Three Chords and the Truth UK

You can't defeat irony. The first post-review gig just happened to be one of my favourite artists. None other than the great modern-day Texas singer-songwriter Hayes Carll. Seeing him live pre-dates this blog by four years as it was in the dim distant past of 2008 when he first strolled onto a Birmingham stage strumming the opening chords to ' Beaumont'. There has been as many changes as similarities over the last eleven years, although this Hayes Carll classic remains on the setlist, now elevated from opener to encore slot if you view that graduation in a certain way. He still mainly plays the Glee Club when in the Midlands vicinity, with the Nottingham outlet tending to be the preference over Birmingham by design of East Midlands promoters Cosmic American. Needless to say, Hayes Carll still puts on a fabulous show, never one to disappoint with his material, and these days buoyed by his marriage to Allison Moorer (great artists obviously attract). You have probably miss...

Maverick Festiv al may well have celebrated its own tenth anniversary back in 2017, but two years later a similar milestone is reached from my perspective for that annual trek from the West Midlands to deepest Suffolk. Back in 2010, thoughts were more concerned with navigating the lanes of a county not often on the travel agenda rather than thinking a love affair was in its embryonic state. However year after year, commitment has grown to attend the festival especially as in the early days attendance was limited to the Saturday.  The Saturday will always be core to the staging of the event as proceedings don't get underway until 5pm the previous evening and the wrap is always just after lunch on the Sunday. Mind you, there is nothing like being there from first bar to last encore.  Maverick continually lives up to the billing of its name. You always get a good mix of artists already on the lower rungs of the roots ladder and those queuing to get on. The waiting line o...

The debate about the value and validity of genre is never likely to be concluded especially where progressive and traditional ideals mingle in a musical environment. Of course, co-existence is not too much to ask for, even to the extent of cordial agreement where art has triumphed. Make no mistake the blueprint showed no sign of tinkering when the brakes screeched on this Steel Blossoms album sailing past as release date beckoned. The first track ached with a country sentiment, then the second, third and so on. Soon the realisation dawned that in the midst was a record rigidly stuck in the core of a genre and bursting at the seams with everything positive and alluring about it. Steel Blossoms are a dream come true for purists in 2019 and the net is widened to attract those not bound by rules, just hooked by a sound that exudes quality and absolute sincerity. A few facts about Steel Blossoms: they are a core duo comprising of Sara Zebley and Hayley Prosser; hail from Pennsylvania...

Hannah Aldridge made her name in the UK largely as a solo touring artist alongside maximising opportunities and connections. Expanding horizons also extends to mode of operation as exemplified in her latest run of live dates where this Muscle Shoals native - Nashville resident teamed up with North Wales cosmic country outfit The Goat Roper Rodeo Band. This was not the first time Hannah has sought out a temporary backing band to freshen up her delivery as dates back in 2017 had Swedish rock band Jetbone in tow. Electric traded for acoustic in the current guise and positive reports from the early shows were put to the test with a return to Worcestershire’s version of a 'river town' - Bewdley.  The standard of the monthly Americana shows at St. George’s Hall this year has been exceedingly high and there was no let up with the action packed evening gracing the venue for the early May showcase. From the first strains of the youth support act on the stroke of eight to Hannah a...

The succession of a widely acclaimed album is a fascinating view from afar; one mixing listener anticipation with hope that a successful formula remains intact. In the tail stream of her 2017 album SPADES & ROSES, Caroline Spence made inroads overseas, in particular the UK where there is a dedicated passionate audience embracing the style of music in which she excels. The time has now arrived for a baton passing ceremony with MINT CONDITION assuming the mantle of the latest album release and a monumental challenge of building upon the impact of its predecessor.  The most significant alteration in the professional arrangement between albums is that Caroline signed to Rounder Records, with all the trappings of releasing a record on an established label. Thus the stage managed introduction of the new record has been markedly different to the previous one. The drip effect of five tracks strategically leaking out between early in the new year and release date only served ...

The influence of Nashville is not uncommon on the performing floor of the Kitchen Garden and this latest presentation further imported a Music City presence into the Second City. Regardless of the billing giving an edge to Kyshona, this show unwrapped as a bout of equilibrium as the renowned format of ‘in the round’ took hold. Throughout the evening Kyshona and Michael Logen took turns to share fruits from their song repertoire across two roughly equally paced sets. They stayed very much within their own confines thus reflecting a mere snippet of Nashville’s musical diversity.  For Kyshona, this was the fourth straight year of visiting Birmingham, and this venue in particular. A run begun when teaming up with Jen Bostic and Sarah Darling before branching out in a more solo direction while sharing the bill with Robert Lane and the Remedy Club respectively. Each time, this South Carolinian now Nashville resident mightily impressed with a thunderous soulful approach that drew he...