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Kamelot - O2 Forum Kentish Town, London 02/11/24

November 05, 2024 by David Vousden in Hard Rock, Live Review, Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal

I don’t get to many metal shows these days, so I jumped at the opportunity to visit North London for a rare UK visit from Kamelot. The Florida-born but now multi-national act are deep into their ‘Awaken The World’ tour with impressive looking support from Ad Infinitum, Blackbriar and Frozen Crown. I’m, unusually for me, bright and early for the start of tonight’s proceedings and expecting good things.

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November 05, 2024 /David Vousden
Kamelot, Ad Infinitum, Blackbriar, Frozen Crown
Hard Rock, Live Review, Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal
Comment

Steve Hackett - Royal Albert Hall, London 23/10/2024

October 27, 2024 by David Vousden in Classic Rock, Live Review, Progressive Rock

The prestigious Royal Albert Hall is the perfect venue for an evening with Steve Hackett. Opened in 1871, by Queen Victoria no less, and with a capacity of over 5000, the hall seems to rise to the heavens, its multiple levels inducing vertigo even from my vantage point in the stalls – the building is actually 135ft tall trivia fans. There is something about the majesty of progressive rock that perfectly fits a venue that has hosted many great nights of classical music, and Steve has a long list of songs stretching back fifty years that are much loved by many to this day.

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October 27, 2024 /David Vousden
Ray Wilson, Steve Rothery, Marillion, Genesis, Steve Hackett
Classic Rock, Live Review, Progressive Rock
Comment

Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets - London Palladium 24/09/2024 (Live Review)

September 28, 2024 by David Vousden in Alt-Country, Americana, Classic Rock, Country, Country Rock, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

Nick Lowe seemed genuinely surprised that so many folks had come out on a Tuesday night for the first show of his UK tour at the London Palladium. It was standing room only at the 2200+ capacity venue. This says much about the high esteem in which Nick Lowe is held as an artist and songwriter. From his early days in Brinsley Schwartz and late 70s solo chart success, Rockpile with Dave Edmunds and on through the critically acclaimed Brentford Trilogy of albums to his latest work with Los Straightjackets, Lowe has been a mainstay of British music for fifty years. Lowe is also well known for his production work in the 80s with the Stiff record label that included ‘New Rose’ for The Damned and a run of classic albums for Elvis Costello. I’m pleased to report that, even at 75, Lowe shows no signs of slowing down, and he looks to be enjoying keeping things fresh with Los Straitjackets.

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September 28, 2024 /David Vousden
Nick Lowe, Andy Fairweather Lowe, Los Straitjackets
Alt-Country, Americana, Classic Rock, Country, Country Rock, Live Review, Singer Songwriter
Comment

Kelsey Michael + The Happy Couple - Green Note, London 29/07/2024

August 01, 2024 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Folk, Live, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Ambient

The unpredictable UK weather has taken a turn for the better, and it’s positively steamy in the Green Note basement. For those yet to sample the charms of this most intimate of venues, imagine your living room with a bar at one end, but probably smaller. A sold-out venue makes for a cosy experience, so we grab a beer and a spot by the bar in preparation for this evening's entertainment brought to us by Brian and the good folks at Dimple Discs.

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August 01, 2024 /David Vousden
Kelsey Michael, The Happy Couple, Dimple Discs
Acoustic, Folk, Live, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Ambient
Comment

Matti Klein Soul Trio - Bulls Head, Barnes, London 31.01.24

February 13, 2024 by David Vousden in Jazz, Live Review

Firstly, I’d like to get the elephant in the room out of the way. I would never claim to be an expert on jazz. There, I’ve said it. I thought I’d start with this sweeping statement to enable lovers of the genre and those who consider themselves experts in the field to look away now (I won’t take it personally). So please don’t expect in-depth examinations of structure or time signatures as I ramble on about who knows what. Although Matti did mention at one point, in that relaxed way of his, that the trio had played a tune, complete with extended solo breaks in 11/4 time, so there you go. I’m a casual fan of the genre, by which I mean I’ve some Miles, Kenny Burrell and a few other odd things in my collection and plenty of stuff that’s jazz adjacent in Joni, Steely Dan etc. There won’t be too many mentions of the technical abilities of the players here just an appreciation of great music, in a location integral to the UK jazz scene for decades.

