THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN IN 2009, BEFORE LITTLE WING WERE ESTABLISHED AS A REGULAR FIXTURE IN THE PUBS OF SOUTHPORT, BEFORE THE ALBUM HAD BEEN RECORDED, BEFORE THEY HAD PLAYED WITH KAPPA AND WHEN EVERYONE CALLED THEM BABY BUT IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO THEM TO MIND! BUT IT IS PART OF THEIR HISTORY, IT RECORDS THAT TIME AND PLACE AND ALSO SHOWS HOW FAR THEY HAVE COME SINCE. SO SIT BACK AND TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE...
What do you do with yourself on a lazy, sunny, Sunday afternoon/evening? A solution to this age old question is get yourself to Fuegos in Stanley Street, Southport for an extraordinary evening of fine food and even finer music.
Fuegos is an authentic Mexican restaurant with some of the best food I have eaten (outside of Mexico). The ceilings are low, the flooring is wooden, the colours are rich and earthy and it feels just like a Canteena tucked down the side streets of Cuernavaca or Mexico City. However, my only criticism in the past has been the accompanying CD of Latino mix Coldplay on a loop. However those days have gone for good!
Instead, every last Sunday of the month, sees Fuegos hosting an acoustic night with two of Southport’s most talented musicians - Little Wing. Paul Mullen and Adrian Gautrey deliver a powerful, emotive and at times, haunting performance. They switch effortlessly from old to new, Country to Rock. Nothing fazes them. They appear to be so at ease with their instruments, they seem an extension of themselves. Several times, Adrian swapped between acoustic and electric, yet it took several bars to realise he had done so.
Although Paul and Adrian are a relatively new partnership, they are so tight it is truly magical to watch. Adrian's fingers being dubbed 'WD40' by one of the diners! They are so obviously in tune with the music, their instruments and each other there is something really quite mystical about watching the process before your eyes.
Fantastic tune followed fantastic tune as all the greats from a range of genres were delivered. It is hard to pick a highlight, but for me the raw emotion in the Ocean Colour Scene 'Robin Hood' was tangible. A packed restaurant of hungry diners were induced to ignore the fabulous food on offer to give full attention to a song that resonated off the wood and seemed to get under everyone's skin. The Cohen classic 'Hallelujah' runs a close second. Paul's previous attempt to sing this having been overshadowed by an overzealous audience member taking to the mic and refusing to relinquish it! No such issue tonight and verse after verse of this beautiful song washed over the receptive listeners. And of course, no set is complete without my all time favourite 'You do something to me' courtesy of Mr Paul Weller.
But the night was far from complete and with great anticipation the audience waited for some original material. They were not to be disappointed. Paul delivered a heartfelt performance of a song that he wrote ten years ago. Although he warned the audience that it 'isn't a barrel of laughs', when the lyrics are well written and the melody so engaging the content just carries you with it. Why this man has taken so long to perform his own material is beyond me. I hope this is the start of far more original material being included in future set lists.
As for Adrian, not only can this man swap effortlessly between electric and acoustic, he drops into harmonies as if it is second nature. He isn’t afraid to take on lead vocals and he was joined by his girlfriend, as they performed a truly beautiful and haunting version of Killing the Blues (Robert Plant and Alison Krauss). The air was electric and you could have heard a pin drop. Deserts and drinks lay untouched as the lyrics and the music did their magic.
We wait with great excitement as this duo head to the recording studio to capture some of their original material. I anticipate a rush when the CD's are finally ready. So much so, I've pre-ordered my copy!
So what do you do with yourself on a lazy, sunny, Sunday? Get yourself to Feugos.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS, YOU STILL CAN! EVERY LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH. BE WARNED THOUGH, THERE'S A HARDCORE GROUP OF FANS WHO PRE-BOOK RELIGIOUSLY SO GET IN EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT! NEXT GIG MARCH 28TH AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO, PICK UP A COPY OF THE ALBUM, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
LITTLE WING HAVE CONTINUED THEIR MUSICAL JOURNEY WITH A BRILLIANT DEBUT ALBUM 'ALCHEMY IN THE GARDEN', THEY'VE PLAYED WITH KAPPA AND THERE ARE RUMOURS OF MORE MATERIAL AND MAYBE A SECOND TRIP TO THE RECORDING STUDIOS... WE WATCH AND WAIT...
