State of the (Blog) Union

Since the inception of this blog, the end of December has been the domain of those intrepid and deeply personal end of year lists. Albums, gigs, songs and even festival sets have been subject to objective analysis during a comprehensive review of the previous twelve months. The longest running accolade has been favourite gig of the year, which dates back to 2012 when the blog was first launched. Album of the year quickly followed, and both reflective posts enabled a countdown that each year picked an arbitrary number to effectively rank. Even in the curtailed gig years of 2020 and 2021 there was sufficient incentive to anoint a show that elevated to first among equals. However 2022 sees a sea change in impetus, and perhaps a tilt towards the idea that art does not necessarily need some sort of numerical analysis to asses its worth. Therefore despite generating an album listening list nearing a couple of hundred releases, they will be left in their original form of primary enjoyment whether for a defined purposeful moment or locked in for ongoing listening. Similarly the gig list still contained a healthy number of shows attended, even if the sky high levels of the mid 2010s haven't returned. Maybe the lack of one record or gig to really make an unenforced move to the summit was the driving factor, but there is something liberating in leaving the rankings in the cupboard for a year.

While December 2019 was the right time to give this blog a rest, and July 2020 the right time to bring it back to life, there are no definitive moves on the horizon as we head into 2023. Things have been quiet on the published post front during November and December, but this is merely due to circumstance and a need to re-charge the batteries. There were over a hundred reviews posted during the past twelve months alongside countless other hours listening to fine music that didn't reach the pen (or keyboard). Plans are afoot to resume review content in the New Year, while always within the constraint of this being a single-person endeavour. There is still plenty of life in transferring the experience of music to personal literary reflection, and long may this hobby fire the inner passion of music fan.

Running this blog requires structure and that has been a feature of its longevity. From the early days of being sent a promotional copy for review consideration, this has been the de facto driver when choosing to write about recorded music. This privilege is humbly appreciated. Fortunately the supply line of good music within increasingly loose genre lines has rarely relented to the extent that it has always been humanly impossible to commit all to some sort of written reflection. If the supply line dried up the policy would need revision. That seems unlikely in the foreseeable future, so the structure of reviewing selected promotional albums will remain.

One evolving decision is how to reflect the overspill of submissions in the published world. Over the last twelve months each of the 120+ albums accepted were given a dedicated release or review post. Obviously the difference was whether any words were written with this being driven by the factors of time, inspiration or the onset of a barren period. These same factors will no doubt apply in 2023 with one alteration being the elimination of the album release published post that we can deduce probably adds little value all round and slightly clutters the blog. Submitted albums that have been acknowledged but fall short of review status will be referenced in the respective blog page with a link to some further information (a Bandcamp page where available) once released for folks to check out online. The blog page for albums will also contain non-submitted new music that is listened to and enjoyed throughout the year. 

This blog was originally launched all those years ago to host gig reviews and they will always be the cornerstone of its existence. The vast majority of gigs attended have an attached review, give or take the odd rest period or defined hiatus, and the rare moments when circumstances leave the well dry. The gig and festival diary for 2023 is beginning to populate and the intent is still there to write some reflection in the review format. So look out for new and familiar names to grace the pages over the next twelve months.

The strapline to the blog contains the borrowed phrase 'personal vanity project'. A reminder that there is no agenda other than to focus on the positives of a wonderful hobby. Negativity can exist but is confined largely away from the published world. Editorial work is private.  A commitment to post is made once sufficient merit exists. Rare occasions to divert from this ethos have never sat particularly comfortable and that will be left to others. 

Over the years much praise and appreciation has headed in my direction and this is always appreciated. An overriding motive for producing this blog is deriving pleasure from the process of writing content and taking pride in the output. Once those two things are in the place the rest is purely the icing. What happens after is largely out of my control. The blog's journey in the digital world has been a roller coaster of interaction, unsubstantiated numbers and social media interest. Whatever the landscape in the blogosphere, the real world journey of listening and writing is really all that matters.

So happy blogging in 2023. Three Chords and the Truth UK is alive and kicking. The nature of the content may evolve, but the ethos, structure and intent remain largely intact. Independent hobby based music blogging is basically living the dream. We need the inspiration from professional artists, musicians and writers, but in our own little world we can create and cultivate a small corner of the Internet that is wholly owned. 

Gig Diary: Thea Gilmore - Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham. Friday 18th November 2022

 

www.theagilmore.net

Twelve months ago Thea Gilmore ripped open the package of a new phase in the creative atmosphere of the Midland Arts Centre to stunning effect. With that new phase firmly embedded a return was a no brainer as another tour was scheduled to launch the post-Afterlight stage of a career now stretching twenty-three years. The solo format has become de facto with the presence of guitars, keys and an evolving loop machine providing the comfort blanket of sound. Throw in a passion for words plus vocals blending the blunt and beautiful, and what rises is a foremost contemporary singer-songwriter forever evading those aiming to pigeon hole. For an hour and a quarter this evening, Thea Gilmore treated a Birmingham audience to a celebratory compact show packaging the past, present and future in a mist of musical marvel. 

Afterlight's seismic introduction last year is still there, yet quite subtly included. The main set opens and closes in the same vein of the album with the live renditions of the spoken word sparking a loop-created backdrop. 'Of All The Violence I Have Ever Known' and 'Last' have deliberately defined the present with an effect that defies dilution. No introduction is required, They leave an imprint, while also unlocking the template for much more to surface and prosper. 

Before we leave the 2021 album that seams to have been only a temporary name change, a nod to three other tracks claiming places in the setlist twelve months on. Straight after the emotive opener we leapt into 'Friendly Little Heart Attack' and 'Stain', with the latter being undoubtedly the more domineering addition. As we edged towards the final stages, 'Vespering' was shared, and is set to be a live staple long after the Afterlight has faded. This is a soothing transcending song with so much hope and vitality.

Covers can divide opinion especially when a singer-songwriter has an extensive catalogue of original material. Thea Gilmore makes no apology of her love for sharing the works of others, both on record and live. This evening's selected trio harked back to last year and pitch a fascinating if not uncovered presence. 'Wrecking Ball' (the Miley Cyrus cut), 'Bad Moon Rising' and 'Cabaret' (the last two surely transcend their origin) are three you wouldn't bet on, but are undisputedly covered well and slightly different. As is increasingly the norm, the slice of musical theatre drew the curtain down to conclude encore. 

The future for Thea Gilmore immediately lies in the scope of a series of EPs. 'Bones' from the recently released first one titled WAS had an airing bestowed with an extensive backing tape and faint electric guitar. 'The Chance' was a preview of an upcoming release and delivered from the keyboards. An instrument turned to again in the encore as the legacy of murdered MP Jo Cox was remembered in 'The War'.

