Spoiler alert; this is a cracking album. We haven’t reached the end of January yet and we’ve got the first five-star album. Malcolm MacWatt, with a few guest artists, has created a rounded and inspired piece of work that links Scottish and American music, historical and contemporary themes and political ideas spanning generations and centuries. Not only has Malcolm fused all of these ingredients to create a melodic and very thought-provoking album, he’s also tapped in to my own heritage as a Scottish expat who’s spent decades living in England while hanging on to those Celtic roots. It’s a powerful thing when an artist’s work hits you on musical and lyrical levels, even more so when it hits you on a personal level.

Malcolm’s upbringing as mixed-race Scottish in the Highlands followed by a spell working offshore in the oil industry. That kind of background, combined with a radical and inquiring spirit has led to some strong environmental, republican (not in the American sense) and nationalist (not in the jingoist Little England sense) views that permeate the album.

The opening two songs, the ‘Nebraska’-tinged ‘Strong is the North Wind’ and the triple-time ‘The Church and the Crown’ set the political tone for the album; the first is an exhortation to use the hard-earned right to vote, while the second criticises the power wielded by church and crown to subdue the masses and mentions historical figures Wat Tyler and John Ball. The songs ‘She Told Me Not to Go’ and ‘Heather and Honey’ both draw strong historical parallels with events that happened around two hundred years ago, the first linking the exploitation of nature and the environmental damage caused by factory whaling with similar problems caused by offshore oil drilling today. The second draws a straight line between The Highland Clearances and the slightly softer but still corrosive current approach of converting estates into playgrounds and hunting grounds for the rich and famous while forcing workers off the land and into the cities.

The title song with its traditional folk backing and spoken vocal tells another story of imperialism involving the wartime use of the Scottish island Gruinard as a testing site for anthrax as a chemical weapon before condemning it, supposedly forever a contaminated island before the Dark Harvest commandos intervened to bring the issue into the spotlight and force a clear-up.

And beyond this selection, the great songs keep coming. The highly personal and autobiographical ‘Empire in Me’ and ‘Semi-Scotsman’ and the stories of Scots helping to build the young America (‘Out on the Western Plain’ and ‘Buffalo Thunder’). Fourteen songs and every one a little classic from a gifted songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. It’s political, but Malcolm’s absolutely right in identifying current and historical injustice and placing it in the spotlight. You really need to listen to ‘Dark Harvest’; it’s packed with powerful melodies, great playing and lovely harmonies that all serve as vehicles for some disturbing truths.

‘Dark Harvest’ is out now on Need to Know Music (NTKBBV2024MM).

Here’s the video for the title track:

I may have mentioned that I love a challenge, but here’s one that I wasn’t expecting. I’ve never reviewed a triple album (bought a few in the vinyl era). Before The Clash released ‘Sandinista!’, the triple album was mainly a prog phenomenon with bands like Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer using the format for extended instrumental workouts. The Clash brought it all back to basics with a classic six songs per side over six sides. Jeb Barry’s Pawn Shop Saints have taken the Clash’s value for money concept even further with fifteen tracks per album – the maths is easy, it’s forty-five songs. Sensibly enough, it’s a digital-only release to download or stream.

The project started just after 2023’s ‘Weeds’ album was completed and pulls together songs that were written over a period of twenty years or so. ’45 American Lies’ is a bit of a tidy-up operation; you have a stack of forty-five songs that you’ve gathered over the years that didn’t quite fit in on any previous albums but you think they have value so why not record them and get them all out there at the same time. The recording process was all about getting the songs recorded with a maximum of speed and a minimum of studio trickery. There’s a lot of material here and the common factors are Jeb Barry’s classic songwriting and his high lonesome voice. He’s not expecting everyone to like every song on the album (do you know anyone who likes every song on ‘Sandinista!’?), but he’s quite happy if you dip in and find a couple that you like from the smorgasbord on offer.

For what it’s worth, my favourites after a couple of listens (and that could easily change after another listen)  are ‘Liverpool’, a story of everyday male sexual jealousy, ‘Cottonwood’ and ‘Repo Man’ on the familiar Jeb Barry theme of the destruction of rural communities and ‘Heading to Parchman’, the story of a doomed relationship that culminates in twenty to life in Mississippi State Penitentiary, which has a rich history in popular song, including Hannah Aldridge’s 2014 classic, ‘Parchman’.

