It's Liverpool Acoustic's first birthday tomorrow, 21st April 2009. When we started the website we hadn't planned for it to be any more than just an online resource to support the Liverpool acoustic music scene. Since this time last year the site has grown, and now has an even more comprehensive diary than ever before, a regularly updated news and reviews blog, a page for artists looking for bookings to get noticed, and a page full of useful links.
In February 2009 Liverpool Acoustic joined forces with local singer-songwriter (and host of his own event called 4Play) Stuart Todd to put on a brand new live music event imaginatively called Liverpool Acoustic Live.
The second Liverpool Acoustic Live event took place in March and was reviewed by Annastacia Simon from Studio Lotus, who was there to see Lorelei Loveridge play. Anna has very kindly allowed us to re-publish her review which you can read below.
REVIEW: LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE - MARCH 2009The View Two Gallery, Mathew Street, Liverpool
March 20, 2009
Featuring the music of:
Virginia Haze
Michael Ryder
Lorelei Loveridge
and The Good Intentions
The gallery itself is the sort of venue you long for but rarely seem to find. (As a musician or as an artist.) While it’s easy to miss when jaunting down Mathew Street, the View Two is a treat once you find the door….
Closing the lewdness and loudness of Liverpool’s Friday night atmosphere behind me, I was greeted with stairs…and more stairs. Three long and narrow stairways up I found myself in a sizable main gallery. We found seats near the front and waited as the place began to fill. All around was well presented artwork, varied and well worth immersing oneself in during the short wait. The whole place had a very clean, artful but not overly trendy atmosphere. I could see this space being used for so many events. It's handy for its location, it’s beautiful and surprisingly spacious and even has a well stocked bar (complete with a truly lovely man who brought us all teas and waters after mopping all three flights of stairs. What a gem!)
Set One – Virginia Haze
www.myspace.com/virginiahaze
First to fill our ears was sweet Virginia Haze. I immediately wanted her eye catching garb; some kind of hippy hybrid, a cross between Melissa Etheridge and Steve Nicks. Virginia is a Whirlwind of blond hair and colourful gypsy chic. Her sound is solid and so satisfying. Husky with a hint of sexy accent. Her songs bow with respect to the powerful female musicians who came before: Etheridge, Indigo Girls and the like. This is one songbird who has found her voice. In her own words ‘All my songs are love songs.’
But before you start assuming Ms. Haze is all about sighs and soft glances, I’m sure she would be the first to remind you that love is not all roses. It is a rollercoaster of highs and lows. It’s a celebration and often a defeat. Love is a pretty ache and an addiction. No better conveyed than by Virginia Haze.
Set Two – Michael Ryder
www.myspace.com/michaelryder
At first glance, Michael seems to be this shy, sweet Liverpool Lad. He is clean cut, humble and unassuming. This impression lasts only so long as his mouth stays shut. For the moment he sings, this sound explodes and leaves you jarred and asking yourself ‘What’s he playing at?’ His fingers work impatiently at his guitar and you start to panic – something just isn’t right here. Then it dawns on you. This boy’s voice is simply too big for acoustic, and it soon follows that his heart is even bigger. He leads you happily through the open spaces of his lyrics, colouring your environment with sentiment and melodic guitar. You are filled with a strange kind of Excitement. Could it be that his honesty is refreshingly familiar? Or that his dedication to winning your heart is more than valiant?
Despite all of this, Michael keeps trying to convince you of his shyness, looking out into the audience with this purity and tensing occasionally with awe. As if he himself is blissfully unaware that this powerful, beautiful sound is coming from his own body. It most certainly was, and considering he’s only 22 years of age...only time can tell just where his talent is going to take him. I’d be willing to bet it’s far. Extremely far.
Set Three – Lorelei Loveridge
www.myspace.com/loreleiloveridge
This was a treat for me on many levels. I have seen Lorelei perform in both great and really wrong environments. The Liverpool Acoustic Live, as I said before, is a great environment. She could only shine, and that she did. Anyone who knows me realises I’m a fan not only of Lorelei’s music but of her person. It goes without saying that I enjoyed her contribution to the line-up on a personal level. But I’ll be critical for a moment. Friday’s performance did have some major differences and I’m happy to detail them here.
Firstly, yes the venue itself made what is already a very inspiring musician shine brighter. The heart of Lorelei’s craft is in her storytelling, and her songs are more than whimsy and prose – they are expressions. They are parts of her life that have moved her so much that she needed to make that extra effort and share them with us using the most universal of mediums – music and poetry. (Because her lyrics are most definitely poetic) The right venue is a necessity – if you, the audience, are going to get the chance to experience Lorelei in full, you need to hear more than the strumming of her guitar and the power of her voice. You need to get the storytelling too. The View Two Gallery delivered beautifully.
Secondly, she managed to raise her game even higher on Friday. I’ve heard Lorelei’s songs and stories enough to be able to wake up in the morning with them in my head and still they move me with their poignancy. You listen to her and you want to change the world, even in some probably insignificant way. She makes you want to get off your backside and do what needs to be done. The same impact could be felt on Friday, but with added depth. Put simply, she managed to say. ‘Yes the world is a mess. People are experiencing hardships, people are hurting. But people are also Living. Loving. Giving. Rejoicing in the small and so significant things that most of us ignore. ‘It was a new feeling. A very aptly Spring feeling
and it brought out a whole new level to her work. This is the gift that Lorelei has been trying to give us for years now and one that she will continue to strive to deliver in the years to come. Good advice: Start listening.
Final Set – The Good Intentions
www.thegoodintentions.co.uk
The only ‘Band’ in the line-up, The Good Intentions are a trio of warmly seasoned voices working in tandem with well honed melodies. They reminded me of American Folk music, of Arlo Guthrie and occasionally Bob Dylan. There really isn’t much you can say against them, they know their business and they are good at it. I think the only complaint I could have (and this is really digging for one) is that the rest of the night seemed to showcase fresh talent with a raw edge and The Good Intentions seemed a bit too perfected for me. That said, the next
morning I did wake up with one of their tunes firmly on repeat in my head so I think that’s ‘job done’ as far as any musician is concerned. The trio began as they intended to end, and that was on a high note with a tribute to Arthur Crudup and Bob Dylan with their own spin on‘Wagon Wheel’.
Overall, it was a truly memorable experience. I look forward to both the next Liverpool Acoustic (Friday, 24 April 2009) and following the above artists whenever possible as they circulate around the Northwest. It was a genuinely good time, and I urge all those passionate about acoustic to get stuck in to the Liverpool Acoustic Live. For more information please seek out the friendly fellows below:
www.liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
thanks for reading -
Anna
Annastacia Simon © 2009Studio Lotus - studiolotus.co.uk
The next Liverpool Acoustic Live event takes place this coming Friday 24th April at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street.
for free
as a digital download.