Any Thea Gilmore audience is likely to contain long term fans. This evening they (and any newbies) were treated to a very old Radio 2 playlist favourite 'This Girl is Taking Bets' from the early 2000s. The 2017 album THE COUNTERWEIGHT always appears to be a crowd favourite, exemplified by 'Rise' getting an introductory cheer and a rousing reception at the end. 'Johnny Gets a Gun' was the other inclusion off this record and breaths all round were held as an adventurous loop behaved itself to ensure an innovative version didn't crash and burn. 

Just like 2021, the support act was a performing poet. This time Oliver James Lomax was invited to share his work for around twenty minutes and try to inject a literary air to the evening. This complements Thea Gilmore's love for all things lexicon-related and worked really well. Admittedly adding an extensive bout of the spoken word to a music evening can stretch minds and not be a universal choice. However it is becoming the norm here and open to embracing if succinct, direct and charmingly entertaining.

The ease to which Thea Gilmore is slipping into the new format is open to the eye. She remains humble and appreciative that fans are moving with her. It helps if you possess the talent that has adorned a platform for many years and a creative yearning that appears to be intensifying over time. Long may she keep Birmingham on the horizon and continue to share music in all its guises. The music landscape is a richer place when artists like Thea Gilmore gift their craft. 

Gig Diary: Ellie Gowers - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Thursday 17th November 2022

 

www.elliegowersmusic.com

From Beardy bubbles to sold out signs, it has been a crazy couple of years in the music life of Warwickshire-based folk musician Ellie Gowers. The first of these markers is a little niche and personal, but the second was enabled by those cramming the Kitchen Garden to celebrate a landmark show on the debut album launch tour. While Birmingham may not be quite the hometown show, it is increasingly becoming a fertile ground to increase a fanbase, and subsequently more and more are tuning into the wide reaching talents of an exceptional performer. Throughout the two sets this evening, Ellie put her confident and assured demeanour on full show to strip bear a passion and aptitude for curating a special song that etches a deeper mark on the local folk music landscape. 

For a little preliminary context, Beardy bubbles refers to the miraculous socially distanced festival held in September 2020. From those first gently strummed chords at Beardy Folk festival where she was discovered, there was a sense of a blossoming talent set for a bright future providing a positive trajectory was maintained. Fast forward two years and this has unequivocally happened culminating in the outstanding release of DWELLING BY THE WEIR in September. Those lucky to snap up a privileged ticket here had the beauty of all the songs played joined by material from earlier mini recordings, folk exploratory pieces and a cover road tested at this very venue earlier in the year. 

Ellie Gowers explores her musical odyssey through a combination of spectrums. She balances writing original tunes with spinning a different slant on the work of others alongside honouring the folk tradition of re-working the lyrical prose of the past. She effortlessly moves between a gentle acoustic guitar accompaniment and relying purely on her crystal vocals to paint the elegance portrait of a song. On two occasions the a cappella delivery froze a captivated audience, first in the opening number 'The Snow It Melts The Soonest' (an unrecorded traditional song regularly called upon) and later with 'A Letter to the Dead Husband of Mary Ball', an original composition off the new album. As a live performer she flits between solo and trio format where practical and viable. This evening was almost entirely solo bar two guest performances from colleagues Michelle Holloway (vocals) and Emily Dore (violin) on 'Women of the Waterways' and 'Poor Old Horse'. Both interesting tracks from an album heavily influenced by traditions sourced locally in rural and urban Warwickshire.

Urban Coventry threw up the track that made the greatest leap from record to stage in 'Ribbon Weaver'. Many listens had already confirmed the worth, but listening to this live and unfiltered ascended the reception a few more tiers. It was fitting that the album title track was kept to the encore slot as 'Dwelling By The Weir' is the adhesive that binds the theme by harking back to the original name of the town of Warwick.

As per se with standard folk gigs, the inter-song chat was highly informative. A vast majority of songs had a revealing insight shared. Too numerous to go into detail, but always a selling point for a future Ellie Gowers show. 'Brightest Moon' and 'The Last Warwickshire Miner' from the new album had the full treatment here, with the latter firmly fixed as a live favourite from early renditions via the summer festival circuit and support slots for Blair Dunlop earlier this year. 

While Ellie Gowers is first and foremost a folk musician, there are shades of 'This Ground' that reach out across the tracks to musical meadows not so hung up on the genre. The infectious melody attached to this track (a strong candidate for show and album pinnacle) could almost stray in country, Americana and singer-songwriter pop waters. Mind you crossover appears the exception at this point of a career.

Away from the album material, we were treated to a lovely cover of Gillian Welch's 'Dark Turn of Mind' and a version of 'The Cottager's Reply', a song lyrically enhanced through the work of Chris Wood. Closer to home were songs such as 'Against the Tide' and 'In the Past' that can be found on the early EPs that launched the recording career of Ellie Gowers. 

As thoughtful, enterprising and enchanting as the songs are, it is largely the innate ability to project artistic expression through voice, sound and personality that connects Ellie Gowers with an audience. A sold out show is a testament to her approach to package an inner desire and dismiss any shackles of pretence. The trajectory since 2020 (a date mark purely from this writer) has been steep. If maintained, opportunities will be boundless. However a sensible head will keep things within the realms of true to oneself. From an audience perspective what comes across matches an ideal and has been firmly tightened by the live and recorded platforms.

For this Birmingham show, the invited support act was newly formed local outfit The Missed Trees, tentatively exploring the folk duo format from bases in the wider music world. This slot sometimes requires a subtle stance, with the pairing of Joe Peacock and Louisa Davies-Foley framing it succinctly to plant their music in the minds of others attracted to the main billing. Further exposure will define their presence on the local music scene with raw credentials in place for this venture to make an impact. 

Ellie Gowers can hopefully look back on nights like these as significant moments in a music career that will likely twist and turn down many unknown roads. While this journey may be scary and with likely trepidation, the warmth of a growing support will be there to engage with artists acute at making their music connect. 

Gig Diary: Jill Andrews - Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Monday 14th November 2022

 

www.jillandrews.com

Success for artists striking out in new territories as live acts requires organic growth or instant impact. The former can only occur over time, but if the latter is in place from day one then the chances of succeeding are looking good. The best assessment of seeing Jill Andrews for the first time is to liken her traits to those of three fellow Nashville- based artists adept at ensuring their music travels with acclaim. The poise of Erin Rae, the song craft of Caroline Spence and the vocal air of Gretchen Peters all came to mind as the latest US singer-songwriter export parading on the fault lines between country, folk and Americana took to the stage for a mesmerising hour and a quarter during the Birmingham date of an inaugural UK tour. It doesn't require too much research to uncover the pedigree of Jill Andrews back home with a recording catalogue stretching over eighteen years in numerous formats and guises. The degree that pedigree was channelled into a polished performance is a testament to a seasoned operator equipped with all the attributes to court overseas audiences of various persuasions. 

