first thing I noticed was that she had changed her hair colour. She is now blonde. New EP, new look maybe.

The evenings entertainment started quite early and unfortunately I missed two of the support artists, Vanessa Murry and Thom Moorcroft. Next on the tiny stage was a  two piece, Just by Chance – Liz Owen and Andy Jones. Fresh on the heels of their their recent support act for Midge Ure. They played an energetic set with some clever guitar work and voices that complemented each others style.

After a short break for refreshments etc, Shannen appears on stage at 9.30pm. Maybe a little nervous but remained professional in the delivery of her first song Fallen which started with some slow and soft strumming. The crowd serge forward making the set more intimate. Applause and cheering as she worked her way through the set list, Break Through, Lost You, Hide and  Don’t Let Go, such a sad song, gentle chords with the violin weeping throughout this lovely track. The crowd go mad continuing with their support. Control builds up gently and the audience start clapping along to the melody. Change, again starts with a soft intro, with an echo on Shannen’s voice. The cello and flute stand out on this track. The song closes with a beautiful piano solo which flows in to Breathe Me. The vocals speak of hold me, wrap me up and warm me up. Definitely the stand out track of the evening. The set continues with Still Mine and Without You. Shannen tells the audience that its Simon the pianists birthday, followed by an impromptu rendition  of Happy Birthday, the crowd join in with jeering and applause. For the last song Left Behind, Shannen sits at the piano and is accompanied by the string section bringing the set to an end.

I have to say this was a tremendous evening, The audience were fantastic. The set was beautifully balanced and Shannen’s passion and energy light up the room.

Shannen has just released some dates for your diary.

• Sat July 13^th at Camp and Furnace
• Saturday July 18^th at The Dome
• Saturday July 27^th at Elevator.

Further details can be found on www.bandsintown.com

© 2013 Ian Sharp – Liverpool Acoustic

Shannen Bamford

website - shannenbamford.com

facebook - facebook.com/shannenbamfordmusic

twitter - @ShannenBamford

soundcloud - soundcloud.com/shannenbamford

>>>>

Live review: Shannen Bamford EP launch @ Heebie Jeebies

The post Live review: Shannen Bamford EP launch @ Heebie Jeebies 15/6/13 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Those of you who are signed up to the Liverpool Acoustic events mailing list will already know that guitar wizard and YouTube sensation Jon Gomm is touring the UK this autumn, and will be coming to Liverpool’s LEAF on Bold St on Thursday 12th September 2013. Tickets for the Liverpool gig are already available here.

After 2 years touring all over the planet, Jon Gomm is hitting the road on home soil with his first major solo UK tour this Autumn, playing the YouTube hits and premiering songs from his forthcoming album ‘Secrets Nobody Keeps’.

And if you are a band or solo artist, you can apply to play the opening set for one of the gigs!

Jon well remembers the pain of applying for support slots in his hometown, only to find it was already taken by a touring support artist, often on the same label or agency roster as the headliners. Where possible, Jon wants to give the chance to local musicians.

So, if you are a band or solo artist, and you are based within 30 miles of this venue, you can apply to play the opening set of this gig!

Here’s what to do

1. Go to the facebook event page for the one gig nearest to you. Remember, we’re looking to support local music and ask that those applying live within a 30 mile radius.
   The Liverpool event page can be found at facebook.com/events/325030940960159
2. Post a direct link to video or audio of your music (e.g. Youtube, Soundcloud, or Bandcamp) as a post on this event page.
3. Jon will personally select a shortlist of bands and musicians.
4. The guests of the facebook event will be invited to vote on who they’d like to see perform.
5. The final choice for support artist will then be made by Jon in conjunction with the promoter (and will be subject to terms and conditions set out by the promoter).

If you’re a fan of a band, please don’t suggest bands you like – contact them and ask them to post up their music. Only bands/artists who have posted their music themselves will be considered!

Don’t worry what style of performer you are – any genre of music can apply. Even nonmusical acts like poets or comedians can apply and will be considered if Jon thinks it’ll work.

All the information for how to apply, plus a list of the facebook event pages for all of the tour dates, can be found at bit.ly/GomUK

UK Tour

Here are the tour dates in full. Tickets are for sale now from ticketwerk.co.uk

30th August – Newport – TBC

31st August – Swansea – The Garage

1st September – Kent – Avenue Theatre

4th September – London – Surya

5th September – Bristol – Thekla

6th Septmber – North Devon – The Factory

7th September – Cardiff – The Moon Club

9th September -Guildford – The Boileroom

10th September – Worcester – The Marrs Barr

11th September – Birmingham – Hare & Hounds

12th September – LIVERPOOL – LEAF on Bold St

13th September – Leeds – Brudenell

14th September – Manchester – Sound Control

16th September – Nottingham – Bodega

17th September – York – Fibbers

19th September – Belfast – The Black Box

22nd September – Lincolnshire – Alchemy Festival

23rd September – Hull – The Backroom

24th September – Milton Keynes – The Stables

25th September - Bury St Edmunds – Apex

27th September – Glasgow – Berits & Brown

28th September – Troon – The New Troon Folk Club

29th September – Edinburgh – The Voodoo Rooms

2nd October – Preston – The Continental

3rd October – Newcastle – Cluny 2

4th October – Macclesfield – Cabin 5150

5th October – Huddersfield – Bar 1:20

6th October – Penrith – Penrith Playhouse

>>>

Support acts needed for Jon Gomm UK tour this autumn – liverpool

The post Support acts needed for Jon Gomm UK tour this autumn appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Artist: Alexandra Jayne

Single: Foolish

Website: alexandrajaynemusic.com

Listening to Alexandra Jayne on record is quite a different experience to hearing her perform live. Live, the demands of holding an audience’s attention require exactly the kind of all-out vocal power that Alexandra has in spades.  On record, though, one gets to hear a much subtler side of her music.

‘Foolish’ opens delicately, almost tentatively, with carefully-controlled vocals and guitar hinting at the complex emotions underlying the song. The cut-in for the second chorus brings with it a sumptuous, rich mix of guitars, vocal harmonies and rhythm which is another thing a soloist can’t do live.

Of course, it’s not all unfamiliar. Alexandra’s trademark vocal pyrotechnics blast through at the peak of the bridge, bringing all that emotional power to the surface. It’s a powerful mix of blues and pop that only the most snobbish of musical snobs could fail to like.

Foolish was released on 6th May 2013 and is available to buy from [iTunes] [AmazonMP3]

© 2013 Rik Davnall – Liverpool Acoustic

Alexandra Jayne

website - alexandrajaynemusic.com

facebook - facebook.com/AlexandraJayneMusic

twitter – @A_J_Music

>>>

Single review: Alexandra Jayne – Foolish

The post Single review: Alexandra Jayne – Foolish appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC PRESENTS
MARTYN JOSEPH

Liverpool Acoustic and Pipe Records are proud to present Martyn Joseph as he brings his ‘Songs For The Coming Home’ tour to Sefton Park Palm House on the evening of Sunday 23rd June 2013.

Martyn Joseph is an electrifying performer dubbed ‘the Welsh Woody Guthrie’ and ‘David Gray with b**ls’, and regularly sells out venues across the UK and around the world.

Martyn will be performing a full show with no support, and will be joined on stage by drummer and multi-instrumentalist Mason Neely.

Tickets are £15 in advance from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic or you can pay on the door if there are tickets left.

Doors open at 7.00pm and the music starts at 7.30pm.

Join the facebook event here.

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight 93

To play click here Spotlight 93
or right click the link to download for free

If you’re an acoustic musician from the Greater Merseyside area, or from further afield but play on the Liverpool scene, then feel free to send us your music for future shows. We can’t promise we’ll be able to play everything that’s sent to us, but we will listen to every track. Find out all about the show, how to submit your music, and the Terms of Use, at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/spotlight/about

Martyn Joseph

Website - martynjoseph.net
Facebook - facebook.com/martynjosephwales
Twitter - @martyn_joseph

Martyn’s new album Songs For The Coming Home is available to buy from [Pipe Records] [iTunes] [Amazon]
Martyn’s back catalogue is also available from Pipe Records and iTunes.

1. Martyn Joseph - Let Yourself
From the album Songs For The Coming Home

2. Martyn Joseph - Dolphins Make Me Cry

3. Martyn Joseph - Have An Angel Walk With Her
From the album Full Colour Black and White

4. Martyn Joseph - Beyond Us (live)
Live version of a song from the album Songs For The Coming Home

5. Luke Jackson - Already Miss You
lukepauljackson.com
facebook.com/lukepauljacksonmusic
Buy Luke’s debut album More Than Boys [website] [iTunes] [Amazon]

Liverpool Acoustic Live presents Luke Jackson on Friday 28th June 2013 - click here for more details.

6. Martyn Joseph - Clara
From the album Songs For The Coming Home

MARTYN JOSEPH

“Welsh Woody Guthrie” Martyn Joseph to play Liverpool

Liverpool Acoustic and Pipe Records are proud to present a special evening of music when Martyn Joseph brings his Songs for the Coming Home tour to the splendour of Sefton Park Palm House on Sunday 23rd June 2013.

Playing in Liverpool for the first time in over nine years, the musician dubbed “The Welsh Woody Guthrie” (The Western Mail) and “David Gray with b##ls” (Splendizine.com) will be performing a full solo show with no support. Martyn will be joined on stage by special guest Mason Neely. UK-based drummer and multi-instrumentalist Neely is responsible for the big, lush arrangements on the album “Songs for the Coming Home” and provides a fascinating and organic on-stage partnership with Joseph.

Martyn Joseph is as performer like no other.

Touring in support of a brand new studio album “Songs for the Coming Home”, shades of Springsteen, John Mayer, Bruce Cockburn and Dave Matthews there may be – but he stands in his own right, built on a reputation for giving what thousands have described as the best live music experience of their lives.

Martyn’s ability to transcend preconceptions about how one man and a guitar can sound is testament to his talent and stage presence. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s more than one musician on stage.The shows are intelligently constructed, Martyn presenting his audience with challenging narratives and with an intensity that hits with the power of a right hook. He tempers this with songs that comfort and speak to the soul. His great improvisation and immediate topicality lead to an organic fluidity that makes every show different. His comfortable rapport and conversation with his audiences, his sense of humour and his ability to make everyone feel at home lie right at the heart of the evenings success.

Juxtaposition is a key theme in Martyn’s work. The simplicity and the complexity of the human condition and all that it encompasses is underpinned with a heady promise of hope. There is a versatility to Martyn’s music that is hard to categorise. Many have tried, resulting in labels such as Folk, Rock, Soul, Folk Funk and Americana; all of which somehow miss the mark. But sometimes music doesn’t need a defining genre and with the ability to articulate a sense of the bigger picture, Martyn’s music and social commentary manage to empower and speak for many. His songs are pictures, and stories, and feelings all put to music and delivered by a master craftsman.

Martyn Joseph. A unique talent driven by passion and love for his trade, continues to write, sing and play from the heart.

