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.
'Tis Christmas Eve in the workhouse (or Liverpool Acoustic HQ as we like to call it) and just like Father Christmas we've also been working hard all year. So we're taking a well-earned break, and will be back on New Year's Day with January's newsletter.
Don't forget, if you're heading out to any of the events in the Liverpool Acoustic diary then do check beforehand to see if they're still due to take place. After all, you don't want to turn up to a cancelled event looking like a Christmas turkey, do you?
Happy Christmas from the Liverpool Acoustic team - Graham, Stuart, Gemma, and Gill
Are you one of those people who gets the Boxing Day Blues? Stuffed with turkey and mince pies, and overdosed on Doctor Who and Slade, what else is there to do but lounge around the house watching the needles fall off the tree?
Well, this year the answer awaits you down at the Albert Dock!
Connie’s Christmas Cracker is an event full of surprises with Liverpool’s finest singers and musicians celebrating yuletide with the award winning singer.
After loving the vibe at Liverpool’s Live Lounge so much when playing earlier this year, blues legend Connie Lush has decided to return and give her fans a very special Christmas treat, by singing with her closest friends at Live Lounge on Boxing night.
Joining Connie on stage are Liverpool favourites Jennifer John from Sense of Sound and Thomas Lang, musician Neil Campbell and Little Anthony and the Boss Tones and also of course is Connie’s band Blues Shouter.
Liverpool born, music legend Connie Lush is widely recognised as one of the finest blues singers that the United Kingdom has ever produced, The indisputable fact of Connie’s talent was acknowledged when she was voted Best UK Female Vocalist by readers of ‘Blues In Britain’ for 5 separate years, earning a richly deserved place in the Gallery of the Greats.
She is also increasingly recognised on the continent, particularly in France, where she was honoured in the French Blues Trophies awards as European Singer of the Year for 2002. There are no separate awards for male & female singers in the European category, so Connie defeated all challengers. It is less appreciated that Connie’s musical talents go beyond singing. She is a highly accomplished songwriter, confirmed by many excellent self-penned songs that form the content of her live & recorded repertoire. She has also written TV themes and featured as a DJ on Jazz FM.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
CONNIE AND FRIENDS Saturday 26th December 2009
Tickets: All £20
LIVE LOUNGE, Baby Blue, Edward Pavilion, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AF
Tickets can only be purchased direct in person at Blue Bar (above Baby Blue) or on 0151 702 5831/30
Gig review: Basement Live launch party @ Rococo Wednesday 28th October 2009
Rococo is situated in the lounge basement of Modo on Concert Square. The lavish setup is host to a monthly music event organised by local musician and promoter Ogo.
This was the launch night of Basement Live and the free champagne on offer convinced me that I’d chosen the wrong week to stop drinking. There were also cakes and sweets on display, which I'm sure will do nothing for the cholesterol.
Ogo, who also has a residency at Hannah’s Bar, brought much of the Hannah’s crowd with him and was in good company. The performers mainly chose to play covers to please the crowd but no one seemed to mind. The student vibe kept things fairly lively and busy, whilst the general atmosphere was chilled.
The night was a bit too slick for my taste but the event will no doubt prove to be a worthy addition to the Liverpool acoustic scene. A mid-week sojourn to Basement Live won’t offer up any surprises but if you happen to be out with friends, then this is a worthwhile place to check out if you’re in the vicinity.
Leaf Tea Shop & Bar have been quietly making a name for themselves over the past year by putting on local, national and international musicians of some repute.
And on Wednesday 16th December they're doing it again.
Remember GK and the Renegades? Well, the GK is Gavin Kaufman, and recently he's been a busy guy recording new solo work in the studio.
In this exclusive gig for Leaf, Gavin Kaufman strips things back and reveals some new material as well as a few oldies in the comfy surroundings of Leaf Tea Shop & Bar, in the Novas CUC building on Parliament Street (the Elevator Studio entrance).
Doors open at 7.00pm and entrance is free. Support act TBC
If you've given up all hope of being entertained since Jedward were booted off The X Factor, and you're desparate for some proper music to fill the twin-sized hole left in your life, then look no further.
