Welcome to the Liverpool Acoustic news and reviews blog. Here you'll find news about acoustic events in and around Liverpool, and reviews of gigs and CDs. If you've got something to add use the 'Contact us' page on the main site.
Letters in Red direct from the band at live shows (3 track CD, £2.00)
Direct mail - Letters in Red accept payment via paypal - just provide us with your address, send your payment to our paypal account will@homegrownrecords.co.uk and we'll mail it out to you within a couple of days (3 track CD, £2.00 plus £0.50 p&p within UK or £1.00 outside UK)
Here's some of the reviews the band have been getting:
***** (5 stars) iTunes (UK customer rating)
Feel Me is the sound of Letters in Red truly coming into their own; subtly blending their brand of acoustic folk with beats, synths and strings to create a lush and spacious backdrop for the evocative vocals - cinematic in scope Arts Council, Merseyside (ACME) www.merseysideacme.com
Letters in Red are ones to watch Graham Holland (Frogs Life Podcast & Liverpool Acoustic) www.liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
Skilled musicianship, innovative compositions & great vocals Dave McTague (Mellowtone)
Melancholic folk with subtle electronics giving it presence and dynamics Sub Cultcha www.subba-cultcha.com
Neil Campbell's Sunday Afternoon, which was due to take place at The Slaughterhouse Pub on Sunday 28th June, has been cancelled. The event is now on hold pending a possible future re-launch in September. Whatever happens, you'll here it here second (Neil's website followers will hear it first, obviously!).
Next week we'll be posting information about Ghost Stories - A Night Opera, which is taking place on Thursday 16th July at St Lukes, the bombed-out church at the top of Bold Street.
Ghost Stories musician and composer Neil Campbell and singer Anne Taft were on Billy Butler's Saturday morning programme on BBC Radio Merseyside today (27th June) so as a taster you can listen to the interview on the BBC iPlayer by following the link here. The programme will be online and available to listen to for seven days, and the interview begins 1 hour and 9 minutes into the show.
Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #15 Preview of Liverpool Acoustic Live 26/6/09
1. Vicky Neale - She's A Friend Of Mine
2. Barry Briercliffe - Walk In The Sun
3. Emily Barden - Standing In The Sun
4. Blue C - The Blues Will Go Rolling On
Download the show for free (right-click to download)
Or listen online below (not available for email subscribers)
The next Liverpool Acoustic Live gig is taking place on Friday 26th June 2009 at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street. The doors open at 8.00pm and the music starts at 8.30pm.
Entrance is £4 on the door, or £3 in advance from contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
We've got four great acts for you to enjoy on the night.
Vicky Neale is a singer-songwriter who lists her influences as Roald Dahl, Kate Bush, Bob Dylan, Melanie Safka, Lewis Caroll, Joan Baez, and Nick Drake. Her favourite quote? "I'd rather walk in the gutter than crawl in the street." Quite right too!
Barry Briercliffe is a talented acoustic singer-songwriter from Kirkby who has gigged extensively across Merseyside and the Northwest. He takes his influences from the likes of Damien Rice, REM, KT Tunstall, and Pink Floyd. Barry's strong, soulful voice coupled with his great lyrics and quirky use of loop pedal enable him to build up layers of sounds, rhythm and voice that will excite and inspire audiences. His album When All You Need Is Answers is available to buy from his MySpace profile.
Emily Barden is the lead singer of local group Stella 66 in which she's joined by Ryan Forrest (Drums), JJ Rio (Bass), and Petter Dahlgren (Guitar/backing vocals). Stella 66 describe their music as 'country tinged acoustic folk pop.' "Imagine if Carole King had fronted The Band, or KT Tunstall was a band". Unfortunately, the sad news for the local music scene is that Emily is leaving Liverpool for a fab new job in West Sussex, but Liverpool Acoustic Live is fortunate to be hosting one of Emily's last two gigs in the city before she leaves. Definitely one not to be missed.
Under the name Blue C, the Liverpool slide guitar/bass duo Raphael Callaghan and Christine Purnell have made a big impression on the British blues scene since 1991 with their special mix of traditional blues and a collection of original blues and gospel songs.
Their song “When Will The Blues Leave” was chosen for a Best of British Blues compilation album and Callaghan's “Someone Else's Blues” was the first winner of the Blues Song of the Year at the Great British Blues Festival at Colne.