It’s a bit of a long shift listening to the whole piece, but if you like quality Americana, then you’ll find something for you in this collection.

’45 American Lies’ is out now on Dollyrocker Records.

Here’s an acoustic video of ‘Cottonwood’:

One of the many interesting things about the grass-roots scene is that new artists are constantly breaking through. We all like a bit of variety and Allan’s no exception whether it’s a new venue or a new artist. Here are some of the artists that he shot for the first time this year.

 I must admit that I would get really bored if I was just photographing the same people in the same venues every week, so it’s great to see new artists starting up, passing through on tour or moving to London; it keeps things fresh. Here are a few artists that I pointed my lens at for the first time this year.

Ophelia Ray

I saw Ophelia a few minutes before she went on stage at Water Rats as part of the support line-up for Vambo and knew that she was going to look interesting under stage lighting; I wasn’t wrong. The lighting in Water Rats can be a bit unpredictable so when you get the right combination you need to capture it quickly. What I didn’t know about Ophelia is that she’s also a model; that became obvious as she strutted her stuff through her set. This shot looked good as a monochrome, but the contrasting colours work well.

Ebony Buckle

I was invited along by Cat Hockley to a Rachael Sage gig at The Pheasantry on the King’s Road in Chelsea. Normally I’m with Elvis Costello on this one, but Rachael’s an interesting performer and it’s always good to catch up with Cat. The support was from Ebony Buckle; I spent the entire evening trying to work out where I’d seen her before. Was it at a gig or somewhere else. It was definitely somewhere else; when I checked online I discovered that she’d appeared in an episode of ‘Inspector George Gently’ as a folk singer, surprisingly enough. Here’s a shot from her set.

Rachel Croft

A perfect example of breaking my own photographic rules. This time it was the one about focussing on the eyes. 229 The Venue received a post-COVID grant and invested it in all the right areas, improving the sound system and general production values. This shot was taken while some new lighting gear (and a hazer) were being bedded in and the hazer was used a bit enthusiastically a few times. Cameras don’t really like a lot of haze (which is why Lightroom has a dehazer function) so you have to wait for it to settle before you can get a decent shot. Eventually the lighting on Rachel’s hair and a few wisps of haze combined perfectly.

Cali Rivlin

I got a Facebook message midweek to ask what I was doing on Friday night and fortunately the answer was nothing. Cali Rivlin was doing a gig at the Toulouse Lautrec Venue in deepest south-east London and I was going along to take a few shots. Cali’s a fabulous jazz singer and interpreter of songs and her performances are always really animated; there’s always something interesting to shoot. It was a cabaret setting where shooting angles were restricted but I managed to grab a lovely shot where everything just fits perfectly. Cali loved it as well.

Sunniva Bondesson

Ray Jones from Talentbanq saw Baskery play at Cambridge Folk Festival and decided that he had to book them for a London gig at 229. The band is 3 sisters, Stella, Sunniva and Greta, who all sing and play, respectively, upright bass, guitar and 6-string banjo/percussion combination. You can pick your description of their music from Nordicana, Swedish folk (with some dark elements) and rock. For most of the set, Stella and Sunniva managed to avoid decent lighting until Sunniva stepped forward to the front of the stage (which was perfectly lit) for her big guitar solo. After that it was just a question of picking the best shape.

Here’s a few more shots from Allan with a slightly different twist this time; none of them are live performance shots. We’ll let him explain.

I always like the challenge of doing something a little bit different; new artist, new venue, just change things up a bit. The shots featured below happened for a variety of reasons and the one thing they have in common is that they aren’t onstage shots. They’re all shot with available light and not really posed; it’s more about letting the artists arrange themselves and trying to capture the moment where it all works.

The Velveteen Orkestra @Pizza Express

This was a very, very impromptu shoot. I was packing away my gear after the gig and Dan asked if I could just do a few shots that they could use for promotion. He asked me where he wanted the band to sit and Sarah was already sitting under a downlighter where she was perfectly lit. The only thing I had to do was seat the band together and fire the shutter as they stared grinned and flicked the v’s. This is one of the two shots that I really liked from the shoot, because it captured something essential about all three characters.