The Acoustic Run is back this Sunday 13th December. Brought to you by The Backstage, this event really is a run, starting at 6.30pm and sprinting off into the late evening.
It's taking place at The Magnet on Hardman Street, and it's only £3 entry.
Better still, if anyone says they are attending by replying on facebook or MySpace they they'll get in for just £2.
On the bill are Nicholas Turner, The Mojoes, Pete Cunningham, Ste Hedley, and Matt Swift.
Here's a treat for you tonight, Friday 11th December.
The Homegrown guys are throwing an end of year party with some super guests, including Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets), The Grande, Nick Ellis (The Maybes?), Letters in Red, and DJ sets from Richie Vegas.
Entry is £5, with £1 of that going to The Samaritans, a very worthy cause, particularly at this time of year.
Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #21 Christmas Cracker 2009
1. Dan Elson - Kicking Off
2. Thomas-Joseph & Murphy - Power of Persuasion
3. Adam Ritchie - Chasing Dancers
4. The 10p Mixes - Christmas No 1
Download the show for free (right-click to download)
Or listen online below
(not available for email subscribers)
There is no Liverpool Acoustic Live gig this month, so instead the Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is featuring a number of acoustic tracks from local artists to help fill the gap. Thanks to Dan Elson, T-J & Murphy, Adam Richie, and The 10p Mixes for helping out.
Liverpool Acoustic Live will be back on January 22nd with a line-up of Naomi Mather, Andy Chandler, Suzanne Jones, and Sparkwood & 21.
You're probably like Dan..... sick of pretentious indie bands, boring singer/songwriters, egotistical rappers, and generally crap gigs.
Dan Elson is Dan Elson's answer to dull music. Instead of doing what everyone else was doing he decided to cheer the hell up and bring a little bit of the bop back to gig venues across Liverpool.
Dan has been delighting audiences with silly rock, pop and ska tunes on his own with an acoustic guitar, or sometimes with a trumpet player named Keegwad, more often with a drummer called Al, and recently with a bass player called Mr Seaman. Together they will play your gig/party/event for a good time and a friendly smile, bringing with them some good quality entertainment, and some tunes to which you may wish to dance.
WARNING: You may not like Dan Elson if you have no sense of humour, are four feet up your own arse, or have no ears.
Dan Elson and The Rhythm Pixies have a brand new EP. Email danelsonmusic@live.co.uk to buy one for only £3! Even better get one for only £2 at any of his live shows!
Dan appeared on the Music Review with Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Radio 5 Live on 26th October 2009. Just for your pleasure you can download the show here or listen online here(not available for email subscribers).
And don't forget you can get some lovely new acoustic tracks for free, as Dan's Christmas present to the rest of the world, from www.reverbnation.com/danelson
T-J & Murphy have certainly had a busy year gigging all over the city and beyond. Not only have they been playing as a duo, they've also been playing with their new band.. Ted Guy (Harmonica/ Slide guitar), Jake Foord (Bass), Mark Byrne (Drums), and Alison Campbell (Viola, Piano).
Don't forget to buy your own copy of the fabulous album Weary Nights from CD Baby and you can read Liverpool Acoustic's review of the album here.
Adam was born and raised in Crosby, and loves his home town of Liverpool with its incredible musical heritage. He started jamming in a local pub aged 18, and shortly after joined the band Barfinkle. With Barfinkle he played over 100 gigs, including the first Hub Festival and the switching on of Liverpool's Christmas lights.
Adam has since gone solo, and has recently finished recording at Elevator Studios in the city.
"A strong voice coupled with technical wizardry with a strong sense of melody and a free heart felt style. Adam’s music uses classical phrases mixed with blues and honk tonk licks that bring the rhythm of the music to the forefront."
The 10p Mixes are all about making pop music, drinking pear cider &eating sweets.
"We are an indie-pop group, currently playing as an acoustic duo. We have good melodies, interesting lyrics and unusual harmonies, or so it has been said. We write songs about things that are meaningful to us, such as being skint, wearing a coat, and the notorious antics of the French canine population. We like making people think, laugh, cry, smile, dance and sing along."
