|
|
PLAYING OUT LOUD!
ARTICLES
Lightnin’ Willie - The Cellars,
Southsea - Wednes August 8 & Thomas Tripp, Christchurch Thurs August 9.
 LIGHTIN’
WILLIE & THE POORBOYS
Lightnin’ Willie, an accomplished and hard-working guitarist,vocalist and
songwriter originally from Texas has a couple of dates in the South this month.
Willie and his band The Poorboys will be playing The Cellars at Eastney,
Southsea on Wednesday August 8 and Thomas Tripp Late & Live in Christchurch the
following night.
Emerging from the clubs and bars of the US blues scene, Lightnin' Willie is now
based in Los Angeles. A seasoned musician and talented songwriter who has paid
his dues, Willie has four albums under his belt and is an eloquent storyteller
who sings of his time on the road, personal loss, fresh beginnings and an
over-riding love of playing the "Devil's Music." He’ll be bringing with him his
latest album “Live 2006.”
Originally from Texas, this bluesman's years of steady gigging have given him a
stage presence as polished as his performance. He’s tall, with an expressive
face, piercing eyes, and the kind of confident all-American swagger that allows
him to walk up to total strangers on the street and introduce himself. But
Lightnin' Willie and the Poorboys are by no means destitute. In fact the musical
vein they mine is rich indeed. They steer away from dry academia and combine a
seductive exchange of swinging blues and R&B with a hint of Rockabilly. A
lively, interactive, face-to-face approach to their music has had audiences
waving their banner throughout the United States and Europe for over ten years.
Willie is a brilliant musician who offers a delicately balanced show, opening
with powerful blues, rich vocals, and slide guitar. The band offers an
incredible serving of great musicianship featuring "Spy” on bass, Franck Rouleau
on drums & Giles King on harmonica. Lightnin' Willie has a reputation for
delivering a tight, high-energy performance packed with style, wit and an
unabashed senstivity to a medium that leaves his audience feeling anything but
the blues.
Willie and his band are on their ‘Big Bad Blues Tour’ which culminates with a
gig at the Harvest Time Blues Festival in Monaghan, Ireland on September 8.
Loomer - Talking Heads, Southampton -
Thursday August 23.
 LOOMER
Canadian Scott Loomer brings his eponymous band Loomer to the homely confines of
Talking Heads music venue in Southampton on Thursday August 23.
The band have attracted comparisons with Son Volt and The Velvet Underground,
but their sound is very much their own.
Born out of the ashes of Toronto alt country stalwarts The Saddletramps, and
built around the idiosyncratic song writing skills of Scott Loomer, they
released their internationally acclaimed debut album “Love is a Dull” Instrument
in the summer of 2004. Scott’s songwriting talents have since developed
considerably – cryptic and poetic, they are given an epic soundscape by the
solid beats, shimmering pedal steel and warm organ of his bandmates.
Here are a few a few accolades for their first album:
”With Love Is a Dull Instrument” Scott Loomer and company have fused the guitar
lonesome of Son Volt with the lilting romanticism of The Jayhawks to blissful
effect. One of the finest country rock albums of the year." Bob Klanac, Scene
Magazine
An absolutely superb album. I think its fantastic! I like everything on it. Bob
Harris, BBC
(Their) debut 'Love is a Dull Instrument' distills the bands first couple of
years into thirteen magnificently executed songs that draw on some of the darker
aspects of life and the relationships that inform our day to day.
- Peter Gow, Americana UK
A wonderful explosion of country rock. Surely one of Americana's best bands
outside of superstardom. Michael Mee, NetRhythms UK
Loomer’s latest album “Songs Of The Wild West Island” contains 12 idiosyncratic
new songs of hope, despair, resurrection and a 2-headed calf. Including the
haunting duet, "Only Lovers" featuring Sarah Harmer.
Loomer are; Andrew Lindsay, Brian Duguay, Michael Taylor, Iain Thomson , John
Dehaas and Scott Loomer. Support on the night at Talking Heads comes from local
favourites Arnie Cottrell & Friends.
Isaac Hayes - The Opera House,
Bournemouth - Saturday August 4.
 ISAAC
HAYES
Think Isaac Hayes and you’ll find that haunting theme from the movie “Shaft”
going through your head. Few people will remember that the American soul star
also had UK Top Ten hits with “Disco Connection” and the cutely titled
“Chocolate Salty Balls (PS I Love You).”
Anyway, the man himself, Isaac Lee Hayes, appears with his band at The Opera
House in Bournemouth on Saturday August 4.
Born in Covington, Tennessee in 1942, Isaac went on to become a songwriter,
musician, record producer, arranger and actor in addition to his vocal
achievements. He is also one of the creative forces behind Stax Records for
which he co- wrote over 200.
But Isaac will always be best-known for writing the film score for “Shaft” in
1971, with the theme song winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song,
incidentally the first Academy Award to be presented to an Afro-American in a
non-acting category. He also was the recipient of three Grammy Awards, including
one for his album “Black Moses.” A further honour was being crowned an honorary
king of Ghana’s Ada district for his humanitarian deeds.
Another fact about Isaac is that from 1997 to 2006 he voiced the character of
“Chef” in the animated TV series “South Park.”
Tickets for the Opera House gig are £25 – phone 08701 989898 or 08700 340380 or
buy online through
www.operahouse.co.uk .
The Spooky Men’s Chorale - Wickham
Festival - Friday August 3 & Sidmouth Festival - Saturday August 4.
