Saturday, 28 January 2012

Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon @ Threshold 11/2/12

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC AFTERNOON
- THRESHOLD PREVIEW
SATURDAY 11TH FEBRUARY 2012

Saturday 11th February 2012 is the date of the Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon @ Threshold.

Hosted by Liverpool Acoustic's Graham Holland, and local musician Rob Rivieres, this event is taking place at the newly relaunched 
Elevator Bar and Cafe on Parliament Street (next to Giant bikes) and runs from 2pm to 7pm.

Entry is by
Threshold Festival tickets available for the day or weekend from tiny.cc/threshold12tickets

This preview features information about the performers, including links to their websites, plus the
Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight show featuring one track from each of them.

Below is the current lineup and running order, although with a festival on the scale of Threshold this could change at any minute (fingers crossed it won't). Any changes will be updated on this post and on the facebook
event page.

  • 2.00pm - Dean Elliott [Worcester]
  • 2.30pm - Rob Rivieres [Liverpool]
  • 3.00pm - Léon Pearce [Jersey]
  • 3.30pm - Oxtoby Music [Australia]
  • 4.00pm - The Big I Am [Liverpool]
  • 4.30pm - Mary McCombs [Liverpool]
  • 5.00pm - Robert Mulder [Canada]
  • 5.30pm - Alan O’Hare [Liverpool]
  • 6.00pm - James Munro [Stockport]
  • 6.30pm - Hedda Aronssen [Norway]
Tickets for all other Liverpool Acoustic shows are available from
wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic - including Liverpool Acoustic eXtra on 8th March featuring Bird, The Sea Kings [London], and Thom Morecroft.


Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #63

  1. Dean Elliott - The Actress
  2. Rob Rivieres - No Romances
  3. Léon Pearce - Till The End
  4. Oxtoby Music - How Am I Supposed To Believe (When All That You Do Is Deceive)?
  5. The Big I Am - Dancing
  6. Mary McCombs - Gaia
  7. Robert Mulder - Work and Play
  8. Alan O’Hare - Only Child [Demo]
  9. James Munro - Reply If You Like
  10. Hedda Aronssen - I Will Follow You

Listen online here

(not available for email subscribers)
or download the show  for free
(right-click to download)

Dean Elliott
Dean Elliott
www.deanelliottmusic.com
Dean Elliott is an Acoustic, Folk Singer and Songwriter from the West Midlands.

Calling influence from musicians such as Nick Drake, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, Dean began writing in his teens performing his unique blend of heartfelt acoustic folk to the pubs and clubs of his hometown of Worcester.

After fine-tuning his songwriting and performing craft at Sir Paul McCartney's 'Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts' (LIPA) in 2003, Dean shot to fame after being asked to perform as Buddy Holly in London's West End as the lead role in the Olivier nominated hit musical 'BUDDY - The Buddy Holly Story'.

In that time he gained a rather large fanbase and exposure whilst working tirelessly on creating a repertoire of songs with which resulted in Dean's first studio album - 'Tales from Whittington Tump'. Joining Dean on the record included Accordian, Piano, Cello, Double Bass and Banjo players from across the country and also full strings. The release of the album in December 2009 was recieved with acclaim from many reviewers including the N.M.E. One reviewer quoted that Dean's lyrics "spoke directly to the heart".

Since then and since Buddy, Dean has toured around the UK performing his music in venues such as the O2 Academy - London, Liverpool's 'Cavern Club' and The Bedford, London. He has also performed in countries as far reaching as the USA, Canada, Latin America and India whilst also appearing on such shows as TV's 'Richard and Judy', Radio 2's 'Jonathan Ross show' and BBC London Tonight.

Dean has just completed a new 3 track E.P in November 2011 titled 'When the dust settles down'. 