Quotes

“Springsteen-indebted Americana, suspended folk chords glistening beneath troubadour tales, his lyrical eloquence still inspired almost 30 years on from his debut” – MOJO

“One of the most charismatic and electrifying performers in Britain today…tough and passionate” – Tom Robinson BBC 6 music

“One of acoustic music’s most original voices, and most forward looking of his generation of singer/songwriters” – Q Magazine

“A profound experience” – The Boston Globe

“Songs of social commentary as much as love, with a rootsy sensibility” – Time Out

“Written with craft, performed with passion” – Financial Times

“He is one of our most intelligent writers. He gets better and better like the finest of wines” – Bob Harris – BBC Radio 2

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight 93: Sunday 23rd June 2013 – Martyn Joseph
If you get the chance, please support your local artists by joining their mailing lists, liking their facebook pages, following them on twitter, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible. The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by Graham Holland on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website, and is a proud member of the Association of Music Podcasting. The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his CD Midnight On The Water.

>>>

Spotlight 93: Sunday 23rd June 2013 – Martyn Joseph

The post Spotlight 93: Sunday 23rd June 2013 – Martyn Joseph appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Artist: Shannen Bamford

EP: Paper Planes

Website: shannenbamford.com

A date for your diaries, 10/6/13 sees the eagerly anticipated EP ‘Paper Planes’ by Shannen Bamford. A year in preparation, it was recorded at Canvas Sound Studios and took three months to complete. “It embodies everything I like to put into my songs,” says Shannen. “I wanted it to be a clear introduction to the type of music I play – I put a lot into it”. You can’t argue with that!

Shannen Bamford is a 20 year old singer/songwriter from Liverpool who began her music career at the tender age of four when she started playing guitar, shortly followed by the piano. At the age of ten Shannen entered and won a Liverpool Echo songwriting competition which enabled her to perform at St Georges Hall. She has spent many years tucked away writing, practicing and perfecting her craft. As well as her own material she has also covered tracks by Tracy Chapman and Marina Diamandis. Shannen has developed a growing army of admirers and a loyal fan base, playing many delightful sets to crowds across Liverpool in venues like The Masque, The Cavern, and The Zanzibar, as well as a number of music festivals. She can count among her fans Mel C and Rebecca Ferguson who saw her play at the Liverpool Music Awards in 2012. She has achieved radio play from BBC Radio Merseyside and Juice FM.

The EP has four tracks each with warm and inviting guitar intros and lyrics that clearly talk of sadness, of love, past relationships and about moving on. Shannen’s soft and at times haunting voice seems to whisper to you with a feeling of comfort, with beautifully crafted and well written lyrics complementing her folky style of strumming. Twinkly and pleasantly soft notes on the piano are combined with a hint of clever orchestral strings running through them. Shannen’s style makes me mindful of such artists as Lucy Rose, Sharleen Spiteri and Gabrielle Aplin.

Her tender voice is different from other female vocalists who have made themselves known this year and fits with a genre that is being made more popular by artists such as Ed Sheeran and Ben Howard. Shannen’s songs draw you in, beautifully composed, full of meaning, hope and emotion. This style of writing and performing is fast becoming Shannen Bamford’s trademark.

The Paper Planes EP is released on Monday 10th June 2013 by Searching For Dandelions and as is available to buy from iTunes and AmazonMP3

The official launch night is on Saturday 15th June 2013 at Heebie Jeebies basement, with support from Vanessa Murray, Just By Chance, and Thom Morecroft. 7pm doors, £2 advance tickets, £3 on the door. Details on facebook.

© 2013 Ian Sharp – Liverpool Acoustic

Shannen Bamford

website - shannenbamford.com

facebook - facebook.com/shannenbamfordmusic

twitter - @ShannenBamford

soundcloud - soundcloud.com/shannenbamford

>>>

EP review: Shannen Bamford – Paper Planes

The post EP review: Shannen Bamford – Paper Planes appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

K’s Choice is a weekly showcase event that takes place every Wednesday at American Bar & Grill on Renshaw Street. It’s hosted by local singer, songwriter and performer Derek King, who each week features four musicians from the local scene.

Derek King, host of K’s Choice

The event starts at the relatively early time of 7.30pm in order to give each of the performers a decent set length. I didn’t arrive until 7.50pm (I blame the cat) and settled down to enjoy Derek King’s last two songs in his opening set – one original and one cover. The ‘originals and covers’ theme was to crop up again throughout the evening.

Kim Jennett

Derek got the event off to a good start before introducing the first of the booked acts, Warrington’s Kim Jennett. Standing there in high-heeled boots, polka dot dress, and faded denim jacket, and clutching an all-white acoustic guitar I half expected her to start singing country songs. Instead she treated us to a mix of original songs from her recently-released EP, and a selection of covers including Hit The Road Jack, Kodaline’s All I Want, a medley of Mercy and Johnny B. Goode, and Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons. Maybe it’s a confidence thing, or maybe Kim just likes singing covers of songs she likes to sing, but in my view the covers weren’t a patch on her well written and really well sung original songs, and I would have liked to have heard more of them. For me, it’s only when Kim is singing her own compositions that we see the real Kim Jennett, a talented young woman with lots of attitude (in a good way!).
facebook.com/Kimjennettmusic

Debbie Richards

Next we had a change of pace and style from Debbie Richards, playing her keyboard and singing. Last time she performed at K’s Choice was back in February not long after it started. That night it was freezing cold with snow on the ground, and the audience consisted of a couple of drunks sheltering from the weather. Tonight a good number of people were there to enjoy the natural talent of Debbie Richards. Like Kim and Derek before her, Debbie performed original songs with a few covers thrown in, although the covers such as I Guess It Doesn’t Matter Any More was totally reinvented as a lovely piano ballad. My particular highlight was Blues In A Queue, a song that Derek had requested and which was inspired by a painting on the walls of the View Two Gallery.
debbierichards.co.uk

Pete King

I saw the name Pete King on the event poster. However, it wasn’t until I saw him in the venue standing next to his dad that I realised the connection. It was the day before Pete’s 17th birthday so Derek could rightly be forgiven for giving his son a slot at the event he runs regardless of how good his son actually is. Thankfully Pete seems to have inherited his father’s musical ability because he performed a mixture of covers and original songs with confidence, ability and no shortage of style.

Shannen Bamford

The final booked act of the night was Shannen Bamford, a young musician who’s been creating quite a buzz around the launch of her debut EP next week, and watching her perform at American Bar & Grill I can see why. Shannen’s on-stage persona seems to be the opposite of Kim Jennett, and is more reserved, with gently plucked guitar and softly sung lyrics – a delight to listen to, and yet another exciting prospect for the future.
shannenbamford.com

Having arrived late I also had to leave early (not the cat’s fault this time) and missed the end of Kim’s set and the closing set from Derek. Hopefully next time I can stay to the end.

Week in, week out Derek King manages to find an interesting and varied lineup of musicians to perform at K’s Choice. The event is free to attend, and there’s open mic between sets, although there were no takers on the night I was there. Well done to Derek for running the event after responding to the call on the Liverpool Bands facebook page. And well done to the venue for making a firm commitment to this new event, particularly during the colder early days!

© 2013 Graham Holland – Liverpool Acoustic

K’s Choice

Every Wednesday from 7.30pm to 11.00pm at American Bar & Grill on Renshaw Street. Free entry.

facebook - facebook.com/groups/kschoice

American Bar & Grill, Renshaw St

>>>

Live review: K’s Choice @ American Bar & Grill

The post Live review: K’s Choice @ American Bar & Grill 5/6/13 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

The Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon returns to the View Two Gallery on Saturday 8th June 2013.

From 1.00pm to 4.00pm we’ve got three booked acts plus our popular open mic.

Our booked acts are

• 1pm – Derek King - local singer-songwriter and host of K’s Choice every Wednesday at the American Bar & Grill on Renshaw Street
• 2pm – Rachel Nicholas  – composer, singer, pianist and viola player who studied at Birmingham Conservatoire before discovering songwriting. Rachel will be performing on the View Two’s grand piano.
• 3pm - Matthew McGurty – folk and blues artist from Runcorn

The open mic slots are 10 minutes each, and are available on the day on a first come, first served basis. The open mic has proven to be very popular, so musicians should arrive early to avoid disappointment.

This event is FREE and is perfect for the family on a Saturday afternoon. The bar will be open serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, plus alcohol.

You can join the facebook event at facebook.com/liverpoolacoustic/events

>>>

Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon this Saturday 8th June 2013

The post Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon this Saturday 8th June 2013 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Lianne La Havas at Rampworx Skatepark

Lianne La Havas is a Singer, Songwriter and Multi-instrumentalist who has previously been described as the UK’s answer to Alicia Keys. I’d say she’s that and considerably more. Lianne’s music is soul driven and melodic and it is no wonder that she was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2012, an award that, in my opinion, she should have won. Her debut album ‘Is Your Love Big Enough?’ is one of the best albums I’ve listened to in years.

I’ve been a fan of La Havas since I first witnessed her stripped back performance of ‘Age’ on Later… with Jools Holland in 2012, so I was absolutely ecstatic when I was provided with the opportunity to see her at an intimate gig at Liverpool Rampworx Skatepark.

The night was the third Nokia Lumia Live Session, a series of gigs with the intention of promoting the new Nokia Music service, which comes pre-loaded on all Nokia Lumia handsets. The idea behind the service is to provide a free music streaming service for all Nokia users. It’s similar to Spotify for mobile, just without the monthly fee. I’ve been trialing it for a few days and it’s actually pretty good. It works on a playlist basis which can be quite annoying, but it does give you the opportunity discover new music. For example I downloaded the Liverpool Bands playlist, and to my surprise it didn’t feature any Beatles tracks, but instead included bands like Coffee and Cakes for Funerals.

But back to the gig, Nokia is working with La Blogotheque for the sessions of which the premise is to provide intimate gigs in unusual venues. A skatepark in Bootle with 150 people is no exception to this ideal.

Ady Suleiman with Ed Black

Up and coming R’n’B artist Ady Suleiman provided support on the night and kicked things off nicely. If you haven’t had the pleasure of coming across Ady before you should definitely check him out. His voice is soulful and warm, his lyrics are intelligent and his guitarist (Ed Black) has some serious skills on that acoustic Farida of his. This guy needs to get an EP/Album out asap, I need him on my iPod. ‘State of Mind’ was a real highlight of his set and he left the stage, or in this case ‘bowl’ perfectly set for Lianne La Havas.

Lianne La Havas

After an interval of about 30 minutes, largely occupied by watching a 10 year old do back flips on a micro-scooter, Lianne made her entrance into the bowl. Taking hold of her almost iconic black and white guitar she began to work through tracks such as ‘Lost and Found’, ‘Tease Me’, ‘Forget’ and album title track ‘Is Your Love Big Enough?’ Throughout the entire set La Havas exuded real class and elegance. The performance of soul ballad ‘Gone’ literally stunned the room to silence and left me feeling like I was in the presence of a future superstar.  Finishing her set on the ever-popular ‘Age’ Lianne was escorted from the bowl to great applause, before being ushered back into the bowl for an impromptu encore.

