Three Chords and the Truth UK

It was of little surprise when My Darling Clementine announced they were swapping the northern climes of Manchester for the southern suburbs of Birmingham once gigs in some format were given the green light. As has been recently the case, if the artist can re-adapt, the Kitchen Garden can do likewise to at least bring some remnant of normality to both performer and audience. So it was old friends reunited for Lou Dalgleish and Michael Weston King with a visit to their old West Midlands stomping ground and a venue that has been kind to them in the past.  With the new gig landscape taking shape and My Darling Clementine being the subject on these pages many times over the last decade, focus turned onto nine things to take away from a gig that both bathed in the odd and the norm: Dedication On the journey to the venue it was decided to dedicate this gig to the late Biddulph-based promoter Craig Pickering who held My Darling Clementine and Michael Weston King in such a high esteem. He ...

It is of little surprise that within a few weeks of restrictions easing Emily Barker is out there on the road playing shows to her impatient fan base. This impatience is born from the release of a brand new album in lockdown that is aching to be taken on the road. Of course many fans bought various versions of the album from outlets like the artists own Bandcamp page, but that never really compensates the physical exchange at a gig especially where many of the songs have been showcased.  We had lost count of the number of times this gig at the Kitchen Garden had been postponed. The final potential spanner in the works was avoided with the venue utilising their new outdoor covered patio space and applying creative seating arrangements thus rendering any delay of the infamous June 21st date redundant. By the time Emily and husband Lukas Drinkwater took to the stage, all parties were ready to cast off the frustrations of the last fifteen months and rejoice in a sentimental renewal. Th...

To say it has been a tough two years for festivals is a gross understatement, but Beardy Folk continues to be a beacon of hope on the homegrown front. Adaptability is the key, and this Shropshire based festival has now been staged four straight years since its inception in 2018. On the back of last September’s strategic move to operate within the restrictive parameters via a site rejig and a reduced occupancy arrangement, it was déjà vu as this organic event dodged the latest cultural bullets to once again bring thirty-six UK folk acts to the sumptuous surroundings of Hopton Wafers, and the famed walled garden. How it is done is within the creative and industrious mind of organiser ‘Beardy Dave’. Regardless of the twists and turmoil, both artists and folk fans alike are mightily grateful that the show continues to go on. So from the striking of the eleventh hour on Friday morning to well past the other eleventh hour late on Sunday evening, a continuous stream of high quality diverse mu...

  www.elliegowersmusic.com The real value of a full gig hit home tonight; one where you are absorbed in an artist's presence for a couple of hours. The music of Ellie Gowers has emerged over the last nine months. Firstly via a slot at last autumn's socially distanced staging of the Beardy Folk festival, and subsequently by performing in one of the twice-weekly Green Note streams that involved an in-the-round type setting for artists to interact with each other largely on the art of songwriting. A thirty minute festival slot and a four song showcase on the stream were sufficient to open the door to the music of this young Warwickshire based artist and now attending a full gig has sealed the deal. Forty eight hours after live music had been given yet another kicking from the Government's lockdown strategy, at least the Kitchen Garden was persevering with a 'show must go on' philosophy and this gig went ahead within existing restrictions. An added bonus was the show mo...

Gig No.1 was the tearful renewal. Gig No.2 saw friends reunited. Gig No.3 cracked the code. At the end of the first week of the new gig era, three very different shows have crossed my path, each spinning a different slant on the live music experience. The third of these saw Hannah White expand her horizons from London into Birmingham for the first time, at least professionally. There were no tears at this one, though plenty of emotion. It wasn't the case of friends reunited like Ramblin' Roots as this appeared to be a brave new venture for all parties. However the code of what gigs are for and meeting the epicentre of an artist's soulful exposure was well and truly cracked on yet another candid and intimate Kitchen Garden evening. I am a fully paid up member of the 'show us-don't tell us' club and Hannah White demonstrated from opening song to finale being a suitable hypothetical candidate for queen of such a brigade. No cowboy hats, sparkles, boots and homages ...