Their album “Swimming against the Tide” is in much demand in the America after the world's largest circulation blues magazine Blues Revue praised… “the seamless combination of driving bass and highly accomplished guitar… secret ingredient is the calibre of the original compositions… a unique blues sound that has, at its heart, a thorough soaking in Anglo-Irish folk traditions”.
In July 2008 Raphael and Christine launched Blues On The Rock, a monthly event taking place at Fort Perch Rock, New Brighton, on the second Sunday of every month. Each month Blue C play some of their own songs before introducing a special guest.
Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #15
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.
This Thursday 25th JuneCanned Panther presents acoustic gems from Jack Roberts, Stephanie Finegan, and Molly Jones. The details are in the gig flyer below, including that wonderful nugget of information about the event being free!
And if you're not sure who Jack Roberts is (where have you been?) then keep reading...
Nearly there...
Who Is Jack Roberts?
That’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves for a while now! Hidden behind his stage persona, his animated characters and a tumultuous voice you will find something very real: Jack Roberts!
Jack Roberts writes songs, performs them, records them; he’s an animator, an artist, and a general genius! He's performed at Glastonbury and is well known in Liverpool for his time in the band 'The Bingo Brothers.'
Jack Roberts also performed at the Liverpool Echo Arena for The Number One Project, sharing the stage with the likes of Atomic Kitten and Gerry & The Pacemakers. His performance of shaving with a cut throat razor whilst singing ‘Ticket To Ride’ has gained him huge notoriety and has attracted a lot of press interest.
Now known for his avant-garde performances with everything from a bicycle pump to a biscuit tin, his jail bird stripy tops, and even a broken computer keyboard, his trademark gruff yet huge vocal range has seen him wow audiences at Sound City and Liverpool Music Week.
Achievements include an album through Sony, and his infamous ‘Heart Attack’ song on a Ricky Hatton video. (Search for this on Youtube or check his Myspace). He’s a massive favourite in Liverpool and has a strong cult following.
Noted for his stage persona and the contradiction of wit and pain in his lyrics, Jack Roberts is a true story teller you don’t want to miss.
I'm going to break with the standard album review convention by coming straight out with it. Deliverance, the new album from Jimmy Rae, is brilliant! Buy it now!
In fact, buy lots of copies – one for yourself, one for each of your children, one for your parents, one for someone at work, one for that person you know who doesn't like listening to music, and one for your neighbour. If you were actually to do this then the chances are that few (if any) of these people would be disappointed. That's because the music on Deliverance is just so darned accessible, with a wide-ranging appeal across generations and musical tastes.
When I popped the CD into my laptop and fired up iTunes it showed the genre as rock, but listening to the songs from start to finish you'll find not so much rock, more country, with a fair sprinkling of rock ‘n’ roll, blues, Americana, folk, and pop. Now, if like me you’re thinking “but I can’t stand country music” then you needn’t fret because this is as far away from the mainstream formulaic country music as you can get. You’ll find no clichés here! Avoiding labels, this is simply good music.
Deliverance contains twelve great songs with more standout tracks than the average album, and not a single track that could be described as average, let alone weak. This is testament to the excellent songwriting skills of one James David Rae. As part of this review I was going to list my favourite songs from the album, but soon realised I’d listed half of the tracks – Ain’t So Sorry, Tomorrow Night, Take You Home, Eddie’s Guitar, Unfinished Rooms, I Wish You Everything – each one worthy of praise.
But good songs are nothing without good musicians to play them, and to this end Jimmy has called on the talents of some of the best musos around. And boy has it paid off! The music evokes images totally befitting the title Deliverance, of hillbillies and hoboes in the heart of Georgia, of railroads, rivers and wooden shacks.
Deliverance is dedicated to the memory of bass player Rob Adams who sadly passed away last year. Rob appears on six of the tracks, and I can honestly think of no better tribute to him than this record. The album has been many years in the making, and is certainly well worth the wait. However, let’s hope we don’t have to wait quite so long for the next one!
Here at Liverpool Acoustic we're constantly on the look-out for exciting new opportunities for local acoustic artists. So, step up to the plate the Hungry Wolf Band Night! We've lifted the details below straight from their MySpace profile, but they tell us they don't mind at all!
The Hungry Wolf Band Night is a new venture which will be played out in the Heebie Jeebies Basementevery Friday with the first night being staged on 26th June 2009.
