Sigur Ros at Colston Hall

Posted on November 8, 2008 by haymoncollins

The two openers for last nights extraordinary set were either new or I didn’t recognise them – but how wonderful they were; things of rare beauty, soaring aurgasmic affairs which set the scene for the whole of the evening.

I for one was delighted that Sigur Ros harked back to their more elaborate material, although not ignoring the rather more ‘commercial’ elements of their most recent outing. Their power for me is in that crescendo-rock stylee that they deliver with such consumate ablility, showing up the plethora of looky-likey bands that attempt the same trick but fail to deliver.

The bowed guitar of Jón Þór Birgisson, heavily distorted, provides an etherial quality helping to fill the hall with those crashing walls of sound that are so mesmerising and elevating, toppped off with his falsetto vocal delivery. Honorable mentions must also go to Jón Þór Birgisson on drums and Georg Holm on bass for their rock solid underpinning and to Kjartan Sveinsson on keyboards for his understated but indispensible work

Inevitably some of the loudest cheers came for the more eassily identifiable ‘hits’ – Hoppipolla and Goggledigook etc – and whilst good they weren’t the highlights for me. The final encore and closing track from the ( ) album was the spine tingling climax – magnificent.

Also mustn’t forget to praise the staging – the combination of scratchy film on the cloth backdrop, the use of some on stage cameras to project up abstracted bits of the band, the now legendary ‘balloon’ lights behind the back cloth and the ocasssional retina burning blast-lights, all helped augment the phantasmagorical feel to the whole shebang (yes, go on , check out that old 1972 Curved Air album, Phantasmagoria!, my second ever gig in Chatham Cental Hall, ah yes)

Openening for SR were another young band of fresh-faced norse chaps from Iceland, For a Minor Reflection who acquitted themselves pretty well. Obviously part of the neugaze/crescendo rock school they wear their influences and aspirations clearly on their sleeves. Although some of their tracks could do with a more carefully structured approach; it became quite predictable where the quiet noodlng would explode it the crash bang wallop, tracks like Okrryd show real promise – good luck to them.

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Someone Should Say ‘Yes’ to Simon Says No!

Posted on November 6, 2008 by haymoncollins


Well a little bird tells me – actually a young chap called Dany – that SSN! will have an EP out in ’09 (probably on download). Young Dany (everyone is young compared to me – sob) tells me he is the UK and US manager for the bouncy young Norweigans, so more power to his elbow.

I mentioned earlier that they bring back memories of early Hawkwind ( which may or may not be good news for the guys) and listening again to their Myspace stuff I am still struck by this, especially ‘Peak’. Not sure if its intentional but I find it all rather uplifting stuff, a bit like walking along a hill ridge in a strong wind – makes you want to take flight … enough now… Suffice it to say their fuzzywuzzy wall of guitar sound and insistent drum work is doing it for me right now.

It appears that amongst other things Dany runs a blog called Exitfare andI imagine that anyone wishing to give these Oslovians (?) a leg up ( may be a little gig on Bristol would be nice, hint hint!) could contact him through that route. Mr D also seems to contribute to the intriguing Stranded in Stereo blog and their similarly named website – I imagine that the offer of a free CD/DV’s is only limited to US subscribers which is a shame if entirely understandable.

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Feeling More and More like I am 16 Again

Posted on November 5, 2008 by haymoncollins

Is it just that I am getting old or what? Seems that more and more ‘new’ music I hear takes me back to when I had hair and stuff … is that the destiny of everyone to constantly relate back to a earlier time? Enough of the pop psychology

There are a couple of blogs that consistently prove useful in flagging up new stuff, and certainly stuff I haven’t heard of elsewhere – Ryans Smashing Life (lucky old Ryan, grimace) and the Silent Ballet a strangely poetic name methinks)

Earlier this week I stumbled through my RSS aggregator to some
recent Silent Ballet posts and tripped over a free download split sampler type album from The Mylene Sheath label (the news article seems to have disappeared unfortunately with its link for

the download). Some of the bands don’t do much for me but a couple do, namely If These Trees Could Talk and Caspian. If These Trees Could Talk in particular grabbed my aural attention becausen despite their math/post/experimental rock
labelling there really did seem to be somethng more there – Signal Tree being a particular favourite. Caspian too, even with their more obvious math rock leanings, are still well worth a good listen.
Maybe my fav though this week has been courtesy of Ryan and his blinking Smashing Life (yeuk). Norweigan band, Simon Says No! (not sure why they should be so negative really) are perhaps the source of my earlier rant about feeling 16 again. Much of the stuff on their Myspace site (save the opening Sleeping Heart) really rather takes me back to that early Hawkwind album (Warrior on the Edge of Time, 1975), not so much the vocal but that insistent muddy guitar track. Have been listening to these tracks a bit now and they have carved out a little niche with me.

