Sleeping At Last - Saturn

Conor Oberst - Common Knowledge

Gary Clark Jr - Numb

A Day To Remember - End of Me

Yearbook - I could be anyone

Imagine Dragons - Bleeding Out

The White Buffalo - Oh Darling, what have I done

City and Colour - Sleeping Sickness

Cherry Ghost - Thirst for Romance

Kashmir - Miss You

Little Eye - Choked Up

Royal Blood - Little Monster

Arctic Monkeys @ Rock en Seine 22 Aug 2014

This gig has ruined me.... no band is ever going to beat the Arctic Monkeys 

Paolo Nutini @ The Brighton Centre 31st May 2014

Having seen him perform several years ago I was aware of what to expect, a strong voice and truthful songs that compensated for a slightly average delivery. However the man that walked out on stage this time wasn't the same man that scurried out all those years ago. Gone were the hunched shoulders, slightly awkward gestures and eyes focused on the stage below him. In his place a man who confidently slithered in front of the audience with the stance of a Shakespearean lothario, hips dipped and chest out.

The production has become more elaborate but still kept in the confines of tastefulness with just the occasional artistic projection on the back wall of the stage. His band the Vipers are stunningly tight and together, as though this is the only performance they will ever do and they have to make it perfect.

In the five years since Sunny Side Up was released Paolo has had a transformation, not only musically but also physically. Boyish good looks have given way to a robust form and poise, which in part is why the Brighton Centre is filled with women. His new physical stance has improved his singing ability, one that deserves to sit among the greatest voices around at the moment.

Throughout the set his voice veers near the edges of dangerous but always remains in the confines of wonderment even when it approaches its most fragile notes such as in ‘Diana’. He manages to relay emotion not only through the nuances of his voice but also how he commands himself, his face acting as though he is reliving every tear soaked goodbye or existential revelation. So much so that the desperation in ‘No Other Way’ makes you think he might just crumble on stage. ‘Iron Sky’ produces an ineffable sensation thanks to its borrowed images and speech from Charlie Chapin’s film The Great Dictator, and Paolo’s evocatively faultless singing of perfectly crafted lyrics.

There isn’t a huge amount of engagement with the audience, but certainly enough that fits the occasion. People haven’t come to hear him tell jokes or prance around in-between costume changes; he is not that sort of artist. He doesn’t have to rely on expensive light shows or arbitrary props; his strength lies in his ability to transmit his songs in a way that makes them sound like they were written that day, that he is still feeling them. 

The older songs have been given a facelift of sorts and blended together or completely taken apart so that even though he crosses the boundaries of genres like pop, rock, soul and the odd psychedelic accompaniment, the songs feel like a cohesive whole. ‘Candy’ started with an atmospheric, moody intro and built into a tribal, primal beat, lending eagerness the original was without. The set ends with ‘Last Request’ that causes the audience to sing along without any prompting and for the first time that night causes him to look speechless.

‘Caustic Love’ appears to be Nutini’s seminal album just as 21 was for Adele and Back to Black was for Amy Winehouse. Both female artists are praised not only for their singing ability but for the way that they wrote / write about deeply personal issues in a way that everyone can relate to and Paolo belongs in the same category of truly talented artists.

City & Colour @ Brighton Dome 4th April 2014

With a band handpicked from The Raconteurs, Dead Weather, Hacienda and Constantines, and lead singer Dallas Green formerly of post-hard-core band Alexisonfire, you might not have expected the tender melodies and poetic lyrics the Dome experienced on Tuesday night. City and Colour was started by Canadian born Dallas Green as a side project but through word of mouth grew into selling out gigs, several Juno awards and a global following.

The harmonies were reminiscent of Crosby, Still, Nash and Young, with Dallas’ vocal style being particularly reminiscent of fellow Canadian Neil Young.  The band mixed Alt-country similar to Ryan Adams with David Gilmour sounding rocky guitar flourishes. At times it felt like the momentum of the band would cause them to disintegrate their instruments but they always transitioned into the softer moments with ease.

By his own admission his public speaking isn’t his strong point and he slightly awkwardly engaged the audience for a few minutes before he strapped on a harmonica for ‘Body in a Box’. For a song with such a macabre sentiment he managed to play it with a romanticism that got the loudest applause of the evening.

Published in The Argus 

Nick Mulvey @ Proud 13th Nov 2103

It took a confident man to leave a Mercury Music Prize nominated group and that’s exactly what Nick Mulvey was as he walked onto the stage at Proud in faded jeans, sweatshirt and backwards cap. Having left Portico Quartet where he played percussion, Mulvey set out on his own and has already supported Laura Marling and Lianne La Havas.

Part of his charm was his obvious influences from his exploration of African music, with his vocal delivery and melodies having a very West African feel about them that suited the dreamy tone to his voice, especially when he hummed, which he did in most songs. His song writing had more of a 70’s vibe, a Jackson Browne and James Taylor quality. He fused this with an eclectic and technical approach to guitar playing, although at times it felt like the guitar solos went on for just a touch too long.