Simba Jindu @The Camden Chapel

This was Saara Kaldma’s first headline gig. Simba has played drums alongside Saara in various line-ups, including Lisa Canny’s band and he’s great percussionist as well as being a genuinely lovely guy as well. When I shoot at The Camden Chapel, I always try to get a few soundcheck shots because the show lighting can be a bit under-powered; very atmospheric but challenging for available light photography. I tend to shoot low-key, high contrast stuff, but this shot works as a high-key shot, emphasising the optimism of Simba’s infectious smile.

KAT ‘Rise’ video shoot

Whenever I get a message from KAT inviting me along to a shoot I know it’s going to be interesting, whether it’s a gig or a video shoot. This was a video shoot for KAT’s song ‘Rise’ at a church in Hoxton where KAT played an angel. The lighting was a bit of a challenge, but I think we just about got away with it.

Belle Roscoe@Pizza Express

Another impromptu Pizza Express shot, this time in the famous Green Room. Julia Gurry popped her head round the door of the Green Room and asked me if I would take a few shots. As younger brother Matty will tell you, that’s not really a request, it’s a summons. Anyway, the light’s pretty good, so I was happy to have a go and I think the result was pretty good. It was a rush job that I missed the fact that the toilet door was open and you can just see the toilet bowl. You can also see that Brother Strut have left their mark – I included that deliberately.

Morganway@Green Note

The Green Note gig that sold out without any artists being announced. It was billed as ‘The Road to Madison Square Gardens’ (the one in New York and not the proposed monstrosity in Stratford) and it was Morganway supported by Isabella Coulstock. Kari Jones (the sensible side of the Jones partnership) wanted a few shots with Morganway, then we moved on to shooting the band on Parkway outside Green Note. I liked the city backdrop of Camden Parkway and the band always look great.

Some more of Allan’s favourite photos from 2023 and he’s still keeping up the idea of some novel thematic links. We’ll leave it to him to explain:

Looking through the 2023 archive there are a few venues that turn up regularly; one of them is the award-winning Green Note in Camden. Artists love to play there, not because it’s a huge venue; there are plenty of those around in London and Green Note has a capacity that doesn’t reach three figures. The reason artists like it is that it’s what Americans call a listening room, where audiences want to hear the music and they show their respect for the artists by not talking during performances. Here’s my five choices, all from Talentbanq nights, in chronological order:

Saara Kaldma

The title of the night was ‘BV’s Up Front’ and featured sets from Saara Kaldma and Gertrud Aasaroht. I’ve seen Saara and Gertrud many times as backing vocalists with Lisa Canny. They do a fabulous job with Lisa and, like most backing vocalists, have fabulous voices. Saara demonstrated the effectiveness of “lead singer lighting” as she waited for her vocal cue:

Kieran Morgan

This gig was billed as ‘The Road to Madison Square Garden’. No artists were announced, but the event still sold out in advance. The featured artists were Isabella Coulstock who, among other things, has been touring with Jools Holland, and the mighty Morganway. I’ve shot Morganway a few times and my best shots are usually of singer SJ and fiddle player Nicky because they’re always at the front. This is Green Note; everyone’s at the front, so I managed to grab this nice shot of Keiran Morgan:

Maddie Hamilton

Maddie’s a cellist who often plays in Eleni Skarpari’s fluid collective Echo Wants her Voice Back. I’ve shot Eleni loads of times and Maddie’s been at a few of those gigs but I’ve never quite managed to get the killer shot. I spoke to the band at soundcheck and rashly promised Maddie that I would get a really nice shot of her this time. The gig photographer gods were on my side this time; as she looked over and made eye contact wit Eleni, a wisp of hair fell over her face and some colour from her tattoos was exposed. Done.

Pete Gow

Pete’s a really interesting guy. He’s originally from Scotland (he gets bonus points for that) and he’s a friend and former bandmate of guitar-slinger extraordinaire, Jim Maving (more bonus points). Pete’s songwriting is packed with characters that are contemporary Brits written by Raymond Chandler or Damon Runyon and he’s partial to a bit of a rummage around in the murkier ends of relationships and the music business (even more bonus points). He’s left-handed, which forces you to think all over again about shooting angles and he has a very interesting and photogenic look. And he’s a good bloke (thanks for the album, Pete). You decide:

Sophey Maye

I only met Sophey for the first time a few weeks ago at Kylie’s Kiwi Christmas, hosted by Kylie Price before going back to New Zealand for Christmas. Sophey’s a Kiwi, like Kylie, and we spent a while chatting before the gig. It was obvious from her level of animation that she was going to be a perfect subject to shoot. I also loved her songs and her voice. She positioned herself in the Green Note portrait lighting sweet spot and it was just a question of framing and waiting for the moment:

We’ve reviewed a couple of singles and an album by James Combs over the last two years and this year’s single was a really interesting one. It was a love song with a difference and you can read all about it at the end of this piece. We were pleased that he agreed to share some of his musical highlights of 2023 with us.