Danielle sings lead vocals and plays keyboard melodies, whilst Will plays the guitar and provides vocal harmonies. They are currently looking for a bass player to go with them and their new drummer, Keith.
You can buy music from The 10p Mixes, including their new mini-album Bedroomsound, at last.fm/music/The+10p+Mixes
Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight #21 - December 2009
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.
It's not just the fat man in a red suit that's giving away presents for free this festive season; local musician Dan Elson is getting in on the act too. So move over Santa and let the man have his say.
Dear Danfans
Well as I'm such a nice guy, and because it's Christmas I thought I should give you a gift. The gift of FREE MUSIC.
Dan Elson's Acoustic Collection is a collection of acoustic songs. It's a bit like Ronsil.
Six never-before-released songs which encompass a range of styles and subject matters can be your for free by visiting my Reverb Nation site ro via my facebook profile (click on the My Band tab).
Much thanks go to Luis Dongo and Guillaume Llamas for recording Playing Cupid and Kicking Off respectively, and a big shout to Dan Martin-Hall who lent me some top equipment with which I created When I am Old, Undead..., I Said I Love You, and Nobody Listens.
As I've carelessly lost my drummer these days my live sound is much more akin to these tracks than my EPs. IF you enjoy this then pop down to see me play. It's good fun and I'll throw in some hearty banter as a side order.
Gig review: Adrian Edmonson and the Bad Shepherds @ Baby Blue Live Lounge Wednesday 28th October 2009
A Celtic punk-folk band....hmmmm?! And fronted by Ade Edmondson of ‘The Young Ones’ and ‘Bottom’ notoriety?! I wasn’t sure what to expect from tonight’s gig by the Bad Shepherds. Ade and his Bad Shepherds (Andy Dinan and Troy Donockley) re-work punk/new wave classics of 1976-1982 in a folk style using folk instruments. I feared that this could potentially be an awkward and twee mid-life crisis fuelled endeavour.
From the first track of tonight’s gig I realised that those fears were unfounded. The band opened with their version of ‘I Fought the Law’, played on a mandolin, fiddle and uilleann pipes replete with acapella harmonies and...I loved it!
Throughout the set the band selected folk instruments from an exciting looking ‘music tree’ set up on the stage. Dinan and Donockley are well respected folk performers with Donockley having played in Maddy Prior and Iona and Dinan being the All-Ireland Fiddle Champion. The pair provided a perfect backing to Edmondson’s ‘thrash mandolin’ and boisterous vocals. Dinan had a few fiddle solos throughout the set which were outstanding and it is clear to see why he won his champion title.
Song after song the band transformed punk classics into bona fide folk pieces. The arrangements on some being so different from the original that it took until the familiar lyrics of the chorus to recognise the song. Towards the end of the set The Bad Shepherds reversed the trend by giving the traditional folk song ‘All Around My Hat’ a punk twist!
The atmosphere in Baby Blue was fervent with lots of singing along and a peculiar mixture of gentle moshing and vigorous jigging which I have never witnessed before and which can only be borne out of a punk/folk gig!
I personally came to the gig with much more of a folk bias but left it turned on to a whole world of punk I am excited to explore. As Adrian Edmondson observes, “punk was the folk music of its day” and this was particularly evident in tracks such as The Jam’s ‘Down in the Tube Station at Midnight’ and The Adverts’ ‘Gary Gilmore’s Eyes’ which bear the story-telling qualities more often associated with folk music. When played in this style the lyrics seem to resonate more. The fusion of the two seemingly incongruous styles in such an effective manner is a great way of introducing fans of one genre to the other.
The marriage of punk and folk shouldn’t work, but it this case it really does and the Bad Shepherds have a great time in proving that.
The set list:-
I Fought the Law – The Clash
Up Against The Wall – Tom Robinson Band
(I’d go the) Whole Wide World – Wreckless Eric
Rise – Public Image Ltd
Down in the Tube Station at Midnight – The Jam
The Model - Kraftwerk
Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
No More Heroes – The Stranglers
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding – Elvis Costello
Friday Night, Saturday Morning – The Specials
Gary Gilmore’s Eyes – The Adverts
London Calling – The Clash
Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) - Buzzcocks
The poster pretty much says it all. Nouveau Django are playing a special gig this Friday 4th December, with extra special guest John Wheatcroft. For fans of great guitar playing this is a gig not to be missed.