This was no average encore though, and it was without any doubt my absolute highlight of the night. Instead of heading back to the make shift stage area, La Havas simply stood tall, crowd lounging around her, and began to belt out a completely acapella version of ‘Don’t Wake Me Up’ accompanied only by the clicks of the surrounding audience. Astonishing!!!

© 2013 Liam Pickup – Liverpool Acoustic

Lianne La Havas

website - liannelahavas.com

facebook - facebook.com/LianneLaHavas

‘Is Your Love Big Enough’ [Deluxe Edition] is available to buy from iTunes and Amazon

Ady Suleiman

facebook – facebook.com/adysuleimanmusic 

Nokia

Lumia Live Sessions - nokia.com/gb-en/lumialive

Storify - storify.com/NokiaUK/liverpool-s-lumia-live-session

facebook - facebook.com/nokia.uk

twitter - twitter.com/nokia_uk

>>>

Live review: Lianne La Havas @ Rampworx 30/5/13 – Liverpool Acoustic

The post Live review: Lianne La Havas @ Rampworx 30/5/13 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

June 2013 is set to be an exciting month with the return of the Liverpool Folk and Roots Festival starting on 20th June with Nancy Elizabeth at LEAF on Bold Street and ending on 6th July with a Ragtime closing party. Sandwiched inbetween are sea shanties and maritime songs with Hughie Jones and Lizzie Nunnery at the Nordic Church, acclaimed Welsh performer Martyn Joseph at the Palm House, BBC Radio 2 Folk Award double nominee Luke Jackson at the View Two, plus sessions, traditional Irish music, cajun, old-timey country, a children’s concert, and much more. The festival is run by the Family Folk-up guys and is supported by Arts Council England, Massive Technical Solutions, One Fell Swoop, and Liverpool Acoustic. We’ll tell you more about it closer to the time, and full details will be available at liverpoolfolkandroots.co.uk

At a time when Virgin Media Broadband is offering speeds of (up to…) 100Mb, enabling us to access super-fast online gaming (anyone for Pacman?) or download a whole movie in 1½ minutes (officially twice as fast as microwave porridge), it’s nice to know some people out there are keeping the traditions of physical media alive. Sevenstreets.com, the popular website that claims to know where you live, has just launched the first edition of The Sevenstreets Almanac, an engaging and entertaining read printed on real paper with real ink. It’s periodical, free, and available all over town. Meanwhile, Silent Sleep (the musical project of Christopher McIntosh) have launched their debut album Walk Me To The Sea which is only available in Limited Edition 12″ Honest-to-goodness Vinyl. If you fancy getting your hands on this not-so-compact disc then you’d better be quick as there are only 250 available. Details here.

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC AFTERNOON

Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon returns to the View Two Gallery on Saturday 8th June 2013. From 1.00pm to 4.00pm we’ve got three booked acts plus our popular open mic. The open mic slots are 10 minutes each, and are available on the day on a first come, first served basis.

Our booked acts are

• 1pm – Derek King - local singer-songwriter and host of K’s Choice every Wednesday at the American Bar & Grill on Renshaw Street
• 2pm – Rachel Nicholas  – composer, singer, pianist and viola player who studied at Birmingham Conservatoire before discovering songwriting. Rachel will be performing on the View Two’s grand piano.
• 3pm - Matthew McGurty – folk and blues artist from Runcorn

This event is FREE and is perfect for the family on a Saturday afternoon. The bar will be open serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, plus alcohol.

You can join the facebook event at facebook.com/liverpoolacoustic/events

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC PRESENTS

Liverpool Acoustic has joined forces with Pipe Records to bring singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph to Liverpool for the first time in over nine years. The electrifying performer dubbed ‘the Welsh Woody Guthrie’ and ‘David Gray with b**ls’ is bringing his ‘Songs For The Coming Home’ tour to Sefton Park Palm House following the release of his new album of the same name. He’ll be joined on stage by special guest UK-based drummer and multi-instrumentalist Mason Neely who’s responsible for the big, lush arrangements on the album. Neely provides a fascinating and organic on-stage partnership with Joseph that’s not to be missed.

The concert takes place on Sunday 23rd June. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £15 in advance from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic
Entry is £15 on the door only if there are any tickets left.

You can join the facebook event at facebook.com/liverpoolacoustic/events

All of our future live events can be found at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/live and if you want to receive information about tickets before they go on general sale then sign up to our events publicity mailing list here.

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE

Liverpool Acoustic Live this month is at the View Two Gallery, and takes place on Friday 28th June 2013.

Our very special guest this month is Luke Jackson, an 18 year old folk and roots singer from Canterbury who this year was nominated in two categories (Horizon Award and Young Folk Award) at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. As a 14 year old Luke played at our first ever Liverpool Acoustic Live back in February 2009 and has since grown into a fantastic singer, songwriter and guitarist who has toured with the likes of Martyn Joseph and the mighty Show of Hands.

Support on the night is from 18 year old singer, songwriter and pianist Luke Cusato who impressed us all with his performance at the Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon in April.

Tickets are available in advance for £6 from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic or for £7.5 on the night.

Doors open at 8.00pm. The event starts at 8.30pm and goes through to 11.00pm.

You can join the facebook event at facebook.com/liverpoolacoustic/eventsftt

DIARY NEWS

If you know anything that’s out of date drop us a line using the ‘Contact‘ page. Also, if you have anything to add to the diary, just visit the ‘Diary‘ page and click the ‘Add Event’ button.

All change…

• Actually, this is only a slight change. The Everyman Folk Club meets every Wednesday night at Osqa’s and has recently moved into the Sports Bar (just down the road from Arena Bar). If you fancy joining in the fun, it kicks off at 8.30pm.

You say goodbye…

• Nothing to report here. Result!

And I say hello…!

• Liverpool Writers Block takes place on the third Tuesday of the month, from 7.30pm to 11pm at Lomax. It’s a mixture of booked acts, open mic, and musical jams, and is free. More details from Gary Maginnis on facebook. The next one is on Tuesday 18th May.
• The Forum takes place fortnightly on Sunday from 9pm to 2am at Chameleon Bar on Back Colquitt Street. It’s open to singers, songwriters, musicians, magicians, stand up comics, actors, film makers… in fact, anything goes. There’s a stage, mic, audience, projector and lots of support. They’ll also be showing short video trailers between acts, so if you want to plug your band, event or project then get in touch via their facebook page. The next one is on 9th June.
• The Over The Hill Mob play at Woodwards Wine Bar in Formby on the second Tuesday of every month, from 9pm to 11.30pm. This event is free.

JUNE DIARY SELECTION BOX

Here’s a selection of some of the acoustic events taking place this month. Click on the event in the diary for full details and links.

• Saturday 1st -  Alasdair Roberts @ Rodewald Suite – Former front man of Appendix Out, Glasgow-based Alasdair Roberts is a singer and acoustic fingerstyle guitarist known for interpreting and arranging traditional ballads. Support from Laura&Claire. Details from liverpoolphil.com
• Thursday 6th – Dan Haywood’s New Hawks @ LEAF on Bold St – brought to you by Mellowtone and Ceremony Concerts, with support from Ottersgear, Alex Gavaghan, plus Beaten Tracks DJs. Details on facebook.
• Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th – Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival @ Whitby Sports and Social Club, Ellesemere Port. Tickets are available here, and more details can be found in our article here.
• Saturday 8th – Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon @ View Two Gallery – 1pm to 4pm with booked acts and open mic. Perfect for a Saturday afternoon!
• Wednesday 12th – Lynne Hanson @ Grateful Fred’s – A week later than normal, Grateful Fred presents Canadian folk/roots/country artist Lynne Hanson, with support from the Goat Roper Band and Grateful Fred. Details here, and ticket £7.50 here.
• Friday 14th – Eric Brace & Peter Cooper @ View Two Gallery – Acoustic Dustbowl’s special guests return to the View Two after a cracking show last year for Liverpool Acoustic. Support on the night is from the Southbound Attic Band. Tickets for this are sure to sell fast, and are available in advance from here.
• Saturday 15th – Shannen Bamford ‘Paper Planes’ EP Launch @ Heebie Jeebies basement – support is from Vanessa Murray, Just By Chance, and Thom Morecroft. Tickets £3 in advance, £3 on the door. Facebook event here.
• Thursday 20th – Tilt Shift Music official launch party @ Kazimier Gardens – This free event runs from 6pm to 10pm and features Ali Ingle, The Swapsied, Luke Cusato, Richard Francis, Thomas McConnell, and The Mersey Belles. Details here.
• Friday 21st – The Bulbs ‘Bulb On’ CD launch @ The Capstone – Classical acoustic guitarist Neil Campbell launches the new album from The Bulbs, a tour-de-force of cyclical time signatures, electronic textures, dark conceptual speech samples, and prog melodic-ism. £5 admission on the door, details on facebook.
• Sunday 23rd – Martyn Joseph @ Sefton Park Palm House, with special guest Mason Neely. Tickets £15 from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic
• Friday 28th – Liverpool Acoustic Live @ View Two Gallery – Rising star of the folk world, Canterbury’s 18 year old Luke Jackson returns to the View Two four years after first playing for us, with support from Luke Cusato. Details on facebook.
• Sunday 30th – Zanzibar Acoustic Music Festival @ The Zanzibar – Starting at 2pm and running through to 10.30pm(ish) this event is only £2 on the door and features the likes of Seven Years Behind, Jessica West, Elijah James, Shoes4brakes, and many more. The lineup and timings can be found here.

AND FINALLY…

We’ve got exciting news coming up about the return of Celebrating Subversion: The Anti-Capitalist Roadshow to Sefton Park Palm House this Autumn. If you want to be the first to hear about it and to get your hands on tickets before they go on general sale then make sure you’ve signed up to our event PR mailing list by clicking here.

Next month we should have news (fingers crossed) about the return of another of our favourite festivals, Above The Beaten Track, plus details of Liverpool Acoustic’s involvement in the Liverpool International Music Festival in August.

Congratulations to The Caledonia after they received news last month that the pub has been saved from closure and that the long term future has been secured. Also, congratulations to Woodwards Wine Bar on their 10th anniversary – here’s to the next ten!

Finally, all of us at Liverpool Acoustic would like to wish Vinny and Luan Lawrenson-Woods all the very best as they move to the other side of the planet to start a new life in Sydney, Australia. With Culturepool, Vinny and Luan have contributed a huge amount to the cultural landscape of the city, and will be sadly missed. Above The Beaten Track won’t be the same without you!

Graham – on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic Team

Liverpool Acoustic Newsletter – June 2013

The post Liverpool Acoustic Newsletter – June 2013 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Band: Merry Hell

Album: Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full Of Rain

Website: merryhell.co.uk

Have you ever been in that situation where a band’s debut album has fast become one of your favourites, and then they release a follow-up and you’re apprehensive about listening to it just in case it’s not as good? Anyone who’s listened to ‘Blink… And You Miss It’ (2011) by local folk rockers Merry Hell will know what I mean. It’s an absolutely storming debut, and impossible to match. Or so I thought.