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February 13, 2024 /David Vousden
Matti Klein, Lars Zander, André Seidel, Matti Klein Soul Trio, Jazz
Jazz, Live Review
1 Comment

Cassidy Paris + Wicked Smile – Cart and Horses, Stratford London 03/12/23

December 06, 2023 by David Vousden in AOR, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Live Review, Melodic Rock, Metal, Rock

Located a mere stone’s throw from Maryland or a brisk ten-minute walk from Stratford International Station, the Cart & Horses in East London calls itself “The Birthplace of Iron Maiden” and isn’t shy about it. Iron Maiden played the venue on numerous occasions in 1976 before embarking on their ascent to the very top of the Heavy Metal tree, and the pub is a shrine to the UK legends (it’s also home to plenty of West Ham United fans). Every available surface is covered with art, records and memorabilia, so if you’re a fan of the boys, then the Cart & Horses is well worth a visit. The area around the pub remains untouched by post-Olympic Games regeneration and remains very much “old” London, aka dark, dreary and pretty bleak on a rainy night in December. Tonight’s music wouldn’t be all that far removed from Iron Maiden as it turned out, but more about that later as I was in town to catch up with up-and-coming Antipodean songstress Cassidy Paris, a recent signing to the Italian melodic rock label Frontiers.

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December 06, 2023 /David Vousden
Wicked Smile, Cassidy Paris
AOR, Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Live Review, Melodic Rock, Metal, Rock
Comment

Sophie B. Hawkins - The Forge, Camden 26/11/23

December 01, 2023 by David Vousden in Pop, Singer Songwriter, Live Review

It’s a cold, wet November evening in Camden Town, but I’m happy to ignore the inclement weather as The Forge is hosting the first London show in almost two decades by Sophie B. Hawkins. The singer is in town promoting her ‘Free Myself’ album, released earlier this year after another lengthy gap - in this case, a mere eleven years. Time sure does fly. It’s my first time at The Forge, just a few yards off the main drag, an unassuming entrance opening out into a decent-sized space with a balcony for the VIP experience. I’m running a little late, but I’ve just enough time to grab a beer and a spot by the mixing desk as Sophie’s three-piece band (drums, bass, keys) takes to the stage.

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December 01, 2023 /David Vousden
Sophie B. Hawkins
Pop, Singer Songwriter, Live Review
3 Comments

Tara MacLean + Edwina Hayes – Camden Club, London 30/05/2023

June 28, 2023 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Americana, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

There’s something about the Camden area of London that has defiantly resisted gentrification and the seemingly inevitable advance of big corporate names. You’ll see the odd famous name coffee shop, but generally, the corporate giants feel like temporary intruders just passing through. The short walk from Camden station, over the canal and up to Chalk Farm for this evening’s entertainment feels bohemian and otherworldly. The area is home to the outsider and those rooted in the arts, with a hint of danger, amongst other things, hanging in the early evening air as you walk past the various chancers, reprobates and not one, but two charity organisations trying to make a difference by offering hot meals from temporary street stalls. For an artist such as Tara MacLean, who had an unconventional (to put it mildly) upbringing in the wilds of Canada fraught with danger and uncertainty - that would most certainly be considered outside the norm - it seems strangely fitting that she should find herself telling stories and singing songs in the Camden Club, an intimate venue with a blink you will miss it, black entrance staircase leading to a large door, complete with a ridiculously oversized door handle, that looks like it should have its own portcullis and a moat.

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June 28, 2023 /David Vousden
Tara MacLean, Edwina Hayes
Acoustic, Americana, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter
Comment

The Milk Carton Kids + Jesca Hoop - Union Chapel 20/05/23

May 27, 2023 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Americana, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

As the audience settle themselves among the pews in the Union Chapel, the vacant stage is as uncluttered as it gets: a solitary central mic and two empty guitar stands.  That’s it.  I would wager that the sleep of the tour manager is long and undisturbed on this one.  Also onstage, dwarfing all else, is a massive stone pulpit, lest we forget we are in a place of worship.  Those guitar stands, of course, belong to Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, the titular Milk Carton Kids who have sold out tonight’s show, timed to coincide with the release of their new album, I Only See The Moon.

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May 27, 2023 /Rich Barnard
The Milk Carton Kids, Jesca Hoop
Acoustic, Americana, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter
Comment

Walter Trout + Alastair Greene – Islington Assembly Hall 21/05/2023

May 25, 2023 by David Vousden in Blues, Classic Rock, Guitar, Live Review, Rock

After an evening of acoustic loveliness with Milk Carton Kids at Union Chapel on Saturday, It was only a short walk down Islington’s Upper Street for Sunday's entertainment as legendary blues singer and guitarist Walter Trout is in town. For those unfamiliar, the Assembly Hall is part of the Islington Town Hall complex built in 1930, but only reopened as a venue in 2010 after languishing as storage space for many years and retains many impressive art deco features. The hall has a capacity of approximately 900, but it always feels more intimate, the staff are friendly, and most importantly, the sound is excellent. But enough of the architectural/history lesson, it's time we get to the music, and as we arrive, opening act Alastair Greene is doing his thing.

