First gig of the year; Ira Wolf, Alex Hale and Ayres at Chameleon

January has been a rather lacklustre, lethargic month for me but it got rounded off in style with my first gig night of the year. Okay it wasn't quite the last night of the month but the night before is near enough.

It was special in a number of ways - first gig night of the year, my daughter back in town to play, and Ira Wolf all the way over from Nashville to head the line-up.















 It was a great night. The upstairs room at Chameleon busy from the start, with my daughter seeming quite surprised that she'd actually have an audience for her opening set. I haven't heard her play in such a long while, so I was obviously going to be biased and think she was great (she was!).














She was followed by local Alex Hale (performing without the other members of the Alexander Christopher Hale Band) with his mix of funny, witty songs



















And rounding off the evening, Ira Wolf. I was introduced to her music, as so many other artists, by my daughter streaming Spotify on long car journeys (appropriate as many of her songs reference life on the road in her VW van), but haven't heard Ira live, I've now moved from 'casual listener' to 'fan'.

I'm not quite sure how I'd describe her music - folk? americana? country? Anyway, check out her website here and have a listen

My Biggest Weekend (nothing to do with the BBC)

Radio One may have been off in Wales having the Biggest Weekend, but I've had one of my own here at home, with my living-away-from-home daughter back in town.

It started on Thursday with a JT Soar gig, and daughter (Ayres) opening for Mountain Schmountain and Scarecrow Boat.

Scarecrow Boat frontman, Dom

Chatsworth

Over the next couple of days we visited family, went to our favourite local places - Chatsworth, and Shipley - did some supermarket stocking up, called in at IKEA (what Bank Holiday would be complete without a trip there?) - and ate fish and chips from allegedly the best chippie ever (our local)

Honeysuckle-scented
azaleas at
Chatsworth

Shipley Country Park

Late Sunday afternoon while our daughter was playing in Nottingham at Dot to Dot festival, hubby and I went urban exploring around the city, through tunnels and wandering round its oldest park, the Arboretum.

Nottingham Arboretum

Monday night found us all back at JT Soar, with daughter supporting Bristol-based band, Vinegar. Timings and dog-walking meant I missed Alex Hale's opening act, and only caught the last few songs of Make A Halo's set (but they're both local so hopefully I can catch them elsewhere soon).





Tuesday came round too soon, and the car was loaded up for the trip up to daughter's Manchester home. I still feel sad when she leaves so luckily had something to occupy me that evening - Sean McGowan back out on tour, supported by Irish singer Anna's Anchor, and local guy George Gadd.

Now it's time to put my feet up, and ignore the Fitbit's promptings, for a while.

DPP Festival, Sitwell Tavern

Ayres

My year of sixty new things got off to an accidental good start at weekend. My daughter (Ayres) was booked to perform as the opening act of DPP Festival at  Sitwell Tavern in Derby, so of course I went along.  I like following her adventures - they take me to places I would never have considered going, and, as fairly obviously looking like someone's mum, folk don't look at you as if you're crazed for being the only person over 40 in the room (though actually, I've been mistaken elsewhere for someone's mum when I'd just gone along to listen ).

Hitfaced

After Ayres' act we hung around to listen to the next two acts up - Derby indie band, Hitfaced (great name!) and, all the way from Manchester, the Covasettes. Both were great, and I'll be looking out to catch them elsewhere.

Covasettes' frontman, Chris Buxton

So, I'm claiming four 'new' things from the evening - two new bands, new festival, new venue - though my daughter says the whole challenge will be too easy if that's my idea of new experiences! That's possibly true, but I have to find 5 new things every month, and I did say some would be quite easy. 

Maybe I'll work up to something harder ...

A Christmassy evening

The last minute run-up to Christmas seems to have gone a bit weird, so I didn't get time to do everything I'd planned, so this was my first, and last, Christmas market of the season.

























We avoided the one at Chatsworth (which we loved last year) because of wet weather, we missed the Lincoln market because it ended sooner than I expected, and I thought we'd never find time to get to Nottingham's, but we had an hour or two to hang around before a gig last week, so walked into the city centre following the lights and music to check things out - and find something to eat (of course) from among the venison and ostrich burgers.











There were fairy light galore, rides for children, an ice rink, a pop-up pub, and stalls selling everything from Christmas jumpers to cheese...










... even some snow to add to the wintry atmosphere (and coming from a machine, it didn't settle and cause traffic problems, which has to be in its favour)

Then it was time to head to the gig to see my daughter, Ayres, performing. The venue, JT Soar, was suitably festive with twinkly fairy lights, there was a Christmas play list on between acts, and  Cameron Sinclair Harris and his band definitely got in the Christmassy mood by dressing up - Santa, an elf or two, and a turkey on drums.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Busy, busy, busy. Can I have a rest now, please?

It's been one of those non-stop, out-every-night weeks - and now I'm exhausted!
It started really last Sunday, getting up at six in the morning ready for Leicester marathon (fortunately, no one was expecting ME to run!)