Showing posts with label Little Wing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little Wing. Show all posts
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Monday, 1 March 2010
The Death of Real Music!
And now to my other obsession - music! Friends and family will vouch for the fact that music is as important as breathing, eating and laughing to me. I simply cannot be in my flat or car without it. Forget mirror, signal, manoeuvre, for me it's select, insert, play! As I type, my stereo is loaded with the Doors, ELO and Embrace, with The XX, The Who and Jewel lined up next. So you'd think I'd have an i-pod with the biggest memory going - not so! I don't even own a shuffle!
You see, for me, I love being able to BUY my music, you know, in a real shop! There is nothing better than taking home a bag full of CD's (I can never buy just one!), tearing off the cellophane and devouring the contents of the sleeve notes. I like to read the lyrics and little scribblings the bands have included. And as for the covers themselves, some of them are complete works of art. I'm fortunate enough to own the original artwork for Little Wing's debut album 'Alchemy in the Garden' and it is a stunning picture that takes pride of place in my flat. If the onslaught of downloading continues these sleeves are going to become rarer than a good song in the top 20!
So imagine my horror when I realised that two weeks ago saw the last publication of the Observer Music Monthly magazine. What???!!! How on earth can this be? This magazine was jam packed with interviews, reviews, upcoming gigs, special features and even free CD's on occasion. It was a magazine you could savour for weeks never mind just on a Sunday. It was responsible for me giving many a random album a fair listen. They really did cover a whole range of music that just wouldn't get column inches in mainstream, poppy publications. And without magazines like this, I really do worry for up and coming acts who want to show case their music without having to rely on a boy/girl band line up, Simon Cowell's backing or some spotty rapper with his trousers around his knees!
Just as I was getting over that shock, along came another bombshell...Abbey Road Studios is in danger. Surely this should be considered a National Treasure? Some of the best and most influential albums have been written there. One of them is even named after the studio itself for God's sake! That album cover is as iconically British as Big Ben, fish and chips and the Queen. Even Andrew Lloyd Webber and Terry Wogan have got in on the campaign to save it. Please, please whatever happens, let it stay as a recording studio. Even giving it to Louis Walsh would be preferable to a business man who turns it into flats. I can see the tag line now - "isn't it good, Norwegian Wood, your fitted kitchen made to order!" - it's too horrific to contemplate!
And then just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, another blow. 6Music, a radio show made for people who are interested in new, old, Indie, rock, and all genres that steer clear of mass produced plastic pop is no longer going to broadcast. Now, I hope someone is going to message me and tell me this isn't true...please...anyone?!
I fully admit I'm a technophobe and there are probably hundreds, even thousands of music lovers who just search the web for new and interesting stuff. But I like listening to the radio and happening upon a great new or old track. At the moment, Saturdays on Radio 2 are just musical heaven as far as I'm concerned. Sounds of the Sixties followed by Jonathan Ross then Dales Pick of the Pops and all topped off with Dermot O'Leary. I have purchased many fine albums having heard bands perform tracks on Jonathan and Dermot's shows. Bands that certainly wouldn't get airplay on Radio 1, Heart or Capital. And now it seems even my Saturday line up is doomed too. Wossy is off in the summer and with Chris Evans having his wrist slapped for not appealing to the older generation, I really do fear what will replace him.
Maybe I should apply for the job......