Seeing Sierra Ferrell live at the LA Folk Festival at the Ford Theater

 I agree with the music critics who call Sierra a “generational artist.”  She is like a mountain-music Amy Winehouse, to my mind – a wild-child pure artist with an otherworldly gift.  I have been a fan since the moment I heard her debut album but wasn’t able to hear her live until this October.  The Milk Carton Kids introduced her by saying “you are about to get your mind blown.”  They weren’t wrong. 

Playing the Houdini Mansion in Laurel Canyon

I got to play a concert at the Houdini mansion in Laurel Canyon this summer and it is a wild place.  Sculptures of levitating women, vintage magic posters, the grand pool where Harry practiced his escape act, and a great lawn that is perfect for music performance.  A fun and crazy night. Here’s are a couple photos of me with my harmony singing partner Erin Hawkins from the evening.

Playing Topanga Days with half of I See Hawks in LA as my band

My birthday afternoon music bash then hearing Pixies at the Hollywood Bowl

It’s just a gift to be able to play music for the people you love most and they were all there on our patio for my birthday house concert in September – here are some excerpts:

 And if that wasn’t enough, Pixies, Cat Power and Modest Mouse played the Hollywood Bowl around the corner from us that very night and our friends treated us to box seats.  I had almost forgotten how much I love Pixies.  They knocked everyone’s socks off – a band who has completely invented their own rock n roll language.  A grand and perfect day of music.

Releasing my collaborative single with The Well Pennies, “High Pine Steeples”!

This year was mostly about performing live and recording for me, but I did release my single “High Pine Steeples”, made in collaboration with another of my favorite bands, The Well Pennies.  I spent a few days visiting them and recording in their Golden Bear Studios in Des Moines and we released this love song to redwood trees in May to lots of airplay here in the US and in the UK.  I loved singing harmony with Bryan and Sarah Vanderpool, who are both incredible arrangers and singers.  I really just played them my song and let them have at it.  And they, being them, brought the magic and turned it into a cavernous, lush, harmony rich affair, worthy of the trees.  Hear it here:

Every year we invite Allan to share some of his gig photos from the year and then wait to see how he decides to categorises them. He also likes to give some background for the shots as well, whether it’s about the artists, technical photo stuff or having a bit of a whinge about the lighting at the venue. Let’s see what happens this time.

After a few years of pointing cameras at people on various stages around the UK, as well as meeting and working with lots of new people, you find yourself working with artists that you build a relationship with over time. It can be an interesting challenge making different images with the same person over a period of time and, I say this way too often, but I like a challenge. These are all shots of artists that have featured in previous High Fives. And actually, the lighting was pretty good in all of these venues.

Amy Taylor

It’s less than two years since I first saw Amy Taylor playing at a So Live Sessions showcase in Dalston. I see a lot of live music and it’s very rare that I see anything that’s bad, but it’s equally rare that I see anyone who completely blows me away; Amy was one of those people. She’s a gifted songwriter and a superb performer, supporting her powerhouse voice with either piano or guitar backing. I shot Amy many times during 2022 before she started to vocal cord problems in the autumn of that year. It’s been a long haul, but she finally started to perform live again in June 2023. I think she probably only gave it 97% but she sounded great and she’s still getting better.

Barbara ‘Basia’ Bartz

I first met Basia as part of Dana Immanuel and the Stolen Band when they played at my birthday party in 2017. I’ve shot the band many times since then and in many different locations. I’ve also shot Basia solo and working with other bands. There’s something about the shape that violinists make when they play that just works photographically and Basia’s quite a physical performer so something good usually happens the camera points in her direction. This shot was from a sold-out Dana Immanuel gig at Green Note in January 2023.