‘Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full Of Rain’ is every bit as good as it’s predecessor, if not better.

Here we have 14 hugely impressive songs from the opening salvo against body image fascism ‘Love The Skin You’re In’, to the closing (and topically titled) ‘Iron Man’. I was originally going to pick out my favourites until I realized that most of the songs were my favourite…! Special mention, however, must go to ‘Emerald Green’, a love duet between the sweetheart left at home and the soldier fighting on the front line. This is an exceptionally well-written and performed song, and is sure to go down as a classic in years to come. Folkcast’s Ken Nicol (The Albion Band, Steeleye Span) described it as a perfect song, and I wouldn’t argue with that.

The album’s mix of voices works really well, with main vocal duties being shared between Andrew Kettle who takes the lead on songs such as ‘Hope You Don’t Mind’ and ‘Roseanna, Let Me In’ and Virginia Kettle who steps up to the mic for ‘Let’s Not Have A Morning After (‘Till We’ve Had A Night Before) and ‘Bury Me Naked’. Regardless of who’s singing the lead, the harmonies are always spot-on with Andrew and Virginia’s voices complementing each other wonderfully.

Another reason why this album works so well is the variety of song styles, which can be put down to the fact that songwriting duties are shared between Virginia Kettle (vocals/guitar/banjo), John Kettle (guitar), Lee Goulding (keyboards), and Bob Kettle (mandolin). ‘Morning After’ has a party feel, helped along by guest musician Dave Swarbrick on fiddle, whereas ‘My Finest Hour’ starts with a military drum beat and is the only song I know written about a mother-in-law. ‘Build A Mansion’ changes the mood with the addition of a type of small harpsichord known as a spinet (I had to look that up) and shuttle pipes (I had to look that up too!).  ’Let The Music Speak’ has a wonderful Klezmer vibe, and ‘Bury Me Naked’ has a waltzy hurdy gurdy accompaniment, with phrasing and subject matter that echoes the late, great Jake Thackray.

On a side note, it turns out that ‘Bury Me Naked’ was also the original album title until they changed it to ‘Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full Of Rain’, a line from the song ‘I Never Loved Anybody Like I Love You’. I like to think it’s because they struggled to keep the album artwork… er… suitable.

The band lineup is completed with the addition of Andy Jones (drums), Andrew Dawson (bass), and Andrew Kettle (vocals). It goes without saying that the musicianship across the board is excellent!

Growing out of the ashes of former local heros The Tansads, Merry Hell have developed their own sound, style and identity while keeping true to their roots. This is my type of music – full of character, vitality and fun, mixing the serious with the not quite so serious, and being eminently sing-alongable along the way. If you’re looking to spice up your music collection then I can’t recommend this album highly enough. And they’re brilliant playing live too!

Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full Of Rain was released on 20th May 2013 on Mrs Casey Records and is available to buy from:-

• [Merry Hell] CD
• [iTunes] download
• [Amazon] CD & download

© 2013 Graham Holland – Liverpool Acoustic

Merry Hell

Website - merryhell.co.uk

Facebook - facebook.com/pages/Merry-Hell/168712159832414

Twitter - @MerryHell_band

Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/merryhell

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Album review: Merry Hell – Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full Of Rain

The post Album review: Merry Hell – Head Full Of Magic, Shoes Full Of Rain appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival 2013 is nearly here and for its ninth year the organisers have pulled out all the stops to bring you one of the best music festivals around.

It takes place from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th June 2013 and takes place on site at Whitby Sports and Social Club in Ellesmere Port where there’s camping available for those making a weekend of it.

Headlining this year is Show of Hands who’ll be performing at the Friday evening concert which also features Full House, and Ruth & Ken Powell. Other high-profile performers include Dougie Maclean, Steve Tilston, Lucy Ward, The Young Uns, Merry Hell Acoustic, and Jamie Smith’s Mabon.

Local musicians are also featured with Aliston Parker & the Third Man, AcousticA, the Goat Roper Rodeo Band, Vocal Point, Stewart Lever, Graham Bellinger, and more.

As always, there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved with sessions and workshops covering harmony singing, traditional tunes, shanty singing, poetry, dancing, and ‘meet the artists’. Added to that a craft fair market place, ceilidh, talent showcase, storytelling, and the rolling folk club, and you’ve got all the ingredients required for a great weekend.

Admission to events in the Oak Room and Main Concert Hall are by wristband or ticket only, but all other events on site are FREE ADMISSION. Tickets for Show of Hands (Friday) and Dougie Maclean (Sunday) are selling fast, so you’d better be quick.

Full details and ticket information is available from wirralfolkonthecoast.com

Advance tickets are available from wegottickets.com

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Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival 2013

The post Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival 2013 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Artist: Tom George

Album: Postcards

Website: tomgeorgearts.com

The key to a good album is to be both eclectic and cohesive, and paradoxical as it sounds, that’s exactly what Tom George achieves on ‘Postcards’. Opening track ‘Drifter’ has that wonderful, dreamy, jangly quality of the Stone Roses at their most poetic. ‘Postcard From Your Heart’ is similar, showing how perfectly the airy quality of Tom’s voice suits this kind of ethereal pop. If the lyrics occasionally get a little bit blurred or lost, it’s a price worth paying.

‘Womankind’ opens with a neat little bit of word-play, ‘womankind’ becoming ‘woman cruel’, which is an eloquent hint of the bitterness underlying the sweetness of the music. Arguably, the song wants to get angry at some point, but it stays melancholy and that works, in its own way.

It took me a long time to work out what ‘Hey Tree’ reminded me of – a mix of Simon and Garfunkle with Ally Kerr, I think. I found the jumble of guitars a bit distracting on first listen, but the song definitely grew on me. We’re clearly into the ‘psychedelic’ part of Tom’s sound here, too; the next track, ‘Don’t Want Trouble’, is a welcome change of pace, groovy and driven by some fun, interesting percussive work. There’s just a slight lack of punch in the vocals, with the chorus a tiny bit short on aggression.

Perhaps it’s inevitable for a Liverpool singer-songwriter to draw Beatles comparisons, but with the intro to ‘Affection’, Tom is clearly courting those comparisons.  The drums in particular brilliantly evoke that crackly, washy sixties cymbal sound, and the guitars are pretty retro, too. It even gets a bit musically raunchy towards the end.

Changing direction again, I really enjoyed the guitar work on the mellow, subdued ‘Your Wild Imagination’. It felt a bit more tightly-bound to the vocals than on earlier tracks, bringing the whole song down to earth and really ramming home the emotional punch.

‘Postcard (Venus Mix feat. Ragz)’ is an odd one. I’m never sure about including ‘remixes’ on an album, and I don’t think this one is going to convince me. It’s very minimal, very ambient, and very much not my thing. However, I can’t fault the musicianship – the vocal work, presumably by Ragz, is compelling, and the solo sounds pretty good. I’d just have liked a little bit more to happen.

‘So Naive’ makes an excellent summary of the album – Britpop guitars, a hint of the sixties in the drums, psychedelic lyrics, vocals drifting in and out of a daydream. It highlights just how well-rounded a package Tom George is, and you won’t want it to end when it does. Final track ‘How Will They Know You’ is no bad thing to follow it, though. Another one that’s hard to place – there are hints of both early Pink Floyd and early U2 – this is probably my favourite track of the album, with a stand-out vocal performance that captures some of the edge that was missing on ‘Womankind’ and ‘Don’t Want Trouble’.

Overall, ‘Postcards’ is varied but consistent, nostalgic but fresh, and very easy on the ear. Lovely work.

Postcards is available to buy from Bandcamp.

© 2013 Rik Davnall – Liverpool Acoustic

Tom George

Website - tomgeorgearts.com

Facebook - facebook.com/tompopgeorge

Twitter - @tomgeorgearts

Reverbnation - reverbnation.com/tomgeorgeuk

Bandcamp - tomgeorge.bandcamp.com

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Album review: Tom George – Postcards

The post Album review: Tom George – Postcards appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Joining Clara (rhymes with Sarah!) are Rob Gough and Ade Jackson, plus Chester-based duo Just By Chance.

This is set to be another great night of live music in the heart of Liverpool.

Tickets are £5 in advance from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic or £6 on the door.

Doors open at 8.00pm and the music starts at 8.30pm, finishing no later than 11.15pm.

Join the facebook event here and listen to the Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #92 featuring music from each of the performers here.

Only Child video

If you were at last month’s Liverpool Acoustic Live (and even if you weren’t!) you might want to see some of the videos of Only Child’s set that Graeme Lamb filmed for us. Check them out here

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Clara Barker, Rob Gough, Ade Jackson and Just By Chance this Friday

The post Clara Barker, Rob Gough, Ade Jackson and Just By Chance this Friday appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Silent Cities © Graeme Lamb Media

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Silent Cities EP launch party entitled ‘Eigenlicht’, organised by Mellowtone and Rebel Soul. ‘Eigenlicht’, for those of the less Germanic persuasion amongst us, is the colour your eyes see when it’s perfectly dark. Very strange, very mysterious, very Silent Cities. Just try to imagine that this word set the tone for whole evening and you’ll begin to get an understanding of how the evening looked and sounded.

I entered a little bit early feeling slightly awkward, as I’d never been allowed early entry to anywhere prior to this gig! I claimed a seat somewhere in the back and watched the world flurry by as the set teams constructed a fifteen high tree arch round the stage, set up no less than five projectors for the visuals overall, and build an entire puppet set before the gig! Finally when everything was ready, all the lighting set up, candles flickering on table tops and a giant gothic hand projected behind me with word Eigenlicht emblazed across it we were ready to go. I felt like I had wandered into some surreal fairy tale from a Grimm’s bedtime story and nothing could have suited the night more.

First on the line-up were Thom Morecroft and the Full Moon Band from Liverpool, playing jazzy, heart-warming folk music that worked as a perfect opening for the night. From using the full band for the faster paced songs to taking the stage solo for a little more intimacy each and every song was one I wanted to hear again. I got a great sense of range from these guys with slower more melodic numbers and other up tempo more playful songs like “The French Girl” I found myself getting a little bit lost in the music. What really got me about the performance, aside from the competently composed songs, were the lyrics. The way the words fell and the topics they covered displayed a maturity far outstretching Thom’s own age.

Next up was Magic Arm from Manchester and I still, truthfully, don’t know how to describe what I heard, which I must say is a wonderful thing for me as a listener. I sat there thinking, “What does this sound like?” but came up blank. Using a wide variety of instruments I won’t pretend to understand, backed up by his resident drummer and violinist, Magic Arm creates something of a haunting lullaby rooted in experimental folk. This guy transcends genre, and will continue to refuse musical categorisation with his innovative use of multi-instruments and effects. I would love to hear Music Arm’s music as the soundtrack for a major film; this is music that creates pictures in your head when you choose to close your eyes to it.

