The Bowie Experience
Talking Heads, Southampton.

ANYONE attempting to capture the singular style of David Bowie is taking on quite a challenge. Singer Laurence, bedecked in lurex suit and white boots, looked vaguely like the engimatic icon and sounded pretty convincing. But there was something in his rather stiff demeanour which was more reminiscent of “Thunderbirds” than the androgynous charm of the “Thin White Duke.”
Having said that, it was a professional performance by Laurence and his
band, which featured a suitably Ronsonesque lead guitarist. The opening
“Spiders From Mars” and more songs from the early Bowie era like “A Space Oddity,” “John I’m Only Dancing” and “Changes” were well received by the Bowie freaks in the audience, as were later hits. But I couldn’t get that Thunderbirds image out of my mind and I’m not sure I would like to repeat The Bowie Experience.

Charlemagne
The Railway Inn, Winchester.

A down-home gig featuring an appealing slice of pop-country from a band all the way from Madison, Wisconsin, USA. They played some very melodic songs full of clever harmonies to a packed crowd in the intimate Railway music venue.
Led by singer and guitarist Carl Johns, Charlemagne are a band comprising three males and three females, two of whom combined backing vocals with knitting throughout the act. Now, that must be a first!
Their music is full of different influences - some songs like the bouncy
country-rock song “Dawn Upon” recalled The Byrds, while others had echoes of Dylan and The Mamas and The Papas. But harmony was the keynote, making up for Carl’s somewhat limited vocal range. He wrote all the songs ranging from plaintive ballads like “August Evenings” and “Prisoner Of” to more upbeat numbers. The overall effect was a warm cascade of sound and the Railway crowd loved it. So did I.

Michael Marra
Talking Heads, Southampton.

PITY about the low turn-out - this diminutive Scotsman deserved a bigger audience. A natural storyteller with a droll wit, he performed around twenty songs, each telling a story, accompanying himself on keyboards with occasional forays to centre stage to play guitar. A pleasure too to be able to hear every word of his fascinating and descriptive songs, thanks to sound man Shaggy.
He started off with three “Scottish Visit” songs telling the stories of three vastly different characters and their visits to Scotland: Dr John, Bob Dylan and General Ulysses S Grant. Indeed the set-list was gloriously diverse, from the tale of a fox appearing during a football match in “Reynard in Paradise” to the division of a divorcing couple’s record collection in “Beefheart and Bones.”
Every song was rooted in experience and observation, with standouts
including the amusing “He Said, She Said” about newspaper lonely hearts columns to a cover of Robbie Burns’ “Green Grow The Rushes-O.” Closing with the country-style “Take Me Out Drinking Tonight,” the wee man from Dundee provided a thoroughly captivating musical experience.

David Cassidy.
Bournemouth International Centre.

Not surprisingly a predominantly female audience turned out in force for this one. The BIC was packed for an American heart-throb who had thrilled them all back in the 70s with a string of Top Ten hits. And they got just what they wanted, as the slim white- shirted singer charmed them all over again.
Opening with “Heartbeat” in front of his 5-piece band and two female
backing singers, David took plenty of time to get to know his audience. Many women had rushed up to the front to shake his hand, several presenting him with their panties and personal messages. David, now in his mid fifties, lapped up the adulation and sounded better than ever as he sang all those 70s hits including “I Write The Songs,” and “I Think I Love You.” Closing with “How Can I Be Sure,” David produced a night to remember for all his loyal fans. (Photograph copyright Claire Edwards)

The Handsome Family.
Sixpenny Handley Village Hall, Dorset, 23/04/04.

Brett and Rennie Sparks, better known as The Handsome Family, brought their special brand of skewed alt country to a candlelit cabaret in the wilds of Dorset. Officially it was the launch of this year’s Larmer Tree Festival which takes place in July, unofficially it was an excuse for organisers James and Julia to showcase one of their favourite bands. There’s no hard sell with a Larmer Tree launch as this very special festival, recently highlighted in the Sunday Times as one of the best eight festivals in the UK, sells out every year..
The husband and wife duo from Albuquerque, New Mexico were in great form, the bespectacled Brett as laid-back as usual, and Rennie looking elegant in a long skirt. “Welcome to the boom-boom room,” quipped Brett as they launched into “Grandmother Waits For You.” Rennie, wielding a bass guitar, took over lead vocals on the spooky “Down In The Ground” before the duo reprised “My Sister’s Tiny Hands” from their “Through The Trees” album.
As the growing number of Handsome Family fans will know, Rennie writes the dark, surreal and quirkily humorous lyrics and Brett supplies the melodies.
Together they produce a country-noir style interspersed with a good deal of entertaining back-chat. Brett’s quivering baritone, which occasionally
strays dangerously close to self-parody, his quirky guitar style and Rennie’s harmonies and musical versatility on guitar, banjo, and melotron assures a varied sound. Humour and pathos infused “The Sad Milkman” and “So Much Wine,” while the following “No-One Fell Asleep Alone” and “The Bottomless Hole” saw the pair at their eerie best. Even if Brett did leave a crucial verse out of the latter song, which Rennie took pleasure in pointing out. Maybe that threw Brett slightly, as he forgot to put his harmonica frame on for the following “24-Hour Store” and had to improvise with a jokey heavy metal guitar solo.
A slight diversion occurred during “Up Falling Rock Hill” when members of the audience got quite shirty with an over-loquacious member of support band Perico. Raised voices were soon quelled by a slightly puzzled Rennie who opined “I’m an experienced knife-thrower, if that’s any help.” Peace restored, Brett and Rennie sang their classic suicide song “Weightless Again” - “this is why people Od on pills and jump from the Golden Gate Bridge, anything to feel weightless again.” The set continued with “Cathedrals,”
“The Woman Downstairs” - a true story about a neighbour who starved herself to death in Chicago, cheerful stuff! and “Song of 1000 Toads.” The audience were entranced throughout as the set wound to a close with “Arlene,” “The Forgotten Lake” and “Giant of Illinois.” Encoring with “Mole in the Ground” and one of their best songs, “A Beautiful Thing,” The Handsome Family gave the people of Sixpenny Handley and me a night to remember.