Si Connelly

It’s only a couple of years since I first shot Si Connelly and since that time, I’ve tried to shoot as many of his gigs in London as possible. This one was completely unplanned; I went a Success Express gig at The Pheasantry and saw Si, who was up in town celebrating his birthday. Of course, he did a cameo support set and of course I shot it. It was an obvious monochrome shot because he looked a bit fifties on the night, maybe even just a little bit Elvis. Anyway it worked for me and Si liked it as well, which is always nice to hear.

Say Anise

I first met Emily (who is Say Anise, or part of Say Anise now) at a Caffe Nero event in Brighton. We kept bumping into each other at gigs and then I started making an effort to get to gigs where I knew she was playing. One of the reasons I like Emily is that she will always do something a bit different;  a look, a movement or an interaction with one of the band members. I first saw Emily solo, then working with long-term collaborator Easymess, then as trio with HUX on backing vocals and then on electric bass as well. I didn’t try to correct for the lighting in this shot because it gave the shot a Miles Davis ‘Kind of Blue’ feel.

KAT

Sometimes you get on with someone straight away they’re a genuinely nice person. KAT’s one of those people. We’ve worked together on various things as she’s progressed through her musical career, including gigs and behind-the-scenes shoots on her video productions. Like Say Anise, she’s also worked her way through various musical incarnations from acoustic duo to full rock band. Her songs are powerful explorations of issues like physical domestic violence and gaslighting and she puts everything into her live performances. This shot’s from her debut appearance with her new band at the legendary rock venue, The Fiddler’s Elbow.

We’ve reviewed both of Peach and Quiet’s first two albums, tracing a trajectory from country rock and Americana on the debut through to a slightly rockier harder-edged sophomore effort in ‘Beautiful Thing’. Jonny Miller is one half of the duo partner Heather Read and he’s shared some of his favourite players who may not be too well known in the UK as well as a thank you to the people who make the noise in support of their beliefs.

Sage McBride –

Co-leader of everyone’s (in Canada at least!) favourite party band, Shred Kelly, and world class grant writer, who helped us get over many music industry challenges in 2023, and even showed up with her family when we were playing in her home town. What a rock star, thank you!

Shred Kelly –  

A super fun, and majorly groovy, band who have also become friends of ours, for coming back to Pender Island (with original hipster icons Elliot Brood) to regale us all with their super shaking songs, and also for staying at our humble abode, sharing road stories, and good food.

Clark Becker –   

Drummer extraordinaire, and true friend, who came and stayed with us for a week and graced us with his amazing rhythm skills, allowing us to take flight (in our living room) and sound more like our recordings. What a treat. We love you brother!

Ira Smolkin –

Guitar picker, singer of songs, and friend to many, who sadly left us all on Nov. 23rd, 2023. We give thanks for having him in our lives, briefly as it was. Safe travels to the home of love, see you on the flip side.

Anyone and everyone who stood up for the environment, peace, and the truth –

Keep up the good work, we need you now more than ever!

Rod Picott’s a songwriting craftsman, even to the point of using the imagery of woodworking tools to illustrate his songwriting process. We reviewed his latest album ‘Starlight Tour’ in October of this year and it reinforces his reputation as a chronicler of rust-belt America who tells his stories of everyday blue-collar people with economy and precision. He’s also a nice guy, so we were more than happy when he decided to contribute to this year’s High Fives. He’s also a discerning reader, so his selection is five books that made an impact on him this year.

‘August’ by Callan Wink

The book is a small marvel about the coming of age of a young man in Montana. The region’s politics and culture are deftly woven into this narrative. Mostly written in short declarative sentences – the comparisons to Hemingway are not overstated – particularly in the long sections of brilliantly executed dialogue.

‘Every Man for Himself And God Against All’ by Werner Herzog

The fingerprints and voice of Herzog come roaring off the page. It’s nearly impossible to read this memoir without the laconic dark-edged sound of Werner Herzog’s baritone rasping in your head. Like Herzog the director, this book is a ramble of memory and fever dream. The man’s memory is astonishing. A true polymath, Herzog can speak on nearly anything you can imagine – from forgotten pharaohs to his own directorial blunders.

‘Mayflies’ by Andrew O’Hagan

This touching and poignant read is quite simply a beauty. The first half of the book follows a group of post-punk fans-friends on a trek from small-town Scotland to a music festival in Manchester England. The charismatic Tully and the less confident James share a friendship that goes beyond film and music tastes and runs deeper than the adolescent chest thumping of youth. The writing is so sharp and filled with detail you almost feel like you are on the journey yourself. Halfway through the book, the reader is catapulted years ahead and the adult Tully and James come into focus. It’s an unexpected masterstroke. 