The turnout at the Hare and Hounds was compact yet immensely knowledgable. Consensus was only of a vague awareness, but one that warranted checking out on a November Monday evening. The end result was resoundingly in the affirmative to kick start the required organic growth. Instinctively composed songs wrapped in eminently comforting vocals chaperoned by a radiant personality gives Jill Andrews a head start in front of any new crowd. Her appeal stretches from writing a fully signed up tear jerker taken up by the TV series Nashville to gliding through a cover of Neil Young's 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' in all the haze of an early 70s singer-songwriter. Dipping back into her recording emporium reveals multi orchestral offerings and cuts sunk into indie-folk psyche. It's a little more simplistic here with a solitary guitar acting as the guiding light on a seismic stroll culminating in the immortal unplugged song to finish. This up close and personal ending casts away the shackles of the past couple of years. 

The set list for this show in the Hare and Hounds small room stretched back to an impromptu version of 'The Red Rose' from an album released in 2005 by a band co-fronted by Andrews known as The Everybody Fields. To bring things right up to date a number of songs were shared from this year's THE PARTHENON SESSIONS EP including set opener 'Sorry Now', the Nashville TV bound 'Sanctuary', the ethereal 'Cloud Chaser' and 'Rust and Gold'. This EP recorded live in Nashville's attempt at re-constructing Ancient Greece was one of a number of interim recordings keeping fans happy in between the three full length albums that have accompanied Andrews since going solo in 2011. 

The most recent album is THIRTIES possessing an unfortunate release date of March 2020. The accompanying book was shared and promoted during this show alongside a number of tracks including 'The Party', 'Back Together' and 'Call It Even'. This last song was one of the personal highlights from the set. Another favourite was 'I'm So In Love With You' recorded as a duet with Seth Avett of the famed Avett Brothers, and originally found on 2016's excellent album THE WAR INSIDE. 

While Jill Andrews feasts on the sad song syndrome, and has clothing merchandise to celebrate it just like Caroline Spence and Gretchen Peters, there is room for a little bit of deviation such as the requested 'Tell That Devil'. Another composition transitioning to TV as the theme song to Wynonna Earp. Whatever was turned to this evening came up trumps, all gloriously bestowed in singer-songwriter gold and fully cemented our guest as an artist of cultivated panache. 

Katie O'Malley

Contacts bringing Jill Andrews to the UK for the first time have lined her up with fledgling homegrown artists who will no doubt sharpen up their own practices in the midst of a supreme artisan. Emilia Quinn opened an extensive evening at 7:30 with a vibrant brand of acoustic original material drawing on influence from country, pop and Americana. Katie O'Malley subsequently delivered a more rock oriented acoustic set in tune with a refined bruised vocal style akin to complementing greater electrification. Both artists will find their niche in the UK scene and played a supportive role in a wholly rounded inspiring night of music. 

Emilia Quinn

Jill Andrews certainly made the right impact to prosper in the UK in whatever direction her advocates pull her in. An extensive array of dates the full length of these Isles enhances the spotlight as well. Primarily who ever turns up to listen to her play live will boost their gig going repertoire and in turn help a deserved artist grow. Everything is in place. We just need fate to play its rightful hand. 

Gig Diary: Sam Lewis - Katie Fitzgeralds's, Stourbridge. Wednesday 9th November 2022

www.samlewistunes.com

Gig Diary: Michael Weston King - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Wednesday 2nd November 2022

www.michaelwestonking.com

A balmy night at the end of June or a dreary rainy one at the beginning of November? Covid stepped in to determine the latter and who could argue that a darker background wasn't a more appropriate setting to showcase an album shining a light on life's darker corners. THE STRUGGLE broadly announces its arrival from a title landing the first blow and it evolves into a piece of recorded art deserving a platform for dissection. When you have waited a decade to turn the clocks back to a more solo focussed period of a career, maximising its effect is high on the agenda. Michael Weston King felt the presence of Clovis Phillips is the only just way of truly opening the pages of THE STRUGGLE and that an old favourite venue in the Kitchen Garden was an ideal place to ease out the contents of a record ripened by acute ears. Circumnavigating suburban Birmingham's flooded roads for an hour did briefly yearn for sunny June, but the prize of candid exposure ebbed away the endeavour. This show epitomised the crack that 'live only happens once'.

The notion behind this last phrase keeps live music fresh and unique. Presenting an album from start to finish sprinkled with relevant blurb, fruitful addendum and light hearted irreverence twists the process of listening to music. The afforded space blended the extra dimensional factor of an ultra-talented guitarist sidekick and a singer-songwriter blessed with the in-built ability to frame sincere lyrics in a premium melody. An album on its own sparks imagination; an album altering the listening process in settings like this directs attentive minds to a host of audio and visual nuances. 

There was an additional defined duality to a show postponed from its original June date due to Clovis Phillips being struck down in a summer wave that seemingly eventually got the rest of us. The nine tracks of the album padded out well past an hour then seamlessly drifted into the wider realm of Michael Weston King's lifelong calling to make music with intent. No interval to an intense show extending to near the hour and three-quarter mark does evoke some pondering of convention, groove and effect. Numerous factors will always come into play and for once the unbroken connection trumped the concentration reset. Upon lifting the needle from the present, the duo briefly interspersed songs from My Darling Clementine, The Good Sons and Michael Weston King solo phase one. 

A scholarly breeze drifts from Michael Weston King's enthusiasm for peer inspiration. Fair enough peers may stretch things a little back to classic singer-songwriters of the 60s, 70s and 80s, but they embed into the approach of contemporary artists. Being schooled in the well of Prine, Leven, Case, Newbury, Costello, Lowe, Van Zandt and Winchester was proudly quoted from the stage this evening, and it is not unknown to return from a Michael Weston King/My Darling Clementine show to seek not one of his records out, but one of an old artist extolled on the evening. Jesse Winchester being the latest recipient. 

While verbatim live shows don't exist, the effect of Clovis Phillips and Michael Weston King collaborating is open to repetition. Likewise as long as new music is being made, whether My Darling Clementine or solo, the live accompaniment will continue to add value. Those making the Kitchen Garden their wise leisure choice this evening had both a unique and special experience. One of 2022's most absorbing records had an intrinsic and skeletal airing combining pinpointed musicianship and proud creator presentation. 