In the middle of the night we were given a special treat that I was completely un-prepared for, a shadow puppet show brought to life by the Mr. Wolf Collective. An eerie show of professional quality, the amount of time, practice and dedication that performance must have taken is staggering to imagine. A fantastic addition to the night!

Then it was time for Silent Cities to take to the stage, the moment we had all been waiting for. Silent Cities (Simon Maddison) is a one man act who on this special occasion was joined on stage by an accompanying four piece band. Let me say his proficiency with guitar and vocals was an astonishing, resonating heartfelt expression that coursed out through the speakers into the room and settled like it wasn’t real. After the first few songs the band departed leaving him to do what he does best and I have to say the band was brilliant but Silent Cities is something that needs no additions in my opinion.

In one song, “All Ghosts Are Tiny Travellers” we heard one man create an orchestra of sound with only his guitar and voice. Silent Cities is chorus unto himself, pure, unbroken falsetto executed perfectly in sync with finger picked guitar that would baffle even the most accomplished musician, and it certainly baffled me! He used the guitar as his drum, implemented pedals and effects to take the music beyond himself. Simon must have spent years forging his sound delicately in quiet spaces and it really came through with this performance. He has such reserved passion on stage, moving with his songs and echoing meaning with his body language, the tense quality of his music makes it feel as if he might explode on stage at any moment but never does. The EP is soft in places, melodic all the way through with sudden bursts of energy that gives his music, at the launch anyway, so many levels and opens it up for anyone to enjoy.

Over all it was magical night and I hope it was a successful launch party for the sake of all involved. I felt like I had fallen into a dream I never wanted to wake up from.

© 2013 Dominic Brooks – Liverpool Acoustic

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Live review: Silent Cities ‘Eigenlicht’ EP launch @ LEAF 18/5/13

The post Live review: Silent Cities ‘Eigenlicht’ EP launch @ LEAF 18/5/13 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Artist: Silent Cities

EP: Eigenlicht

Website: wherethesilentcitieshide.com

I’m going to go ahead and assume that if you’re branding your music as ‘experimental’, you’ll take my calling it ‘weird’ as a compliment. ‘Eigenlicht’ is definitely both experimental and weird. The title, by the way, is a word for the greyish colour that you see when in total darkness. Make of that what you will.

Opening track ‘Global Aerobics’ is haunting and hypnotic, a mix of repetitive, almost pounding, guitar and a violin so atmospheric and distant it’s almost coming from another planet. The vocals flow eerily between the two, really shining when the harmonies kick in. Although the song is quite low-energy, there are a handful of moments where some subtle shift in the guitar part makes your ears prick right up. Ambient noise outros like the one this song finishes with are a pet peeve of mine, but I suspect that I’m not really in the target audience here; anyone who is is unlikely to have a problem with it.

‘Haptophic’ has a bit more energy, coming mainly from a dancing, delicate vocal part that’s a real joy to listen to. The song builds towards a fantastically rich climax that rewards the attentive ear. So much for the stereotype that experimental music is just a freakish, unlistenable collection of disconnected sounds.

That said, ‘D & H’ left me cold. It’s definitely not pop music, but it’s not without appeal – it does go somewhere, and when the faint percussive sounds that herald the climax kick in, there’s a sense of vastness which swallows the sometimes-reedy vocals.

I’m not a big fan of experimental music – I prefer a bit more melody – but ‘Eigenlicht’ is pretty appealing, without having compromised on the ‘experimental’ tag. I have friends who’ll probably love it, and if you like music that pulls you out of your comfort zone, this is definitely for you.

Eigenlicht was released on 18th May 2013 and is available to buy from [iTunes] [Amazon]

© 2013 Rik Davnall – Liverpool Acoustic

Silent Cities

website - wherethesilentcitieshide.com

facebook - facebook.com/SilentCitiesUK

twitter - @_SilentCities_

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EP review: Silent Cities – Eigenlicht

The post EP review: Silent Cities – Eigenlicht appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Chester Folk Festival is taking place over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend from Friday 24th May to Monday 27th May 2013.

This lovely little festival takes place at a variety of venues across Kelsall, a small village situated near Chester and just a pine cone’s throw from Delamere Forest.

The programme of events features concerts, ceilidhs, workshops, singarounds, sessions, displays, a craft fair, family events, and children’s entertainment.

Local favourites Merry Hell perform on the Saturday

Artists performing across the weekend include:-

• Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar (BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winners 2012)
• Jez Lowe & the Bad Pennies
• Gilmore & Roberts
• The Young ‘Uns
• Merry Hell
• Pete Coe
• Jaywalkers
• Graham Bellinger
• Les Barker
• Deportees
• Fiddlestone

Jaywalkers are playing on the Sunday

Tickets are £65 for the whole weekend, and day tickets are available for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Evening-only tickets are available too.

There is a campsite available for free for weekend ticket holders only.

You can catch Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies on Monday

Chester Folk Festival

Full details can be found at

website - chesterfolk.org.uk

facebook - facebook.com/ChesterFolkFestival

twitter - @ChesterFolkFest

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Chester Folk Festival 2013 this Spring Bank Holiday weekend

The post Chester Folk Festival 2013 this Spring Bank Holiday weekend appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Mellowtone is a major player on the Liverpool Music Scene and regularly host’s intimate gigs at various venues around the city. With acoustic music as the backbone, Mellowtone has played host to some of the best acts in the industry, and the four incredible events that form the May/June season provide no exception, as Liverpool Acoustic’s Liam Pickup found out.

Silent Cities – E.I.G.E.N.L.I.C.H.T. EP LAUNCH

Sat 18th May 2013 – @Leaf – Doors 8pm

Mellowtone will be hosting the much anticipated debut EP launch for Silent Cities. Silent Cities is the musical brainchild of Liverpool based singer songwriter Simon Maddison. With obvious comparisons to the likes of Bon Iver and Ben Howard, Silent Cities’ music has real appeal, appeal that has been noted by the likes of Dave Monks on BBC Radio Merseyside. The track “All These Winds” is simply stunning! If the rest of the EP lives up to the standard set by this tune then we’re all in for a real treat.

Support comes from Electro-Indie band Magic Arm, Manchester rockers We The Dead and Liverpool based songwriter Thom Morecroft and the Full Moon Band. In addition, Mellowtone’s house DJ’s will be on hand to keep good vibes flowing. Mellowtone promises yet another well-rounded night of live music in one of Liverpool’s trendiest venues.

Tickets – mellowtone.skiddletickets.com/event.php?id=11837098

Facebook – facebook.com/events/159849604176491

An Evening with Artists from the Viper Label

Thurs 23rd May 2013 – @Palm House, Sefton Park – Doors 8pm

“EDGAR JONES announced as headliner for this show!”

This statement alone provides enough reason to pay the tiny advanced ticket price of £5. Edgar ‘Summertyme’ Jones has previously played with the likes of Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Ian McCulloch and Sean Payne and Russell Pritchard from the Zutons. Previously the lead singer/bassist for 1990’s Liverpool band The Stairs, Edgar Jones has well and truly hit cult status.

Supporting Jones will be Manchester artist TG Elias. Riding onboard the Folk/Country/Blues train that has resurfaced in the past few years this guy is not to be missed. Additional support comes from Liverpool based singer songwriter Chris Elliot, very much riding that same train. He also plays the same guitar as me so receives major brownie points.

Tickets – bidolito.co.uk/gig/viper-label-showcase

Facebook – facebook.com/events/228199447319733

Dan Haywood’s New Hawks

Thurs 6th June 2013 – @Leaf – Doors 8pm

A rambling man by the name of Dan Haywood has painstakingly assembled his rambling band (the New Hawks) over a period of 5 years. Travelling around the British Isles looking for poetic inspiration, the wordsmith that is Hayward has found a group of fantastically whimsical folk musicians. Playing gigs wherever the wind takes them, Dan Haywood’s New Hawks have developed a reputation for having a frenzied stage presence and possessing the ability to purvey a psychic connection to the audience. BIZARRE!!

Support on this night comes from fellow folk artist Ottersgear who tends to have a much more soulful approach to his music. With perfect folk vocals that sound like they’re coming straight from the heart, this guy will not disappoint. Further guests are still to be announced for this one, so keep checking Facebook.

Tickets – seetickets.com/event/dan-haywood-s-new-hawks/leaf-on-bold-st/702526

Facebook – facebook.com/events/373857029395439

Nancy Elizabeth (c) Harold Thompson

Nancy Elizabeth

Thurs 20th June 2013 – @Leaf – Doors 8pm

Nancy Elizabeth is a singer songwriter, multi instrumentalist and genuine lover of her craft. After playing all over Europe off the back of her first two albums ‘Battle and Victory’ and ‘Wrought Iron’ Nancy decided it was time to take a break and as such locked herself away in her flat in Manchester. Unable to rest, she inadvertently set to work on her third album ‘Dancer’. Due for release on 20th May 2013, it is with this album that Nancy will be touring the UK, stopping off at Leaf, Bold street along the way. Although it won’t be her first time in the city, having studied at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, lets hope her unique brand of psych-folk pulls a good crowd.

Support acts have yet to be announced for this event but Mellowtone resident DJ Mr. Resistor will be on hand to keep the sounds flowing smoothly.

Tickets - seetickets.com/event/nancy-elizabeth/leaf-on-bold-st/703770

Facebook – facebook.com/events/405154662932816

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Mellowtone May and June 2013 preview

The post Mellowtone May and June 2013 preview appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE

Liverpool Acoustic are pleased to welcome Clara Barker all the way from the Isle of Man.

Also performing on Friday 24th May 2013 at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street are local singer-songwriters Rob Gough and Ade Jackson, plus Chester-based duo Just By Chance.

Tickets are £5 in advance from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic or £6 on the door.

Doors open at 8.00pm and the music starts at 8.30pm, finishing no later than 11.15pm.

Join the facebook event here.

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight 92

To play click here Spotlight 92
or right click the link to download for free

If you’re an acoustic musician from the Greater Merseyside area, or from further afield but play on the Liverpool scene, then feel free to send us your music for future shows. We can’t promise we’ll be able to play everything that’s sent to us, but we will listen to every track. Find out all about the show, how to submit your music, and the Terms of Use, at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/spotlight/about

1. Clara Barker - Writers Block (Serenity Remix)
facebook.com/clarabarkermusic
reverbnation.com/clarabarker
Buy the album Indigo [Amazon] [iTunes]

2. Rob Gough – Devil’s Eye
facebook.com/RobGoughOfficial

3. Ade Jackson – Crystal Jane
reverbnation.com/adejackson13

4. Just By Chance - Ghosts
justbychance.net
facebook.com/justbychanceband
Buy their music [Bandcamp] [iTunes] [Amazon]
Read the Liverpool Acoustic review of the album Upbound here.

BONUS TRACKS

5. Martyn Joseph – Everything In Heaven Comes Apart
martynjoseph.net
facebook.com/martynjosephwales
Buy the new album Songs For The Coming Home [Pipe Records] [iTunes] [Amazon]

Liverpool Acoustic presents Martyn Joseph at Sefton Park Palm House on Sunday 23rd June 2013 – click here for more details.

