Kelly Joe Phelps.
The Brook, Southampton.
12/11/03.

ANY of you music lovers out there who have been to The Brook will know of its’ unique atmosphere. Kelly Joe Phelps and his two musicians made it even more unique during a gig which was filmed for BBC 3. Big Ed behind the sound desk played his part by getting the sound balance just right; Kelly Joe and company did the rest on a very special night which also marked the last gig of their autumn European tour.
This review could very well be subtitled “The Continuing Metamorphosis of Kelly Joe Phelps,” for the singer and guitarist to emerge at this gig was far different from the man I first saw at the same venue around five years ago. Then he was playing old-fashioned Delta blues with his guitar layed across his lap, dobro-style. Very gentle laid-back stuff then, but now he is much more intense, jazzy, and full-on.
A much bigger sound too with the subtle Scott Amendola on drums, and the empathetic Andrew Downing on upright bass. Kelly Joe himself got right into it, rocking backwards and forwards on his chair, alternately hammering and stroking his acoustic guitar on the early dramatic “Window Grin” from his last album. His jazzy roots surfaced on that album’s title track “Slingshot Professionals,” with some improvisational guitar work embellishing his husky vocals.
Throughout, Kelly Joe was totally immersed in the music, rocking and nodding his head, grimacing and gurning as his fingers flew across the frets picking out some complicated riffs.
Most of the material came from his last album on which Scott and Andrew both played. Hence the intuitive way they kept up with Kelly Joe’s spontaneous guitar style and sometimes odd vocal phrasing. Certainly a lot of the songs sounded vastly different to the album versions, and sadly, the songwriter’s dense observational lyrics were sometimes lost to the overalll sound. But that’s not a criticism of this memorable gig which at times reached inspired heights.
The packed audience were certainly up for it, although exhibitionistic
whoops and hollers are not normal Brook form, but that’s what happens when some folk see cameras.
Talking of cameras, look out for me when the concert is shown on BBC3 - I’m the guy who virtually gets up on stage towards the end of the gig to take a few shots, to the annoyance of a few people around me. (© Peter Ashton 2003)

FOLLOWING an engaging support set from young Adam Masterson, Thea took the stage with her usual confidence.  Despite suffering from the “dreaded lurghi” she turned in a professional performance which never quite hit the heights.
  Her five-piece band drowned her out early on - a pity because one of Thea’s strengths is her witty, literate lyrics.  Things improved  when she sang some of her quieter introspective songs, “angst in the key of A,” as she described them.  A cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Cover Me” also impressed, as did the jazzy classic “Buddy Can You Spare a Dime.”
  The sound quality improved as the evening went on with Jim Kirkpatrick on lead guitar playing some neat slide and some twangy riffs, and Nigel Stonier on bass guitar and acoustic guitar providing strong backing.
  Songs from her new “Avalanche” album revealed Thea in rockier mode, but personally I prefer Thea stripped down and acoustic rather than in a band setting.  Still, the sell-out crowd were enthusiastic.   It seems for the time being at least that “This Girl,” to quote my own favourite Gilmore song, can do no wrong. (© Peter Ashton 2003)

Show of Hands
West Chiltington Village Hall, Sussex 1.11.03

Are there really people out there who haven’t heard of Show of Hands? If so, they don’t know what they’re missing. The UK’s finest acoustic chameleons returned to Footlights folk club at West Chiltington Village Hall in Sussex– to a tumultuous reception.
To see them live is an unforgettable experience, and Lynne and Jerry Page
of Footlights were fortunate to secure them for two nights at the start of their lengthy UK tour to promote their new CD, "Country Life."
Whether playing a village hall or the Albert Hall (which they sold out effortlessly on two occasions) this supremely professional duo never fail to deliver. And on Saturday night they played out of their skins.
I caught them on the first night of their "residency"! Starting on a slow burn with the solid number "The Oak", Steve and Phil soon got into their stride with the upbeat "Red Diesel" – the song of the wine-making, car mending Terry, a man most of us probably feel we know! It contains the brilliant line "He says he sang a folk song once but he didn’t inhale". Appropriately for Halloween weekend, they moved on to two chilling numbers – "Crow on the Cradle" and "Widecombe Fair", a creepy twist on the familiar Devon tale. .Knightley is a past master of the shiver-down-the-spine song and it is rarely heard to better effect that in "Widecombe Fair" or indeed the haunting new album track "Reynardine".
Although Knightley sings the majority of his self penned songs, it was Beer’s distinctive voice that did justice to the traditional "Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy" and the raw, heart rending Kelly Joe Phelps song of a misfit "Tommy".
They went into the interval with the emotive and rousing song about the
decline of the Cornish tin mines, "Cousin Jack", which prompted a tide of audience participation.
The second half brought the gentle and balladic Knightley numbers "I
Promise You" and "Smile She Said" which tells of the decline of a relationship in five "exposures." Beer dazzled with his playing in "The Blind Fiddler" and the gig wound to a climax with a fabulous medley. In "The Train" Beer and Knightley transported the audience to India, producing wonderful sitar like sounds, and then on to Chile with the Show of Hands anthem "Santiago" where the audience participation in the chorus flowed like Chinese whispers all the way to the back of the refurbished hall.
Of course the finale could only be the controversial title track of the new
album, "Country Life" – "apparently too political for Radio 2," Knightley
told the audience. It’s a stirring,defiant and finely honed rock rant about the desecration of country life and contains some of Knightley finest lyrics – the " agri barons CAP in hand" line is a gem. Only a diehard townie could fail to be moved with the imagery created in this song, from cattle burning in foot and mouth pyres to empty holiday homes. "No trains, no jobs, no shops, no pubs", bawled Knightley as Beer turned up the tempo with sone frenetic fiddle playing.
Fans lobby vehemently to get Show of Hands more airplay – but perhaps the irony would be if they succeeded. For Beer and Knightley have ploughed their own independent "cottage industry" furrow brilliantly and I reckon a lot of fans actually like the fact that they are one of the country’s best kept musical secrets. And with talent like that displayed at West Chiltington it’s a hell of a secret…(Guest review by Jane Brace)

I was looking forward to this gig after hearing Michael’s brilliant new album “A Decent Man,” and I wasn’t disappointed. “This is going to be a bit of a “warts and all” gig,” Michael confessed to me just before leading his six-piece band on stage. A warm-up for his national tour, it may well have been a little raw and under-rehearsed but that just added to the atmosphere of a very enjoyable gig.
With his crew of talented musicians including the formidable Jackie Leven on guitar and partner Lou Dalgleigh on backing vocals, Michael roared into the opening “Mother Tongue” with gusto. A comitted and enthralling set followed with songs like “Lay Me Down,” “A Decent Man,” “Wooden Hill” and “Celestial City,” all from the new album, announcing that Michael has reached a new threshold both in his songwriting and performance skills. Good-humoured and unpretentious, Michael has developed from a somewhat enigmatic alt country singer-songwriter into a confident performer with a style of his own. The songs in this set ranged from country-tinged to rock to catchy pop, with a nod to soul on the great “When You Leave The Spotlight.” I particularly liked the self-deprecating humour of “A Decent Man,” commenting on the temptations faced by a middle-aged man - “She may be only 22, but I would show her what to do, I’d guide her through the back streets of my tiny mind.” Great work by Mike Cosgrave on piano, Jackie on electric guitar, Alan Cook on pedal steel, Kevin Foster on bass, Steve Jackson on drums and Lou on backing vocals embellished Michael’s fluent vocals and jangling guitar.
A rousing warm-up gig finished on a high with “High Days Holy Days.” Superb entertainment. (© Peter Ashton 2003)

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