His musical aptitude was showcased on a deconstructed version of Donna Summers ‘I feel love’, which wasn’t the only surprise cover as ‘You’re Not Alone’ by Olive also got the Mulvey treatment of taking a well known song and bending it in a way so it could easily have been one he had written.

Ethan Jones @ Komedia 17th Sept 2013

On a night when the sky was drizzling and a chill had castaway all memories of summer walking into the Komedia was like stepping into a warm hug. Candles twinkled as Ethan Johns, a man who has worked with some of the biggest names in music, humbly stepped onto the stage, unaware of the awe that surrounded him.

His set started off with a few acoustic songs, his soft vocals were reminiscent of Van Morrison and Neil Young. Occasionally he swapped to an electric guitar and drum machine and at one point even a handheld pump organ. His songs were philosophical and spiritual with an American Blues and Gospel influence running throughout them, at times bleak but they still depicted ineffable wonder at the beauty of life. His sound was quite rough and raw, not the slickness you might expect from a world-renowned producer but it just highlighted his unashamed raconteur nature.

Ethan Johns presented as a genuinely charming guy, funny at times and heart-warming at others, like when he talked proudly about his father. A truly skilled songwriter, his set was poetic and intelligent, captivating and thought provoking

Bad for Lazarus - BURNT

The Bad for Lazarus boys are back with another single that will knock your teeth out. BURNT is released on 2nd September and I will be heading to one of their gigs in Brighton so expect a review as soon as my ears stop ringing! In the meantime check out the video below

Yearbook @ The Hope, Brighton 29th July 2013

Appearances can be deceptive and with Yearbook what you see isn’t what you are going to expect to hear. They may look like a selection from the cast of an American Pie-style movie with geeky glasses and chino shorts; but their music doesn’t contain any of the cheesy Americanized clichés that have become commonplace throughout that style of music. 

In reality they are Hampshire’s answer to Biffy Clyro and give the audience at The Hope in Brighton a ferocious and continuous 20 minute set that pulls you in on the first song and doesn’t let you go until they finish playing. The band have crafted a huge live sound thanks in part to the drummer who churns out hard driving beats and choppy, syncopated rhythmic stops.

The singer has an amazing voice, seamlessly switching between screaming, signing and whispering. It is rare to find a signer who manages to pull off these different styles well but Yearbook have done just that. His vocal talents are supported by delicate and sparse vocal harmonies, adding even more depth to their live sound.

Particular highlights of the set were Art Student and Visionary, fast paced and clever songwriting. They have all the energy and brash of bands like Gallows and Lower Than Atlantis so its no surprise the latter asked them to a support them on their tour.

With such an impressive live set the band seem equally suited to playing stadiums as they do smaller venues they headlined tonight. The band are in Guilford, Leicester, London and Southampton so if you are in the area I strongly advise you go and check them out.

Bo Bruce Interview

 

Savernake Estate, with its 4,500 acres of the only privately owned forest in Britain and grand stone Grade 1 listed palladium mansion sounds like the ideal place to live. A childhood surrounded by stunning scenery, opulent landscapes and a historical family heritage may appear to be the perfect setting but the reality for Bo Bruce was far from the idyllic state people assume it would have been. “All that was affluent and impressive was just face you know. All these tragic things are happening against massive backdrops; that’s the only way I can describe it. The horror scene that might happen on a side street in Eastenders was happening in our world but with a different backdrop.”

When Bo was first exposed to the British public on The Voice last year people soon learnt that even though she had a title, Lady Catherine Brudenell-Bruce, and came from aristocratic heritage that trouble didn’t find it’s ways into her home. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, the most terrible things happen to anyone and everyone. All I know is that’s true no matter where you come from and people are beginning to get that, but yeah there were definitely people who where like ‘how can anything bad happen to you when the back drop was so impressive?”

Born in 1984 to the Earl of Cardigan David Brudenell-Bruce and Rosamond Winkley, Bo was brought up on Savernake Estate but an ideal childhood crumbled around her, much like the 19^th Century Lodge her father now lives in is reportedly crumbling around him. Last year Bo took out a restraining order against her father and now isn’t allowed to legally talk about him, her voice drops to barely more than a whisper as she address this point. “I’m not officially allowed to utter a word about my dad. I just can’t.”  As Bo stays quiet on the matter her father hasn’t been quite so discreet and has given several interviews about his daughter but never once alluded to what lead up to the separating of their relationship. His troubles with his children, Bo’s brother Thomas James Brudenell-Bruce - Viscount Savernake, who is also estranged from his father, isn’t the only battle he is facing at the moment. He is currently engaged in a long running battle with the trustees of the estate that has included being taken to court twice charged with criminal damage, theft and assault although he has never been convicted.