6. Luke Jackson - Bakers Wood
lukepauljackson.com
facebook.com/lukepauljacksonmusic
Buy Luke’s debut album More Than Boys [website] [iTunes] [Amazon]

Liverpool Acoustic Live presents Luke Jackson on Friday 28th June 2013 - click here for more details.

CLARA BARKER
facebook.com/clarabarkermusic

Clara Barker, a singer/songwriter from the Isle of Man, has been writing songs since 1999 and while debilitating stage fright halted her entrance onto the live music scene until almost 8 years after the first song was written, she has been making up for lost time ever since. With sheer determination to ‘get out there and PLAY’, Clara played open mic nights and hustled for support slots – even organising her own very successful SaturdayJam night held at various pubs in the Isle of Man.

Armed with a steadily increasing family of songs, a mercifully decreasing feeling of impending doom and Jake, her trusty Crafter guitar – Clara has played in venues all over the Isle of Man and the UK and has been proud to warm up the audiences of seasoned and established acts including The Christians, Paul Young’s Los Pacaminos, Steve Gibbons & The Dylan Project, Morton Valence, Jon Gomm, Angelo Palledino and Jeff Lang.

Her highly personal lyrics and catchy melodies have won her a steady following on the Island, and an army of loyal fans online. Her debut album – Indigo – (available from all usual outlets) was released in March 2010 to considerable acclaim. A review by Banter Magazine praises Clara’s “lyrical honesty” which is described as “refreshing in today’s musical landscape which, lyrics-wise, is so saturated by faux teenage angst or ambiguity disguised as profundity”

Hard Work & Whiskey – a live EP featuring 4 songs from Indigo, 3 previously unheard tracks and some of Clara’s inimitable ‘chat and bantah’ in between was released in Autumn 2011. Hot on the heels of the EP Clara launched her first attempt to chart over the festive period with her outrageously festive single Christmas In New York. Clara’s second album – The Good Ideas Club Strikes Again – is written and is currently in production. Good times! XD

ROB GOUGH
facebook.com/RobGoughOfficial

Rob Gough is an internationally renowned singer, songwriter, and lead guitarist from Liverpool, England. Drawing on a wide range of influences including blues, rock, country, folk and indie, Rob has supported such acts as Midge Ure, Sandi Thom and Son of Dave. Since 2011 Rob has appeared at many festivals and performed at many of Britain’s top music venues with critical acclaim from many within the music industry.

ADE JACKSON
reverbnation.com/adejackson13

‘One of the great Liverpool voices… an unrelenting beat aesthetic and an ever weather-eye from the back streets. A bit of Cave, a bit of Cash, a soupcon of Cohen, and a whole lot of Catherine Street…”
Jonathan Raisin, Lost Voices

JUST BY CHANCE
justbychance.net

Just By Chance are a duo comprised of singer-songwriters Andy Jones & Liz Owen.  Drawing on a wide range of influences from folk and bluegrass to more modern pop and rock they have been touring extensively across the British Isles since 2010.  They have been played on BBC Radio 2, BBC 6Music, BBC Radio Lancashire and recently supported Joan Armatrading and Midge Ure during their UK tours.

Saviour – Just By Chance [Music Video]

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight 92: Friday 24th May 2013 – Clara Barker
If you get the chance, please support your local artists by joining their mailing lists, liking their facebook pages, following them on twitter, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible. The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by Graham Holland on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website, and is a proud member of the Association of Music Podcasting. The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his CD Midnight On The Water.

>>>

Spotlight 92: Friday 24th May 2013 – Clara Barker

The post Spotlight 92: Friday 24th May 2013 – Clara Barker appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

On my way to the gig I passed a bus load of people dressed as Where’s Wally characters, a gang of lads dressed as Hells Angels with head bands and tattoo sleeves, and bunny girls… lots of bunny girls! As I entered the View Two Gallery it was like I’d entered an oasis far from the madding crowd and well above the hustle and bustle and throng. I had come to hear two duos, Rob Jones and Rob White with support act Geoghegan Jackson.

Geoghegan Jackson

I walked in to find Geoghegan Jackson doing their sound check so I got to hear them twice. I must say they work well together even though in their own words they come from different musical backgrounds. They performed their self composed songs with Susan Geoghegan providing the excellent varied guitar work and nicely worked harmonies and Helen Jackson providing the warm and soulfully sung lyrics. The songs where as varied as their musical tastes which range from John Martyn, Patti Smith and Nick Cave (one of Helen’s favourites) but also people like Joe Rhead, Johnny Boy and Fleetwood Mac (Susan’s favourite). I found myself singing along with many of the choruses. It would be hard to pick a favourite from their set but I will be putting their EP “Parlour In The Sun” on my mp3 player so my ears are in for a treat this week.

(l-r) Graham Warner, Rob White, Rob Jones, Stu Rimmer

The main act for the night was Rob Jones and Rob White, two musicians who have been playing and harmonising together since school. Rob Jones, who is now a music teacher, plays acoustic guitar and sings and harmonises with Rob White on their album “Thirty” a collection of 15 mostly self penned songs. They were joined on the night by accomplished musicians Graham Warner on piano and Stu Rimmer on alto saxophone. Their musical influences include (and you can hear it in their songs) Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, Dylan and The Everly Brothers to name but a few.

They treated us to a night of contrasts from the big sound of the four piece to the stripped back solo of Rob (just him and his guitar). They have gigged both far and wide, Germany and France to name a few. They performed a varied set with some from the album and some new material and a couple of covers. They opened with ‘She Walked By’ while a more simple version from the full band one on the album, it was no worse for it and the harmony lines were just as strong.

Rob White opened on the 3rd track ‘Monday Morning Rain’ with Rob (Jones) joining in on the chorus the warm melding of their voices on this and other tracks reminded me of some Beach Boys tracks, but as a member of the audience said after the show it reminded her of some Beatles harmonies. ’Some Other Where’ was introduced as a song with a William Shakespeare title and a Beatles styling in tune and vocals. If you closed your eyes you could almost be listening to a lost Beatles track. ‘I Believe In Day Dreams Too’ was inspired by the death of Davy Jones of Monkees fame, some lovely guitar work accompanied the two Robs on this track.

Rob Jones announced a new song which he said would please Graham on piano as it was more upbeat and had a Dr John flavouring. Rob said it was in a blues style but I thought it felt more like jazz but didn’t suffer for it. Following this the two Robs performed the first of two covers. ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’ a Simon and Garfunkel number. You could see the audience singing along to this faithfully rendering. We had a song from the 80′s and Robs student days next followed by a boy band number. They drew the night to a close with ‘Monday to Sunday’ a foot tapping song, which reminded me of The Lars.

For an encore they they treated us to an excellent version of ‘Baker Street’. As Rob said we could not have a saxophone player of Stu’s calibre without letting him loose on a track.

The night was a very diverse collection of tunes with just the right mix of covers which showed off the musicianship of the group. Ill be listening to both the CDs this week and looking forward to the next visit to the oasis which is the View Two Gallery.  By the way… does anyone know if they found Wally?

© 2013 Allan Cairns – Liverpool Acoustic

Rob Jones & Rob White

Reverbnation - reverbnation.com/robjonesandrobwhite
Twitter – @Rob_and_Rob

Rob Jones & Rob White’s album ‘Thirty’ is available from them in person so catch them at a up coming gig in the area, maybe when they revisit the View Two.

Geoghegan Jackson

Reverbnation - reverbnation.com/geogheganjackson
Facebook - facebook.com/geoghegan.jackson
Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/geoghegan-jackson
Twitter – @GgheganJackson

Geoghegan Jackson’s EP is available from Probe records and they will be appearing at the ‘Light Night’ event 17th May check the Light Night website for details.

>>>

Live review: Rob Jones & Rob White @ View Two Gallery 11/5/13

The post Live review: Rob Jones & Rob White @ View Two Gallery 11/5/13 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Artist: Just By Chance

Album: Upbound

Website: justbychance.net

This is a fine collection of songs by Elizabeth Owen and Andrew Jones, known in combination as Just By Chance. All of the songs are good, and some are great. The pop-tastic “Pick You Up” is a particular favourite of mine, as is “Saviour”, which demonstrates Jones’s impressive lead playing. Most of the album was recorded “sort of live” in the studio, and has a consistent and realistic stereo picture – Owen slightly to the left, Jones to the right.

The album begins with “Walking Tall”, a brief song that establishes the basic premise of the album – which is exactly the same as the duo’s live MO – two acoustic guitars, two voices, harmonies, fingerpicking and a whole bunch of loveliness.

The second track is “Let Them Be”, a moody minor key 6/8 song which seems an odd choice to be given such a prominent position. It doesn’t grab you immediately, but is a good song and rewards repeat listening. It was the closer to the duo’s earlier Four Steps Forward EP, and does seem more like it’d belong at the end of an album, rather than near the beginning.

Track three is the sublime “Pick You Up”. Upbeat, melodic, catchy, it’s pretty much the perfect pop song. The verses are subtle, with the chorus exploding 51 seconds in. The second chorus is followed by Jones’s blistering country-inflected guitar solo, which leads into a breakdown section and then a double chorus to finish. The thing is damn-near flawless. I’d be interested to hear what this sounded like with a slightly more fleshed-out arrangement – the duo’s last EP featured guest musicians on bass and drums, and if they were to do another record like that, I’d suggest this track as a candidate for a re-record (not that there’s anything wrong with the version here).

The fourth song, entitled “Tattoos”, is possibly the weakest song here. It’s by no means bad, but not really up to the duo’s usual standard. It’s the first track exhibiting clear signs of studio trickery, with the payoff line “do you think I’m impressed by the tattoos on your chest?” arriving on a clearly separate and heavily filtered track panned dead-centre.

Moving swiftly on, “Upbound (part one)” is a nice little minute-and-a-half instrumental, a fingerpicked solo guitar piece by Liz Owen with intermittent spacey sounds fading in and out in the background.

“Since You Left” opens side two in a subdued way, with Owen pining for someone who’d evidently cleared off. She is very much front and centre on this track, with Jones keeping his backing vocals and lead guitar sparse. A very pretty song with some evocative imagery in the lyric.

“Ghosts” is a radical departure from the previous, with the accompaniment consisting mainly of a virtuosic piano part, arranged and played by guest musician Nicola Hardman. It’s a gorgeous piece, and sounds both lush and kinda spooky (in a real sense, not in a cheesy horror film way).

Track eight is “Upbound (part two)”, an upbeat guitar instrumental written solely by Jones, for whom it’s an excuse to go to town with loads of tracks of guitar. For all that it’s a show-off piece for a clearly skilled guitarist, it’s tasteful and exercises the same level of restraint his playing exhibits throughout the album.

“Saviour” follows, a powerful piece which manages to overcome the potential disadvantage of having a chorus based around a play on “save ya” and “saviour”. Jones’s guitar solo at the end is brilliant, delivering speed, accuracy and feel by the absolute bucketload.