With venues charging ever more extortionate prices to go and see great live music the Hungry Wolf bucks that trend with free entry and cheap offers on drinks (£2 Stella and other selected bottles). We aim to bring the very best of up and coming bands from the Northwest on a weekly basis with one band performing per night supported by an acoustic act plucked from the thriving singer/songwriter scene in Liverpool at the moment.
We are now booking artists for the night so any band/artist wishing to play can get in touch. All backline will be provided including drums and a PA system. Please note that although the night is free entry and the band will not have to sell tickets they will still be required to bring a minimun of 25-30 people. All bands/artists will be provided with beers for performing and payment can be discussed if they bring an excessive crowd along with them.
We hope to build this night up to be the best band night in Liverpool with DJs playing after the live music late into the night. We think the atmosphere created in the Basement can be electric and with the right blend of music and people the possibilities are endless.
Anyone wishing to contribute to this night please get in touch as we do require some designs for the Hungry Wolf logo. All ideas welcome. For now thank you and remember the Wolf is Hungry.
Back in March we posted information about an offer from JD of free recording for acoustic bands in Liverpool (see here for original post).
JD would like to thank all of you got in contact wishing to take up the offer.
Now, we thought this was so good that we've been speaking with Gavin, the boss at SAE, and he tells us that the offer of free recording is still there and it's now easier than ever to sign up. Just visit liverpool.saestudent.com and click on the Add Band link on the left hand side. Then complete the form with your details and wait to be contacted by an SAE student who's eager and willing to record you.
If you're interested in learning how to do it yourself then check out the courses on offer at liverpool.sae.edu
Apologies for the short notice but this is just to let you know that the charity gig for Wirral Heartbeat this Saturday 13 June at St Josephs Centre in Birkenhead featuring Jimmy Rae and the Firewalkers and Phil Chisnall's Loose Collective has had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.
We hope to reschedule the concert for later in the year and all tickets will still be valid. Anyone wishing to refund their tickets is asked to call 0151 652 2200.
Sincere apologies for any inconvenience. I'll send a fuller update at the weekend.
We've got another weekend ahead with great events on offer. We've already given the Wirral Folk On The Coast Festival a couple of plugs, but what else is happening?
Friday 5th June - Nashville-based Alt Country duo Eric Brace and Peter Cooper will be performing at the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street. This venue is fast becoming one of the best places in Liverpool to enjoy live acoustic music. Tonight Eric Brace and Peter Cooper are joined by local band The Good Intentions. Doors open at 7:30pm, and music begins at 8pm. Tickets are £3 in advance/ £4 on the door - call 07801 961 404 for more information.
Saturday 6th June - The Company Store returns to The Zanzibar for another night of country, blues, gospel, rock n roll, and soul from this side of the Atlantic, inspired by the other side of the big duck pond. The night is hosted by The Sixteen Tonnes, and includes music by Hallelujah Trial, The Black Marquee, and Emily and the Faves. There's also the debut gig for new band Altlantic Massey before the hit the road gigging around the UK. Tickets cost only £5, and it all kicks off at 8.00pm. More info from myspace.com/liverpoolcompanystore
Sunday 7th June - Dogstar* hosts a night of open floor performance at The Picture House on London Road. It starts at 7.30pm and everyone is welcome. More info from easytofindalicia[at]hotmail.co.uk
Today - Thursday 4th June 2009 - is a very important day, and here at Liverpool Acoustic we're playing our part.
We've joined forces with the Hope not Hate campaign to urge you all to get out and vote in the European elections.
It could be that you weren't going to bother. Why should you, when it seems that all our politicians are crooked, and the world is in economic turmoil? And what's the point when the same old parties are going to win anyway?
Well it just so happens that there is a point to voting - because due to that wonderful system called proportional representation (Westminster should try it some time!) every single vote in the North West will be counted and totalled up. The seats in the European parliament will then be allocated based on the percentage of the vote that each party received.
This means that the only wasted votes are those that aren't used. It also means that the more people who stay at home and don't vote, the greater the chance the small parties such as the hateful, racist and bigoted BNP have of gaining a seat.
So, whatever you might think of the European Union we call on you to support the Hope not Help campaign by voting against the BNP.
[That was a party election broadcast on behalf of the Liverpool Acoustic Party / Hope not Hate alliance]
We've just heard that the gig on Friday 19th June at the View Two Gallery with Thomas-Joseph & Murphy, and special guest John O'Connell, is now SOLD OUT. That's good news for those who already have their ticket, but not so good if you weren't quick enough.