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Fleeeet Foxxxxxes at the Anson Rooms

Posted on October 31, 2008 by haymoncollins


After missing FF on their visit to Bristol earlier in the year (gnash gnash) I made sure to get tickets for their return to Bristol at the Anson Rooms. The lad, his mate (looking uncannily like Shaggy from Scooby Doo) and I turned up good and early in the bitter evening air to secure what inevitably turned out to be a crap spot in the hall – aaagh why can’t I  be six inches taller, and why can’t everyone else be generally more considerate…. sigh

Anyhow support (seated in the red velvet armchair in the photo to the left) was from an enigmatically named J Tillman, like the FF from the Seattle area, Vashon Island I think, and had the identikit long hair and shaggy beard that seems to befit the current swathe of americana/folksie/country-esque bands. But armed only with his acoustic and and excellent voice he managed to keep the crowd both engaged and attentive – hoorah, we could actually hear his rather beautiful songs (is it just Bristol crowds that are prepared to listen quitely to bands? The Bon Iver experience was similar and doubtless a Welsh gig by Mr Tillman would be drowned out why the merry and garulous celtic brethern). Joined (although not recognised by the bulk of the crowd) for a couple of songs by the whole of FF and the ‘roadie’ Steve (although clearly a toothsome lady), his songs were clearly the sort worthy of greater and closer inspection  – a new album due in the new year I believe. Oh and by the way – Mr Tillman is now also the drummer, vocalist and raconteur for FF…
The Foxes turned up without much pomp, retuned and dithered a bit before launching into a life affirming set that covered all (I think) of the eponymous album and the Sun Giant EP. What a delight, those complex harmonies delivered with gusto and panache (isn’t that an Italian clothing brand?) and interspersed with some low key jolly banter – the crowd let them know that Bath is full of ‘posh c*nts’ much to their amusement and in turn they told us that they had voted for Obama (surprise) as McCain has a values structure based on his life of sin.
Hard to specify set highlights except for my two favourites, Myknonos and the final encore closing Blue Ridge Mountains. Well worth the wait it all seemed to me, could only have been made better with something better than the ocassional glimpse of them through the beanie headed hairies loitering in front of me – still this is now clearly my lot.
Hoorah for some uplifting and joyful music – lets hope they are able to sustain this through the next stuff they write
Photo courtesy of FF Myspace
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Elbow – The Great Hall , Cardiff

Posted on October 11, 2008 by haymoncollins


This was our second Elbow gig of the year, the first (and excellent) at Colston Hall strangely went without mention in my jottings. The rather misnamed ‘Great Hall’ at Cardiff University was the venue for this show, part of their post Mercury Prize shows (although booked long before winning the said award). The hall was frankly rather odd; short and wide with a nasty overhang at the rear, but no matter. The Welsh crowd an odd mix of B&B;’s like myself and student types but all intent on knocking back quantities of ale and having a good (loud) natter. I am afraid that the Guy Garvey-introduced support Jesca Hoop didn’t really do it for me, although she had good support from further down the crowd. I do think it is very hard for a single person with what are obviously ‘intimate’ acoustic songs, to make an impact and gain the attention of a crowd like this in this sort of venue. Listening back to some of the stuff on Myspace, the frail beauty of her songs is easier to assimilate than amid a raucous crowd on a Friday in Cardiff.

Our friends Elbow gave a very similar set to the earlier Bristol one, and no worse for that. The band and four-strong string section sounding confident and strong, Mr Garvey in excellent vocal form. He really does have an extraordinary voice, slightly gruff but with a great range and control, with just enough ‘regional dialect’ and capable of delivering both the most gentle of songs (see Puncture Repair) as well as the rockier songs (Grounds for Divorce). Newborn from their first album is still a magnificent song that builds to a majestic state.

Despite the difficulties of the venue, the crush of the crowd (how come the tall git always stands in front of me?), the dedication of some of the crowd to carry on their conversations (why come to a show and talk? Sod off to a pub and do that), Messr Elbow still managed to transport me on many ocassions during the evening – beautiful songs, intelligent lyrics, good playing, an OK sound system – can’t really fail can it? How many more time will we see them in a Great Hall, or even Colston Hall, environment? Are they destined for the Snow Patrol mega arena circuit? Lets hope not, they come alive in the smaller venues where the human contact can be made and built between artist and the crowd

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Windsor Airlift

Posted on October 6, 2008 by haymoncollins


I am endebted to The Silent Ballet blog for introducing me to Windsor Airlift – an American threesome of chaps apparently from Minnesota. The Silent Ballet gives a more fullsome expose of them than I could do so best read it there! As the blog mentions they are indeed reminiscent of Fridge (of whom more later perhaps), but they also have twangs of Wheat it seems to me – and no bad thing either.

Anyhoo the young Windsor Airlift chaps knock out some pleasing sounds and as if their generosity knows no bounds , they have been kind enough to make three of their four track EP’s and another track available for download free from Virb. Apparently they are puting together a full size album which I await with interest

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TVOTR – What’s the Fuss About?

