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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
ARTICLES
African Soul rebels - Poole Lighthouse,
Poole - February 18, The Dome, Brighton - February 21 & Basingstoke Anvil,
Basingstoke - February 22.
 A
trio of African talents are touring the UK again after the success of their
inaugural tour last year. The African Soul rebels play several gigs in the South
including Poole Lighthouse on February 18, The Dome in Brighton on February 21
and Basingstoke Anvil on the following night.
The artists who are touring at The African Soul Rebels are Amadou and Mariam,
Souad Massi and Emmanuel Jal, and we’re going to tell you a little more about
them. Amadou and Mariam are a funky Malian duo who have just produced one of the
best selling African records of all time, “Dimanche a Bamako.” The album has
also gone platinum in France, and is a just reward for a couple whose romantic
pop music has been entertaining people for over 28 years.
Souad Massi is an Algerian superstar who has been seducing the world with her
tender ballads ever since she quit her hometown of Algiers for Paris back in
1999. Her three albums “Raoui,” “Deb” and “Mesk Elil” have brought a new style
of North African music to the hundreds of thousands of people who have bought
the records. Souad’s success has not been confined to the African continent -
she is now a global superstar through her beautiful and enigmatic songs.
Completing the lineup is Emmanuel Jal, a Sudanese rap prodigy who is the biggest
new prospect on the fertile African hip-hop scene. The tale of his rescue from
the clutches of a southern Sudanese rebel militia is soon to be the subject of a
major Hollywood movie. But it is for his skills as a rappear and a musician,
that he is on tour with The African Soul Rebels.
Ticket details: Poole Lighthouse - 01202 685222, Brighton Dome - 01273 709709,
The Anvil, Basingstoke - 01256 844244.
Morning Runner - The Joiners,
Southampton - Tuesday February 21.
 Things
are going well for Morning Runner who play The Joiners in Southampton on Tuesday
February 21. Their latest single “Burning Benches” has already enjoyed some good
radio play and been made record of the week by both Steve Lamacq and Scott
Mills, and It has now however made the Radio 1 B list. The single will be in the
shops the day before The Joiners gig.
The four members of Morning Runner, Matthew, Tom, Fields and Ali met in Reading
a couple of years ago and have made rapid progress since then. The band were
signed to Manchester label, Faith and Hope Records in 2003. After putting out
The Great Escape 7" EP in 2004 the band played numerous gigs around the country
before being picked up by Parlophone's Dan Keeling. This led to the band signing
a long term deal with Parlophone Records and Faith & Hope in November 2004 and
paved the way for extensive touring through the end of the year and set the
scene for a busy 2005 schedule.
Both The Guardian and Steve Lamacq are fans of the band with the boys being
named as The Guardians' "Ones to watch for 2005" and Steve Lamacq's "My New
Favourite Band". Morning Runner supported bands including Coldplay, Snow Patrol,
Athlete, Ian Brown, The Pogues, The Music and Bloc Party last year, before
playing two sold-out headline tours of their own.
More recently the band have been in the studio to record their debut album
“Wilderness Is Paradise Now” which is out on March 6. Recorded at Rockfield
Studios in Monmouth and Sawmills Studio in Cornwall, it’s an album full of
surprises. An advance copy of the album reveals a deceptive style - beneath
their catchy pop choruses lurk tales of obsession, depression, lust and
desperation.
For ticket details of the Joiners gig on the 21st ring 02380 225612.
Nazareth - The Brook, Southampton - Wednesday February
8.
 In
my opinion Nazareth should be awarded the title “Most Underrated Rock Band In
The World.” This hugely influential 70s band from Scotland return to The Brook
in Southampton on Wednesday February 8th. They played one of the gigs of the
year there on their debut at the venue in 2005.
Coming out of Scotland in the late 60's as part of the initial British hard rock
movement started by Cream and Deep Purple, Nazareth combined the rasping vocals
of singer/frontman Dan McCafferty with the power chord driven music of bass
player Pete Agnew plus original guitarist Manny Charleton and drummer Darrell
Sweet. The music they created was based in emotion as well as power, combining
British hard rock with old-fashioned American rhythm and blues.