You see, for me, I love being able to BUY my music, you know, in a real shop! There is nothing better than taking home a bag full of CD's (I can never buy just one!), tearing off the cellophane and devouring the contents of the sleeve notes. I like to read the lyrics and little scribblings the bands have included. And as for the covers themselves, some of them are complete works of art. I'm fortunate enough to own the original artwork for Little Wing's debut album 'Alchemy in the Garden' and it is a stunning picture that takes pride of place in my flat. If the onslaught of downloading continues these sleeves are going to become rarer than a good song in the top 20!
So imagine my horror when I realised that two weeks ago saw the last publication of the Observer Music Monthly magazine. What???!!! How on earth can this be? This magazine was jam packed with interviews, reviews, upcoming gigs, special features and even free CD's on occasion. It was a magazine you could savour for weeks never mind just on a Sunday. It was responsible for me giving many a random album a fair listen. They really did cover a whole range of music that just wouldn't get column inches in mainstream, poppy publications. And without magazines like this, I really do worry for up and coming acts who want to show case their music without having to rely on a boy/girl band line up, Simon Cowell's backing or some spotty rapper with his trousers around his knees!
Just as I was getting over that shock, along came another bombshell...Abbey Road Studios is in danger. Surely this should be considered a National Treasure? Some of the best and most influential albums have been written there. One of them is even named after the studio itself for God's sake! That album cover is as iconically British as Big Ben, fish and chips and the Queen. Even Andrew Lloyd Webber and Terry Wogan have got in on the campaign to save it. Please, please whatever happens, let it stay as a recording studio. Even giving it to Louis Walsh would be preferable to a business man who turns it into flats. I can see the tag line now - "isn't it good, Norwegian Wood, your fitted kitchen made to order!" - it's too horrific to contemplate!
And then just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, another blow. 6Music, a radio show made for people who are interested in new, old, Indie, rock, and all genres that steer clear of mass produced plastic pop is no longer going to broadcast. Now, I hope someone is going to message me and tell me this isn't true...please...anyone?!
I fully admit I'm a technophobe and there are probably hundreds, even thousands of music lovers who just search the web for new and interesting stuff. But I like listening to the radio and happening upon a great new or old track. At the moment, Saturdays on Radio 2 are just musical heaven as far as I'm concerned. Sounds of the Sixties followed by Jonathan Ross then Dales Pick of the Pops and all topped off with Dermot O'Leary. I have purchased many fine albums having heard bands perform tracks on Jonathan and Dermot's shows. Bands that certainly wouldn't get airplay on Radio 1, Heart or Capital. And now it seems even my Saturday line up is doomed too. Wossy is off in the summer and with Chris Evans having his wrist slapped for not appealing to the older generation, I really do fear what will replace him.
Maybe I should apply for the job......
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Can't Get No Sleep!
Clouds With Legs
Clock watching,
Counting sheep;
the room is full of them!
Wool, tickling my nose
fluffy, cute sheep
But still NO sleep!
It's 6am and I've been awake since 4.45! Insomnia is something that has bugged me for years - fourteen to be exact! (I may touch on the reasons why in a future blog but for now, lets return to the point in hand.) And although the Faithless' dance classic Insomnia was written about coming down after a drug fuelled night of raving, I can relate to the sentiment and frustration in the lyrics. Insomnia is irritating, emotionally draining and bloody exhausting!
I don't suffer it constantly but it does come along like an unwelcome guest on a fairly regular basis. It stays for weeks at a time, eats and drinks me out of house and home and then promises to return in the near future. And return it does! I've tried all sorts of remedies over the years with mixed results. I took some herbal stuff once that recommended no more than 3 tablets at a time. I hate taking medicine be it herbal or conventional, so I went for a cautious 2 tablets with a nice warm drink. But to no avail - I lay awake ALL night!
So now I find that music, reading and writing are the best ways to deal with it. They don't make me sleep but they sure as hell help me relax which is, admittedly a poor second, but better than lying there stressed to the max!
Music has been a vital part of my life since I was tiny. Some of my earliest memories are of my mum singing to me, or listening to records. And I mean records, not CD's. The wonderful scratchy noise of the needle dragging the lyrics off the vinyl is something I miss in this digitally enhanced era.