Monday evening we were at a gig organised by my youngest daughter at JT Soar in Nottingham, with Meg Garner's personal, intimate poetry, a set from my daughter playing as Ayres, local guy George Gadd playing anything and everything except music from his new ep, and 'on-tour' artist Chloe Glover. I've seen Chloe before, back in June, singing her mix of  ballad-style songs and 'loud shouty stuff' (her words, not mine! ) and liked her music then but haven't really got round to checking it out properly. Seeing her again convinced me I should!


I might have got away with staying in on Tuesday, but I thought I should nip to to see my parents, nearly a thirty mile round trip, so it takes a chunk out of the evening leaving no time for lazing in front of the TV

Ayres

Wednesday was another gig night, this time at The Speciality Coffee shop in Nottingham, to catch Dave Giles and Lewis Fieldhouse on tour with a special addition to Nottingham's bill of Ayres opening for them. It was an unusual location - a cafe - discovered by Dave on a previous trip to the city, and somewhere I must have walked past several times but never noticed. it was certainly lighter and airier than many gig venues - and had seats for all :)

Dave Giles

On Thursday we were off out to Nottingham Playhouse to see Arthur Miller's classic All My Sons, about a family torn by the death of a son in WW2, and a cover-up at the family armaments factory.

By Friday I was hoping for a night off and a chance to sit and read my book, but I was made to go running. I'm sure it's good for me but it was dark and dismal and hard work.

Weekend at last - that's supposed to be a time for rest, isn't it? Anyway ... the past couple of days we'd been checking the weather forecast regularly due to incoming storm 'Brian' and with rain expected anytime after Saturday lunchtime and then hanging around for most of the weekend, we decided to chance the morning drizzle and have a walk round Chatsworth gardens to catch the sculpture exhibition again. Of course, we managed to get wet, though not as much as on our previous trip, and we did see all the exhibits at last. I just wish we could have found a bright sunny day.

Then in the evening, guess what? we were off out to Nottingham again! Third gig of the week, third venue - The Maze, this time to see good friend Joe McCorriston and his mate Gaz Brookfield.

At last! It's Sunday, I'm going to stay in all day. In fact, I might be tempted to stay in all week!

Busy day at Bodega

Last Saturday proved to be a long, busy and enjoyable day at Bodega. We'd been intending going down to catch Sean McGowan on the Nottingham stop of his 'Graft and Grief" tour - in fact we'd bought tickets the day the gig was announced, so had been looking forward to it for some while. Then, at almost the last minute, youngest daughter (playing as Ayres) was offered a slot at the afternoon Acoustic Sessions held in Bodega's bar, so the evening out morphed into a longer musical extravaganza.

daughter (Ayres) in action

The afternoon session started quite early, just before three, but we didn't make it down town till about half past four, and so managed to catch most of the set from the act before my daughter - Holly Redford Jones - and then the last two acts afterwards - Sarah Walk (all the way from the US!) and local indie band, Vega Bay.

There's always a slight problem for musicians playing in bars in that not everyone is there to listen to the music, so there's an amount of background chatter to cut through. I really enjoyed the afternoon but another time I might be more inclined to grab a seat right at the front, or nearest the speakers!

Vega Bay

  As you can tell from the photos, the performance area was at the front of the bar, with an open window behind the musicians (so they're all in silhouette!) and it was interesting to spot people walking past on the street, stopping to listen for a while and sometimes coming in. I've now spent enough time sitting in pubs listening to folks play to know that the quality was higher than average, so I'll be keeping an eye out for who's playing and hoping to drop back round.

Then after a quick bit to eat, it was off upstairs to the music venue proper.

Sean McGowan

First up were support act Happy Accidents, a group I've heard of and listened to on-line but never seen live before, with their bouncy pop punk sound, and a female drummer! How cool is that?

Then on to Sean McGowan. I saw Sean at JT Soar in Nottingham back in spring, and had the impression then that he had big news that he couldn't quite share at the time. Well, not long after, he announced a record deal with Xtra Mile Recordings, a new album (released last Friday) and this tour, his biggest ever headline tour, to promote it. Exciting times for him!  Now supported by a band, his sound is louder and 'rockier' than before. He played a mixture of songs from his new album and old numbers. Milbrook Road and Patchwork remain my favourites but perhaps only because they're the ones I first heard from him nearly two years ago.
He's back in Nottingham soon, as support for a much more well known artist*, but he wasn't really to be drawn on who (though my daughter has a really good guess, and from the look on Sean's face was right!)





*this has been announced now, so it's ok to share that Sean will be back supporting Billy Bragg at Rock City in November. I've always loved Sean's music since I first heard him and it's wonderful to see him being discovered, and getting the opportunity to play to larger audiences. I wonder where he'll be heading next ...

Ayres EP Launch

These days I'm out and about pretty frequently to see bands and solo artists performing in local pubs and music venues, but last week saw a very special occasion - my youngest daughter's EP launch!