Hit singles in America and Europe like "Love Hurts" and a cover of Joni
Mitchell's "This Flight Tonight" along with memorable albums like "Razamanaz",
"Loud 'n' Proud" , "Hair of The Dog" and "Expect No Mercy" helped make Nazareth
one of the most important rock bands of the 1970's. In the 1980's, the band
continued to make forceful albums, but the musical climate, and personnel
changes overshadowed the fine music they made on albums like "The Fool Circle",
"Snaz" and "2XS". The band continued recording and touring both America and
Europe throughout the 80s and 90s. Indeed for the past decade or so it’s true to
say that Nazareth have been better received in Europe and the USA than in the UK
where they rarely appear these days.
More personnel changes came in the 90s when Charleton left the group and was
replaced by young Scottish guitarist Billy Rankin and former Spirit keyboardist,
John Locke. Both have since been replaced by guitarist Jimmy Murrison
and keyboard player Ronnie Leahy. So the current line-up includes three original
members, Agnew and Sweet, and more importantly Dan McCafferty, whose immediately
identifiable voice gives Nazareth their special sound. Definitely a don’t miss
gig at The Brook - tickets are available through 02380 555366 or the website
www.the-brook.com
Photo Copyright of Keith Curtis
Neal Casal - The Railway Inn, Winchester - Tuesday
February 14.
 Another
great night of Americana at The Railway Inn in Winchester this month.
A Valentine’s Day special on Tuesday February 14 is headlined by a superb
American singer-songwriter Neal Casal, and support comes from Danny George
Wilson of Grand Drive.
Neal’s music hums with the thoughtful buzz of vintage California rock,
sunset hayrides full of introspective lyrics and magnetically catchy tunes. His
songs crystallize all those little things we don't say to each other but think just the same. In his work there are echoes of My Morning Jacket, Tim Hardin
and other resolutely honest tunesmiths. Over the course of six full-length
studio albums he's never wavered from staring down life a rare emotional
density.
He has garnered accolades over the years including “Basement Dreams” being
named Best Americana album of 1999 in Mojo magazine and a recent four-star
review for 2003's excellent anthology of his solo work, “Maybe California” in
the French edition of Rolling Stone.
As is often the case, this American artist is better known outside the USA,
but the European and Japanese audiences enthusiasm for Casal's work is
striking. In another era, his songs would be radio staples but they require an
audience that will let the music sink in more slowly than a 3 minute burst. That
he's never wavered in his commitment to great songwriting and thoughtful
presentations says a lot about his character.
Support on the night comes from Grand Drive mainman Danny George Wilson,
whose debut solo album “The Famous Mad Mile” is out now. "A soulful songwriter
who sings with immense, gentle strength" is how MOJO describes him. Tickets
for the gig are £9 via 01962 867795. You can find out more about the two
acts by having a look at www.nealcasal.com and
www.dannygeorgewilson.com .
Battle - The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea - Tuesday
February 28.
 Upcoming
guitar act Battle play a date at The Wedgewood Rooms in Southsea on
Tuesday February 28.
Battle got together around a decade ago outside a school in South London.
Bunking PE to play guitar, Jason Bavanandan and Jamie Ellis were inspired in
equal measure by The Beatles, Motown, Britpop and Nirvana. In 2000, the pair
left school for Kent University in search of a band. After myriad line-ups and
unfortunate blues-rock excursions, they met Pixies enthusiast Tim Scudder and
later, garage-head Oliver Davies. The four instantly clicked.
But after two years of committed practice and sporadic gigging, the group
remained unheralded. Their desire for recognition intensified. Leaving
Canterbury, the band moved to a disused bank vault in Luton and continued their
work.