If you're looking for alternative acoustic gigs to go to then keep on checking the Liverpool Acoustic news and reviews site, sign up to follow us on Twitter, and keep an eye on the Liverpool Acoustic diary at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk - and don't forget, the next Liverpool Acoustic Live event is the following Friday 26th June at the same venue, the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street.
Last month saw the Liverpool Sound City, IPO, the Crosby Music, and the Hub Festivals. We're not quite as busy this month, although we are starting off with the Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival (see the News and Reviews blog for more details) which is in addition to all of the regular weekly and monthly events that are filling the online diary. Of course, there's always room for more, so if you find out about an event that's not in the online calendar then drop us a line and tell us so we can fix the problem.
LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE
Liverpool Acoustic Live has moved into its regular(ish!) fourth Friday of the month. For June and July we're in the View Two Gallery on Mathew Street, but for August we've got something really special in a different venue - more about that closer to the time.
This month Liverpool Acoustic Live is on Friday 26th June and features the music of Vicky Neale, Barry Briercliffe, Emily Barden, and Blue C. Full details are in the poster on the main website at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
If you want to hear what they sound like then you can listen to the Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #15 which is due out soon.
DIARY
Did you know that if you are logged on to your Google account when you're looking at the dates in the online diary, with just one (or is it two?) clicks you can copy any of the events from the Liverpool Acoustic Calendar to your own Google Calendar! C'est tres cool, n'est pas?
With May's festival fest out of the way, we've got more space to highlight some of the regular events from the Liverpool Acoustic Diary.
Monday 1st - Come Strut Your Stuff @ The Egg Cafe. Open floor poetry and acoustic music takes place once a month in Liverpool's best vegetarian bistro. The event starts at 8pm but if you want to perform you'll need to be there before 7.20pm to get your name on the list.
Wednesday 3rd - 4Play @ Chameleon. A monthly acoustic showcase featuring four performers each month. First Wednesday every month, starting from about 8.30pm
Thursday 4th - Euro Elections @ your local polling station. Get out and make your vote count against the BNP.
Thursday 4th - Homegrown @ 3345 Parr Street. Hosted by Letters in Red, and featuring Greg Hall, Before Autumn Falls, and Rosie Jones. 8pm - free entry
Friday 5th - Wirral Folk on the Coast festival starts and runs through to Sunday 7th. Full details from wirralfolkonthecoast.com
Friday 5th - Eric Brace and Peter Cooper @ The View Two Gallery. Nashville-based Alt Country duo, with support from The Good Intentions. Doors 7:30pm, music begins at 8pm. Tickets £3 in advance/ £4 on the door.
Saturday 6th - The Company Store @ The Zanzibar. Atlantic Massey, The Black Marquee, Hallelujah Trial, Emil y& the Faves, 16 Tonnes (solo). 8pm start.
Sunday 7th- Picture House Music @ The Picture House, London Road. 7.30pm open floor - Dogstar* Hosts
Friday 12th - Blues on the Rock @ Fort Perch Rock. The normal Sunday event has moved to a Friday for one month only. Blue C's special guests are Joey & The Wheels, back by popular demand. 7.30pm start, £4 admission.
Friday 19th - T-J & Murphy, with John O'Connell @ The View Two Gallery. STOP PRESS - SOLD OUT
Thursday 25th - Canned Panther presents @ 3345 Parr Street. With live music from Jack Roberts, Stephanie Finegan and Molly Jones. Doors 8pm. Free entry.
Friday 26th - Liverpool Acoustic LIVE @ The View Two Gallery. Vicky Neale, Barry Briercliffe, Emily Barden, and Blue C. Doors 8pm, music 8.30pm. Fully licensed bar. Tickets £4 or £3 in advance from contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk Full details from liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
Sunday 28th - Neil Campbell's Sunday Afternoon @ The Slaughterhouse. A changing line-up of 4-5 top local singer-songwriters and musicians with a regular slot by classical guitarist Neil Campbell.
TWITTER
The number of Twitter followers is growing all the time, and if you want more information than we can carry on the news and reviews blog then why not add lpoolacoustic for those last minute reminders?
Once again, thank you to everyone who's contributed to either the Liverpool Acoustic website or the Liverpool Acoustic Live event. If you have anything you'd like to add then please let us know by using the Contact Us form or by emailing contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