*** The Struggle was released in April 2022 and was the first Michael Weston King solo album since 2010. The intervening decade has seen concentration on four My Darling Clementine albums and other ad hoc projects. This show played the album in track order, obviously omitting the reprise. The second part of this show shared solo recorded older songs 'Life is Fine', 'Hey Ma I'm Coming Home', and 'Celestial City'; 'I No Longer Take Pride' from the My Darling Clementine back catalogue and 'Riding the Range', an old Good Sons song later cut by Townes Van Zandt. The evening concluded with a version of Joe Henry's 'You Can't Fail Me Now'***

www.cherryred.co.uk/product/michael-weston-king-the-struggle-cd/

Gig Diary: Gaz Brookfield - Katie Fitzgerald's, Stourbridge. Friday 28th October 2022

 

www.gazbrookfield.com

Album Review: Lainey Wilson - Bell Bottom Country

 

www.laineywilson.com

Lainey Wilson makes a rapid return to the ranks of recording artist status with a stylish album full of magnetic striking appeal. This Louisiana-born singer-songwriter makes an attentive entrance via the vogue-like cover and draws you into a depth of country flare, or flair - take your pick. BELL BOTTOM COUNTRY is an enthusiastic album packed with a breadth of sounds protruding out from the comfort of the well-resourced Nashville mainstream. The production is staple yet refined with a finished shine polished to dangle in front of both insatiable junkies and discerning veterans.  This is one of Wilson's strengths that draws her out from the pack of those jostling to be the contemporary face of a genre. The pop gloss is kept to a minimum to allow heaps of southern affection to ooze from the songs that are quintessentially country.

This album is another release on the BBR Music Group / Broken Bow Records operation similar to 2021's ear catching SAYIN' WHAT I'M THINKIN'. Wilson is once again at the heart of the writing and is credited on all but one of the fourteen tracks. In line with releasees of this ilk, a team of writers is at the helm of each track usually three but a couple of times extended to four. The common thread is Wilson's presence that suggests most of the influences stem from her own heart, inspiration and experience. The odd track out pushes the album to the near fifty-minute mark with a cover of 90s transcendental pop rock hit 'What's Up (What's Going On)' likely to be a fun inclusion from some sort of live outing. 

While a multiple of sounds are experimented with on this otherwise tight-knit release, the ticks get extra prominence when things slow down to a more pedestrian level to allow the drooling essence of a wide vocal range to explore their tender side. 'Watermelon Moonshine' is a classy nostalgic number that could grace any album exploring the roots of a genre. In an inimitable style, 'Weak - end' is a play-on words-country barroom effort that has all the hallmark of a late night contemplative piece. Providing the icing to a tingling threesome is the reflective ditty 'Those Boots (Deddy's Song)', which on several levels is a higher octane micro companion to Miranda Lambert's 'House That Built Me'. 

There are a thread of words across the titles that in context could only come from a country album. 'Hillbilly Hippie' kicks things off with a a dose of lifestyle twang and certainly aligns with the cover. 'Heart Like a Truck' does bin the cliche with its lyrics and takes the vocals into diva territory with a full wind up in the closing stages. 'Me, You and Jesus' covers many bases with its inclusion to conclude this second title-inspired trio.

Early in this record we get a slant on Wilson's ability to turn to a head shaking country rocker with a burst of energy on 'Road Runner'. In contrast, a funky undercurrent anchors 'Grease', while a a rootsy start to 'Hold My Halo' shows a glimpse of promise of where the album may have gone on another day. The reality is that Wilson rubs shoulders with the current crop at the top of a label-driven scene, while possessing a tilt that does fuel a diversity stance. 

From the remaining quartet that complete the set, the rousing chorus to 'Wild Flowers and Wild Horses' is probably the pick. 'This One's Gonna Cost Me' is a rich slice of rock 'n' pop that pulls the record slightly away from its country core with no real damage done. 'Atta Girl' and 'Live Off' cling to okay status, but probably question whether a slimmer album could have been a sharper more incisive release. 

Right through the chimes, twang and sass of BELL BOTTOM COUNTRY you never lose sense of Lainey Wilson's confident strive for an independent stance and a heartfelt yet fun home for her organic songs. The style and sound shape up significantly on a record bursting at the seams to get a deserved cross bench round of recognition. 

Gig Diary: Voices From The Cones (Album Launch) The Glasshouse Arts Centre, Stourbridge. Friday 21st October 2022

Projects like Voices From The Cones need full journey status to establish their true worth. While album preview, release and launch are all notable landmarks, it is the iceberg analogy of what you haven't seen and the shift above the surface that truly define the effect. From idea spark to studio recording, the initial part of this journey out of public view likely struck the hard yards. Creativity now passes the baton on to commercial endeavour to give this project the best chance of reaching and fulfilling audiences with an appetite for archival folk transmission. The Glasshouse Arts Centre in Stourbridge stands on the physical sands of a trade sunk into the heart of a community and commandeers one part of the spirit. The other part is every curious mind that absorbs the message and art of Voices From The Cones, whether hailing from this south western corner of the Black Country or anywhere else accessing a far reaching digital release. 

Voices From The Cones primarily protracts the multi-facetted talents of musician Dan Whitehouse and the narrative expressive storytelling skills of John Edgar to the fore. In some ways they are mere creative facilitators as the true core comes from those owning the 'voices'. Some voices literally exist in the present, while others emerge from archive research. The common thread is they all have a significant story to tell about working in the glass industry in Stourbridge. A trade now turning a full circle to being an artisan-centric seed-to- table existence with the old cones dormant on one level, but truly alive in another through an area's desire to preserve a 400 year heritage.

Ongoing, Voices From the Cones will have two entities. The commercial recording offers limitless accessibility in a combination of formats showcasing twelve songs for those solely hooked on that aspect, and a separate integration of them with the stories explained, narrated and, where able, an inclusion of the actual 'voices'. This entity has the impact to be stand alone effective and finds a channel into intuitive minds. The second is the live interpretation that can be fluid, adaptable and innovative. All three of these latter traits were in evidence at the album launch show.

There were three strands to the live performance this evening. First up, Dan Whitehouse created a little space to introduce himself through a solo set. This included a peep into his alternative 2022 glass project, more ethereal and perspective than industrial and tangible. Having poured so much into the songwriting and music producing of Voices From The Cones and now the ongoing focal point, a little indulgence was fully warranted. 