Rob Rivieres
Rob Rivieres
robrivieres.com
“I always find it difficult when people ask me to describe my music. I’ve never liked the idea of putting things in a box, putting a label on something. I tend to prefer the question ‘Why do you write?’ I always try to be honest with my music and I strive to create songs that will inspire people. Music is my way of expressing something meaningful, an experience, an idea, something honest that I want to share, something that will make people really think and feel. That instant, when a song brings people together in spite of their differences to share something beautiful; it’s in that instant that music unifies us. It’s that intimacy, that vulnerability, that’s why I write songs.”

Rob Rivieres is a twenty-three year old acoustic singer-songwriter from the north west of England.  Crafting conscious lyrics with soft vocals and simple melodies Rob creates a minimalist yet deeply soulful sound.

His debut EP, Before the Dawn, was released online in May 2011 and offered as a ‘name-your-price’ download. As well as building and managing his own website he regularly posts videos on Youtube and strives to maintain a direct relationship with his fans using several social networking sites.

Drawing on the ‘the delicate moments, dramas, dilemmas and dreams we all find ourselves drifting in and out of’, Rob writes conscious tales to inspire and intrigue. He is currently writing material for a new EP whilst gigging in and around Liverpool.


Léon Pearce
Léon Pearce
leonpearcemusic.co.uk
Influenced by the great songwriters, Paul Simon, Nick Drake and The Beach Boys, Léon is constantly writing new music and improving his material.
The Jersey-born musician frequently draws on personal experience when it comes to crafting songs about love, friendship and heartache, and the raw intensity of emotion that we all feel in the Spring of our lives. With a single set for release on Valentine’s Day, and plenty of gigs coming up, this emerging artist is one to watch. 

Oxtoby Music
Oxtoby Music
OxtobyMusic.com

Science by day. Music by night. Neil Oxtoby is a an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist, as well as being a qualified physicist. Oxtoby usually performs as a solo artist, but also invites friends to join him on stage so you never know what to expect from any given show. Currently in the process of recording his first full-length album at Parr Street Studios, Oxtoby will be performing new original songs and a cover song at this year's Threshold Festival after enjoying last year's festival from the audience. You can help to write Oxtoby's Threshold setlist by requesting songs via his Facebook page facebook.com/OxtobyMusic


The Big I Am
The Big I Am
facebook.com/thebigiam
Liverpool duo The Big I Am are Colin Heaney and Peter McPartland..  These fine musicians have created a glorious blend of acoustic folk-pop.  At its core the tenor ukulele and cuatro. They have become favorites of Tom Robinson BBC 6 Music who describes them as being "…subtle, melodic and mysterious…sounds like Peter Gabriel and Steve Reich having an acoustic jam."  The BIA will feature on an album curated by Tom Robinson and will release another two albums this year. Collecting Skies can be bought from Rash Records.


Mary McCombs
Mary McCombs
myspace.com/marymccombs
reverbnation.com/main/music_artists#!/marymccombs
Mary McCombs formed an Indie band in the early 1990s, writing and performing their own material which was influenced mainly by Cocteau Twins and The Sundays. McCombs was the lead vocalist of the band which performed at many Liverpool venues and several in London and various University campuses nationally.
She is a regular performer with the ‘Sense of Sound’ singers, and performs as a solo artist on the local acoustic/folk circuit which includes the 2012 Threshold Festival where I also played in 2011.
Mary is currently hosting a folk night at The Cornmarket in Liverpool city centre and will be performing at the Wirral ‘Folk On The Coast’ Festival in June 2012. She is also a member of Dave Jackson and the Cathedral Mountaineers as a backing vocalist; who will also be appearing at Threshold 2012. She has recorded a CD called ‘Selling Flowers’; 10 self-penned songs available at ‘News from Nowhere’ in Bold Street. There’s another CD coming soon.


Robert Mulder
Robert Mulder
Robert Mulder is a 20 year old Singer/Songwriter from Canada, currently studying songwriting at LIPA.

He has been performing as a solo artist for over 5 years and recently assembled an eclectic international ensemble from Singapore, South Africa, Jersey, and Norway to add a special touch to his catchy indie/folk tunes. They are currently working on an EP entitled "Across the Plastic Pond" scheduled for release in September 2012. His music is simple, yet powerful; a clear and unique voice with poetic lyrics that reflect a resounding wisdom of everyday life.


