So how about five great gigs this year? Well, I’ve had plenty to choose from and I can’t say that I’ve seen a bad one, so it hasn’t been an easy choice to whittle it down to the top five (and no cheating this time either). These are all gigs that I walked away from feeling elated, feeling that I’d seen something special that I wanted to tell the world about. So I did, and here’s a reminder of how good these gigs were.

01) High Fives John FairhurstJohn Fairhurst @Rich Mix

On a freezing February Friday night in Shoreditch, Rich Mix was a welcome respite from bars full of bankers and ‘exclusive’ lap-dancing joints. The venue is a social enterprise where the motivation isn’t purely profit and programming of events is always interesting. On this particular night, John Fairhurst, along with Pete Episcopo (bass) and Toby Murray (drums) played a raw and raucous set of blues focussing on the 2014 album “Saltwater”. Some of the album versions of the songs were fairly big production numbers but the live performance was strictly a power trio affair with John’s blistering guitar topping off the mixture. The journey back through Shoreditch didn’t seem quite so bad after a night of proper blues with electric guitars playing way up loud. You can see some photos from the gig here.

Mollie and Izzy

Mollie and Izzy

Mollie Marriott @The Half Moon

This one was firmly in the eagerly-anticipated category. Mollie’s been working quietly for some time putting together a great band for live and studio work featuring her Jim Stapley bandmates Izzy Chase-Phillmore, Sam Tanner and Johnson-Jay Medwik-Daley. After an interesting acoustic support set from her nephew, Mo Evans, Mollie’s full band made their first live appearance in a Half Moon packed with fans and a few well-known faces as well. It was obvious from the start that this isn’t just a bunch of hired hands; this is a bunch of really good mates as well. None of their playing is showy or attention-seeking; everything serves the songs and underpins Mollie’s phenomenal voice, and it all works perfectly. The audience were onside anyway, but Mollie and the band gave a great performance of material from the upcoming debut album and a couple of covers as well. Here are some photos of this one.

14) MichaelMad Dog Mcrea and Sound of the Sirens @The Half Moon

This was a very special gig. I’d been invited along to see Mad Dog Mcrea and I had no idea about the support on the night, Sound of the Sirens. It’s such a great feeling when you see an artist for the first time and you know instantly that they’re something special. And it’s not just me; apparently Chris Evans was quite impressed with them as well. Anyway, they played a storming set completely winning over the audience with their powerful songs, dynamics, and harmonies. If the night had stopped at that point, I would have been perfectly happy, but we still had Mad Dog Mcrea to come, with an energetic run through material from their album “Almost Home” plus a few old favourites and crowd pleasers. Two great bands with enough in common to appeal to the whole audience but with enough differences to create a very varied night. And there are some photos here.

10) Chris DiffordSqueeze and Dr John Cooper Clarke @Indigo2

Another interesting double bill, this time with two very different artists, linked by the era which saw the start of their careers. John Cooper Clarke (now making the most of his honorary doctorate) has been doing poetry and comedy events for a few years but the tour with Squeeze put him back in front of big audiences filled with people who remembered him from the first time round. He throws more one-liners and gags into his routine now but a lot of the old favourite poems are still there, although some of them, particularly “Twat”, have evolved over time. On this night he was a barnstorming crowd-pleaser, building up the audience nicely for the headline act.

This year Squeeze had a new album to promote so the setlist was varied, to say the least, with material covering almost forty years from “Take Me I’m Yours” to new songs like “Cradle to the grave” with the usual smattering of different interpretations of Squeeze classics. What made this performance so special was the group of musicians (mainly Glenn Tilbrook’s Fluffers) now making up the rest of Squeeze who add upright bass, melodica and other esoteric instruments to the mix as well as adding rich vocal harmonies. Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook have never sounded better and what an incredible set of songs. Guess what, some photos here.

Union Chapel 050515

Union Chapel 050515

Graham Parker and Brinsley Schwarz & The Union Chapel

And finally. One of the greatest talents never to break through in the seventies and eighties, Graham Parker, who toured twice this year; once with The Rumour and once with Brinsley Schwarz. With a songbook which again covers almost forty years and a new album to promote as well, Graham Parker mixed up some established classics, some surprises and some new songs to delight an audience which might have been a little biased anyway. His voice is still remarkable and the songs are all strong enough to work in stripped-back arrangements. This wasn’t just a nostalgia thing; there were new songs to promote and they all sounded as good as anything he’s done before. He’s a remarkable man and it was a real pleasure to hear these songs in such a beautiful venue. How about a look at GP in the seventies and now?

 

 

Review TitleOK, so it’s Shoreditch on a Friday night. Normally I would rather eat my own body weight in guitarists’ nail clippings than visit a Shoreditch venue on a Friday night but, in this case, I’m making an exception because the venue and the artist are a little bit special. Rich Mix is a charity and social enterprise comprising a cinema, performance space and food outlet in a building which at one time was a garment factory (when we made garments in the UK). John Fairhurst is a bit special as well; his style is predominantly blues, but don’t expect third or fourth generation, ironed-out gutless blues because this guy taps into the feel of the original mid-twentieth century originals with a little side order of Indian classical tradition and some Hendrix and Neil Young for seasoning. His songs are featured in two films to be released in 2015, “The Beat Beneath my Feet” and the Scorsese-produced “Tomorrow” and his latest album “Saltwater” (highly recommended by MusicRiot) was released in late 2014. So we’re looking forward to this one.