But before you set your expectations too high, No, it wasn't the glamorous glitzy show biz event you might expect, but much like a normal DIY gig except with my daughter headlining.

Everything actually was a little D I Y - the 'studio' was a converted bedroom, my daughter burned the cds herself, and did all the artwork for the inserts, which we then printed on our dodgy home printer. It doesn't take away any of the thrill of it all though.







She's been playing for a while now as Ayres (it's a reference to the Alice Ayres character in Closer), and obviously I've heard these songs as they've developed and been performed but there's something really special about hearing them on an actual cd. I wasn't allowed to listen to any of the work in progress as vocals and backing tracks were laid down, so hearing the finished product was amazing. I think it's wonderful that with the tech available today and a little help from friends in the DIY music scene, she can put together a professional-sounding ep, share it online through sites like Bandcamp and Spotify, and follow her dreams without having to wait to be 'discovered'. Who knows where it may lead ...
Ayres describes herself as a mix between Frank Turner and Conor Oberst; me, I'd say Sandi Thom. You can hear it and make your own mind up though - it's called Put Me Back, has four tracks, and any or all can be downloaded for free from Bandcamp, or bought on cd, in which case you get one of three 'thank you' stories to the people who helped, encouraged, and supported her on the way.
Edited; now available to stream for free on Spotify here

Busy, busy week

Ok, busy, busy week might be over-exaggerating just a little but two nights out together is quite excitement enough for me!
First on Tuesday I headed off to the Nottingham Waterstones store to see fantasy author Robin Hobb at a packed event to publicise the launch of the latest, and last, book in her long-running Fitz and the Fool series - for something that started as a scribbled note while she was in the middle of writing another book, it's come a long way.

Ayres at The Hop Merchant

Then on Wednesday there was even more excitement...
Not long after I saw Skinny Lister last autumn, my teen bought me an early birthday present of a ticket to their next gig back in Nottingham  - well, actually two tickets and she was going too.  As the date grew closer my excitement was mounting. Then last week she realised she'd booked herself a (much smaller) gig at the Hop Merchant pub in Nottingham for the same night. Fortunately, the times didn't clash. She'd have to dash straight off after her set, and we'd miss the supporting act at Rescue Rooms, neither of which are best etiquette, but it was do-able.
So, an early, hurried dinner, a traffic-problem free trip to Nottingham, and on to my teen's half-hour slot.



Then a quick dash across town for her to take her guitar back to the car, while I strolled the short distance to the Rescue Rooms - and on to the main act of the evening, Skinny Lister and their hand-clapping, toe-tapping sea-shanty style rock.








Unbelievably, it's the third time I've seen Skinny Lister play in ten months. Six months ago I hadn't been to a gig larger than anything held in the back or upper room of a pub - and I can't quite believe how my 'habits' have changed.

A hectic evening, but a great one, and this is definitely now the 'new me'. Overnight my legs cramped up from so much jigging about, the next day I had aches everywhere, but I'm already looking for the next date Skinny Lister will be back in town!

Somewhere new - JT Soar - to see Sean McGowan again

It seems to have been ages since I last went out 'gigging' but last week my teen was promoting, and performing at, a show in Nottingham alongside one of my favourite singer/songwriters, Sean McGowan, so I just couldn't stay home!

I 'discovered' Sean McGowan about 18 months ago at a previous show promoted by my teen, and since then I've been keeping up with what he 's been doing via social media, keeping an eye out for tour dates, and listening to his new songs on Spotify and such, but it's not really the same as seeing someone 'live'. Admittedly, I could have seen him last summer but chickened out , fearing I'd be the only old person at the gig. I think I've got over this attitude now,and I'm determined that if I want to see someone perform, I will, whatever age the rest of the crowd.

Sean McGowan

Anyway, while I've been gaining confidence so, I feel, has Sean McGowan. He seems more comfortable and assured in front of an audience now, and, possibly due to that, his voice seems more powerful - a deep resonating tone to give you goosebumps, particularly when singing unaccompanied ballads, such as the traditional Wild Mountain Thyme. I last heard this in Edinburgh one festival time, with the audience being encouraged to sing along to a harp - a very different rendition to McGowan's! The easy way to describe his style is to say 'like Billy Bragg' - a mix of social comment and oddly romantic songs, and his 'Milbrook Road' is a real tear-jerker.

George Gadd

As an added bonus to the evening, I got to eventually see local George Gadd perform a complete set - despite my best intents, previous occasions haven't worked out for a variety of reasons. Also on the bill was Ajay Henry, someone I've heard of on the local pub/open mic circuit but not actually heard before. His sound is a little different to the others' - nearer to 'pop' than their angsty, Billy Bragg-style folk punk - but he fitted in well.

The venue was a new one for me; J T Soar - an ex-fruit and veg warehouse converted into practice and performance space, and entered by an anonymous grey door -  there really ought to be a 1920s Chicago speak-easy waiting behind it, but we can't have everything.