Music is one of the few things I have OCD tendencies about (the other is my shoe collection!). Much to the amusement of my brother who thinks I am anal beyond belief, my collection of over 350 CD's is arranged alphabetically; starting with Abba, ending with the Zutons and a whole motley collection in the middle! And this makes selecting my 'going to sleep' music much easier.
With so much great music to choose from it's hard to nail down the ultimate 'Sleep' album but hey I've had plenty of time to ponder this during the many sleepless nights I've had. Regular bed time companions include Carole King's 'Tapestry', Missy Higgins 'Sound of White', Little Wing's 'Alchemy in the Garden', Zero 7 'Simple Things', Royksopp 'The Understanding', Jason Mraz 'We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things' and anything by Simon and Garfunkel or Neil Young. But for me, the best of the best is as follows:-
Air 'Moon Safari' - a sublime piece of musicianship whose opening track La Femme D'Argent with it's falling rain and bass, can take me to a happy, calm and chilled out place in seconds. But for me track 3 'All I Need' is a stunning song of love and one of my all time favourites. The lyrics, the melody and Beth Hirsch's vocals have created a masterpiece. From start to finish, it is the ultimate album to relax and escape to - and if I'm really lucky, even fall asleep to!
Clock watching,
Counting sheep;
the room is full of them!
Wool, tickling my nose
fluffy, cute sheep
But still NO sleep!
It's 6am and I've been awake since 4.45! Insomnia is something that has bugged me for years - fourteen to be exact! (I may touch on the reasons why in a future blog but for now, lets return to the point in hand.) And although the Faithless' dance classic Insomnia was written about coming down after a drug fuelled night of raving, I can relate to the sentiment and frustration in the lyrics. Insomnia is irritating, emotionally draining and bloody exhausting!
I don't suffer it constantly but it does come along like an unwelcome guest on a fairly regular basis. It stays for weeks at a time, eats and drinks me out of house and home and then promises to return in the near future. And return it does! I've tried all sorts of remedies over the years with mixed results. I took some herbal stuff once that recommended no more than 3 tablets at a time. I hate taking medicine be it herbal or conventional, so I went for a cautious 2 tablets with a nice warm drink. But to no avail - I lay awake ALL night!
So now I find that music, reading and writing are the best ways to deal with it. They don't make me sleep but they sure as hell help me relax which is, admittedly a poor second, but better than lying there stressed to the max!
Music has been a vital part of my life since I was tiny. Some of my earliest memories are of my mum singing to me, or listening to records. And I mean records, not CD's. The wonderful scratchy noise of the needle dragging the lyrics off the vinyl is something I miss in this digitally enhanced era.
Music is one of the few things I have OCD tendencies about (the other is my shoe collection!). Much to the amusement of my brother who thinks I am anal beyond belief, my collection of over 350 CD's is arranged alphabetically; starting with Abba, ending with the Zutons and a whole motley collection in the middle! And this makes selecting my 'going to sleep' music much easier.
With so much great music to choose from it's hard to nail down the ultimate 'Sleep' album but hey I've had plenty of time to ponder this during the many sleepless nights I've had. Regular bed time companions include Carole King's 'Tapestry', Missy Higgins 'Sound of White', Little Wing's 'Alchemy in the Garden', Zero 7 'Simple Things', Royksopp 'The Understanding', Jason Mraz 'We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things' and anything by Simon and Garfunkel or Neil Young. But for me, the best of the best is as follows:-
Air 'Moon Safari' - a sublime piece of musicianship whose opening track La Femme D'Argent with it's falling rain and bass, can take me to a happy, calm and chilled out place in seconds. But for me track 3 'All I Need' is a stunning song of love and one of my all time favourites. The lyrics, the melody and Beth Hirsch's vocals have created a masterpiece. From start to finish, it is the ultimate album to relax and escape to - and if I'm really lucky, even fall asleep to!
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