The closer, “Shame On Me”, is a song apparently inspired by a Sudoku puzzle that defeated Owen. It’s an upbeat, catchy tune, with big bright vocals and another fine guitar solo by Jones.

So, overall, a fine collection of songs, some of which are absolutely fantastic. Its only real flaw is that so much of the strongest stuff is left to side two, so it’s not as immediate an album as it could be. Listening to it all the way through a couple of times soon levels it all out though and the songs will get indelibly ingrained in your brain. It’s only 28 minutes long, so you can easily do that twice in an hour, with time left over to stream their earlier melodic-but-icky single Lavender Infection.

© 2013 Will Barnes – Liverpool Acoustic

Just By Chance

Website - justbychance.net
Facebook - facebook.com/justbychanceband
Twitter - twitter.com/JBCBand
Soundcloud - soundcloud.com/justbychanceband

Upbound is available to buy from [Bandcamp] as both a digital download and a physical CD.

Just By Chance are appearing at the next Liverpool Acoustic Live on Friday 24th May at the View Two Gallery. Click here for more details.

>>>

Album review: Just By Chance – Upbound

The post Album review: Just By Chance – Upbound appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Welcome to NEWS BLAST 24, not to be confused with BBC News 24. There’s no CGI studio, no overpaid presenters, and no fancy theme tune, just great news items to help musicians and supporters alike.

• INFO-TASTIC – You may not have come across the term ‘infographic’ – information displayed using text and graphics. Well here’s a handy infographic with 14 Ways To Boost Visibility And Inspire Sharing On Facebook. Check it out here.

• HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER - Those music bods over at Sentric have compiled a list of things that bands and musicians do which really, really annoy them. How many of these is your band guilty of? If it’s none then feel free to adopt ‘smug smile mode’! Read it here.

• IT’S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT WHO YOU KNOW EITHER - it’s how you treat who you know. There’s a lot to be said for being nice to people, and you never know when that well conceived good turn might turn into a good turn for you in return… er.. or something like that. What we’re saying is get connected and surround yourself by success. Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby, explains all here.

• GOLDEN RULES RULE, OK? – Jack Cooper, lead singer from London band Mazes, sets out his 10 golden rules on being in a DIY indie band. Agree? Disagree? You decide. Read it here.

• FIDDLE WITH THE GYPSIES – Terry Gray’s new Americana folk rock band The Sea Gypsies is looking for a violinist to join them. If you fancy it, then send them a message through their facebook page here. Maybe it’s a perfect opportunity for Italian violinist Valeria who’s looking for a guitar player to make an acoustic duo “or something like that”. Gumtree ad here.

• IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, HONEY – There’s been quite a discussion recently on the Liverpool Bands facebook page about how easy or hard it is for musicians playing original music to make money. Tom Robinson has compiled a really useful list of funding sources that are well worth checking out. You can find it here.

• UNDER THE COVERS – Here’s a neat idea that deserves a look. Coverpool sees two musicians covering songs by the other in a style of their choosing. It’s the brainchild of Thomas McConnell and Sean Keogh (The D-Tales) and can be found on soundcloud here.

• OXJAM APPLICATIONS – If you’re a band or musician and you’d like to take part in Oxjam Liverpool Takeover 2013 this coming October then all the details you need can be found at the facebook group here.

• HOST WITH THE MOST – Matt is a musician who’s looking for an open mic night to host. He has his own equipment (mics, stands, desk, cables, & PA) and just needs a supportive venue. If you can help, drop him a line via the gumtree ad here.

• EUROPE OR BUSK – Are you a violinist or cellist and would like to spend three months busking round 30 cities across Europe? The Dead Sea Captain is looking for musicians ‘with a folky heart’ to join his adventure. Get in touch through the website here.

• WELSH ROCK – Isaac Birchall is looking for an acoustic guitarist to join his band, along with a bass player, keyboard player, and drummer. He wants to play live in support of The Sleep Sessions, recorded last February. Take a listen on SoundCloud, and if you fancy it, and can practice in Ruthin once a week, then get in touch here.

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC NEWS BLAST 24

The post NEWS BLAST #24 [8/5/13] appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

You’re going to be playing at the Casa soon?

James: “Yes, it’s on Saturday, 11 May, Cup Final Day!”

Is it something that you’ve been looking forward to?

James: “I’m looking forward to it a lot, I really support the things that people from Liverpool stand for, and I love the fact that it’s just going to be me on my own playing with my acoustic guitar.  I’ve been doing a lot of work and gigs like that recently. It’s quite a challenge but I love it. In other words, if I stop playing, the music stops. It’s about as organic as you can get. I think for a singer/songwriter, it’s really where it’s at. I go back into the studio this afternoon, I’m finishing my album and mixing it, that’s wonderful, but when you’re standing there with your acoustic guitar and you’re just singing and people are watching, that’s the most important for me as a singer/songwriter.”

Is it daunting doing that sort of gig by yourself?

James: “It’s an array of emotions, because it is daunting but you need to overcome that and walk up there and stand there and do it, I always find though that the people are so warm and lovely that all of a sudden, the thing happens where there’s no audience and no you, it all melds into one thing and that’s the wonderful point for me.  If you have something to say, you have to avoid being patronising but I do like to have something to say in my songs. People know it any way; I’m not saying anything revelationary or even revolutionary! It’s just that my job if you want to put it that way is that the only thing I can do properly is to play guitar and sing these wonderful songs that come from me and through me. There’s a lot of spiritual belief in what I do, which is based on the bardic and druidic traditions. That’s a main driver for me.”

How long have you been playing then?

James: “I’ve been on the road since I was nine years old! I did have a day job though until my early 20’s, I mean it’s quite ironic in that those people who run the Casa worked on the docks, I did too. I worked on cranes and all sorts of stuff when I was younger.”

Where you there when the casual labour was still being selected on a daily basis?

James: “I was there when all that was happening but it had mostly been sorted out by then. I was there when the Seaforth Dock opened with all the containers and that changed a lot how we all worked. It was inevitable that it was going to happen. For argument’s sake, my great-grandfather worked on the docks and he was there when they selected the workers each day and the rest were sent home. The Casa is owned by ex-Dockers, so it’s going to be a very interesting playing my songs like Gone Away, it’s going to be a ‘coals to Newcastle’ trip for me.”

Do you not find that Liverpool’s acoustic scene is so much more different from the rest of the country? It has this in-built social structure to it?

James: “It does, I was put under a lot of pressure recently, people said I was a protest singer, you know, people have to put a badge on you, it’s cool though. I also like to think that I do stuff about human politics too. I like to do that and I find that it’s coming round more now because of the humanity involved and it’s not just about ‘I love you, you don’t love me’ there’s a lot more than that going on. When I travel round, I think it was in Farnham in Surrey, there were a load of acts on and they were all brilliant but why the same politics going on? We all feel the same, so I found that very interesting. It’s almost like the punk movement. You see I believe that The Clash were a folk band! I just think that folk music is by the people for the people and it should reflect the times that we live in. I saw The Clash many times when they first came round, in fact I met Joe Strummer in the summer of 1974 when he was in the One-o-Oners but that’s another story altogether! I thought, what is this guy doing with this band? So, it’s a bit like the punk rock scene before it became all Carnaby Street, like Mathew Street was before The Beatles.  I sense a lot of the acoustic music scene happening now but I don’t like pushing it down people’s throats because we’re not soft are we? We know what’s going down. So I’m just trying to stand there and sing my songs, everyone knows what I’m singing about and it’s my gig and I’m going to do it.”

How do you feel about the younger generation of acoustic performers in Liverpool?

James: “They need to make their own message, their own point, don’t they? I think there’s a lot of pressure on acoustic musicians now, like there always is in the music business. I find that it’s very genre-specific, don’t stray outside the genre and all that. The really sad thing is that if you don’t do that as a conscious thing, you’re never going to get any radio plays, you won’t exist but if you deliberately do it then you can been seen to be faking it. The second you start to fake it; you may as well not be doing it. You become pointless and everyone will realise that there’s no real substance in there. It’s a really fine balance. One of the things I was amazed by was the response I got to my music. I didn’t quite know how to respond. I could have died in the water but they loved it, the radio picked up and played my songs and I thought it was huge compliment.”

I listen or read first to get my own ideas about something then I’ll look at other reviews, I don’t want anything colouring my opinions.

James: “That’s the best way, otherwise it will programme the way you deal with something. You picked up on Gone Away. It’s a bizarre song, if you believe in reincarnation as I do; I believe that we meet time and time again in different places. Surely the real great ones don’t just get to a point in their lives, surely they come back. For argument’s sake, when John met Paul within a mile of each other, when Mick met Keith, strange individual human beings – how did this happen, how did Muddy Waters exist? These are great people, they aren’t just going to go away, they are going to come back time and time again. It’s like King Arthur and the whole mythology thing.  I would love to believe that King Arthur really existed but I think he’s a little bit of a folk myth, that people can draw energy from when they need it.  I love Snowdon, I love the mountain and I can’t wait to get up there and you’re up in that environment, it’s very easy to believe that Merlin’s just around the corner! How wonderful would that be?”

On your last album, you’ve got the great Vicky Mutch playing cello on there! You’re a very lucky man!

James: “Aren’t I lucky? She’s an amazing and lovely person. It was a conscious decision to have her play, I’ve known her work with the Mono LPs but I know she can play very differently to that stuff. She’s classically trained and she knows what she’s doing but she’s highly musical with a pop sensibility. I was recommended to try her out as soon as I saw her walk in the room we just hit it off and she’s going to be working on my next record as well. You know what it’s like when you get musicians who come into a room and you can’t tell them what to play because you’re doomed if you try that, you may as well play it yourself. You’re best off just letting that person come in and do what they are there to do; otherwise you’re not getting the best out of them.”

You’ve also got Henry Priestman from The Christians on the album.

James: “He’s a great guy and a very talented writer. He’s an extremely quirky English musician, he does this squeezebox thing and it’s him coming out of that! Henry’s going to be doing more stuff for me as well. He’s reinvented himself as an acoustic artist.  I knew him in The Yachts – I’m so old!”

What can people expect with the new album then?

James: “This new album, there’s a lot of human spiritual searching in there. I wrote it very quickly and I didn’t realise what I was doing and then of a sudden when I was listening to the songs I thought this is more human politics, looking for a purpose and a meaning, it’s me asking myself questions as much as anything else. There’s still the social commentary, it’s going to be a bit more of the same but it will be raucous live and everyone is playing live on it, drums are being played in the same room so it’s still going to be me but happily it will change a little bit as well.  So there’s an extra dimension in there.”

Will you be doing any of the new tracks at the Casa gig?

James: “I’ve been practising two of them, I’m definitely going to do a song I love called Watching You which is about the surveillance society that we live in now, how it mirrors back on us, how we perceive it and how we act when we know we’re being watched. Are we really on t.v. or are we not?