Posted on October 5, 2008 by haymoncollins

Oh dear I fear that I might have missed the point again.. after a rave review on a NPR podcast and then seeing esctatic reviews around the place I picked up my copy of Dear Science – apparently TV on the Radio‘s fourth album. But after a number of attempts to listen and love I am still a little nonplussed. Its OK I guess but there’s nothing here that grabbed me and made me want to listen again – just doing it out of sense of duty. Sure I can here a bunch of influences but mostly I hear a rather incoherent jumble of stuff that doesn’t seem to settle down (maybe that’s the point) and little to make me think that the claims of the ‘next great thing’ are well founded. ‘Halfway Home’ is an example of a reasonable track but with 127,000 Myspace listens it must be me with a problem – is this really this years music saviour?

On the other hand after heaven knows how may times picking up the CD and never quite buying it, I finally grabbed a copy of Neutral Milk Hotel‘s seminal album Aeroplane Over the Sea. Sadly now defunct (despite occasional rumours of reforming and new/old music) here is music who’s impact you can all too easily trace – Arcade Fire, Decemberists etc all acknowledge their debt. A few listens and you are hooked – those odd vocals and playing eat under your skin. With songs revolving around the issues of death and the here-after, war and other ‘big’ questions, often sounding like a music carriage rattling along with the wheels barely holding on, this is inspirational music. I wonder whether TVOTR efforts will still be sounding as fresh and vital as this after 10 years or so?
Photos courtesy TVOTR and NMH web site
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Drever, McCusker and Woomble -Before the Ruin

Posted on September 30, 2008 by haymoncollins


I have long had a deep affection for Idlewild, regrettably now a tad out of fashion – the Scottish undertow, the sort-of punky attitude but with a slice of literary influences and probably, it has to be said , my fondness for things Scottish and echoes of my personal history.

Roddy Woomble as frontman obviously has a lot to answer for in that respect. His solo album of a couple of years back – My Secret is My Silence – was one of those genuinely beautiful albums, the folkiness a refreshing counterpoint to some of the Idlewild material, the quality of the songs, the musicianship and all that jazz. It remains one of those few albums that have a particular place in my musical heart.

The new collaboration with Kris Drever and John McCusker, Before the Ruin, was either destined to be a further slice of that pie or a bit of a mistake. Comprising Kris Drever (acoustic and electric guitars, vocals), John McCusker (violin, cittern, whistle and tenor guitar), Francis MacDonald (drums), Phil Selway (drums), Ewan Vernal (bass), Norman Blake (vocals), Heidi Talbot (vocals) and Roddy Woomble (lead vocals), it is no disappointment. Clearly different from the Woomble solo album, but in a similar vein, heartfelt music that will last

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Winchell Riots – Histories EP

Posted on September 27, 2008 by haymoncollins


We saw the improbably named FellCityGirl once when they supported the Delays at the old style Zodiac in Oxford. At the time I was quite taken with them and especially the then new song February Snow. As if to spite me they split up soon after my first encounter.

From the ashes sprang more recently the, again, Oxford based Winchell Riots, a foursome that includes Phil McMill ex-vocalist etc of FellCityGirl and now leading a new bunch of chaps. Their name apparently springs from a Philip Roth novel, an author of whom they are clearly fond. I have to say that I somehow rather like his vocal style, although sometimes it threatens to annoy but manages to stay the right side of that. They have just released an EP, Histories, on Andrew The Great Records, ANDREW001 – yep, obviously the ‘labels’ first release. Available to be purchased via their MySpace site the four track seems worth the minor outlay. The title track has a remixed version courtesy of Youthmovies, fellow Oxford-ites and all round good eggs

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The Great Gig in The Sky

Posted on September 16, 2008 by haymoncollins

Farewell then Rick Wright. Pink Floyd provided the soundtrack to much of my teenage years. I remember well in 1973 the arrival of Dark Side of the Moon that along with many others proved to be a musical turning point for a tender 14 year old. I had never heard such music, the then remarkable stereo treatment, the assortment of audio ‘objets trouves’ and more conventional sounds, the sheer spine tingling music that remains as affecting now 35 years on as it did back then when I had hair and a future

Always being an aspirational keyboard player my heros were Rick Wakeman (together with the pomp and flounce of the capes, orchestras and general over-the-topness of it all) and Keith Emerson (for his more rock and roll virtuosity) but Rick Wright was still in there with his more understated (and ultimately more durable) keyboard structures and careful song writing.
The memories of the Animals show at Wembley Empire Pool and later The Wall at Earls Court did nothing to halt my attraction to the overwhelming shows prevalent in those hazy prog rock days. But behind the glitz the music was sound and skillful and part of that love affair of music forged all that time ago. Hey Ho – no Floyd reunion now it seems, probably just as well don’t you think?
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