Alan O'Hare
Alan O’Hare
twitter.com/thetrestles
Alan O'Hare is a singer-songwriter, and lead singer of The Trestles. Only Child is a demo recording for a future project

James Munro
James Munro
myspace.com/jamesmunromusic
James Munro is a Stockport based Singer/Songwriter whose influences include artists such as Bob Dylan, David Gray and Morrissey. He began to share his songs when moving to Liverpool - the city where his family are from – in 2006 and since then has immersed himself in both the Liverpool and Manchester music scenes. Along the way, James has supported Ocean Colour Scene on their 2011 UK acoustic tour and later that year earned himself a mention in the NME magazine when playing as part of the NME Sunday Sessions with the Morrissey approved, The Heartbreaks. 2009 saw him record a demo CD entitled The Impression On Me which was followed by the 2011 home recordings, The One Take Shake. Now back in Stockport, Munro performs regularly in Manchester and Liverpool and looks to record and release his first EP very soon. Stay tuned for news on recordings and forthcoming gigs.


Hedda Aronssen
Hedda Aronssen
heddaaronssen.com
Hedda Aronssen writes pop-music with memorable melodies, honest lyrics and dynamical arrangements. The Norwegian artist has together with her 4 piece band made their unique sound, with a a variation of influences. After 2 years of gigging in Norway and the UK, she is now in the progress of recording her first EP, Unread Letters, to be released in June 2012.



Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #63 - February 2012 (Threshold)
If you get the chance, please support your local artists by emailing them, joining their mailing lists, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible. The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by Graham Holland on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website. It is also available on the Internet courtesy of Art In Liverpool FM (Defnet Media), and is a proud member of the Association of Music Podcasting. The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his CD Midnight On The Water.









Friday, 27 January 2012

The Grande playing Liverpool Acoustic Live tonight



Liverpool Acoustic Live returns tonight, Friday 27th January 2012, with a rare, stripped-back set from one of Liverpool's best alt-country bands The Grande, ably supported by Geoghegan Jackson, Simon Cousins, and Cherry Colby.

Entry is by £5 advance ticket available until 6pm tonight at wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic or for £6 on the door.

Doors at the View Two Gallery open at 8.00pm, and the music starts at 8.30pm sharp and runs through to just after 11.00pm.


See you there!









Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Threshold 2012 - interview with Chris and Kaya


Threshold Festival
is back for the second year from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th February, and with the closure of the CUC has spread its wings across venues old and new inside the Baltic (Love) Triangle, and a little further beyond.


Liverpool Acoustic is taking part again, and will be bringing the Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon to Elevator Bar and Cafe from 2pm to 7pm on Saturday 11th February. We'll tell you more about that in a future news item, along with a special Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight show, but if you really can't wait then visit our facebook event page to find out more.


Day and Weekend tickets for Threshold can be bought from
tiny.cc/threshold12tickets


Last year’s Threshold was a big hit with critics, acts and audiences alike, not bad for a first effort.  So, where to go from there?  We sent Liverpool Acoustic reporter Luke Moore to track down organisers Chris and Kaya Carney and ask them what to expect for Threshold 2012….
First off – congratulations are in order after an amazing debut festival in February 2011 and of course on getting married last year! How have things been going in the run up to Threshold 2012?
Thank you very much! Well…There was a point in the beginning of November as we started finalizing the programming where we thought, we are actually almost ready to go. You know when you think you must have forgotten something.. And then the CUC closed and we had to think outside a completely different box! Needless to say, the last few weeks have been, shall we say interesting?
After hosting Threshold 2011 and a whole host of other great events, it was disheartening to hear that the Liverpool CUC (Contemporary Urban Centre) is closing at the start of this year. As you had originally planned this year’s festival there, what challenges have you faced in making sure the show still goes on?