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May 25, 2023 /David Vousden
Walter Trout, Alastair Greene
Blues, Classic Rock, Guitar, Live Review, Rock
Comment

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - Shepherd's Bush Empire, April 23rd 2023

April 24, 2023 by David Vousden in Blues, Classic Rock, Guitar, Live Review

It's a Sunday night, and I'm at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, undaunted by the typically miserable weather, for the final night of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band UK tour. The Empire is a long way from Shreveport, Louisiana, but it's also been twenty-five long years since the original release of ‘Trouble Is’ elevated the guitarist to the top of the blues tree. The platinum-selling record would spawn four crossover rock hits, building on the success of his debut album, ‘Ledbetter Heights’, and catapulted the young guitarist to headline status while still in his early twenties.

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April 24, 2023 /David Vousden
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Blues, Classic Rock, Guitar, Live Review
Comment

Suzanne Vega – Royal Festival Hall 02/03/23

March 10, 2023 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Folk, Pop, Singer Songwriter, Live Review

I could call Suzanne Vega the godmother of modern folk; I could call her a craftswoman of songs both wise and timeless; a simultaneous master of simplicity and depth.  A legend?  Maybe.  An icon?  Definitely.  I could say that her fiercely poetic and melodic vignettes are woven into the fabric of a generation; inspiring millions to pick up guitars and pick out their own truths, stories and emotion.  I could say I’m a fan.  But you probably already worked that one out. 

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March 10, 2023 /Rich Barnard
Suzanne Vega, Gerry Leonard
Acoustic, Folk, Pop, Singer Songwriter, Live Review
Comment

Canada House - Moth Club, Jan 25th 2023

February 07, 2023 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Alt-Country, Americana, Bluegrass, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Roots

On a facecrunchingly cold January evening, I throw myself selflessly upon the mercy of the bus gods, in a futile effort to travel in an approximately straight line from my house to the MOTH club in Hackney.  For why?  Well, it’s the second of two Canada House shows promoting independent Canadian artists and I owe them, frankly.  Having taken a sabbatical from my regular RGM Maple Leaf duties, I feel it’s time to make amends with that wonderful country to which we are so culturally – and, of course, monarchically – connected.  The shows are taking place as part of UK Americana Music Week and the MOTH is pleasingly bedecked with Canadian flags, to make double-sure we all remember which countries are which.

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February 07, 2023 /Rich Barnard
UK Americana Music Week, The Hello Darlins, Mikhail Laxton, Julian Taylor, William Prince, Whitehorse, Willie Stratton, AMAUK
Acoustic, Alt-Country, Americana, Bluegrass, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Roots
Comment

Canada House - Moth Club, London Jan 24th 2023

February 02, 2023 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Alt-Country, Americana, Bluegrass, Country, Country Rock, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

On a bitterly cold January night, the RGM team are in London’s Hackney, where I’m pleased to report, despite the multiple issues of recent years, live music is thriving with a wide variety of venues still hanging in there. Moth Club is one such venue, tucked away just off the main street but still, very much, part of the bustling Hackney ambience. The reason for our visit this evening is the first of two nights showcasing some of the very best Americana and Roots music Canada has to offer as part of Americana UK Music Week (that’s Americana Fest to you and me) hosted by CIMA (Canadian Independent Music Association) in partnership with Music PEI. Twelve acts over two days with a good mix of old favourites and new blood, so let’s dig in to Canada House.

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February 02, 2023 /David Vousden
Canada House, UK Americana Music Week, Shane Pendergast, Tara MacLean, Lawrence Maxwell, Catherine MacLellan, Dylan Menzie, Andrew Waite, CIMA, MusicPEI, AMAUK
Acoustic, Alt-Country, Americana, Bluegrass, Country, Country Rock, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter
Comment

Justin Hayward + Mike Dawes - Union Chapel, London 20/09/22

September 23, 2022 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Classic Rock, Live Review, Pop, Singer Songwriter

The Union Chapel is a Grade I listed Victorian gothic-styled structure constructed between 1874 and 1877, with further additions from 1877 to 1890. In 2022, the chapel is now a registered charity that hosts live entertainment, runs a homelessness drop-in centre and is still in use as a church. The octagonal building seats 900 in the original pews and includes a balcony level where I found a spot to take in the show. Seating is first come, first served, so you’ll need to get in the queue early if you want to warm a bench down the front.