 SPOOKY
MENS CHORALE
Almost in spite of themselves, over the past five years acapella outfit The
Spooky Men’s Chorale has drawn the attention of the critics. The Chorale, from
New South Wales, Australia
Music lovers in the South can get a taste of their highly individual sound at
two festivals this month, Wickham Festival on Friday August 3 and Sidmouth
Festival on the following day. Their act has been described as “a homage to what
it is to be a bloke, coated with glistening choral arrangements, complete
daftness and more than a few surreal moments.”
John Shand in the Sydney Morning Herald has championed the Chorale’s evocation
of “the ghosts of deep-voiced choristers long gone... that dark strain (which)
adds an edge of drama.” The esteemed Mr Shand tells of an a capella with “no
chintz, no bling and no kitsch: a healthy blend of eccentricity, scariness and
laughs.”
On one of their sporadic jaunts interstate they have also come to the attention
of the press. Kathleen Noonan of Brisbane’s Courier Mail described the Chorale
as “a great big blinding wall of sound that only 12 powerful men's voices can
deliver”. It’s a wall of sound that’s double brick and nicely rendered. In
August 2006 the Chorale’s appearance at the Edinburgh Festival prompted praise
from The Glasgow Herald’s Rob Adams. “Their performances at the Spiegel Tent
were notable for their “beautifully sung anarchy (with) Amish-like sobriety and
reverence”
The Spooks were also spotted cavorting across UK stages in Cambridge by the
Local Secrets Online Entertainment Guide who attested to their “clever
combination of beautiful settings of fine tunes, disturbing lyrics, and knowing
21st century attitudes.” Unsolicited endorsements from fellow performers have
also arrived at the Spooky doorstep. The English folk legend, Roy Bailey has
stated, “They are simply astounding and outstanding. I admire them immensely.
Their very ordinariness makes the Spooky Men extraordinary.”
Lethal Bizzle - The Joiners,
Southampton - Thursday August 16.
 LETHAL
BIZZLE
I’m not a big fan of rappers myself, but if you are then you might want to get
down to The Joiners in Southampton on Thursday August 16. That’s the night
‘Grindie’ pioneer Lethal Bizzle makes his debut at the famous venue.
Lethal Bizzle, also known as Lethal B, was born Maxwell Ansah in Walthamstow,
East London. The son of Ghanaian parents, he’s been at the forefront of the rap
scene since releasing the single "Pow [Forward]", also known as "Forward Riddim"
in December 2004. The single was banned from airplay by some mainstream stations
but entered the UK Singles Chart at number 11 in the first chart of 2005 and hit
number one on the UK Dance Chart.
Before that, whilst he was a part of the group More Fire Crew their track "Oi!"
reached the top ten of the singles chart in 2002. In early July 2005 Lethal
Bizzle was one of the very few black British artists to appear on stage at the
final Live 8 concert in Edinburgh. This year Lethal B triumphed at the Mobo
Awards.at performed at Live 8 at the G8 Summit, going over on the plane with Bob
Geldof.
A pioneer of the 'Grindie' scene he has close links to the indie scene and has
performed with Pete Doherty and Jack Penate amongst others. His latest album
“Back To Bizznizz” features artists as diverse as Gallows, Babyshambles and
Akira The Don. The album has been described as “a refreshing mix of grime with
the more rambunctious and ramshackle elements of the indie scene” and Includes
the singles “Bizzle Bizzle” and “Babylon's Burning The Ghetto.”
Tickets for the gig at The Joiners are £7 advance, £9 on the door. Doors open at
7.30pm and tickets are also available via Southampton Guildhall.
The Damned - The Brook, Southampton -
Saturday August 18.
 THE
DAMNED
The first British punk band to release a single, “New Rose,” play a gig at The
Brook in Southampton on Saturday August 18, staged by Joiners Promotions. The
Damned who were formed in London in 1976 went on to be pioneers of Goth rock.
The band have in fact incorporated many different styles into their music and
image over the years – garage rock, psychedelic rock, cabaret, and the
theatrical rock popularized by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Throughout
their history The Damned have dissolved and reformed on countless occasions with
singer Dave Vanian as the sole constant member. However, the lineups have always
included either guitarist Captain Sensible or drummer Rat Scabies, or both.
Between 1979 – 1987 The Damned had a series of hit singles including “Love
Song,” “Grimly Fiendish” and their biggest hit “Eloise.” They also released a
total of 9 albums, beginning with “Damned, Damned, Damned” in 1977.
Towards the end of last year The Band had a short American tour and earlier this
year the band played a UK tour with Extatic.
The current lineup for The Damned is:
Captain Sensible - Guitar/vocals
Dave Vanian - Vocals/theramin
Pinch - Drums
Stu West - Bass
Monty Oxymoron – Keyboards
Playing support for The Joiners gig are Eathedocument and Night Of Treason.
Tickets are £15 advance , £17 on the door. Tickets are available via The Brook,
The Joiners or Southampton Guildhall.
Looking for a different Article?
Click here for our archive |
Featured artists:
see POL Articles
Lightnin’ Willie
The Cellars,
Southsea
Wednes August 8
& Thomas Tripp, Christchurch
Thurs August 9.
Loomer
Talking Heads, Southampton Thursday August 23
Isaac Hayes
The Opera House, Bournemouth Saturday August 4
The Spooky
Men’s Chorale
Wickham Festival Friday August 3
& Sidmouth Festival Saturday August 4
Lethal Bizzle
The Joiners, Southampton Thursday August 16
The Damned
The Brook, Southampton Saturday August 18 |
Southampton's No 1 recording studio
|