‘Lean On Pete’ by Willy Vlautin

Like most of Vlautin’s work ‘Lean On Pete’ is a slender novel. The story of a teenage boy’s search for a sense of home is poignant and quietly powerful. Charley’s relationship to a faltering racehorse as he attempts to make a dangerous trek across state lines to his only known relative will leave you gutted. Vlautin somehow manages the not so simple task of making you root for the underdog as his life continues to grow darker and darker. He does this without manipulating the reader and it makes the heartbreak even more eloquent.

‘Such Kindness’ by Andre Dubus III

‘Such Kindness’ spoke directly to this reader. Tom Lowe has had a tragic accident and is severed from his identity as a construction worker. He is in unyielding suffering, addicted to painkillers and is slowly descending into a version of himself he doesn’t recognize. The question that runs through this compassionate novel: Who are you, if everything you’ve built your life and selfhood on is taken from you? Such Kindness is a beautiful and slowly unwinding book. It is a series of small moments that add up to something philosophical and grand. Dubus is a masterful writer.

It’s three days in to the 2023 High Fives and we thought it was time to let Allan off the leash for his first contribution this year. Here are some of his reminiscences on gigs and artists old and new with a few photos as well. As you can tell from Allan’s introduction, every year has its losses as well as gains.

I’m rapidly approaching my fiftieth anniversary of gig-going and 2023 has been a year where the old and the new have frequently crossed paths as I’ve navigated the London gig scene. Before I get on to the positive stuff, there’s one loss we’ve suffered this year that really hurt. My love of live music kicked off when I was a student in Dundee between 1976 and 1980. One of the bands I saw there was the Scottish soul band Cado Belle. Maggie Reilly was an astonishing singer, but I was blown away by guitar player Alan Darby and his astonishing work on the tone poem ‘September’. The band split after one album and Alan did many things (including working on the door of a Covent Garden club managed by a friend of mine) before finally establishing himself as a guitar player and musical director with Lulu, Van Morrison and Les McKeown before going on to work in The Dominion production of ‘We Will Rock You’. A few years ago, courtesy of the wonderful Artie Zaitz, I wangled an invite for myself and my old mate (and Music Riot contributor) Steve Jenner to meet Alan at Chelsea Arts Club after a Guitars Deluxe performance. He was a lovely guy and he lost his battle with cancer earlier this year. Thankfully, we still have his music. Apologies for starting with a sad story, but those memories are as important as the happy ones, which are coming at you in chronological order.

Pin Drop Sessions @Caddy’s Southend (February 2023)

Have you ever been in Southend on a Friday night in February? It’s cold; it’s bloody cold, but I was going to see the brilliant Phil Burdett for the first time in 2023. It was a chance to see a new venue, have a beer or two with Phil and local bass maestro Martin Cutmore and grab a few pictures. So why is it called ‘Pin Drop Sessions’? It’s back to the old school; a small room, no PA and only acoustic instruments. No soundchecks, turn up and play to an audience that wants to hear music and doesn’t want to talk through the performances. You could literally hear a pin drop.

I’ve seen Phil Burdett performing many times over the last ten years as a singer-songwriter, author and poet and he’s always worth watching, never more so than in this intimate setting. It was perfect for Phil’s tales of Essex.

On this night, the new (for me) was Isabel Inkcap, who was totally engaging as she delivered her folk-inspired songs to a rapt audience. She’s a genuine talent who wins over the audience by sheer presence before she even starts to play either guitar or banjo. She also gifted me a great photo opportunity after a lengthy tuning session when it was obvious she was going to react somehow. I couldn’t have hoped for a better reaction.

Frankie Miller’s Full House @The 100 Club 30^th May 2023

In more ways than one, this comes back to Steve Jenner again. The first band that we saw together at Dundee University was Frankie Miller’s Full House. The blend of rock and soul and Frankie’s incredible voice blew us away; live music was never the same after that. Frankie’s band included a guitar player I’d never seen before, who went on to become hugely respected in the music business as a player and a historian; his name’s Ray Minhinnett. Frankie worked with various musicians live and on record before a brain aneurysm in 1994 ended his musical career. He’s doing fairly well now after all the trauma and the beautiful thing is that his legacy is still intact and his fans still want to hear those songs, which is where Steve Jenner comes back into the picture.

