Three Chords and the Truth UK

  There is something quite special about Thimblemill Library as a gig venue, and Demi Marriner wholly concurs. On multiple occasions, she gushed about the unique surroundings and thoroughly enjoyed her first performance on its adaptable stage. Look up and ahead to see a piercing night sky flood through the arc of windows. Look straight up to catch a sight of multiple quirky light shades adding fine touches to the art decor. Look all around and packed book shelves provide a cultural backdrop to the welcome frequent invasion of nighttime music. This arts hotbed at a junction where outer city issues blend into phases of vibrant suburbia epitomises everything innovative about grassroots venues mixing and matching multiple diverse events adding buoyancy to a thriving operation. For the second week running, tickets for the music side of the Thimblemill offering poured out to around the three figure mark. It was a tough road getting people back to live music especially as weekends tend to...

  The Unthanks are contemporary folk royalty in the UK. Led by sisters Rachel and Becky, they and their countless collaborators have reached far and wide from a north east base to fill many halls and venues throughout the land. At the end of 2024, they have struck a significant seasonal note by both releasing a double winter album and touring its entirety. IN WINTER hit the shelves in November, but a record of this essence really comes to the fore on the turn of advent. On its various formats (vinyl, disc and digital), the running time of 19 tracks runs to 72 minutes. Over the course of a brace of 45 minutes sets, the 8-piece onstage ensemble allowed a little time for inter song chat and introductions. The jury was out on the value for money side of a slim set for a pricey outlay, but never in doubt is the quality of arrangement and musicianship on offer.  As you would expect, the presentation was slick and plush. The sound choreography was seamless with brass, strings, percus...

  www.dylanleblanc.com The Kitchen Garden was looking and feeling its quirky best. Christmas lights ever present since lockdown resumed a status of seasonal presence. Surreal Brummie paintings adorned the wall behind the artist including two iconic bulls locking horns. The infamous mirror adding depth to the side view. The 'L' shaped configuration testing a performer's dexterity. But most importantly, a packed house hooked onto the every word and musical note. There's no hiding place in a sold out Kitchen. Dylan LeBlanc knew the feeling as he ambled down the wooden stairs to the performing space. Just over a year ago, his full band had commandeered and conquered the tight playing confines to deliver a masterful show for the ages - arguably the venue's finest moment of recent times. For the return, the comfort blanket of familiar sidekicks was stripped. This was just one man, a guitar and a heart blasted open. The rest was history. 8:15 and the call went out, where...

Since the summer, each My Darling Clementine show has likely been a poignant and moving experience. Yet from the darkness of despair, music has the power to light up the road to better times.  Over the last eleven years, these pages have been filled with many reflections and accounts from the My Darling Clementine music experience, both live and on record. In a case of art inspiring art, the Kitchen Garden Christmas 2024 show is captured in a few stanzas of self-penned verse extolling  the worth of music. Seeking strength in the song Grappling grief with the guitar Honing in on the healing highway Hour by hour Each note piecing together a shattered mind Each lyric sowing the seeds of recovery Each beat showing the resilience of time Day by day Tracks signalling a brighter place Grooves etching a road to reality  Words working wonders Week by week The sanctuary of a musical harbour Tuneful, melodic, cathartic  A broken soul soothed Bring on 2025 and more My Darling Cl...

  www.ramblinrootsrevue.co.uk Ramblin' Roots brings a fine array of artists to High Wycombe across a long weekend each April. These artists represent their status and niche with exceptional class and commitment. When the surprise announcement came that there would be a mini extension into a busy December of seasonal events, you could be sure the fare served up would be top notch and up to the usual standard. So instead of entering the dual rooms of the Bucks Student Union on a Friday for a full weekend slate of sets, it was a cosy gathering in the main room on a Saturday evening for three home-based acts to showcase how they transmit their music so well. On a day where travel was severely hampered by Storm Darragh, it was a testament to commitment that artists travelled from the north, west and east of England alongside those of us ditching the Chiltern Line for the more reliable M40. Once settled it was a case of Annie Dressner, Steady Habits and Matt Owens and the Delusional Vani...

  www.chriscleverley.com What is the earliest date for a 'Christmas' show? To be fair, this 1st of December gathering was generally low key on the festive front leaving space for things to gather pace as the month bounds towards the 'big day'. A quick trawl through the archives revealed a much deeper into December gig for Chris Cleverley when he teamed up with Kelly Oliver to play a duo show at the Kitchen Garden in 2017. The abiding memory from that night was signing off with ' Wombling Merry Christmas '. Now that's a festive banger deserving more airing. Seven years on from that appearance, the evolution was marked by growing the stage presence from two to six and doubling the audience. The second room in the Hare and Hounds was packed to its near capacity for a full band show and the formal launch of a new seasonal EP. In the Shadow of John the Divine is available to the wider public on December 6th, but the good folks of Kings Heath had live versions and...

  www.martinsimpson.com One certainty is that you leave an evening with Martin Simpson with a stretched and enhanced mind. It may take a few braincell exertions to fully absorb the breadth of stories, links and lyric-laden songs, yet when accompanied by the finest of folk blues picking you can expect to see on the UK circuit, everything clicks into place for a rewarding experience. Even the wintry blue MAC lighting emanating tranquilliser-like vibes couldn't quell the wealth of two hours exceptional music. This Sheffield-based musician is still as active as ever, dashing around the country for shows and exploiting any opportunity to further a musical odyssey. After a period of the Midland Arts Centre being unable to host events in its main theatre due to well documented construction issues, it was good to re-frequent a space the scene of many fine folk performance over the years. A few more customers would have matched the quality of the music, but experienced musicians aren't ...