There’s a tee-shirt for sale at the merch stand that reads “Second Rodeo”, a knowing, wry comment (and reference to her forthcoming EP) that probably makes Emily Breeze laugh. There is no sense that this current tour is Breeze’s first go ‘round the block and she seems damn proud of that fact. Her latest album, Rapture, is a defiant,Continue reading “Emily Breeze – The Fleece – February”
Category Archives: Indie
Darlingside – The Exchange – January
Harris Paseltiner is smiling. He’s been smiling for ages. Just looking out into a ridiculously packed Exchange, delighted at the way Bristol has fallen in love with the five-piece from Boston. It’s been years since they were here, but Darlingside are welcomed like favourite children. Pasteliner plays acoustic guitar and cello, sings some of the most gorgeousContinue reading “Darlingside – The Exchange – January”
Skinny Lister – The Fleece – December
You wait twelve months for the best gig of the year and then, on a mid-December evening, it comes charging out of the darkness and smacks you over the head. A triple threat, a combination of sucker punches, a holy trinity. Skinny Lister and friends at The Fleece were virtually a religious experience. Only muchContinue reading “Skinny Lister – The Fleece – December”
Billy Bragg – Bristol Beacon – December
“You have a lovely room here” says Billy Bragg, “look after it”, and so ends the second “proper” night at the all new, all singing, all dancing Bristol Beacon. It might have cost a couple more quid than originally planned, but Bragg is absolutely right, it is a lovely room. It feels beautifully spacious, soundsContinue reading “Billy Bragg – Bristol Beacon – December”
Holy Moly & The Crackers – The Fleece – November
On a night where Bristol is full to bursting with Folk-y goodness, it speaks volumes that The Fleece is nicely full for a mighty line-up of country/folk/blues/Balkan/noisy mayhem. Bristol’s very own Southern Soul wonder, Lady Nade, plays a short set to start. With just an acoustic guitar and a voice that would stun a jukeboxContinue reading “Holy Moly & The Crackers – The Fleece – November”
Ben Folds – The Forum, Bath – November
Can you imagine what it must be like to have so many classic songs that you don’t know what to do with them? That you can just ignore them? Most bands would kill for one classic album, Ben Folds has (at least) six. That’s six albums filled with some of the greatest pop music thatContinue reading “Ben Folds – The Forum, Bath – November”
Miranda Sex Garden – The Fleece – September
Katherine Blake, lead singer and founder member of Miranda Sex Garden, stands centre stage. Bathed in blue and red strobing lights, thunderous drums just about receding, the last echoes of feedback bouncing from the back wall, a squeal of violin slowly dying, and says “it’s so awesome to be doing this again”. It has, inContinue reading “Miranda Sex Garden – The Fleece – September”
Temples – The Fleece – September
Tonight, Temples were Mercury. They were quicksilver. Tonight, Temples were gender-fluid, genre-fluid, generation-fluid. Tonight, Temples were 60s psych and 80s glisten, they were disco, they were mod, they were blokey chat and ethereal voices, they were heavy as hell and sunlight soft, they were drop-dead cool and not cool at all, they were everything toContinue reading “Temples – The Fleece – September”
The Endless Coloured Ways – The Songs of Nick Drake
Sometimes you need to re-evaluate. Sometimes you need to wonder whether those music snobs, the geeks, the nerds, are right. Sometimes you need to question the orthodoxies. Is it really true that The Byrds are better than The Beatles? Is it really true that Martin Carthy is the most important singer of the twentieth century?Continue reading “The Endless Coloured Ways – The Songs of Nick Drake”
The Levellers Collective – Together All The Way
Honestly. You take your eyes off of a band for thirty-two years and what do they go and do? Make you look like a right old idiot, that’s what. Who knew that The Levellers were still making records this great? Admittedly, Together All the Way is the second under the Levellers Collective name and theContinue reading “The Levellers Collective – Together All The Way”
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