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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

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

Joby Fox - Green Note, Camden 20/11/23

November 22, 2023 by David Vousden in Singer Songwriter, Folk, Pop

For me, Green Note in Camden Town remains one of the best venues in London. I have seen some great shows there in recent years, but it was my first time down in the Basement Bar, which makes the intimate confines of the main room upstairs seem positively palatial by comparison. If we were to talk about interesting characters with a story to tell, Joby Fox would certainly qualify, so Green Note was the ideal venue to get to know Joby Fox a little better.

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November 22, 2023 /David Vousden
Joby Fox, Energy Orchard
Singer Songwriter, Folk, Pop
1 Comment

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

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

Jesse Malin + Trapper Schoepp - The Garage, London 17/02/2023

February 23, 2023 by David Vousden in Americana, Alternative Rock, Country, Folk, Singer Songwriter, Live

The Garage in London’s Highbury area is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, and there are few better places to see a live band in the capital. Originally a Temperance Billiard Hall, the venue supposedly served great pies but was typical of such establishments back in the day attracted an interestingly varied clientele (In my head, I’m picturing a scene from Get Carter or The Krays). It became a venue in 1993, hence the anniversary, with Pulp as one of the first big-name acts to appear. On my arrival, a decent-sized, yet orderly, queue is snaking its way down the street, but I’m still able to get in for an unfathomable, to me, early start to find Trapper Schoepp is already in full swing. I’d forgotten how good The Garage was until this evening, as it’s been a few years since we’ve crossed paths, but with friendly door staff and clear as a bell sound, things are definitely looking good.

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February 23, 2023 /David Vousden
Jesse Malin, Trapper Schoepp
Americana, Alternative Rock, Country, Folk, Singer Songwriter, Live
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

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

Spell Songs – Cadogan Hall, London 01/02/2022

February 07, 2022 by Rich Barnard in Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

The Lost Words, a book of poetry and paintings by Jackie Morris and Robert MacFarlane began as a response to certain vocabulary being dropped from the Oxford Junior Dictionary. It became a quiet yet powerful celebration of the trees, birds and animals that surround and sustain us. It was followed by a second book, ‘The Lost Spells’, and the Spell Songs project, on which the artist and poet collaborated with a carefully handpicked band of eight musicians (we’ll come to them in a bit). The slow burning popularity of the resultant first album, Spell Songs has no doubt been fuelled by a worldwide reconnection with the natural world. As lockdowns had us trading crowded nights out for solitary woodland walks to preserve our sanity, a newfound appreciation and fascination for these wild and delicate delights took hold and, for many, has refused to let go.

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February 07, 2022 /Rich Barnard
Spell Songs, Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Seckou Keita, Jim Molyneux, Julie Fowlis, Beth Porter, Rachel Newton, Jackie Morris, Robert MacFarlane
Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter
Comment

Jon Gomm - Bush Hall, London 27/11/2021

December 05, 2021 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Guitar

Bush Hall is a bit of a favourite with team RGM. And, after nearly two years away, for us it feels quite a lot like coming home. Temporarily forgotten but so instantly familiar. The mirrored, decoratively stuccoed arches that flank the room are right where we left them and the red velvet chairs are lined in rows, which means this is going to be a civilised one. The winds of storm Arwen are still rushing and it’s bitterly cold outside, but the fearless faithful have braved the elements and are duly assembled, respectfully expectant.

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December 05, 2021 /Rich Barnard
Jon Gomm, Bush Hall, Live Music
Acoustic, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter, Guitar
Comment

Archie Faulks – The Islington, London 03/03/20

March 05, 2020 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Folk, Live Review, Pop, Singer Songwriter

I am too old for this gig. Literally. It’s my guess that most of the crowd here are barely out of school and I’m willing to bet the rest are getting up for first period maths in the morning. The Islington (aka Pin Ups) is the kind of dimly-lit velvet-draped bar venue in which I spent most of my twenties so, a couple of decades on that may explain why I’m mourning my years. I’m here to see Archie Faulks, whose rather fabulous EP Longing In London landed in the RGM inbox a few weeks ago. Support tonight comes from Knight and Cheshire-based singer songwriter Sophie Morgan.

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March 05, 2020 /Rich Barnard
Archie Faulks, Knight, Sophie Morgan, Pinups
Acoustic, Folk, Live Review, Pop, Singer Songwriter
Comment

Polly Paulusma & Annie Dressner - Green Note, London 26/02/20

February 28, 2020 by Rich Barnard in Acoustic, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

It’s a fabulously cold night in Camden but we are cloistered and cosy in the warmth of the bijou Green Note. Tonight’s sold-out show is the London leg of Dressner and Paulusma’s tour of England; the former is gearing up for the release of her new album in May, while the latter is promoting her current project ‘Pivot’, about which more later on. For now though, hush please, the show’s about to start…

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February 28, 2020 /Rich Barnard
Polly Paulusma, Annie Dressner
Acoustic, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter
Comment

Amigo The Devil - Hoxton Hall, London 15.02.2020

February 18, 2020 by David Vousden in Acoustic, Americana, Blues, Country, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter

For the second weekend in a row, the UK was in the grip of a named storm as the RGM team made their way to Hoxton Hall in London. The onset of Storm Dennis, which would bring driving rain and treacherous winds to the majority of the country wasn’t going to put us off and proved rather fitting as Amigo The Devil seems very comfortable with the dark and the desolate.

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February 18, 2020 /David Vousden
Amigo The Devil, Christian Hede, Boss Caine
Acoustic, Americana, Blues, Country, Folk, Live Review, Singer Songwriter
Comment
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