To start up the evening, DJ Chris Tofu warps and bends blues with electronica and samples to build up the atmosphere before the John Fairhurst Band really kickstarts the event. The “Saltwater” album has some fairly big productions, but the live set is a power-trio affair delivered by John, Pete Episcopo (bass) and Toby Murray (drums). While the focus is always on John Fairhurst’s playing and vocals, this set-up only works if the rhythm section is at the top of their game and Pete and Toby certainly don’t disappoint, providing a solid foundation for the songs and John’s extended solos. The set leans heavily on “Saltwater” material, featuring the Mississippi John Hurt classic “Pay Day”, the Hendrix-inspired “I’m Coming Home” and an astonishingly powerful version of the album’s title song to close the set. John Fairhurst’s playing is raw, loud, phasers-set-to-stun blues; it’s not for the faint-hearted 70s-era Clapton and Joe Bonamassa followers, but it’s a glorious earthy noise and the quality of the playing is stunning. I’ll certainly be having more of that later in the year.

As a bonus (well, this is part of the London Remixed Festival), the final live set of the evening is a collaboration between producer and live remixer Reverend Rockwell, John Fairhurst and Boxcar Joe Strouzer. You can’t argue with the performances and it’s an interesting experiment, but the programmed beats really aren’t a match for three great musicians playing together as a unit. Nothing wrong with it, but it just wasn’t the highlight of the night.

Things are looking good for John Fairhurst this year. He has a newish album to promote and, on the evidence of tonight, he’s going to win new fans every time he plays. The fact that his music is featured in a couple of new films as well is probably more valuable than radio plays in the current climate; I’m really hoping that things work out for him.

And how do I feel about Shoreditch now? Well, it would be great if it was all like Rich Mix, with a diverse audience and staff that make you feel that they actually like having you in their venue. It makes a huge difference to the entertainment on offer and the people who pay to see it when profit isn’t the only reason for opening the doors on a Friday evening. Fair play to Rich Mix.

Click here to see some of our great photos from the gig.

 

When we asked our friends at Quite Great promotions for a contribution to the High Fives feature, they gave us a selection of albums they’ve worked on this year that really took their fancy: Alan Mair“Field of One” – Alan Mair The Only Ones bass player Alan Mair has been writing songs for many years, and witnessing the current accessibility to worldwide digital distribution of music, and the ability to keep control of one’s music, he has decided to finally release them. Alan’s debut solo single ‘Four Winds’ is due for release on the 22nd December 2014. The track itself is an eclectic blend of alternative rock with resonating vocals and features the revered guitarist Zal Cleminson on guitar, who in his own right is a superstar in the world of guitarists. If you can’t wait until December, take a listen to it here.

John FairhurstSaltwater” – John Fairhurst Bristol-based, the John Fairhurst Band are a newly formed trio fronted by their eponymous songwriter. Drawing from rock, blues and world music, with a penchant for slide guitar and a distinctive deep growling voice, his songs, delivered in pure raconteur style, narrate all the hardships of life on the road. For the first time, John Fairhurst will be releasing his new album – and the preceding singles – accompanied by a powerhouse rhythm section of Bristol’s young guns: Toby Murray & Pete Episcopo. For a taste of their sound, check out this video for “Breakdown”.

 

Witchingseason[1]“Codeine EP” – Witching Season The highly anticipated EP from rock trio Witching Season is out now. The band claim to draw influences from the likes of rock legends, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, The Doors,  Queens of the Stone Age and Dinosaur Jr, all of which shines through in their  music; they have been making a lasting impression across the rock scene and have received a host of plays on radio stations nationwide. New track “Codeine” showcases the band’s rocking talent and is true to their dark rock sound. True to the band’s native rock sound, ‘Codeine’ features heavy and impressive guitar riffs teamed with fierce drum beats all stitched together with Tom Reynolds coarse and captivating vocals. noel“In the Art of Doom” – Noel and the Pandas Noel and the Pandas are the hottest new alternative rock sound to emerge from Italy. With a soft rock sound and sensitive lyrics, the guys add a hearty Italian twist to rock. The band is led by front man Noel, who is the ultimate Italian Jack of all trades who has finally found his calling in the world of alternative rock music. The band has an alternative rock sound, with a soft undertone that subtly embraces the best of rock. “In the Art of Doom” is the debut album from the band and showcases the rockin’ talents of the five guys. A number of tracks on the album explore the heart ache Noel has suffered over recent years and draws the listener into his complex world through his heartfelt lyrics. zzips“20 Years Late” – The zzips Meet The zzips; living proof that rock‘n’roll is not dead, and is in fact very much alive and kicking. A diverse duo comprising frontman James Butler and writing partner Graham Cupples, their debut is the eagerly anticipated album “20 Years Late”. Within their songs, they address issues that are prominent within British society, and question the policies of consumerism, greed and elitism after partaking in social observation. The album is both a call to arms and a cry for revolution and change, whilst some of the songs simply follow what happens within their day-to-day lives. Think classic 90’s rock, with a modern blues twist and challenging lyrics.