© 2013 Ian D Hall – Liverpool Acoustic
& Liverpool Sound and Vision
liverpoolsoundandvision.co.uk

James J Turner

Website - jjturner.com
Facebook - facebook.com/JamesJohnTurner1
Twitter – @jamesjturner

Buy James’ current album How Could We Be Wrong [PayPal] [iTunes] [Amazon]
Read the Liverpool Acoustic review of the album here.

James will be playing at Radical Liverpool at The Casa on Hope Street on Saturday 11th May 2013. Doors open at 7.30pm and the event starts at 8.00pm. This event is free, and a hat is passed round for donations to the musicians. More details here.

>>>

Interview with James J Turner

The post Interview with James J Turner appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

Launched at Liverpool Town Hall on 30th April, the Liverpool Music Awards returns with a few welcome changes.

Liverpool City Council is now the main sponsor of the Liverpool Music Awards 2013, with the awards ceremony to be held at St George’s Hall being brought forward to coincide with the new Liverpool International Music Festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Major of Liverpool Joe Anderson is sponsoring the One to Watch Award which is dedicated to the memory of 18 year old Michael Molloy who lost his life in the Bestival coach crash last year.

The categories are:-

• Live Music Venue of the Year
• Live Music Night of the Year
• Artist Manager/Management Team of the Year
• Producer/Production Team of the Year
• Record Label of the Year
• Recording Studio of the Year
• Single of the Year
• Album of the Year
• Female Artist of the Year
• Male Artist of the Year
• Band of the Year
• DJ of the Year
• The Michael Molloy Award for the One To Watch
• Local Music Champion
• The Roger Eagle Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music
• The Lifetime Achievement Award

To vote, and to find out more, visit liverpoolmusicawards.com

Nominations are open now, and close at midnight on Friday 31st May.

The first batch of judges for this year has been announced.

• Yaw Owusu – curator of the Liverpool International Music Festival
• Spike Beecham – live event producer and production manager
• Roger Hill – broadcaster, and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award 2012
• Steve Levine – record producer
• Billy Butler – broadcaster

More judges will be announced over the coming months.

The awards nomination party will take place at Eric’s in July.

>>>

Liverpool Music Awards 2013 – nominations open

The post Liverpool Music Awards 2013 – nominations open appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

If you’re an acoustic musician from Greater Merseyside, or from outside the area but play on the Liverpool scene, then feel free to send us your music for future shows. We can’t promise we’ll be able to play everything that’s sent to us, but we will listen to every track.

Find out all about the show, how to submit your music, and the Terms of Use, at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/spotlight/about

Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight 91

To play click here Spotlight 91
or right click the link to download for free

1. Michael Molloy & Alex Evans – Rise and Fall
michaelmolloymusic.com
facebook.com/MichaelMolloyRiseandFall
twitter.com/RiseAndFall2013

Buy the single [iTunes] [Amazon]

2. She Drew The Gun – Time Machine (Before I Went Back In Time)
shedrewthegun.com
soundcloud.com/she-drew-the-gun

3. Barry Lawton – Going Under
soundcloud.com/barry-lawton

4. Dan Amor – Yr Anhaeddiannol
recordiaucaegwyn.com
soundcloud.com/dan-amor
Buy Dan’s music [Bandcamp] [iTunes]

5. Jo Bywater – This Garden
jobywater.com
soundcloud.com/jobywatermusic

6. Martyn Joseph & Show of Hands – Cardiff Bay (Live at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2011)
martynjoseph.net
Buy the new album Songs For The Coming Home [Pipe Records] [iTunes] [Amazon]

Liverpool Acoustic presents Martyn Joseph at Sefton Park Palm House on Sunday 23rd June 2013 – click here for more details.

The post Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight 91 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.

What’s not to like about the merry month of May? Could it be the ligher evenings and milder weather? Or maybe it’s the range of musical events on offer. You can take your pick from Liverpool Sound City (2nd to 4th), Light Night (17th), and Chester Folk Festival (24th to 27th), plus a host of regular and one-off events across the next 31 days – see our May Diary Selection Box for ideas.

1st May sees the launch of the Liverpool Music Awards 2013, which has been brought forward by three months so the awards ceremony can take place during the new Liverpool International Music Festival at the end of August. The launch event took place last night at Liverpool Town Hall, and the nomination process is now open. Full details can be found at liverpoolmusicawards.com

The start of May sees mixed news on the venue front. The opening of Southport’s controversial The Atkinson venue and the rebirth of The Masque/Barfly as the East Village Arts Club follow news of another blow to MelloMello‘s bid to stay open and the tragic news that The Caledonia is set to close at the end of May after the pub chain that owns it decided to sell it so it can be converted into student flats. However, the campaign to save The Cally is up and running: read about it here and you can help by signing the petition here.

And while you’re on the Internet signing the Cally’s petition, don’t forget to download Rise and Fall by Michael Mollowy and Alex Evans. Full details and links at michaelmolloymusic.com

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE

Liverpool Acoustic Live this month is at the View Two Gallery, and takes place on Friday 24th May 2013.

• Clara Barker - From the Isle of Man, Clara – rhymes with Sarah – describes herself as a princess who likes telling stories, eating pies and pulling funny faces. Her songs feature peace, fun, wisdom, and all points in between.
• Rob Gough – An internationally renowned singer, songwriter from Liverpool who has supported Midge Ure, Sandi Thom and Sound of Dave.
• Ade Jackson - A bit of Cave, a bit of Cash, a soupçon of Cohen, and a whole lot of Catharine Street.
• Just By Chance – Chester-based Andy Jones and Liz Owen have supported Midge Ure and Joan Armatrading, and have had their music played on BBC 6Music and Radio 2.

Tickets are available in advance for £5 from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic or for £6 on the night.

Doors open at 8.00pm. The event starts at 8.30pm and goes through to 11.00pm.

You can join the facebook event at facebook.com/liverpoolacoustic/events

All of our future live events can be found at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/live and if you want to receive information about tickets before they go on general sale then sign up to our events publicity mailing list here.

DIARY NEWS

If you can help us out by bringing us up to date, drop us a line using the ‘Contact‘ page. And if you have anything to add to the diary, just visit the ‘Diary‘ page and click the ‘Add Event’ button.

All change…

• Move along the page now…

You say goodbye…

• …there’s nothing to see here (just how we like it!)

And I say hello…!

• Mouth of the Mersey is a new monthly storytelling night interspersed with music. It takes place once a month at Studio 2 and is free to attend. They don’t have a set pattern so you should check their website mouthofthemersey.org.uk for confirmed dates and details of the acoustic artists booked for each night. The next one is on Monday 13th May from 7.30pm to 10.00pm with music from The Mersey Belles.
• Open mic at The Tavern on Smithdown Road started last month and takes place every two weeks on a Tuesday from 9.00pm to 11.30pm, and is free. If you’re interested in playing either just turn up or contact Ste Kelly through the facebook page. The next one is on Tuesday 14th May.
• Jimmy O’s Open Mic is a new, free event which takes place every Wednesday from 8pm to 11pm at this new venue (Jimmy O’s is the name of the venue, not the host!) at the Library end of Allerton Road. In addition to the open mic, host James Walsh will be booking a 30 minute guest slot each week. For more details email jameswalshacoustic@yahoo.co.uk

MAY DIARY SELECTION BOX

Here’s a selection of some of the acoustic events taking place this month. Click on the event in the diary for full details and links.

• Wednesday 1st – Nels Andrews @ Grateful Freds, Formby Royal British Legion – with support from The Good Intentions, and a first public performance from the Grateful Fred Ukulele Orchestra! 8.00pm doors, 8.15pm start, tickets £7.50 from wegottickets.com
• Thursday 2nd – Johnny’s Acoustic Caravan Club @ Camp and Furnace – featuring music from The Roscoes, Lee Brodrick, Simon Maddison, Rachel Hillary, Catherine Hardman, Daniel Pye, The Great Plain Sundance, Tubula, Barefoot Fiddler, and Red Vela. It’s all held together by host Johnny Sands, runs from 8pm, and is free. Facebook event here.
• Sunday 5th – John Wesley Harding Revisited @ Bridewell Studios and Gallery (Prescot St). Hobos and drifters from the Liverpool music scene perform songs from Dylan’s classic 1967 LP. It runs from 1pm to 6pm with a donation on the door. Details on facebook here.
• Friday 10th – Christa Couture @ Acoustic Dustbowl – The Canadian roots singer makes a rare visit to Liverpool’s View Two Gallery. Support from the Southbound Attic Band and Stan Ambrose. Tickets £5 from wegottickets.com and the facebook event is here.
• Saturday 11th - Radical Liverpool @ The Casa – with headline act James J Turner, and support from Our Morals and Jim Pearson. 7.30pm doors, 8pm start. It’s a free night, and a hat is passed round for the performers. Details from radicalliverpool.com
• Monday 13th – Beginners Blues Harp with Hamilton Loomis @ Fogherty’s function room. In association of Johnny’s Blues Club, bluesman Hamilton Loomis will show you the basics of the blues harmonica. Age 12 upwards, and no musical experience required. £30 fee includes harmonica, practice CD and handout. Info and booking details here.
• Tuesday 14th – Open Mic @ The Tavern – on Smithdown Road. 9.00pm to 11.30pm, free. Featuring covers and originals.
• Friday 17th – TJ & Murphy @ Liverpool Cathedral – performing at the candle-lit labyrinth and offering the ultimate chill-out experience. This is part of Light Night at the Cathedral which runs from 6pm to 11pm. Free entry.
• Saturday 18th – E-I-G-E-N-L-I-C-H-T @ LEAF on Bold Street - This is Silent Cities’ debut EP launch and features Thom Morecroft & the Full Moon Band, Magic Arm, We The Dead, plus DJ Mr Resistor, and visuals from TVLux, Mr Wolf Collective, and Craft Creative. Tickets only £4 from skiddle, doors open 8pm. Facebook event here.
• Wednesday 22nd – Jimmy O’s Open Mic @ Jimmy O’s, Allerton Road. 8pm to 11pm, free.
• Thursday 23rd – Mellowtone @ Sefton Park Palm House – Mellowtone presents an evening of artists from the Viper label, including Edgar ‘Summertyme’ Jones, TG Elias, and Chris Elliot. Doors 8pm, tickets £5 in advance or on the door. Facebook event here.
• Friday 24th – Liverpool Acoustic Live @ View Two Gallery – Clara Barker from the Isle of Man is joined by Rob Gough, Ade Jackson, and Just By Chance. Doors 8pm, music 8.30pm, tickets £5 from wegottickets.com
• Sunday 26th – Maison Johnny @ LEAF on Bold Street – a fantastic FREE lineup from 8pm with Highfields, Rob Vincent, Simon Maddison, David Hirst, Kalandra, and The Roscoes, plus more to follow. Facebook event here.

AND FINALLY…

We’ve been overwhelmed by enthusiastic music lovers eager to join our review team and contribute reviews of live events and music releases, plus interviews and other articles. If you missed it, you can find the original article here.

Graham – on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic Team

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Liverpool Acoustic Newsletter – May 2013

The post Liverpool Acoustic Newsletter – May 2013 appeared first on Liverpool Acoustic.