Lisa Hannigan 25/11/09

I only recently started listening to Lisa Hannigan so I wasn't overly familiar with the songs. In any case she introduced a number of them as new songs but the music was accessible straight away and it was satisfyingly layered and tight with Lisa's expressive vocal style the main focal point of the band. It reminded me of a cross between Kate Bush and Clannad. The fiddle player was very good without being showy at all but all the musicians played their part. There was a wide variety of instruments used including a bellows-based accordion style keyboard and various xylophones and banjos as well as a trumpet over and above the standard double bass, keyboards, guitar and drums. Keyboards and guitar was mostly played by Kevin Glass who also did the support act as a singer/songwriter. He was earnest and listenable to with a strong voice. Whilst the main LH performance seemed to be self written songs whose titles I do not know, the encore featured two more familiar songs. First she did the traditional "Blow the wind Southerly" accompanied by the fiddle. Then the band did a rousing version of "Personal Jesus" which showed off both the quiet vocal aspect and also the band at full tilt.

Jefferson Starship/Quicksilver MS 23/11/09

I would never dream of going to a tribute gig. I avoid bands just touring to trot out their old tunes who are no longer creating music. I resist bands purporting to be long-retired bands based on one or two of the lesser known original members only. However in the end I couldn't resist a midlands gig that featured Paul Kantner and David Freiberg from Airplane, two original members of Quicksilver(including Freiberg again) and Tom Constanten who played keyboards on some of the early Dead albums. I Have to confess I really enjoyed the gig even if the main act Starship did verge towards being a Jefferson Airplane tribute band a fair amount of the time.

Tom Constanten started the gig off with a short solo set at his electric piano. "Cold Rain and Snow" was followed by a Chopin piece and then "All Along The Watchtower" to the tune of "Werewolves of London". He also did an instrumental which was not dissimilar to "St Stephen" and finished off with "Carolina on My Mind".

Next up was Quicksilver Messenger Service as represented by Gary Duncan on lead guitar and David Freiberg on acoustic guitar with a drummer, keyboards player and singer (Linda Imperial) who were not part of QMS originally. I can't say I recognised many of the songs but they did play "Mona", "Gypsy Lights" and "Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder" in their set which lasted about an hour. It was fun. David Freiberg is an excellent singer and musician and Gary had a pleasant enough lead guitar style.

Starship (Kantner and Freiberg) came on stage with the same drummer and keyboards player as QMS and with their version of Grace Slick -Cathy Richardson. She was brilliant as Grace Slick making a not bad stab at the voice and playing the stage presence with aplomb. She actually also "does" Janis Joplin on Broadway and as vocalist for Big Brother and the Holding Company. We got just one track of Janis when the band did "Me and Bobby McGhee" and it was quite shocking to see and hear her change (vocally) into Janis Joplin. The band started off with a couple of Starship tracks "Ride the Tiger" and one other before donning their Airplane persona to do "Crown of Creation" followed by "White Rabbit". Good as Cathy was, that song really requires Grace Slick's voice and Jack Cassady's bass for full effect. Paul Kantner then left the stage for a while and David Freiberg took centre stage. In succession he played "Deal" followed by "Loser" two of my favourite Jerry Garcia tracks and a reminder that the West Coast bands hung out and recorded together.

The last part of the gig with Kantner back on stage included "Somebody to Love" as a final track and then an encore of "Volunteers". They were by now whipping up a really good Airplane vibe. There was a nice touch at the end. Remember that we had seen ten musicians plus a whole bunch of roadies who had come all the way from America and were now playing for less than two hundred people in a small obscure midlands venue. They weren't exactly making money from the gig. Some of the audience left but some hung on calling for more. A roadie came out and thanked the audience but said that they wouldn't be coming out again. The audience hung on and bugger me out they trooped and did a storming version of "The Other Side of This Life". The hippie vibe lives on. Top notch.