Preluding the main performance, Alan Ellsmore from the Ruskin Mill Trust (the project's key instigator) gave further insight into the stimulus, historical background, the organisation's links to the trade and a summary of some of the lyrical themes. Accompanying this was a fully enhanced slide show adding value at opportune moments that also extended deep into the main performance with an incisive slice of embracing multi-media visual art. 

Practicalities have to be sought when bringing the music to stage in this new phase of Voices From The Cones. Stripped back was the announced term to introduce a trio format of Dan Whitehouse (electric guitar/vocals), Elizabeth J. Birch (piano/vocals) and John Edgar (narration/vocals/harmonica). Much more input can be heard on the record, but, in reverse, a lot more can be derived from extracting the filters and adding in audience aura. 

On the surface the 50-minute presentation reflected the integrated take on the record. Track order, script and field recordings all filled a studio performance space housing a tiered audience gripped by a totally absorbing slant on spoken word, music and song. Live performance will always bring something different to the moment, and a hometown show can breathe in a local element. In attendance this evening were some of the actual voices, adding an extra factor of reality and personal emotion. 

Enhanced dimension, added dynamics and an injection of real time experience ensures any live performance of Voices From The Cones will reach different parts than is possible on the record. This entity can play a valuable role in the final phase of a project that possesses enough guile and craft to succeed. The message and ethos is strong. The importance of preserving the past is magnified. Dan Whitehouse meets the challenge head on to coordinate a fascinating night of performance art. In his role of prime curator, success emerges through listening, learning, interpreting, creating and delivering. 

Voices From The Cones in its dual existence is a memorable exemplar of sharing with poise, passion and panache. This album launch show captured the spirit of the record and will certainly replicate when offered the chance in the future. Leaving a departing audience entertained, educated and enthralled is a worthy epitaph to a solitary night. Reaching out or returning to the record in a new light is another effect of sampling it live. Seeking out, either or both of the Voices From The Cones entities is highly recommended, while this project powers on as a functioning vessel celebrating 400 years of glassmaking heritage in Stourbridge.  

Album Review: Voices From The Cones - Dan Whitehouse

 

www.dan-whitehouse.com

The glass influence can be seen all over modern day Stourbridge. The Glassboys fly the sporting flag, while a bite 'n' pint can be had in The Glassworks pub. To these you can add the ongoing work done by The Glasshouse College in their chosen field of education. Now the world renowned glassmaking tradition of this Black Country town gets a different slant in the arts world. This is in the shape of a meticulously curated and creatively spun body of work unveiled to the world under the banner VOICES FROM THE CONES. Spearheaded by local singer-songwriter/musician Dan Whitehouse, this concept album brings to life 400 years of industrial heritage in the timeless volume of words and song.

Commissioned by a partnership including the Ruskin Mill Trust, archives have been trawled; first hand experience sought and anecdotes collected to morph into a dozen songs brimming with a past life under the control of Whitehouse and his accomplices. These range from local storyteller John Edgar to local folk musician Kim Lowings and extends across the Black Country/Brummie divide to Chris Cleverley. Further vocal contributions come from Elizabeth J. Birch, Nicole Justice, Angella Corinna and Katie Whitehouse, the latter guesting on album finale 'Hands Heart Head' - the ethos and spirit of the Glasshouse with connotations in education and employment. 

Such endeavour and commendable goals still require a highly desirable product to pitch to the music world. Throughout a refreshing forty-minute tenure, the sounds and styles conveyed call at many ports from amusing ditties and rousing pieces to pushing musical boundaries and the inevitable selected gorgeous vocal parts. From the early song previews via solo Dan Whitehouse shows/festival sets to a pre-album evening in August, the joyful tones of 'Free Beer' and eye-winking euphemism to 'The Old Savoy' resonated strongly, partially aided by several local references that perhaps won't travel further than the ring road. 

Dan Whitehouse is widely known for his experimental approach to folk music. There are strong electro vibes to 'Moving'. A modernist slice coupling extensive instrumental with some fabulous lyrics headed by the line 'Middle East to the west of the middle' to track the historical shift of glass traditions to the English Black Country. A full on instrumental piece spices up the record in the penultimate spot with 'The Hive' filtering in a thoughtful phase after a steady flow of stories, tales and much musing to decipher. 

These musings kick off the album with the title track 'Voices From the Cones', which starts with the anecdotal words of an old glassworker before letting the golden voice of Kim Lowings loose on a duet song. She also appears later in 'Picking Sticks' alongside the voice and piano of Dan Whitehouse and some interesting hammer dulcimer from a guest musician. 

Amusing segments are never too far away, and local storyteller John Edgar takes full control in the music hall style of 'Front Door' as the theme impishly moves towards some of the extra-curricular activities the workers got up to with their world class products. On a more serious note, Elizabeth J. Birch delivers a strong message in 'Rouse Ye Women' to reflect that the glassworkers were often in unison with other other industrial trades in pursuit of better rewards. 

The earlier mentioned Chris Cleverley joins up with Dan Whitehouse in the writing of 'The Last Apprentice' before solely acting out the vocals on a song depicting a sad demise in collusion with the man literally taking the title. Fortunately, he is still here to tell a tale now documented in song to play out the ideals of folk music. 

The final two songs represent a tangible side to the glass industry. 'Flip Flop' has hip hop shades while actually being a traditional glass musical instrument and gets the expert vocal treatment from Nicole Justice. 'Rose Bowl' was a gift showing the empathetic side to an industry that we have been left in no doubt was a tough life. Angellina Corinna lends the vocals to a song illuminated by some delectable pedal steel. 

The physical release includes an additional disc narrated and written by John Edgar with some of the interviews undertaken to fuel the songs that make this such a special and hugely enjoyable listen. The disc also intersperses the songs to alter the dimension. The richness and diversity to this album sets it apart. The songs educate, inform and entertain, thus ensuring any investment in this project has been wholly worthwhile. That investment now extends a hand to listeners making a wise choice to engage. 

VOICES FROM THE CONE is a prime example of folk in the field to rival any contemporary take on immortalising the past in the entertaining shrine of music, words and song. It acts as an accessory for locals to view their heritage through a different lens and an artistic conduit to draw interest from afar. Dan Whitehouse and his team have done Stourbridge proud, but foremost, the legacy of an industry proud. 