The festive season is finally upon us (actually, it's been around since the end of Halloween!) and there's no better time to go out, have a few drinkies, and listen to some great acoustic music. However, there are lots of recurring events in the Liverpool Acoustic Diary so it's probably a good idea to check with the organiser or venue before heading out to anything that's in the diary during the Christmas and New Year period.
LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE
November's Liverpool Acoustic Live was the last of the year. We're taking a break in December, but will be back again on Friday 22nd January with a cracking line-up including The Random Family, Andy Chandler, Suzanne Jones, and Sparkwood & 21. We've also got one eye on our first birthday bash in February which will feature an extra special guest! Can't wait!
The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight audio show this month will feature a selection of musical treats from local acoustic artists.
DIARY NEWS
Like the ups and downs of the stock exchange, the local acoustic scene also sees its fair share of peaks and troughs. Here's what we have to report this month, in a Financial Times stylee.
You say goodbye...
Not so much 'goodbye', more 'see ya later'. The monthly Blues on the Rock event at Fort Perch Rock is taking a break while hosts Blue C concentrate on writing news songs and recording their next album. They're going out with a festive bang (cracker, anyone?) on 13th December, with surprise guests, party games, and free mince pies.
The Liverpool Acoustic Blues Lounge is also taking a break for the same reasons as the Blues on the Rock, but they're signing off with the wonderful Dean Johnson on Friday 4th.
And I say hello...
Nouveau Django have a new residency every Monday night at Heebie Jeebies.
Royal with Cheese started as a one-off, and is now a semi-regular event. It takes place at The Royal Hotel on Smithdown Road. There's now a facebook group for those who want more details.
As always, if there's anything we've missed from the diary then drop us a line and we'll add it.
DECEMBER DIARY SELECTION BOX
Here's a selection of some of the acoustic events taking place in December. Click on the event in the diary for full details and links. If you'd like your event to get a special mention in a future newsletter then let us know.
Thursday 3rd - NICE closing concert. NICE is the annual celebration of all things nordic, so it's no surprise to see the closing concert featuring both Ragz and Kaya. £5 tickets, 8pm start. Also features Picture Book and Budam. thebluecoat.org.uk
Friday 4th - Liverpool Acoustic Blues Lounge. Blue C host very special guest Dean Johnson at a rare local gig. 8pm doors, and £5 in. myspace.com/bluecblues
Monday 7th - 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. comestrutyourstuff.co.uk
Saturday 12th - Live @ Lewis's is a new concept bringing live music to one of Liverpool's best loved department stores. Taking place in the second floor fashion department, the December event also features a fashion show. It runs from 12pm to 4pm, and is hosted by Dogstar* and FAB.
Sunday 13th - Acoustic Run is back at The Magnet for another feast of music. Nicholas Turner, The Mojoes, Peter Cunningham, Ste Hedley, and Matt Swift all feature. Doors 6.30pm, and £3 in. However, if you rsvp on either MySpace or facebook you'll automatically be added to the £2 guest list! myspace.com/thebackstagepromotions
Saturday 19th - Too Cold For Ice Cream is the perfect pre-Christmas treat. 7.30pm start at 3345 Parr Street with donations accepted on the door. Your Christmas Crackers are Ogo, Jay Norton, 15 Storeys, Jsoul, and Christina Malley.
Monday 21st - Acoustic Live Lounge @ 3345 Parr Street has been going from strength to strength since taking over the slot left by Acoustic Slice. The last one before Christmas features Troubadour and Eimear Bradley, plus lots of lovely open mic. Hosted by Barry Briercliffe, the event kicks off at 8pm.
AND FINALLY...
If you've been to a great open mic night or jam session and would like to share it with the rest of the world then why not write a review for the News and Reviews page? You can send it to us using the Contact Us form or by emailing contact[at]liverpoolacoustic.co.uk
While you're on the Liverpool Acoustic website why not leave a message in our Guestbook? We'd love to hear from you if you've discovered a great acoustic event or exciting new artist throught the site.