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September 23, 2022 /David Vousden
Mike Dawes, The Moody Blues, Karmen Gould, Julie Ragins, Justin Hayward
Acoustic, Classic Rock, Live Review, Pop, Singer Songwriter
Comment

Foy Vance + Gareth Dunlop + The Late Heavy - Eventim Apollo, London 03/09/22

September 16, 2022 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Americana, Folk, Live Review, Pop, Singer Songwriter

The Eventim Apollo in London will always have a special place in my heart. As a (very) naïve teen it was the location of my first, big London gig. In those, pre-sponsorship days, it was simply the Hammersmith Odeon and for many of us of a certain age, it always will be. The art deco Grade II listed building with its 3600 capacity seemed impossibly huge to me at the time as Status Quo rocked out on their Never Too Late tour. I’d been bitten by the live music bug and, I’m pleased to report, never recovered.

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September 16, 2022 /David Vousden
Foy Vance, Gareth Dunlop, The Late Heavy
Acoustic, Americana, Folk, Live Review, Pop, Singer Songwriter
Comment

Big Big Train + Dim Gray - Friars Aylesbury 02/09/22

September 08, 2022 by David Vousden in Classic Rock, Live Review, Rock, Progressive Rock

Perhaps fittingly, with all the history involved, RGM’s latest venture into the world of progressive rock took us to the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury, an imposing, 1200-capacity, glass-fronted building that opened as recently as 2010. Its striking architecture is far more pleasing to the eye than the ugly council offices tower block that dominates the town’s skyline. I’m sure the purpose-built venue must make many a provincial town, up and down the country, green with envy. The impressive external view is matched by a multi-level auditorium that resembles an oversized set of Jenga (I resisted the urge to try to remove a brick). On September 2nd, the venue hosted a show promoted by the legendary Friars Aylesbury, who've been promoting great music in the town since 1969, and it's heartening to know that folks from those original music club days are still involved today. An impressive achievement and my thinking is if it’s good enough for David Bowie who reflected “Memories are everything apparently, and I have only great ones of the fabulous Friars” then it’s certainly good enough for me.

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September 08, 2022 /David Vousden
Big Big Train, Dim Gray, Friars Aylesbury, Prog Rock
Classic Rock, Live Review, Rock, Progressive Rock
Comment

Black Deer Festival 2022 - Eridge Park, Kent

July 19, 2022 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Alt-Country, Americana, Bluegrass, Classic Rock, Country, Country Rock, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Rock, Stoner, World Music

My first experience of standing tightly crowded in a field for the love of music was not the euphoric epiphany it promised to be. To be fair, it was a long, long time ago; I was fifteen and fragile. Some of my fellow patrons were fearless and fighty. I retreated to a safe spot and tried not to think of the Battle of the Somme. Somewhere in a different postcode, I could vaguely make out one of my favourite bands doing their thing.

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July 19, 2022 /Rich Barnard
Black Deer Festival, Darlingside, The Waterboys, Wilco, Declan O'Rourke, London African Gospel Choir, Amy Helm, Josiah, Jack Broadbent
Acoustic, Alt-Country, Americana, Bluegrass, Classic Rock, Country, Country Rock, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Rock, Stoner, World Music
Comment

Lee Rogers - Green Note, London 29/06/2022

July 05, 2022 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Americana, Blues, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

They say that timing is everything. This certainly seems to be the case with Lee Rogers, the Northern Irish singer-songwriter who surprisingly left the world of music behind some fifteen years ago to embark on a career as a tattooist, opening his own studio and winning multiple awards in the process. Only to return in the last couple of years with a burst of musical creativity to make many of his peers more than a little jealous. Naturally, we jumped at the chance to catch up with Lee when it was announced he would be opening for The Sam Chase at the always-welcoming Green Note in London's Camden Town.

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July 05, 2022 /David Vousden
Lee Rogers, Gareth Dunlop, Foy Vance, Green Note, Zenith Cafe
Acoustic, Americana, Blues, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter
Comment

David Gray - London O2 Arena, 27/05/22

May 30, 2022 by Rich Barnard in Folk, Live Review, Pop, Singer Songwriter

As a twentysomething with my own aspirations as singer-songwriter, I was always churlishly dismissive of David Gray, and I confess I have only been peripherally aware of his work since that album. A couple of decades later, I’m treating its anniversary show as an opportunity to grow up, catch up and re-evaluate. White Ladder struck a chord with (literally) millions, at a time when thoughtful, acoustic songsters were looking for ways to sound relevant in a musical landscape still recovering from the ravages of Britpop. Alongside artists like Dido and Beth Orton, Gray embraced beats and electronica in ways that few of his fellow troubadours previously had. The slow-burn success of White Ladder, and in particular the massive hit ‘Babylon’, not only marked a stratospheric rise for Gray, it also paved the way for a huge resurgence in acoustic music that would follow.

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May 30, 2022 /Rich Barnard
David Gray, Marc Almond, White Ladder
Folk, Live Review, Pop, Singer Songwriter
Comment
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