Gig Diary: M G Boulter - Thimblemill Library, Smethwick. Saturday 15th September 2022

 

www.mgboulter.co.uk

On an evening when Smethwick was temporarily twinned with Southend-on-Sea, Thimblemill Library maintained its winning run of inviting very literary-focussed singer-songwriters to the most literary of settings. Stories, anecdotes and intuitive song influences spilled out of M G Boulter to such an extent they could well have created a section on the heaving shelves to house an alternative work of word art. The theme was a celebration of an album that has proved more than durable in its eighteen month existence in spheres of those hooking up on its contents at various points of a seminal journey. CLIFFTOWN may well be nearing the end of its cycle as an artist's focal point, well at least until it re-emerges for the customary anniversaries. However there has been room for a swan song as this Essex-based singer-songwriter refreshed the presentation for a final tilt in this phase.

This was the third time seeing M G Boulter live since CLIFFTOWN entered its commercial status as the gig world started to re-awaken. Barely weeks after its April 2021 release, live shows started to emerge and the Kitchen Garden in Birmingham hosted Boulter in its makeshift socially distanced courtyard. The performance tentatively started out in a solo format, but the flavour of an album hailed as a conceptual take on living in Southend was fully absorbed from those quick to rejoin the gig bandwagon. 

By the end of the summer the M G Boulter Trio had been born and the Maverick Festival was next in line to share some of the songs from an album fast becoming the most significant part of a lengthy music career successfully striking out in so many different directions. The downsize of a festival set is the brevity to really own the show, a fact of life put to the sword on this third occasion of absorbing the songs of CLIFFTOWN. Not only was the Trio finely tuned in an enticing direction with the additions of Harriet Bradshaw (Cello/mini keys) and Lucy Farrell (violin/guitar), the whole show was boosted by a visual aspect commissioned as part of the project to inject a different slant on the stories told in song. Add these to a lengthy two-set stint and an album had a fabulous send off, with the extra zest that there is so much more to access elsewhere for anybody's unsatisfied hunger.

M G Boulter only just starts with the stories he breathes. A stylish guitarist heads an in-demand musician and incisive crisp vocals ensure the belly of a song lands on a listener's sweet spot. A innate warm and friendly persona fans the flames of smartly secured songs and fuels the inter-song chat that adds bundles of extra knowledgable spice to a singer-songwriter evening.

There were moments during the show where things diverted from the growing girth of Essex's prime seaside resort. The newest addition to a M G Boulter show is the the handful of songs forming 2022's EP A SHADOW FALLS OVER NEW BRIGHTON, although we were informed that this digital only release was basically some extra cuts left off CLIFFTOWN. We did get a brief glimpse of the future with a new song, and those with a keen eye noticed the results of a songwriting collaboration with Scottish artist Jenny Sturgeon has surfaced in the form of a digital single. Maybe a sign of things to come as both artists are active on the Hudson Records label, an operation providing a platform for musicians to prosper in tandem. 

Catching a CLIFFTOWN show before it fades in the distance as a live entity is highly desirable. Any practical challenges can be alleviated by accessing https://hudsonrecords.co.uk/s/clifftown-sounds as a one stop library for all things relevant including the associated podcast series. Trying to convey the experience via a third party is a submissive task falling short of the inevitable. Signposting the work of M G Boulter is a sufficient and laudable aim. The live show will only truly shine in the eyes of the beholder.

This M G Boulter show was the latest in a long line of insightful bookings by the team behind these community library shows. The support on the evening came from Harry Thorpe who admirably stepped in to play solo when the highly touted Thorpe and Morrison instrumental folk duo was curtailed in the run up to the show. He paraded virtuosic guitar skills among makeshift songs to warm up the audience suitably for the main course.

It has been a pleasure to be part of the CLIFFTOWN experience since first casting ears on the record in the promotional phase. If this proves to be focal point finale, that pleasure was gratified and sealed. M G Boulter found his spiritual home this evening. Maybe there is more in common between Smethwick and Southend than meets the eye. 

Album Review: M. Lockwood Porter - Sisyphus Happy

 www.mlockwoodporter.com

SISYPHUS HAPPY is the sort of record that if you allow it to burrow deep into your pores a sumptuous high will surface. M Lockwood Porter has captured and savoured a particular fertile patch of his creative whims to tumble headlong into a record that seemingly came out of turbulent personal times. From a clear inner signal to slim down the operation, the result is a simpler production and rounded sum of ten compulsive tracks showing this Oklahoma-raised/Bay Area-based artist is firing flat out on what is now his fifth full length release. 

The title is the first interesting thoughtful point on a record getting its release on the increasingly influential label Black Mesa Records. Sisyphus was famously known in Greek Mythology for pushing a boulder eternally up a hill; a metaphor for life's frustrating repetitive blocks. If M Lockwood Porter felt this in his professional career, the fruits of the new record suggest a successful alleviation. A second point of interest is that help making the album is almost entirely in tandem with fellow Oklahoman, the legendary (well if not yet, will soon be) John Moreland. Mixing, co-producing and playing many of the instruments shows the input from this luminary with very little assistance from elsewhere. Using this space M Lockwood Porter proceeds to conjure up a melange of songs lighting up your listening space for thirty-seven minutes. 

A faint hint of steel gives a shimmering background to 'Cried Through The Night' kicking things off in a truly touching style mixing with further enhanced musicianship to state that we are in safe hands. Things get deeply personal in the following track, 'I Went Out to Find the Answer', with a statement manoeuvre in the line "I drove the dustbowl highway so many times before" helping make this song one of the album's signature puzzle pieces. 'First Reformed' completes the opening trio in tender mode with some intriguing lines in the lyrics to evoke interest in what M Lockwood Porter is trying to convey in the record. 

'Craigslist Song' sets the tone at a higher level to rock out a bit more than what we have heard so far. But then we know that M Lockwood Porter is heavily influenced by old time rockers like Petty, Young, Springsteen, Tweedy et al. The album lands at its midpoint in the acoustically strummed opening to 'The Whim to Walk Upstairs', which eloquently rolls out as a prime number wrapped up in the gentle vocal style of its architect. 

There is a simple feel to 'The Dark Before the Morning' with stripped back sensibilities accompanying a melodic effort and juxtaposing a more complex message. A little background reading relates 'The Kid Who Ran Away' to the relationship with his late father and "we both needed something the other couldn't do" stands out as a strong slice of candid songwriting. Steel returns at the start of 'While We're Here' as the pondering of real life continues to fall into the lap of searching themes ripening up to feed the songs that ultimately portray them. 

A somewhat therapeutic album glides towards a conclusion first in the optimistic chimes of 'Shine My Little Light' before the exceedingly delightful 'I'd Like To Take You With Me' seals the pertinent effect of a record moving you into a position of being totally in unison with the artist. At this point the reward of your endeavour reaches a sincere level of satisfaction. Eventually SISYPHUS HAPPY defies the inference in the title to the extent that the boulder does reach the top of the hill. M Lockwood Porter is a striving thoughtful songwriter, musician and collaborator. Alongside the wizardry of John Moreland, he as crafted a deftly purposeful record. 