Finally, things began to develop - after a brace of rapturously received gigs in
Lewisham, the people who talk began to talk. The band secured new management and
studio time which led to the demo, 'Tendency' and wider interest. The
band changed their name to Battle in an attempt to convey how they fought for
their dreams. This ideal of struggle and aspiration pervades much of their work.
Since the turn of 2005, Battle have embarked on a series of small tours and
released the singles, 'Isabelle/ Feel The Same' and 'Demons/ Damascus'. They
started working on their debut album in December 2005. The next step for Battle
is a different version of “Tendency’ which will be released as a single
including two exclusive B-sides on March 6. The band recently appeared on Zane
Lowe’s Radio 1 show to promote it.
Tickets for the Wedgewood Rooms gig are £6 available through 023 9286 3911.
Michael Messer - Raven Hotel, Hook - Friday February 3
& Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne - Saturday February 11.
 Blues
guitarist and singer Michael Messer plays a couple of dates in the South this
month toting a brand new album “Lucky Charms.” Michael can be seen at the Raven
Hotel at Hook on Friday February 3 and the Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne on
Saturday February 11.
Michael Messer was born in Middlesex in 1956. Throughout his childhood and teens
he played rock music with his two brothers and in various local bands. In his
early twenties, Messer spent time in Nashville where he had the chance to meet
and hear some of the greats of country music performing in their home
environment.
These included Roy Acuff, Hank Snow and Johnny Cash. Back home in England in
the late 70s, Messer was mastering the art of Mississippi delta blues slide
guitar, buying his first National steel guitar in 1979. He began playing blues
gigs, both as a solo artist and in various local bands in the early 80s. In 1983
he met Ed Genis and they formed a musical partnership that has lasted for the
past two decades.
The Michael Messer Band was formed in 1985 and they cut their first album,
“Diving Duck,” in 1987 receiving some fantastic reviews. In 1989 Messer produced
and played on an album with the legendary Venice Beach busker, Ted Hawkins,
called “I Love You Too,” which was later re-released as “Nowhere to Run.”
Messer’s second album “Slidedance” was released in 1990, and one year later, he
was voted Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year at the BBC Awards. “Rhythm Oil,” a
trio album with songwriter Terry Clarke and Texas guitar ace, Jesse ‘Guitar’
Taylor, was released in 1993. The CD boasts sleeve notes written by the late
Johnny Cash, a rare honour shared with Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson.
1995 saw the release of “Moonbeat,” which featured a mixture of world music and
blues, as well as DJ Louie Genis (son of rhythm guitarist Ed) scratching old
blues vinyl. A practise that became popular a few years later with the
likes of Little Axe, Moby and R.L. Burnside.In 1999, Messer went to Alberta to
record with Canadian guitarist/songwriter Doug Cox. One of Cox’s songs from the
sessions, “Cold When I’m Dead,” which features Messer playing electric slide
guitar, can be heard in the latest Terry Gilliam movie “Tideland.”
In 2001 Messer released “King Guitar,” a compilation album comprising of sixteen
tracks from back catalogue. The album received critical acclaim on both sides of
the Atlantic, reached number one in the US Living Blues chart and in
May 2001 was the most played album on US college radio.
The new album “Lucky Charms” is not the kind of album one would expect from an
artist with a reputation for being a virtuoso acoustic slide guitarist. Mixing
rock, soul, classic blues, old vinyl, turntables, loops and world rhythms, the
sound Michael Messer has created on is contemporary, accessible and wholly
unique.
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see POL Articles
African Soul rebels Poole Lighthouse, Poole
February 18,
The Dome, Brighton
February 21 & Basingstoke Anvil, Basingstoke February 22
Morning Runner
The Joiners, Southampton Tuesday February 21
Nazareth
The Brook, Southampton Wednes February 8
Neal Casal
The Railway Inn, Winchester
Tuesday February 14
Battle
The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea Tuesday February 28
Michael Messer Raven Hotel, Hook Friday February 3 & Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne
Sat
February 11 |
Southampton's No 1 recording studio
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