We love our new venues;  Camp & Furnace is a fantastic warehouse space & really is THE ‘up & coming’ venue in Liverpool, The Blade Factory’s got nooks and crannies that create a fantastic maze of events, The Picket has been one of our favourite venues for years, Elevator is the creative hub for musicians in the city and putting on an event within the Nordic Church makes perfect sense with all the Scandos who have been part of the festival’s inception. The Lantern Theatre is the newcomer, and also an exciting fringe space.  But this is the phoenix from the ashes. 
It has been hard – we’ve lost our biggest sponsor and all the infrastructure/logistical work. It’s now all on us, and it’s all made on love and community spirit – we’ve renamed the Baltic Triangle the Baltic Love Triangle, but you can’t pay for things with goodwill, so we have had to work around the clock to try and make things work.
The festival runs from 10th – 12th February, often a quiet month for gigs and events, yet last year the event was packed out for almost all of the time. What have you got on offer that will bring in the crowds this year?
More than anything it is the sum of the events, the best grassroots art in the city, not just music but visual and performance art too alongside established acts and the up-and-coming… the quirky with the more commercial. As long as it is good, we try and find a space!  We’re not following a scene, we accommodate for what’s going on.
Liverpool’s music scene is a hot-bed of new acts across a wide range of music and you again have an impressive number of bands and solo artists showcasing their wares this year. Who stood out last year and what acts should we be looking out for at Threshold 2012?
Every time I start talking about being excited about one thing, I remember another thing. Friday’s line up is pretty much Kaya’s dream gig with Louis Barabbas & The Bedlam Six headlining and lots of the most exciting alternative steampunk, folk, pop, blues, singer/songwriters on the line up + a whole room of Antipop – with their rock solid line-up (literally) in addition to Newpath,  a post rock visual experience which has Chris all giddy and lots of acoustic wonderfulness accumulating with after parties from ‘Are you Louche?’ with The Elementals, who closed last years party so gorgeously and some VERY special guests tba.
But then Saturday goes from the newly signed Chelcee Grimes with her soulful pop and up-and-coming Coffee & Cakes for Funeral through to more established Nu folk wunderkinds Stealing Sheep, All We Are and Laura J Martin with international Scouse favourites TJ & Murphy.The Liverpool Acoustic stage features Oxtoby Music, The Big I Am, Robert Mulder plus many others and on the Liverpool Live Stages buzz bands Man Get Out and The Thespians will be rocking out after a fantastic full day of funk, soul, hip hop and craziness part presented by the fabulous guys of Soul4Soul.  There’s also Debt Records’ line-up, one of the audience darlings from last year + a double afterparty with the WAXXX guys, Mr Paul, CANTMIXWONTMIXSHDNTMIXDONTMIX and Upituprecords.
And we haven’t even started talking about Sunday which a LOT of people are talking about. We have invited Diplomat of Sound to do a Chai Wallahs stage with Yes Sir Boss, Coda, Joe Driscoll and We the Undersigned.  Most people who’ve been to Glastonbury, Bestival, Green Man Festival or Secret Garden Party have wandered into this tent – a funktastic experience no-one should miss.
That could be big enough, but we have a dribble worthy line up at Elevator for the full festival and a smoking hot bill for Sunday at The Picket with Sandi Thom, The Hummingbirds, ambitious and epic The Fifth Movement (formerly KCO), Natalie McCool and a few other handpicked ones from Sandi’s label Guardian Angels Records.  Basically – we try and put on the festival we want to see.   And then hope we get to see some of it!
But it’s not just about the muso’s, right…?
No very true! We have quite a few theatre and dance groups doing stunt performances and pop up pieces plus Impropriety and other programmed theatre groups.
So, something for everyone by the sound of it! How much are tickets?
In advance they’re a bargain £25 for the weekend or £10 for the day, it will be more on the door, so get your tickets early!
Fantastic! Well, I guess you both have a lot to do in preparation for Threshold but where can people find out more about the event?
Visit www.thresholdfestival.com plus they have piggybacked onto the app of media partners Liverpool Live & you can download it from the website www.liverpool-live.info