Album Review: Bonfire Radicals - The Space Between

 

www.bonfireradicals.com

Bonfire Radicals have cut their cloth as a vibrant live band on the local gig and festival circuit. Their take on folk music leans heavily almost entirely towards the instrumental spectrum and this is reflected in the latest release. THE SPACE BETWEEN is the second album from this Birmingham-based band and fully formed to transmit a taste of the live performances from stage to home. While this is a studio effort you still get the feel of absorbing it in a shared space and feeding off some element of group motion.

Nine tracks form this album with a defined split of eight instrumentals and a solitary song. The latter is the Birmingham murder ballad 'Mary Ashford', a tune written by Midlands-bred musician Jon Wilkes with traditional lyrics enhanced by a final verse accredited to the band. The theme is a famous nineteenth century legal case with ramifications still felt today. The final verse brings things two hundred years up to date with a fiery response. 

Of the eight tunes, three have traditional originals, three are composed by Bonfire Radicals as an entity and a couple accredited to other players. A lively piece titled 'Brenda Stubbert's Reel' kicks off things with fiddle and guitar blending well to add some extra vitality to a tune borrowed from Canadian old time fiddler Jerry Holland. It immediately leaps into the recorder fuelled tones of 'The Bonfire', a tune by Matt Heery, assumed to be the Birmingham musician revealed in searches. Traditional tunes feature after the opening duo with a very European flavour garnishing 'Cafe De Flore', awash with flutes and recorders upfront steadied by a sturdy guitar back beat. Another toe tapping effort to get the limbs moving as well. 

A additional trio of Bonfire Radicals composed tunes are 'Satsuma Moon', 'The Man From Suburbia' and 'Coffee Countdown (Piped and Unplugged'. The first of these steadily imposes itself with a a full complement of sounds pouring out, while the second conjures up some eastern mystique. The final one draws inspiration from Bulgaria and is reworked for pipe organ. 

There are obvious continental connotations to the final two traditional tunes. 'She, She, Di Shviger Kunt' melds fiddle and pipes from the off, while 'Freilacher Nashele' ecstatically ramps up the tempo showing what Bonfire Radicals do best. 

Thirty minutes of rip roaring fun greets the listener, give or take the odd moment of thoughtful reflection. Bonfire Radicals express their full pedigree and repertoire on THE SPACE BETWEEN to summon up plenty of playful fervour, while exploring the spirited world of folk tradition. 

Album Review: The Magpies - Undertow

 

www.themagpiesmusic.com

UNDERTOW is a record born out of collaboration and decked with surplus panache to project forward the careers of three hugely talented musicians. Bella Gaffney, Holly Brandon and Kate Griffin weave in acres of artistry producing a folk album successful at linking generations and continents. The Magpies can have a fluid existence outside the studio, but once in the recording realm the trio format sparkles and shines to maximise the enhanced input. 

This self-released effort is a follow up to 2020's TIDINGS. In those pre-shutdown times The Magpies were gaining traction to become one of folk music's hottest new properties. That traction is now accelerated in an eleven-track album packed to the hilt with so many fascinating facets. A trio of traditional titles rub shoulders with a pair of originally composed tunes, a quintet of new songs and a cover to turn heads. A re-interpreted pop cover shouldn't headline a folk album, so mentioning the band's almost gothic take on 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' first makes way for the meatier material. The trio decided to end the album with this song. The conclusion has to be a brave and unique move that works.

A selected high spot on the album is the band's take on an Appalachian old timer titled 'Fall On My Knees'. This has already settled in a crowd pleasing slot via summer duo shows and demonstrates how a wide net has been cast to source songs. The other two traditional offerings have origins closer to home. 'Hares on the Mountain' is as English as you get, while 'I Will Never Marry' made the short distance across the Irish Sea and was meticulously bought to the party by Kate Griffin who arranges and sings the version. 

Like all band members, Griffin has a solo focus herself and excels in the claw hammer banjo. A sound subtly detected right across the record. The world music interest she brings breathes new life in an act keen not to be constrained by local rituals and conventions. Her solo writing brings a further two songs to the party. Opening track 'Now and Then' is also sung by her, but the vocals are taken up by Bella Gaffney in 'If Time Were Money' at the heart of the album. 

Gaffney does appear to be the focal point for The Magpies. Instrumentally, she brings double bass and acoustic guitar to the show. On the song writing front, the excellent and smart 'Undertow' reflects the album at its best in the early stages, while the astronomy-focussed 'Galileo' keeps the listener alert in the second half. Gaffney is the main vocalist and is also in the midst of touring and promoting a solo record. Top multi-tasking at the same time as this record gets a push. She is also there when The Magpies slim down to a duo as occurred at festivals in the summer including Moseley Folk, where some of these songs were showcased. 

The duo format features Holly Brandon, one of the finest young fiddle players seen on the folk circuit for a long time. Her immense presence is felt right across the eleven tracks, and even more so in the two instrumentals she composed. The first is titled 'Solstice' and glistens in the number four slot after three songs have set the scene. The second is a trio of fiddle tunes incorporated under the title 'Colin's Set'. This is in tribute to whom they were composed for. Additionally, Brandon was credited as one of the co-writers on 'Pass Me By', which is the eleventh and final song to get a mention.

As previously referred to, Moseley Folk Festival was a good launch pad to hear Bella Gaffney and Holly Brandon introduce The Magpies. Earlier in the summer, the pair were seen in different sets at Beardy Folk Festival where Gaffney played solo and Brandon teamed up with brother George under the name Painted Sky. The autumn will be a very busy period for the whole Magpies as the trio head on the road in support of UNDERTOW. By the end of this run, the album will have become a firm favourite in many folks' collections and show that at least part of folk music's future is in the safe hands of three talented performers. 

Album Review: Town Mountain - Lines in the Levee

 

www.townmountain.net

Good things happen to those who wait and are able to capitalise on good fortune. Asheville-based band Town Mountain have certainly done the hard yards over the last fifteen years and now a timely boost is in order after being picked up by influential label New West Records. The result is their music getting a wider reach and LINES IN THE LEVEE will increase traction with an international focus. If Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson can blast out of genre confines into cool quarters in far away lands, there is no reason why TOWN MOUNTAIN can't follow suit and bring their take on country and Americana music into an alternative realm. Just two more associated name checks before digging deeper into this gem suggests that you wouldn't be far off describing the sound of Town Mountain as flourishing on the fault line where Old Crow Medicine Show meets an unpolished Zac Brown.