Early in 2023, Steve saw a reconstituted Full House (led by Ray Minhinnett and fronted by singer Gregor MacGregor). He pointed me in their direction and in May 2023 I got the chance to shoot Full House at The 100 Club. Frankie Miller was a one-off, but Gregor MacGregor has the Scottish voice to tackle Frankie’s songs with restraint and power in equal measure (and he’s a lovely bloke). A good night was had by everyone and the 1970s worked pretty well in the 2020s.

Southside Johnny @Shepherd’s Bush Empire 7th July 2023

It was a “Will he, won’t he” gig. The talk in the pubs around Shepherd’s Bush Green on the day was about whether Bruce Springsteen might make a guest appearance between his two Hyde Park gigs on the 6^th and the 8^th. He didn’t, but my mate and guitar player extraordinaire, Jim Maving did bump into the E Street Band bass player Garry Tallent at the gig. Bruce or no Bruce, I never miss a Southside show because you never know when the next one will be. I’ve been a Southside fan for nearly fifty years and I’ve been lucky enough to meet and interview him a few times and photograph him loads of times. I got really lucky this time. In the past, I’ve missed a few great photo opportunities because of the house policy of checking in all pro gear backstage after the first three songs – that didn’t apply this time and I got to shoot from the auditorium for the rest of the set and caught some cracking shots.

I’ve written about Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes before and I’m fairly certain I’ll write about them again. There’s a magic that happens when you take eight world-class musicians and give them the opportunity to express themselves within the framework of four-minute songs; you should all take the opportunity experience it.

Folk in the Park Sutton 19^th August 2023

If you haven’t met Hannah White and Keiron Marshall, you really should. They’re both incredibly talented but they’re the nicest people you could ever wish to meet and they care passionately about music, about the environment and people in general. Hannah’s songwriting is always powerful and sometimes visceral (‘Car Crash’ is a great example) and Keiron shapes the arrangements and production for her songs bringing in all sorts of musicians, including Michelle Stodart to back Hannah live and in the studio.

In 2022, they put together a festival in Manor Park, Sutton which was reasonably successful and decided to expand it in 2023 with more well-known and acclaimed and artists. I would have supported the event whoever was on the bill, but Hannah and Keiron excelled themselves, pulling in appearances from the legendary Nick Lowe (who I saw at my first gig when he played with Brinsley Schwarz) and Iain Matthews (whose album, ‘Stealing Home’, I bought in 1980 on blue vinyl and I’ve loved ever since). And they had Del Amitri topping the bill. Oh, and Hannah made an appearance with her band as well.

I’ve followed Hannah’s career for a few years now and it’s been a revelation to see genuine talent being recognised critically and commercially. Bring on 2024.

Stone Foundation 25^th Anniversary tour

You’ve already read me rattling on about working with one of my teenage musical heroes; I think Neil Sheasby of Stone Foundation trumps me on this one. Neil was a fan of The Jam from their earliest days and, as Stone Foundation gathered momentum through the 21^st century, they picked up a celebrity fan, Paul Weller, who went on to collaborate with them, produce their albums at Black Barn Studios and guest on a few of their gigs.

Forgive me for listing the band members, but Stone Foundation is a team effort and the core of the band has been together now for twenty-five years. Here we go: Neil Jones (vocals/guitar), Neil Sheasby (bass), Phil Ford (drums), Ian Arnold (keys), Rob Newton (percussion), Steve Trigg (trumpet and fluegelhorn), Dave Boraston (trumpet and fluegelhorn) and Anthony Gaylard (saxophone). They’re an incredibly tight soul unit and Neil Jones once told me that having the horn section on stage was like wearing a suit of armour.

I’ve been a fan for over ten years and this year they celebrated their 25^th anniversary with a UK tour that wound up with two nights at Islington Assembly Hall. They were supported by the wonderful Emily Capell (check out her album ‘Combat Frock’), DJ Robert Elms and had guest appearances from Mick Talbot, Graham Parker, Laville and Paul Weller over the two nights. If you want a validation of their work, I think that does it.

After almost fifty years of watching live music, it’s fabulous to pick out five gigs that really got the juices flowing. Just keep it coming, everyone.