Luke Moore writes for Liverpool Acoustic, is the Liverpool/Cheshire editor for Independent Music News and is a talent scout for Deuce Management & Promotion.  Luke is also a composer, arranger, session musician (cello, bass, piano) and works with a variety of signed and unsigned artists in the North West of England.  
This article originally appeared on Indie Music News and is republished here with kind permission.
@thresholdfest #threshold12
The festival is still on the look out for willing volunteers to help steward all the events they've got planned over the weekend. The more people they have volunteering, the shorter each of the stints will need to be. And as a volunteer, when you're not doing your volunteering thing you can get into any of the other events for free? It's got to be worth it, hasn't it?
Check out this video to find out more.




Sunday, 22 January 2012

EP Review: Bird

EP REVIEW

Artist: Bird 

EP: Phantoms

Website: birdofficial.co.uk


There’s a lot to be said for living with music for a little while before writing a review. I’ve had this disc in and out of a CD tray for a couple of months now just soaking up the tracks without wanting to miss anything - and there’s certainly a lot here.

First of all, I should come clean and say that I’ve been following this band on the local scene in for the best part of a year. I saw Bird play at The Zanzibar about nine months ago and as the heady mix of vocals, washy guitars and long violin notes bordered on intoxicating, I couldn’t help thinking that if I was in a female fronted band, I’d probably want it to sound just like this. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them live twice more at Liverpool venues - at The Masque (may she rest in peace) and at Eric’s, the latter being the official launch night for this, their Opus #1.  

There’s a lot of positive things to say about the music on show and Phantoms does not sound like the product of a band that have only been together for around a year. The title track - which has been the grand finale in the band’s set when I’ve seen them live - opens with a repeating guitar motif, insistently hypnotising the ear into submission. A catchy wailing chorus is the real payoff for this track, as Adele Emmas’ vocals soar into the higher part of her range and push the emotion over the edge. This is a band setting out its stall and giving a promising indication of songs yet to come, a strong opener and a definite single, I hope.

The second track Hey Hey Moonshine takes the energy levels right down - it’s brooding guitars, rim-clicks and a breathier vocal for most of the way, building nicely to a chorus that could so easily be over-embellished.  Bird hold back, letting the violin break at the end unsettle before giving way to an equally unnerving bass intro to Tides. The guitar picking transported me briefly to the likes of Zero Seven, Massive Attack and Goldfrapp (quite sublime, I really wanted to hear more of this intro!), then after two short verses, a wailing figure that harked back to the style of the chorus in Phantoms. A grower, I’m sure, even if I felt I was snapped out of the mood the intro set up a little too quickly, but still the track ticked along nicely before a cheekily placed Spanish guitar wraps the song up.   

Finally - with thunderclaps, nursery rhyme, and rain - The Witch Hunter. The eeriest track on the EP by far, a different vocal sound is blended with picked guitars and a nod towards the first Bat For Lashes album. The final third of the track has violin and cello play against the haunting “Ring a ring a roses” vocal line and as the music builds to hint at a more filmic sound, then unravels, it’s clear that this is a band that have plenty more to offer.

Bird are back in the studio recording a new EP and like the rest of their rapidly expanding fan base, I can’t wait to hear what they come up with. To find out more, visit birdofficial.co.uk

© 2012 Luke Moore
Liverpool Acoustic – liverpoolacoustic.co.uk


Luke Moore writes for Liverpool Acoustic, is the Liverpool/Cheshire editor for Independent Music News and is a talent scout for Deuce Management & Promotion.  Luke is also a composer, arranger, session musician (cello, bass, piano) and works with a variety of signed and unsigned artists in the North West of England.  










Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Liverpool Acoustic Live preview - Friday 27th January 2012

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE PREVIEW
FRIDAY 27TH JANUARY 2012

Friday 27th January is the first Liverpool Acoustic Live of 2012 at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street. Kicking off a new year of fantastic local, national and international acts performing at one of Liverpool's best acoustic venues we've got:-
  • The Grande
  • Geoghegan Jackson
  • Simon Cousins
  • Cherry Colby
Tickets are £5 in advance or £6 on the door.
Tickets for all Liverpool Acoustic shows are available from

Doors open at 8.00pm with music starting at 8.30pm sharp. The night finishes at 11.15pm

Join the facebook event here


Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #62

  1. The Grande - Rose Tinted Picture
  2. Geoghegan Jackson - Threads
  3. Simon Cousins - Love's Counterfeit
  4. Cherry Colby - Give You My All
  5. The Grande (Ben Sherwen solo acoustic) - Smile

Listen online here

(not available for email subscribers)
or download the show  for free
(right-click to download)


The Grande

Firmly immersed in Americana & Alt. Country, The Grande have made a real name for themselves on the local music scene and look set to take their brand of heartfelt, bittersweet songwriting to a whole new level after the release of the much anticipated twelve track LP Bleaker St. in November 2011, launched at a sold out show at the famous Eric’s club in their hometown. [Read the Liverpool Acoustic review here]

The Grande are Ben Sherwen (Guitar & Vocals), Melissa Parker (Vocals), Joel Lynch (Guitar), Scott Poley (Pedal Steel, Guitars), Paul Davenport (Bass) & Phil Stevens (Drums).

Taking you on a journey through love lost and battles won, The Grande have become renowned for their memorable shows, drawing you into a whirlwind of emotion from the rousing crowd favourite Don’t Melt Me Down through to the anthemic harmony-laden Ghosts whilst taking in wistful heartbreakers 'Stay, Tonight', and Life’s On Hold and every sentiment in-between along the way.

The Grande wear their heart on their sleeve from the first note to the last, drawing on timeless influences such as The Band, Neil Young & Ryan Adams along the way but always staying true to The Grande’s roots.



Geoghegan Jackson
Geoghegan Jackson are Susan Geoghegan (guitar) and Helen Jackson (vocals), an acoustic pop/folk duo who hail from Liverpool. They originated from indie/pop band BettyNoire, who played in Liverpool, Manchester and London and later, as a duo, Beamish, supported Cud’s 2008 farewell tour. 

They have currently been collaborating since February 2011, with influences including John Martyn, Nick Cave and Patti Smith. Geoghegan Jackson play their original pop folk with edge and have been compared as a “Mellow Zep.” They are currently gigging and releasing new material on a five track EP, “Parlour in the Sun”, recorded at Liverpool’s Parr Street Studio. Released by Lapwing Records, the EP features, in addition to the title track,
  “Threads”, “Cool Morning”, “Fossil Friend” and “Catch a Train”. Online release date is 23rd january by Lapwing Records.


Simon Cousins
Simon Cousins is a singer songwriter who was as a member of Liverpool indie country rock band The Onset and folk rockers Ophiuchus. His solo work is in an acoustic, folk and country genre. Cousins performed at the Glastonbury Festival in both 2010 and 2011. His first solo single, Love’s Counterfeit, was released on 11 November 2011 as a digital download format through iTunes.
sicousins.co.uk


Cherry Colby

Cherry Colby is an acoustic singer/songwriter from Liverpool who has been performing and writing for a number of years and has played across the country at various festivals and venues. Accompanied by the beautiful cello playing from Fiona Shaw, her acoustic music expresses soul, desires and emotions. Cherry's songs 'Give You My All' and 'Liverpool Lights' were featured on BBC Introducing in 2011, and she will be back in the studio early 2012 to record her new EP. 




Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #62 - January 2012 
If you get the chance, please support your local artists by emailing them, joining their mailing lists, leaving them comments, going to their gigs, and buying their music direct from them where possible. The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is produced and presented by Graham Holland on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic website. It is also available on the Internet courtesy of Art In Liverpool FM (Defnet Media), and is a proud member of the Association of Music Podcasting. The theme music is King of the Faeries by Andrew Ellis from his CD Midnight On The Water.