Asere 20/11/09 & 3/12/09

Yet another Centre Stage event - this time at neighbouring Norton Juxta Twycross village hall. This was a genuine Cuban band, hardworking and enthusiastic about the music they played with no noticeable tourist tunes. The trumpet player took the musical spotlight in terms of the overall sound but the two guitarists and two percussionists, bassist and main vocalist all played their part. The highlight for me was a song called "Oriente" from the Eastern Cuban province of that name. This was straight out of the real Cuban Son and together with one other track from that genre was alone worth the outing. It was immediately followed by a soulful song "Romantica" which Asere also delivered beautifully. The lowlight for me was the local Salsa class who had made this their Saturday outing. Prior to dancing they seemed more interested in chatting but the sight of massed ranks of clumsy retirees trotting out the same travesty of a simple dance step was a bit of an intrusion on the ambience. Still Asere are in our village in a couple of weeks so I'll catch them again then - hopefully without the Salsa groupies.

3/12/09 - More enjoyable show for lack of clumsy dancers and audience noise but otherwise very similar in terms of tracks played.

Tom McConnville 14/11/09

This was another of the Centre Stage supported village hall gigs although in a neighbouring village of Thringstone rather than in Appleby. Tom is a long-established fiddle player from Newcastle with Irish roots and is a hero of Seth Lakeman so that felt like some powerful arguments to take in the gig. The band was a trio - an acoustic guitar bass, acoustic guitar and Tom on violin. He went for audience participation from song one and for a number of songs patiently taught the audience the refrain. He was best however when letting himself go on his fiddle as he was a superb player and had a range of different styles he could play with accomplished ease. His gentle geordie accent with some hints of Irish and his friendly banter played well to the village hall audience. He did some traditional Irish tunes and some traditional Northumbrian tunes and some Scottish ones and covered a Richard Thompson song (Beeswing) as well as a Mark Knopfler song ( Why Aye Man). The thing I took away was his playing - a master of the instrument.

Steve Earle 5/11/09

Although separated by a couple of months from the St Alban's gig this was another date in the solo acoustic tour featuring songs by Townes Van Zandt. The setlist was much the same as previously although there were some changes in the order of the tracks but the gig felt different for a number of reasons. The venue was much different (the beautifully restored Birmingham Town Hall vs a modern leisure centre), our seats were different (middle of the front row vs anonymous stalls seats) and Steve's mood was also different. Whereas at St Albans he was on top form right at the start he seemed to start much slower at Birmingham. The first few tracks seemed more perfunctory than previously and he finished the tracks with strangled chords and choked off endings. The endings were in themselves little glimpses of a master guitarist at work. "Pancho and Lefty" which was about fourth track in, didn't have quite the same devastating power that it had at St Albans. For me the mood and the music went up a level with "Taneytown" which was utterly compelling. I can't honestly say I remembered it from the last gig although I guess he played it. This was followed by a brilliant "Goodbye" and the gig was pretty much on a roll from thereon in. The mandolin based tracks at the end were particularly good including the theme tune from the Wire and "Copperhead Road" and "Galway Girls" It's always an pleasure and a privilege to see Steve Earle, an exceptional musician at the top of his game.

Tinariwen 31/10/09

This was a last minute outing - in the end it seemed a lost opportunity to stay in in front of the fire with Tinariwen playing just an hour away at Warwick Arts Centre. They were supported by Two Man Ting a local duo who I only saw for their last track. Tinariwen's line up varies quite a bit - last time I had seen them in a hybrid band featuring three members of Tinariwen playing with members of Tunng (a UK folky-type band). On this occasion they had brought no women singers, and I missed the ululation which is a trade mark for me of Tinariwen. They were also missing founder and frontman Ibrahim who was ill apparently. Because they tend to play with one person taking lead guitar and vocals on a track and the rest supporting him they are in a position to cover such a loss better than most bands. Abdallah and Hassan took most of the leads with a younger guy who's name I am unsure of also taking a few tracks. As usual the desert groove lifts the spirits and unties a few knots in the brain. Perhaps this was not their finest groove but well worth the drive.