Coming from deepest North Carolina helps frame the southern sentiment that runs through the pores of this six-piece outfit taking their name from a point of origin just outside Asheville. The musicality running through this progressive outpost will have played its part culminating in a moment where the latest album arrives at new doors. LINES IN THE LEVEE is an eleven-track/forty-five minute extravaganza of roots music spectacularly driven by fiddle, banjo and mandolin. Country roughened vocals meet the adventurous musicianship head on and the band deliver strong songs, both in a raucous pace and sedater offerings. 

You would have to assume that Town Mountain are a red hot live outfit. Among the springy numbers that go a long way to defining the record they have tossed in a good ole singalong in 'Daydream Quarantina', an alcohol-free 'drinking song' if you grasp the irony. Joining this track in the quieter quartile of the record is the acoustically strummed opening to a finale where things get quite philosophical in 'Lean into the Blue'. Another of the gentler moments is 'Rene' with a fainter banjo and fiddle adorning the soundtrack. For a more upbeat stance look no further than the scene setting title track leading things off. 'Lines in the Levee' goes a long way to representing the album that parades its name. 

The instrumental input plays a significant role in this album resonating strongly and although the sound is not prominent, a touch of steel infiltrates the penultimate track 'American Family'. Earlier in the record 'Firebound Road' has neat multiple mandolin segments to supplement a general rocking feel to the track. Certainly one to get the feet tapping. The catchy chorus attached to 'Distant Line' is drenched in southern country imagery and made early inroads into being one of the standouts. Another clearly defined to be a flagship track is the anthem qualities plastered all across 'Comeback Kid', an action packed number designed to keep things rolling along after the statement making opener. 

Of the three remaining tracks 'Big Decisions' is the pick based on its infectious tempo switch midway through and epitomising how well the excellent instrumental inclusion has been implemented. A fervent chorus helps as well. 'Unsung Heroes' requires little explanation to its theme and is maybe caught between the two stools of the pacy efforts and the slower numbers with more of an anthem feel. 'Season's Don't Change' seals the Old Crow association earlier indicated. A good solid track utilising fiddle, banjo et al. 

LINES IN THE LEVEE never leaves its quickly ascended pedestal or twangy exterior. There are moments to let your hair down and others where the gang command a fully concentrated attention. Town Mountain have barged their way into the established quarters of cool country-Americana. A place they have been probably been all their life, but then again we know that life doesn't always act sensibly and rationally. A sensible and rational choice now would be to support this band to grow, especially as an international act. 

Gig Diary: Danny George Wilson Band - St. George's Hall, Bewdley. Friday 7th October 2022

 www.dannygeorgewilson.com

There is enough electricity to light up the Worcestershire Way when Danny Wilson and Paul Lush ignite their guitar duals. Maybe its more Lushy letting it rip and sparking off the acoustic riffs, but the effect is the same. Mind you, playing in front of a scintillating rhythmic pairing of Joe Bennet and Steve Brooks is heaven sent. Throw in some keys from one of the architects of the latest album courtesy of Henry Garratt and the Danny George Wilson Band was firing on all cylinders as they leapt closer to completing a successful run of autumn dates. 

A return to St. George's Hall for Danny Willson saw his band open the 2022 Bewdley Festival on a night a little different to the usual Severn Sessions that has hosted Americana music in this riverside town for several years. Gone for the night was the youth and local support act, though guest of the evening Katy Rose Bennett did lay claim to some brief Bewdley roots. There was also an air of formality in sharing what else the festival had in store over the next nine days including a wide spectrum of music, comedy and notable guest speakers. I suspect nothing else will be as gritty and down to earth as the opening night. This was pure roots music from a veteran as fresh as the day he stepped into the limelight as member of acclaimed 90s/early 00s band Grand Drive.

The evening kicked off with a set from Katy Rose Bennett who has accompanied the five guys on the tour, one of whom is her brother Joe. Katy is a familiar name on the Midlands music circuit and indeed played a trio show at this venue a few years ago. She is known for her vocal prowess that leads numerous singing projects amongst other things. For this set she decided to lean on a toned down electric guitar for accompaniment which came over a treat. This allowed room for the vocals to shine, just like they had on the recent a cappella record ALONE ON A HILL. All the choir tricks were in place for 'Trees'; 'Growing Peas' came across as the best song and 'Jack and Ivy' was a reminder of an astute songwriting past. One destined to proceed well into the future.

Katy re-appeared later in the main set as Joe and her provided vocal backing to a couple of songs Danny and Paul delivered acoustically from the first Champions of the World album. 'The Truest Kind' and 'Red Tree Song' reflected the soothing side to this record, while earlier 'These Days' in full flow saw plenty of electrified sparks flying around the hall.

The set list this evening represented the four strands to the work of Danny George Wilson over the last twenty-five years. Smart ears would have detected the unannounced 'Love and Truth' from the Grand Drive days early on, while this phase of his career was mentioned in the closing stages prior to 'Jukebox' being played. 

We learnt on the night that the next phase will be a new Bennett Wilson Poole album due very soon. The trio did play a successful show at the Hall in 2018, a line up that was extended on the evening by Joe Bennett joining forces with his brother Robin, the actual Bennett in the title. The track played this evening from their first album was 'Not Forgetting' and the sound was unmistakably more jangly than most of the wares on offer.

Every Danny George Wilson show is going to have some Champs input. Apart from the three early tracks mentioned, the other two songs were absolute classics filling the final two slots. 'Every Beat of My Heart' and 'Never Stop Building (That Old Space Rocket)' never lose their shine and induced a bout of chair dancing on a night when Danny was never going to be disco judge.

As the bill was named Danny George Wilson Band not the Champions of the World, the bulk of the songs came from the debut full album under that name that came out last year. ANOTHER PLACE added a different twist to a lengthy career and half a dozen tracks from this record mainly spilled across the first half of the set. The picks were 'Right Place', one of numerous examples of the band freaking out in total instrumental mode, and a cover of Spirit's 'We Gotta A Lot To Learn. A apt statement for those not too au fait with this song or band. 

Danny George Wilson gets crowned as British contemporary roots royalty by many fans with a deep love for grass roots music. It can also be added that he never plays a bad show in whatever format. In fact each show could be envisaged as playing as though there was not going to be another. A silly notion as we know there is an awful lot left. St. George's Hall Bewdley may not be your usual rocking out venue for this band to play and is likely a lot more salubrious than most played. However tonight it hosted a fitting start to an eclectic arts festival of which Danny George Wilson is a most welcome invitee.